Leisure insurance
Self-Build Motorhome Insurance
cover for a van you converted yourself, where the value has to be evidenced rather than looked up
Cover for a van converted into a motorhome by its owner. The vehicle side is conventional; the difficulty is the habitation side, where the value has to be established from receipts, photographs and certification rather than a price list.
- No list price to look up
- Evidence does the work
- Agreed value is the usual route
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerA self-build has no list price, no dealer invoice and no comparable model, which is exactly the problem an insurer has to solve. The answer is evidence: receipts for the materials and appliances, photographs of the build as it went along, and certification for the gas and electrical work. With that in hand an agreed value becomes straightforward. Tell us the van and the build, and specialist UK brokers can come back with quotes.
Converted by a professional instead? Our camper conversion insurance page covers those.
At a glance
Self-Build Ownership: Six Things to Know
Six things a self-builder needs before the policy is arranged.
- Keep every receipt
- They become the valuation
- Photograph the build
- Before the boards go back on
- Certify the gas and electrics
- Competent work, documented
- Agreed value is the usual route
- There is no book price
- Security still matters
- A converted van is still a van
- Say it is a conversion
- Not a factory motorhome
The basics
What Gets Asked About a Self-Build
The chassis and cab are ordinary and price like any vehicle. Everything behind them is unique to your build, and the whole exercise is about describing it in a way an underwriter can price.
The vehicle itself
Make, model, year and berth.
What it is worth
Replacement cost today.
Where it is kept
A drive, a yard or a graded site.
Security fitted
Alarm, immobiliser, tracker, locks.
How far it goes
An honest annual distance.
Who drives it
Owners and anybody else permitted.
How it works
A Self-Build Quoted in Four Moves
Four questions cover most of it: the vehicle, the value, the security and where it sleeps. The last two carry more weight than owners expect.
Describe the vehicle
Make, model, age and value.
Describe how it is used
Weekends away, long tours, rallies, a seasonal pitch or European trips.
List the security fitted
Alarm, immobiliser, tracker, locks.
Read the terms
Not only the premium at the bottom.
What it covers
The Parts of the Policy That Matter on a Self-Build
The road sections you would recognise from a car policy, plus the habitation cover that answers for the living area and what is kept in it.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Impact and accidental damage | The main section | Including damage while manoeuvring |
| Fire and theft | Included | Storage and security are rated |
| Weather and flood | Included | A stored vehicle is still exposed |
| Contents in the habitation area | Sub-limited | Declare anything of real value |
| Awning and porch | Usually added | High wind is the usual cause |
| Use in Europe | Confirm the limit | Counted in days, not trips |
| Public liability | Included | Injury or damage at the pitch |
Do not insure it as a van. A van policy answers for a vehicle and what it is carrying. It is not written for a fitted interior, and a claim on a converted van insured as a plain one is an argument nobody wants to have.
What it leaves out
What Sits Outside a Self-Build Policy
None of this is small print for its own sake. These are the gaps that catch motorhome owners out, and several of them close by declaring something at the quote.
Water getting in over time
Damp is excluded or heavily limited on most contracts.
Frost and freezing damage
Unless the system was drained down as required.
Theft from an unapproved storage site
Where the policy names a site or a grade.
Items outside the vehicle
Awning contents, cycles and gas bottles may need adding.
Hiring it out for payment
A different use, and a different policy.
Gradual water ingress
The commonest reason a habitation claim is refused.
Build types
The Self-Build Range Being Driven Today
Self-builds run from a mattress and a cool box to a full fit-out that rivals a factory vehicle, and where yours sits decides how much evidence is needed.
Simple weekend fit-outs
Bed, storage, little else.
Full conversions with services
Gas, water and electrics installed.
High-specification builds
Approaching factory standard.
Converted minibuses and vans
Various base vehicles.
Part-finished projects
Insured while work continues.
Long-wheelbase builds
More space, more value inside.
Started from an older van? See classic vehicle insurance.
Who it suits
The People Choosing a Self-Build
Self-builders are a distinct group, and most of them have spent more on the interior than the van underneath it was worth.
