Mid-market · overcab and low-profile · hail damage
Insuring a Knaus
For many owners a Knaus stands outside for most of the year, which makes the storage place on your policy not an administrative detail but a condition of cover.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Most camper van damage happens when nobody is in it. A camper van is driven little and stands still for long periods, and it is in those months that hail, storm, falling branches, fire and theft occur. Where the vehicle stands then determines not only the rate but also whether the insurer accepts the application.
The storage place you declare is therefore stated on the policy schedule. If the camper van moves to another address, from a locked site to the public road or from a shed to a driveway, the risk changes. Report that immediately; under Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code the insurer may adjust the payout where the actual situation differs from what was declared.
Hail damage and storm damage are covered from third-party, fire and theft upwards. What is not covered is chafing damage from a poorly fitting cover, damage from freezing after the water system was not drained, and damp entering slowly. See also storage insurance and the motorhome insurance.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basics
Vehicle
Third-party liability is compulsory. Also, third-party, fire and theft or comprehensive cover.
Collision and theft
Fire, storm and hail
Often a replacement-value-as-new arrangement
Declare separately
Contents and accessories
Everything you take with you and fit to it.
Awning and bicycle carrier
Crockery and bedding
Solar panels and TV
On the road
Assistance
Breakdown and repatriation of the motorhome and its occupants.
Breakdown assistance abroad
Replacement accommodation
Return transport of the motorhome
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Collision with another vehicle
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft of the motorhome
No
Yes
Yes
Hail damage during storage
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself on the campsite
No
No
Yes
Contents and accessories
No
Sometimes
Sometimes
Frost damage from not draining down
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The storage place is a policy condition
The policy schedule states where the camper van stands out of season: in a shed, under a canopy, on your own land or on the public road. That detail determines the premium and, with some insurers, acceptance. If the address or the nature of the place changes, that is a change of risk that you have to report. If it emerges after a theft that the vehicle was standing elsewhere, the insurer can reduce or refuse the payout.
When wind counts as a storm
Policy conditions usually define a storm as wind of at least force seven. If a branch falls on the roof or an awning is blown over at that strength, that is storm damage and covered from third-party, fire and theft upwards. If the same branch falls on a windless day, there is no storm and no cover; at most you can hold the owner of the tree liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Keep the weather report for that day.
Suspending the registration helps, but not with everything
For as long as a vehicle can be taken onto the public road, the insurance obligation in Article 2 WAM applies. If you suspend the registration with the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority), that obligation lapses for the duration of the suspension. The camper van may then not stand on the public road or be driven. The fire, storm and theft risks remain, so keep own-damage cover in place and report the suspension to your insurer.
A cover sheet is not insurance cover
A camper van cover protects against dirt and sun, but in the wind it chafes over the paintwork and the body. Those chafed patches arise gradually and do not count as sudden damage from outside; they are therefore excluded. A tightly fitting cover also traps damp against the panels. Use a breathable cover that stays clear of the surface, or choose a covered place instead of a tarpaulin.
The contents sum is almost always set too low
Add up what is really in it: crockery, pans, bedding, clothing, bicycles on the carrier, a TV and the awning. In a well-equipped motorhome that adds up to several thousand euros. You insure that separately; the vehicle's own-damage cover does nothing with it.
Frost damage is your own responsibility
Draining the water or keeping a minimum temperature is a condition on almost every policy. Burst pipes and a boiler ruined by frost are not sudden damage from outside but the result of an omission, and are not paid for.
What does your premium depend on?
Type of storage. A shed, a canopy, your own land or the public road lead to different rates.
Postcode of the storage place. The insurer looks at the location where the vehicle stands still.
Type of construction. An overcab has a larger roof area than a low-profile model.
Type of cover chosen. Third-party, fire and theft covers hail and storm. Your own fault only under comprehensive cover.
Excess for hail damage. Some policies apply a different amount for this.
Suspension in the winter season. Driving with the registration suspended for part of the year changes how the premium is built up.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Do I have to report that the camper van is stored somewhere else?
Yes. The storage place is stated on the policy schedule and, on camper van policies, is a condition of cover rather than background information. A move from a shed to a driveway or from your own land to the public road increases the risk of theft, storm and fire damage. Report the change immediately; if it emerges afterwards that the vehicle was standing elsewhere, the payout can be reduced.
Is hail damage to the roof covered?
It is from third-party, fire and theft upwards. Hail is one of the most common causes of damage to stationary camper vans, and on an overcab model it hits a large roof area. Repair is laborious because the panels have to be worked over large areas. Do check whether your policy applies a different excess for hail damage. That happens regularly.
When does damage count as storm damage?
The conditions usually apply a lower limit of force seven. If a branch falls on the roof or the awning is blown over at that strength, there is cover from third-party, fire and theft upwards. If the same branch falls when there is no wind, there is no storm damage; at most you can then hold the owner of the tree liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Can I put the insurance on hold in winter?
You can suspend the registration with the RDW. The obligation under Article 2 WAM then lapses and the vehicle may not stand on the public road or be driven. It is better to keep own-damage cover in place, because fire, storm, hail and theft are exactly what hit a stationary camper van. Report the suspension to your insurer.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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