What’s the difference between campervan insurance and van insurance?

31 May 2024 | Last updated 11 August 2025

We’ve put together this quick guide to explain the differences between camper insurance and van insurance, and why the two types of vehicles will have different prices when you come to insure them.

 This is one of a whole range of guides you’ll find here at Just Kampers Insurance to help you get a better understanding of campervan insurance, and vehicle insurance in general.

What’s the difference between Van Insurance and Camper Insurance?

While a campervan might be created using the same base vehicle as a regular van, the two will likely end up costing different amounts to insure, but why?

In general, campervan insurance is usually cheaper than insurance for a commercial van, as campers are classed as leisure vehicles. This means that they’ll likely cover fewer miles, and will generally be used in the summer months when the weather is (supposedly) better.

These differences mean that you’re generally less likely to make a claim on your campervan insurance since you’re not driving it as often, and because when you are driving your camper it’s generally when the roads are in better shape and the driving conditions aren’t as hazardous.

This in turn means that insurance underwriters feel comfortable offering you vehicle insurance at a lower rate than they might if you were insurance a commercial van which was being driven long distances five, six, or seven days a week, all through the year.

You’ll usually find that this holds true even if the value of a camper is higher than the value of a van of the same type – for example a VW T6.1 campervan and a VW T6.1 van.

Whats the difference between campervan insurance and van insurance

Insurance for Day Vans

You might find that if it’s hard to clearly define your vehicle as either a campervan or a commercial van, you may struggle to get an accurate vehicle insurance quote.

For example, if you have a ‘day van’ which you use for carrying work equipment during the week, but go away in over the weekend.

Luckily, we’ve been offering tailored vehicle insurance for campervan owners since 1998, so we can absolutely help! Get in touch with our friendly team of experts via email or on 01256 444546, and we’ll make sure you’re offered a selection of different vehicle insurance quotes which are tailored to you and your vehicle, so you can pick the one which works best for you.

Renault campervan - Just Kampers Insurance

How Do You Make Sure You’ve Got the Right Cover for Your Vehicle?

Whatever van you’ve got, whether it’s a fully converted camper, a bare-bones works van, or something in between, it’s important to ensure that your vehicle insurance properly covers you.

As many campervan conversions are based on commercial vehicles, it’s often possible to get quotes from both car insurers and commercial van insurers. However, the levels of cover can be very different between the two types of policy.

It’s therefore important to speak to a specialist like Just Kampers Insurance to ensure you get a policy that suits your own particular needs.

If you need vehicle insurance which allows you to occasionally use your campervan for work purposes, or your works van for the odd weekend away, we can arrange a vehicle insurance policy to suit you.

A Yellow VW T4 Transporter Campervan - Just Kampers Insurance

A Quick Summary

Ultimately the main difference between a vehicle insurance policy for a camper and a van comes down the price. As we’ve discussed, there are a few elements which factor into this price difference, but it’s generally down to how much you’ll be using your vehicle, when you’ll be using it, and what you’ll be using it for.

Simply put, you’ll often find that campervan insurance is cheaper than van insurance, because it’s deemed by insurers to be less of a risk, which means they’re happy to offer insurance at a lower rate.

To find out exactly how much you can insure your campervan or works van for, get in touch with our team of friendly experts today via email or on the phone.

FAQs about Campervan Insurance

How much is campervan insurance?

As every policy is custom, and campers undergo a lot of customisations, its dependent on individual circumstance and a multitude of factors! You can always get a quote to find out.

Is it cheaper to insure a van or a campervan?

Van insurance is more expensive than campervan insurance, as vans often contain more expensive contents when used as work vans. For vans, you’ll often also need business insurance as well, or one that covers you for business use, something campervans don’t need.

Can you insure a campervan as a van?

If your campervan meets the DVLA requirements for being a motor caravan, regardless of what your logbook says, you need to insure it as a campervan, if that’s what you’re using it for. This means you get appropriate cover for your use.

Can I drive a campervan on my car insurance?

No, you can’t drive a campervan on your car insurance. Your insurance needs to be appropriate for the vehicle you drive, and a campervan isn’t the same as a car. Even if you have a converted campervan, then you need to get campervan insurance, rather than relying on your car insurance.

What won’t campervan insurance cover?

Car insurance won’t cover the following:

  • Infestations of rat, mice, bugs or other vermin
  • Wear and tear
  • Theft, if you’ve left your keys in it, windows open or door unlocked

It’s always worth giving your policy a read to check.

Do I need different insurance if I’m planning to live in my van?

No, you don’t need different insurance if you plan to live in your van. You will need to ensure you have the correct cover, such as contents insurance, and the insurer is aware you will be living in your van.

You may want to consider taking out a life or home insurance policy that covers you for van living, in case of an emergency.

Can I insure a car and campervan on the same policy?

You can only insure a car and van on the same policy if you have a multi vehicle policy. It’s important that you have the correct policy type for your needs, and that you get a bespoke policy tailored.

Why Choose Just Kampers Insurance?

We offer a range of policy choices and additions designed to suit a range of needs, from Agreed Value cover that protects the true value of your vehicle, to short-term temporary insurance.

Get 10% off all parts and accessories at our sister company justkampers.com

A friendly team, there if you need assistance

Written by: Jason Sims

Jason is a Marketing Executive at Just Kampers who is a fully-fledged VW enthusiast, with over 20 years’ experience in keeping Volkswagens old and new on the road, he currently owns a 69 Cal Look Beetle, and enjoys attending VW shows and Camping with friends and family.

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