First-time converters
One van, one long winter.
Experienced builders
A second or third conversion.
Weekend and surf van owners
Simpler fit-outs.
Owners of high-spec builds
Where agreed value is essential.
Owners still building
Cover during the work.
Long-trip travellers
Living in it for months.
Comparing with a factory campervan? See campervan insurance.
Self-build or factory
A Self-Build on the Road vs One Standing Still
The difference is not the quality of the build but the evidence behind the value, and that is what changes the conversation with an insurer.
| Self-build | Factory built | |
|---|---|---|
| Establishing value | Receipts and photographs | Invoice or price list |
| Usual settlement | Agreed value | New for old, then agreed |
| What insurers ask | Who did the work | Which model it is |
| Certification | Gas and electrical evidence | Supplied by the converter |
Comparing motorhome cover generally? See motorhome insurance.
Cost
Where the Money Goes on a Self-Build Quote
The vehicle, its value, the annual distance, where it is kept, the security fitted and the claims record. We do not print average premiums.
Why evidence is the whole exercise
An underwriter cannot look your vehicle up. Receipts, a build log and photographs turn an unknown quantity into a described one, and a described one can be priced and settled.
Why the services are asked about
Gas and electrical installations are where a home-built interior can go wrong, so insurers ask who did the work and whether it was certified. Documented work by a competent installer makes the whole thing easier.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- The vehicleMake, model, year and berthBase
- ValueReplacement cost, not purchase priceRate
- Annual mileageThe distance actually coveredRate
- StorageHome, yard or graded siteRate
- Drivers and claimsAges, licences and recent yearsAdjust
Store it behind a barrier
One of the strongest levers.
Set the mileage honestly
Limited mileage terms price well.
Value it for replacement
Not for what you paid.
The conditions
Four Things a Self-Build Owner Has to Do
Conditions are where motorhome claims are won and lost. The four below come up repeatedly.
Meet the declared security standard
Alarms, immobilisers, trackers and locks.
Respect the mileage basis
Going well past it is a disclosure problem.
Keep to the storage arrangement
Moving it changes the terms.
Keep the habitation check up to date
It will not create cover, but it protects one.
Quote checklist
The Details a Broker Wants About a Self-Build
None of it is hard to find. Having it to hand is the difference between a quick quote and a drawn-out one.
Make, model and berth
Make, model, year, berth and the registration.
Where it sleeps
A drive, a yard, a farm or a graded storage site.
Value and contents value
Two separate figures.
Security specification
What is fitted and what could be.
Everybody who drives it
Ages and licence history.
Mileage and previous claims
Both are rated.
Comparing
Weighing Self-Build Quotes Beyond the Price
Set two quotes side by side and work through this. The differences will be here rather than in the premium.
The settlement basis
- New for old while the vehicle is young enough
- Agreed value on older or converted vehicles
- Market value, and what that means in practice
Where you can use it
- Days permitted in Europe
- Rallies and unlisted sites
- Seasonal pitches and long stays
On this motorhome specifically
- Settlement basis on this vehicle
- Contents and awning limits
- Mileage and storage conditions
Ask how a total loss would be settled. It is the question owners forget to ask. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.
Cutting costs
Trimming What a Self-Build Costs to Insure
The levers are storage, security, an honest mileage, an accurate value and a clean record. We publish no savings figures.
Move it to a graded site
Storage moves the price.
Fit a tracker
Recovery odds change the rating.
Agree a realistic mileage
And then stay inside it.
Keep the value current
Under-insuring costs more later.
Build clean years
A motorhome bonus is worth protecting.
Compare every renewal
This market moves a great deal.
Glossary
Self-Build Cover Jargon, Unpicked
The words that come up once a self-build motorhome is insured in its own right.
- Replacement basis
- How a total loss is settled: new for old, agreed or market value.
- Agreed value
- A fixed sum, useful where a vehicle is unusual or no longer built.
- Total loss
- Where repair is not economic and the policy settles instead.
- Base vehicle
- The chassis and cab a motorhome is built on.
