How Much Does Class C RV Insurance Cost? Complete Buyer’s Guide

Class C RVs are becoming an increasingly popular travel option for U.S.-based adventurers, and for good reason. They provide most of the modern luxuries of a traditional living arrangement, but you can take them anywhere that you would like!

Additionally, traveling in a Class C RV can save you quite a bit of money on airfare and lodging costs, and might even pay for itself for frequent travelers.

That being said, there is one cost that is frequently overlooked when people are looking to get into Class C RVs, and that is the insurance costs.

How much does Class C RV insurance cost? On average most owners can expect to pay between $800 and $1600 per year for Class C RV insurance. However, the price of Class C RV insurance will vary depending on several different factors and can get as high as $3000 per year.

Class C RVs, commonly referred to as motorhomes, are very significant investments, so protecting them with a good insurance policy is an absolute must.

To do this, it’s essential to understand the various things that go into Class C RV insurance, so let’s take a look at all of the things that you need to know about insuring your motorhome.

What is Class C RV Insurance?

Before our more in-depth discussions of the intricacies of Class C RV insurance, it’s essential first to understand what exactly Class C RV insurance is.

RV’s are categorized by their size, and there are three main categories used. This is important because insurance rates will vary depending on the Class of RV. These are the different categories of RV:

Class A: full-size RVs
Class B: smallest size; campervans and converted cargo vans
Class C: midsize RV’s

Here, you can find an article from our website about: How to Choose the Right Size Travel Trailer: An In-Depth Guide

What makes Class C RV insurance different?

Because insurance rates are different for every different Class of RV, insurance companies need to have ways of telling apart the three different types.

Rather than just using size, though, insurance companies have several different categories that they use to assess RVs, allowing them to determine what kind of insurance each specific RV needs.

These are a few of the ways that insurance companies classify Class C RVs, according to Trusted Choice.

Note that these will vary slightly from insurance company to insurance company, but these are some of the more common and generalizable ways that insurance companies classify Class C RVs.

The RV’s construction: All different classes of RVs are constructed a little bit differently, so it should come as no surprise that insurance companies will use these variations in structure to tell the different classes of RVs apart. In the case of Class C RVs, most insurance companies consider a Class C RV one that is constructed on a cut-away van or truck chassis, which also includes the cab.
The cab of the RV: Another way that insurance companies differentiate Class C RVs from other types of RVs is by looking at the cab. Class C RVs can have a couple of different cab setups, but generally, insurance companies consider Class C RVs those that come with the cab as made by the manufacturer.
Over-cab compartment: Most Class C RVs will have a compartment of some kind located over the cab. This is a great way to maximize the space of the RV, making it a generally more versatile space and allowing for more creative usage of the primary space within the RV. However, in addition to just being practical, the over-cab compartment is also a way that insurance companies identify Class C RVs. Generally, they will classify those RVs with an over-cab compartment that is used for sleeping as a Class C RV.
Layout of the RV: Different types of RVs are often laid out slightly differently, with the floorplan of Class A, B, and C RVs usually being quite substantially different. Because of this, insurance companies will look at the layout of the RV, using it to determine what Class of RV the vehicle belongs to. Insurance companies usually consider Class C RVs those RVs that have full living quarters for sleeping, as well as kitchen and bathroom facilities. This is in contrast to Class A RVs, which will generally offer more space and versatility, and Class B RVs, which are far less well-appointed.
Sleeping accommodations: The last main point of differentiation between the different classes of RVs that insurance companies use to classify them is the RV’s sleeping accommodations. All different classes can sleep various numbers of people, so this is a very easy and straightforward way for insurance companies to separate the different types of RV. In the case of Class C RVs, insurance companies consider RVs that sleep up to 8 people a Class C RV.

Which Class C RV Insurance Agency To Choose?

There are many RV insurance companies in the market, but it is important to find out which one suits you best.

