Road trip? Car insurance and caravanning - what you need to know

With international travel restrictions still very much in place, this Easter many Aussies will be holidaying in their own backyard - and a lot will be doing it in a caravan!

In fact, according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia more than 741,000 Australians now have a registered RV and over 400,000 campers intend to hit the road this long weekend.

Now if you've been pondering buying your own caravan, you probably have some questions around how insurance works. The good news is, we're here to answer them.

Does car insurance cover caravans?

The short answer for this is no. Generally speaking, the car insurance you have already will not cover your caravan. Most car insurance policies will only provide cover for the vehicle listed on your insurance certificate.

Comprehensive car insurance will sometimes provide liability cover for damage that your caravan may do to someone else's property and limited cover for trailers. However, damage to your own caravan will not usually be covered. Plus, if you are planning to add anything like a tow hitch to your car, it might be a good idea to ring your insurance provider and update your policy.

Do I need caravan insurance?

As it stands insurance for a towed caravan is not generally a legal requirement in Australia. However, if your caravan is a big financial investment for you, then you may want to protect yourself against theft or damage.

What does caravan insurance cover?

Before we get into the details, let's be clear about one thing - 'caravan' refers to an engineless vehicle that can be towed by a car. It is not the same as a motorhome or camper trailer.

A bit of online research will tell you that caravan insurance usually falls under the 'caravan and trailer insurance' umbrella. Caravan insurance providers will often offer two types of insurance for caravans: touring caravan insurance and onsite caravan insurance.

If your plan is to hitch your home-on-wheels to the back of your car and head off into the sunset, then touring caravan insurance will probably be the way to go. Depending on the individual policy, this type of insurance can provide cover for instances such as:

• Theft
• Accidental damage
• Emergency repairs
• Temporary accommodation
• Towing and storage
• Fire
• Storms and floods

Cover for contents, an annexe and food spoilage may also be included. Or it may be available as an optional extra. Similar to car insurance, some providers will also offer different levels of caravan insurance. So third party property, third party fire and theft and comprehensive.

Who offers caravan insurance?

Insurance companies that offer caravan insurance in Australia include:

• AAMI
• Apia
• CGU
• National Seniors Insurance
• NRMA
• QBE
• RACV
• Youi

If you're new to caravanning you may want to check out the NRMA's guide to slowways. That is 'caravan-friendly' roads in regional Australia.

Make sure you're insured!

Finally, caravan or no-caravan it's definitely a good idea to make sure you have the right level of insurance for your wheels, before you hit the open road this long weekend. Head to Mozo's compare car insurance page to take a look at insurance policies on offer right now, or check out the offerings below. If you're in need of extra cash, consider a caravan loan.