- Security devices
- Alarms, immobilisers, trackers and locks, often conditions.
- Tracker
- A device that helps recover a stolen vehicle, and can help the premium.
- Damp
- Long-term water ingress. The commonest reason a habitation claim is refused.
- Seasonal pitch
- A pitch kept for a season, which changes where the vehicle stands.
- Contents limit
- The most the policy pays for belongings inside.
- Voluntary excess
- An amount you choose to carry to reduce the premium.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Self-Build Owners Compare Through MyMoneyComparison.com
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces motorhome owners to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one motorhome
Describe the motorhome once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
Self-Build Motorhome Insurance FAQs
Answers on storage, security, damp, mileage limits and European touring.
Can I insure a van I converted myself?
Yes, and specialist brokers do it routinely. What they need is a description of what you built and evidence of what it cost, because there is no model name to look the value up against.
What evidence should I keep?
Receipts for materials and appliances, photographs taken at each stage, and certification for the gas and electrical work. A simple build log tying those together answers most of what a broker asks.
Should I take agreed value?
On a self-build it is usually the sensible route. It fixes the figure in advance rather than leaving a one-off vehicle to be assessed against comparable examples that do not exist.
Can I insure it while it is still being built?
Often yes, on a basis that reflects the stage the work has reached. Tell the insurer as the value grows, because a policy arranged around a bare shell will not answer for a finished interior.
Does the gas work have to be certified?
Insurers ask, and documented work by a competent installer makes a difficult conversation straightforward. Undocumented gas work is the single thing most likely to hold a quote up.
Is it cheaper than insuring a factory motorhome?
Not automatically. The van underneath may be worth little, but a well-equipped interior adds real value, and that is what the habitation side is insuring.
What if I keep improving it?
Tell the insurer as you go. A conversion that gains a solar array, a heater and a new kitchen over two seasons is not the vehicle described at the start, and the agreed value needs to keep up.
Will an insurer want to see it?
Sometimes, particularly on a higher-value build. Photographs and receipts usually suffice, though an inspection is not unusual where an agreed value is being set on an unusual vehicle.
What does a motorhome policy actually cover?
Sudden damage to the vehicle, theft, storm and flood, a limit for contents and liability on the road and at the pitch. What it does not cover is gradual deterioration, which includes damp.
How should I value it?
On what it would cost to replace with an equivalent, not on what you paid. Values move, and a figure that was right three years ago will usually be short today.
Are my belongings inside it insured?
Up to a limit, which is separate from the vehicle and often lower than owners expect. Anything of real value is worth declaring individually rather than hoping the general limit stretches.
Can I tour in Europe?
Usually, once it is declared, and commonly with a cap on the number of days. Tell the insurer before you go rather than assuming the cover travels with you.
What happens if it is stolen from storage?
The policy responds, provided the security you declared was set and the site is the one on the schedule. Those two conditions decide most motorhome theft claims.
Should I fit a tracker?
On a higher-value vehicle it is usually worth it. Recovery rates improve considerably and insurers recognise that, particularly on larger motorhomes, which are conspicuous but still taken.
Does a service history help?
Yes, and especially the habitation side. Damp is excluded as a gradual loss, so a documented history of it being looked for and dealt with protects you when something sudden happens nearby.
What if I change storage site?
Tell the insurer before you move it. Storage is a rated field and a quiet change is the kind of thing that surfaces awkwardly after a theft.
Ready when you are
Take the Self-Build to the Market
Tell us about the self-build motorhome and where it is kept. Specialist UK brokers can then come back with quotes. Free to use, with no obligation to buy.
- Coachbuilt, A-class, van conversions and self-builds
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- FCA authorised and regulated
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About this page
This page explains UK self-build motorhome insurance: cover for a van converted by its owner, how a vehicle with no list price is valued, and what evidence makes the conversation easy. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
How we approached this page
- Published UK motorhome and campervan policy summaries
- Storage, security devices, habitation checks and European use
- Financial Ombudsman material on motor insurance complaints
Legal & Regulatory Information:
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