Should a caravan have car insurance?

Verified 10 April 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Want to hitch a caravan to your car? You want to settle a caravan on a lot? It is important to check beforehand whether you need to take out compulsory insurance, and what type of insurance. We present the applicable rules.

The situation varies depending on whether the caravan is hitched to a car or if it is settled on land.

Caravan coupled to a car

The caravan coupled to a car shall be regarded as a vehicle put into circulation and shall be subject toliability insurance obligation. Depending on its weight, the caravan may or may not be covered by the insurance of the car.

Caravan weighing 750 kg or less

The caravan weighing 750 kg or less may be covered by the insurance of the car.

This coverage can be free or with an additional fee.

Before driving with the caravan coupled to the car, you must first check in your car insurance contract the conditions of taking care of the caravan.

If the pick-up is not automatic and without supplement, you must inform your insurer about the conditions for extending your car insurance contract to the caravan.

Once you have reached an agreement with your insurer on the conditions of insurance for the caravan, he must write a agreeable to your contract. This document will serve as proof in case of control.

Your insurer may require you to make specific arrangements before taking over the caravan, for example installing a safety system for gas-powered equipment (stove).

Warning  

if you have made improvements to the caravan, you must declare them to your insurer and verify that they are covered by your contract.

You can subscribe in addition to the compulsory civil liability insurance of additional guarantees following:

  • Accidental Damage
  • Explosive fire
  • Theft and Break and Enter (for items inside the trailer)
  • Storm
  • Natural disaster and acts of terrorism
  • Legal protection

Caravan of more than 750 kg

A caravan weighing more than 750 kg must be covered by a contract separate from that of the car to which it is coupled.

You can subscribe in addition to the compulsory civil liability insurance of additional guarantees following:

  • Accidental Damage
  • Explosive fire
  • Theft and Break and Enter (for items inside the trailer)
  • Storm
  • Natural disaster and acts of terrorism
  • Legal protection
Caravan settled on a plot

The caravan settled on land is not considered to be a circulating vehicle and is therefore not subject toliability insurance obligation.

But the owner of the land on which you want to settle the caravan can require you to take out insurance civil liability (campsite business, public forest management organization, private owner, etc.).

Liability insurance will cover you for damage you may cause to third parties by using your caravan on land (fire, explosion, unintentional destruction of property etc...).

The civil liability guarantee of your home insurance may cover or exclude the use of the caravan settled on land. You need to check this in your contract.

If your home insurance does not provide coverage for the use of the settled caravan on land, you must request an extension of guarantee from your insurer or subscribe to a specific contract for this risk.

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