I have listed some of the most popular insurance companies that offer Class C RV insurance (the best rated RV insurance providers I have found on the market at the moment (customer services, ratings, coverage options, discounts, financial strength):

RV Insurance Agency	Coverage Options
Good Sam (Top Choice!)	. 96% overall customer satisfaction rating . Customers report average savings of $321 per year . Total-loss replacement for motorhomes and travel trailers . Specialized coverage for full timers or first-time weekend RV’ers . RV storage option allows you to save even more by turning off coverage when your RV is not in use!
RVInsurance.com	. Customers report average savings of $321 per year . Covers everything from class A motorhomes to pop-up campers . Quote and buy online . Speak to a professional, licensed agent . Fully licensed, multi-line agency can quote your auto, home, boat and other insurance products
National General	. Top rated C=choice: A+ BBB rating . “Turn Off” for liability & collision during storage – Save 53% . Cover your personal belongings or attachments . Full-timer coverage options . Mexico insurance options . Total Loss RV replacement . 24-hour claims support
Progressive	. Progressive Insurance – Trusted by Over 18,000,000 . Competitive rates, tons of discounts (safe driver, pay-in-full, multi-car, multi-policy, quoting online & more) . Name your price Tool^® . Comprehensive List of RV Covered Items . Roadside Assistance Included . Recreational Vehicles, Trailers & Fifth Wheels

Why is RV insurance expensive?

As a minimun requirements, All states require RV owners to carry bodily injury liability insurance for both individuals and accidents to protect RV’s and owners while traveling.

Insurance rates will vary depending on many factors. I recently wrote an article on this site called “4 Reasons RV Insurance Is Expensive“. In it, I mentioned all details you needs to know.

In the table below you can find the Average RV Insurance Rates Across 6 States:

States	Insurance rates per year (USD)
North Carolina	$875
Oregon	$895
Massachusetts	$1,135
Michigan	$4,485
California	$4,085
Texas	$1,435

Different Types of Coverage

Now that we’ve gone over all of the ways that Class C RVs are different from other types of RVs—at least in the eyes of insurance companies—we can start looking at the different coverage options that are available when you’re selecting your RV insurance policy.

This is a very important thing to understand thoroughly, as the type of coverage that you choose will be the sole deciding factor in how well-protected you are in the event of an accident.

Similarly to car insurance, the different types of coverage for Class C RVs vary based on the extent to which you are covered, as well as the situations that you are covered in.

Choosing which is best for you is mostly dependent on how frequently and for what purpose you use your RV.

If you’re someone who takes one short trip per year in your RV, then it may not be worth it to go for the more extensive coverage plans.

However, if you use your RV every month for long trips, or live in it full time, you’ll want to make sure that you’re covered in every single possible situation.

So, with that being said, let’s take a look at the different coverage options that exist for insuring your Class C RV.

Liability Coverage

To start our exploration of the different forms of Class C RV insurance coverage, we’ll start with what is the most basic form of insurance coverage: liability coverage.

This is also the type of insurance coverage that is required by law in every state.

Liability coverage prevents you from being held legally liable for the damage that may be done to others and their property in the event of an accident.

So, liability coverage will not cover you and the damage done to you and your property, but it will protect you from having to pay for the property damage or bodily harm that you may have done to others.

Liability coverage comes in two main types, which are separated by how they set the limits for what they will cover.

The two primary types of liability insurance are split limit coverage and combined limit coverage.

Split limit coverage sets limits on how much it will cover based on the type of damage done. Split limit coverage has three different limits:

Bodily injury per person
Bodily injury per accident
Property damage per accident

Each one of these categories will have a different coverage limit, for example, $25,000 bodily injury per person, $60,000 bodily injury per accident, and $10,000 property damage per accident. On your insurance policy, this will be expressed as 25/60/10 coverage.

The other type of coverage is combined limit coverage, which sets the limit on what it will cover for the entire accident, without setting a threshold for each type of damage.

So, rather than laying out a limit for bodily injury or property damage separately, combined limit coverage will just say that it will cover up to, for example, $95,000 for everything.

To summarize liability coverage:

It’s the most basic legally required coverage
Only protects you from liability for damage done to others
Doesn’t cover damage done to your own person or property
Is broken down by limits, with states requiring a minimum limit

Collision Coverage

Collision insurance coverage, unlike liability coverage outlined above, will work to protect you and your property in the event of an accident.

In other words, whereas liability coverage does nothing more than protect you from having to pay for the damage done to the other party, collision insurance will actually help to pay for the damage done to your vehicle.

This can be an extremely helpful thing to have in the event of an accident, as the costs of damage, especially for Class C RVs, can be astronomical depending on the extent of the accident.

It is worth noting, however, that collision insurance only covers accidents with other vehicles or non-living objects and will not cover damage done to the RV while stationary or during a collision with an animal.

To summarize collision insurance:

Covers damage to your vehicle that is the result of a collision
Doesn’t cover collisions with animals
Doesn’t cover non-collision related damage

Under or Uninsured Motorist Coverage

The next type of RV insurance coverage that needs to be discussed is underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage.

