Insuring Your RV Trip

Key takeaways

• RV travel insurance isn’t for your vehicle. Instead, it exists to protect your travel investment by covering cancellations, medical emergencies, delays, and baggage loss.
• Most RV trips are insurable if you travel at least 100 miles from home.
• “Driveway-to-driveway coverage” means your financial protection starts when you leave home and doesn’t end until you return.

Insuring your next RV trip

Recreational vehicles, or RVs, offer a unique way to explore the country while enjoying the comfort of your own space.

But travel to remote areas comes with its own risks, and when something unexpected throws off your plans, it can hit your wallet just as hard as it hits your itinerary. RV trip insurance is purpose-built to protect your trip investment, your belongings, and your health and well-being.

What is RV travel insurance?

RV trip insurance is comprehensive travel insurance that protects against the financial implications of trip cancellations, medical emergencies, delays, and baggage loss during road trips. It safeguards your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when unexpected events disrupt your journey.

What does RV travel insurance cover?

If you’re heading at least 100 miles from home, RV vacation insurance can provide driveway-to-driveway coverage. That means your trip will be covered from the time you leave home until you return.

RV trip insurance typically covers:

• Trip cancellation: Reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable costs if you have to cancel for a covered reason, such as illness or the death of you, a travel companion, or a family member
• Trip interruption: Can pay up to 150% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs and can be used to book a last-minute flight home if you need to cut your trip short for a covered reason
• Emergency medical: Reimburses emergency medical expenses, such as a hospital visit and X-rays. Look for a policy with primary coverage, so your benefits apply regardless of what your regular health insurance does or doesn’t cover.
• Medical evacuation: Covers emergency transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility
• Travel delays: Reimburses additional expenses, such as extra nights in a hotel, caused by covered delays
• Baggage loss. Compensates for stolen belongings at their depreciated value

RV travel insurance vs. RV auto insurance

It’s important to understand the difference between RV travel insurance and standard RV auto insurance. These two often get confused, but they protect very different things.

Each type of insurance serves a different purpose. RV travel insurance covers your trip, while vehicle insurance covers your RV.

Planning tips for your RV trip

To set yourself up for a successful RV adventure, it’s a good idea to do some research, planning, and preparation. A little prep can go a long way toward a smoother trip.

Plan ahead

While the prospect of driving wherever the road leads you may be thrilling, it’s best to have a plan.

This should include:

• Mapping out your itinerary
• Researching RV sites along your route and booking ahead when possible (spots fill up fast in peak season)
• Looking up National Parks guidelines if you’ll be visiting with your vehicle and purchasing any passes you may need in advance
• Downloading offline maps in case you lose cell service out on the road (and carrying a paper map as a final backup)

Be prepared

Safety is always a priority when it comes to travel. Road trips, particularly in an unfamiliar vehicle, are no exception.

Before hitting the road:

• Take your vehicle for a test drive before you leave so you’re comfortable handling it. It’s much easier to work out the kinks in a parking lot than on a highway.
• Compare RV travel insurance quotes ahead of time so you know your coverage fits the trip you’re planning.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need travel insurance for an RV trip?

It’s a smart move. Travel insurance is recommended for RV trips to protect your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses against unexpected cancellations, medical emergencies, or delays.

What does RV travel insurance cover?

RV travel insurance typically covers trip cancellation and interruption, emergency medical expenses and evacuation, travel delays, and baggage loss. Many policies also let you add upgrades to enhance your coverage.

How far in advance should I buy RV travel insurance?

You can purchase most policies up until the day before departure. However, buying travel insurance within 10 to 21 days of your initial trip deposit ensures you’re eligible for time-sensitive benefits, such as pre-existing condition waivers.

Is RV travel insurance the same as RV auto insurance?

No. RV travel insurance protects your trip investment and covers you as a traveler, while RV auto insurance covers the vehicle itself for collision, theft, and damage.