As the name would suggest, this type of coverage, hereafter referred to as UIM coverage, will protect you in the event that you get into an accident with someone who has inadequate insurance or no insurance at all.

Even though all states require drivers to have some type of insurance coverage, not everyone plays by the rules, and UIM insurance protects you from being burdened by other’s decisions to break the law.

RV Dreams describes UIM coverage as the opposite of liability coverage. Whereas liability protects others against what you may do to them, UIM protects you against what others who aren’t covered may do to you.

To summarize UIM insurance coverage:

Covers you when under or uninsured drivers hit you
Is legally required in certain states
Can be thought of as the opposite of liability coverage

Comprehensive Coverage

The final primary type of basic insurance coverage to be discussed is comprehensive insurance coverage.

Comprehensive insurance coverage, when paired with a collision insurance coverage policy, is a very exhaustive form of coverage.

Comprehensive coverage will cover all damage that is done to your RV that is sustained in non-collision related accidents.

What exact situations comprehensive insurance will offer coverage in varies between insurance companies, but here are some common instances wherein this insurance will cover you:

Damage from animal impacts
Explosions and earthquakes
Fire
Malicious mischief or vandalism
Missiles or falling objects
Riot or civil commotion
Theft
Windstorm, hail, and flooding
Non-collision related broken glass

As is made abundantly clear by that list, comprehensive coverage is actually quite comprehensive, in that it covers just about every possible damage sustaining event that one can imagine.

This means that it is a fantastic bit of peace of mind for the people that want to be sure that they won’t be on the hook for any damage done to their RV, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Additionally, comprehensive coverage is especially useful for Class C RV owners, because Class C RVs are often parked in public RV parks where foot traffic and surrounding activity can subject it to a higher probability of being damaged than a car, for instance.

While it is not overly necessary, it is probably a good idea for most people that really put miles on their RV to get some form of comprehensive coverage.

Alternate Types of Class C RV Insurance Coverage

The above-mentioned types of RV insurance coverage outline the four most common as well as the most basic forms of insurance coverage.

However, there are a number of alternate forms of insurance coverage that can be especially useful for those people that either want added peace of mind or use their RVs more than most other RV owners.

Below are some of the more common types of alternative RV insurance.

Full-Time Coverage

Full-time coverage is reserved for those people that use their RV as a full-time residence. This type of coverage can be particularly useful for Class C RV owners, as the more spacious and well-appointed Class C RVs lend themselves more towards this full-time use (they are called motorhomes, after all).

The easiest way to look at full-time RV insurance coverage is as a homeowner’s policy for your RV, which would, of course, be a great thing to have for those folks that actually use their RV as a true home.

Full-time coverage is unique from other types of coverage in that it will cover all kinds of claims made in relation to the damage that is done while your RV is stationary and being used as a residence.

One thing to note about full-time coverage, though, is that if you take out this type of policy, your insurer will know that you intend to use your RV as a residence, and may adjust rates accordingly.

Some will argue that for this reason, people who use their RV as a residence should not get full-time coverage because it is more expensive, but this is a bad idea.

You should always get full-time coverage if you use your RV as a residence because standard coverage will not cover damages related to full-time use, whereas full-time coverage, of course, will.

To summarize full-time coverage:

Only for people who use their RV as a residence
Replaces liability for full-timers
Like a homeowner’s policy for an RV

Vacation Liability Coverage

Vacation liability coverage provides coverage very similar to the coverage that is offered in full-time coverage.

The only difference between the two is that vacation liability coverage will only cover claims related to using your RV as a residence when it is being used as a residence while on a vacation, or part-time.

Basically, vacation liability coverage is full-time coverage for the people that use their RV as a residence while they are on vacation.

To summarize vacation liability coverage: Same as full-time coverage for people that don’t live in their RV full-time

Personal Item Coverage

Personal item coverage is a very important type of insurance coverage, though it is still overlooked far too often by people shopping for insurance. Typically, we are most interested in just getting good coverage related to the cost of damage done to our RVs as well as any bodily injuries.

However, this sort of coverage fails to account for a group of items that can sum up to be quite monetarily significant.

Traveling in RVs generally means driving a fairly significant distance, and doing this usually requires us to bring quite a few things with us.

Whether it’s sports equipment or clothes or cookware, the things that we carry in our RV can add up to be quite valuable, or we may even have valuable single items.

For this reason, it is wise to have these personal items covered by insurance.

Personal item coverage is excellent in that it not only covers the actual market value of the items that are lost or destroyed during an accident, but it will also cover the cost of a full new replacement.

For example, if you have a television in your RV that is destroyed during a fire, personal item coverage will pay for you to get a brand new TV to replace the one that was lost, something that no other type of insurance coverage listed here would do.

One final thing to note about personal item coverage is that, like liability coverage, the plan will typically set a limit on the value of personal items that will be covered.

So, if you’re someone who travels with lots of expensive things in your RV, it will be best for you to take out a policy that has a high limit, to make sure that none of your items will be excluded from coverage.

Just be sure to take a close look at the fine print of the policy to make sure that the limits are as high as you need them to be.

In summary of personal item coverage:

Usually associated with comprehensive coverage
Covers the value of a replacement for an item damaged in the RV during a covered event
Has limits on per-item payout amounts

Emergency Expense Coverage

Emergency expense coverage is a great insurance option to consider for the folks that want the absolute most peace of mind possible regarding their RV’s insurance coverage.

And, while many policies will include some form of emergency expense coverage at no extra cost, you’re probably going to want to opt for some additional emergency expense coverage if you want a more exhaustive policy.

Emergency expense coverage will cover the costs associated with RV emergencies, namely breaking down or getting in an accident.

For full-timers, emergency expense coverage will cover the cost of temporary residence while their RV is being repaired or replaced, or will cover shipping, transportation and lodging costs for vacationers.

In summary of emergency expense coverage:

Covers housing for full-timers in the event their RV is unusable
Covers transportation, housing, and shipping of the RV in emergencies (non-full-timers)

The above-listed alternate Class C RV insurance coverage options are just a few of many different alternative types of coverage.

Insurance companies offer coverage options for just about every situation imaginable, and there’s sure to be something out there for you, even if you’re looking for something very specific.

That being said, most people will be perfectly fine with the coverages that are listed above.

Factors that Affect Insurance Cost

Now that we’ve thoroughly discussed all of the different insurance coverage options, the next step is to look at the various factors that will affect the cost of your insurance policy.

There are quite a few things that go into the price of your insurance coverage, and each of them needs to be considered to ensure that you’re paying the right amount based on your circumstances.

So, here are some of the things that may affect the cost of an insurance policy, according to both Trusted Choice.

Type of Coverage

The type of coverage that you get in your insurance policy will likely be the most significant deciding factor in how much your plan actually costs.

For the people that are looking to pay the absolute minimum, there are policies that will just barely exceed the legal minimum limit and cost a fraction of more comprehensive plans.

Conversely, some policies are available that will cover everything under the sun, and they will cost multiple times more than those minimum coverage policies.

Deciding what type of coverage to get is very much an exercise in cost-benefit analysis, though it’s essential to make sure that you are as covered as you need to be, as paying for an accident out of pocket can get very expensive very quickly.

Location

As is true with nearly everything that we have to pay money for, the cost of an insurance policy will depend on the location in which the RV and RV owner are located.

RV owners that are located in higher cost-of-living areas will end up paying more, even for identical policies, than those RV owners that live in lower cost-of-living areas.

An important note on this topic is that the cost of a policy can vary on a scale as little as zip code, so it may be a good idea to look into registering and storing your RV in a zip code other than the one that you live in to get a slightly less expensive policy.

The Type or Class of RV

The price of an RV insurance policy will, of course, vary depending on the type or Class of RV that is being insured.

Generally speaking, Class A RVs are most expensive, followed by Class C RVs and Class B RVs, with the Class Bs being the cheapest to insure.

Frequency of Use

Another often-overlooked factor that will affect the price of your RV insurance policy is how often you actually use your RV.

For Class C owners, this is an especially important consideration, as these larger types of RVs tend to see more use than their smaller counterparts.

Very generally, the more frequently you use your RV, the more expensive it will be to insure.

Your Driving Record

Finally, and perhaps obviously, your driving record will have a bearing on how much you’ll be paying for an RV insurance policy.

If you have a history of poor driving, expect to pay more, but also expect to be rewarded with low rates if your driving record is squeaky clean.

Final Thoughts

It should be abundantly clear at this point that Class C RV insurance can be quite a complex topic, with tons of different variables affecting both the cost and level of coverage.

These are all important to know when you’re considering insurance policies, and when you ask yourself whether how much you’re paying is too much, not enough, or just right.