Are you planning on spending the holiday season in a faraway city or distant province? Have you recently thought about spending a portion of the winter somewhere warm and cozy?

Instead of cramming your entire family into a car or minivan, you should consider opting for a more comfortable and stylish alternative: a motorhome.

However, before you pack your luggage, you should take a moment to review your motorhome insurance policy. If you've recently purchased your first motorhome or are still in the research stage, you may be unfamiliar with what motorhome coverage is and how it works.

If this sounds like you, you're in luck — we've put together a list of the most important reasons why you should get insurance on a motorhome in Canada.

What is a motorhome?

First things first — what is a motorhome?

In short, a motorhome is a motorized vehicle that is made for travelling long distances. Generally, motorhomes can comfortably seat between three and (occasionally upwards of) eight riders.

Because of their grandeur, motorhomes are the ideal option for Canadians that want to travel lavishly.

Motorhomes are often confused with travel trailers; however, there are some significant differences you should be aware of. The most notable difference between the two is that travel trailers don't have motors, which means they have to be towed by a secondary vehicle, like a pickup truck.

Insurance for motorhome vehicles — why do you need it in Canada?

There are numerous reasons why drivers should, and occasionally, need to get motorhome coverage in Canada.

Here's a brief list of some of the most important reasons:

Required by law in Canada

First of all, let's take a moment to assess why you need to obtain motorhome coverage. As mentioned earlier, motorhomes are classified as motorized vehicles because they can propel themselves without the aid of another vehicle.

In Canada, it’s illegal to drive a vehicle that's classified as "motorized" unless you have valid auto insurance.

Some drivers are under the impression that they don't need motorhome coverage; however, this is a common misconception. This misunderstanding most likely stems from the notion that travel trailers don't require insurance in Canada. Additionally, it doesn't help that the two terms are often used interchangeably.

If you'd like to learn more about the intricacies of insurance for motorhome vehicles, don't hesitate to reach out to your insurance advisor. Your insurance advisor can shed some light on aspects of your policy that are unclear and help you find a fresh plan for your brand new motorhome.

Liability protection

Even the most experienced drivers make mistakes. Unfortunately, some of these mistakes are more serious than others — many of which result in injury or death. If you get into a severe auto collision while you're driving your motorhome, you'll be thankful that you have liability coverage.

For those that don't know, liability insurance covers drivers in the event of a collision that leads to injury or death. Furthermore, liability insurance provides financial coverage for other various expenses, including:

• Property damage (physical damage to the motorhome)
• Recovery-related fees (surgery, casts, wheelchairs, etc.)
• Courts costs and additional legal expenses

In most cases, liability insurance covers the driver regardless of who is responsible.

Having liability insurance can help you sleep well at night, knowing that you and your family are financially covered in the event of a severe or life-threatening accident.

Comprehensive protection

Did you know that you can purchase comprehensive insurance for your motorhome? It's true — many auto insurance providers offer a variety of levels of comprehensive motorhome coverage.

For those that don't know, comprehensive coverage protects your property (in this case, a motorhome) from numerous "risks and perils" (insurance jargon for unforeseeable threats or events).

Although every policy is different, most comprehensive coverage plans protect your motorhome from the following risks:

Theft and vandalism

Few things are worse than getting your personal property stolen or vandalized. Thankfully, if you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance provider will cover the cost of your stolen vehicle or items.

Fire

It doesn't take very long for a large fire to engulf and ultimately destroy a motorhome. If an unforeseen fire destroys your motorhome, your insurance provider will cover the cost of the damage or a new vehicle.

Extreme weather conditions

Anyone who has watched a snow or hail storm knows how much damage they can cause, especially to vehicles. Severe weather conditions can lead to exterior damage, like deep scratches, bumps, broken windows and more. If your motorhome sustains intense damage due to unexpected weather, your comprehensive insurance will cover the repairs.

Save money by bundling

Some providers allow you to bundle your motorhome coverage with your car or home insurance.

For those that aren't familiar, bundling is the act of purchasing various types of coverage from an individual provider. Doing this allows you to save a pretty penny on your annual insurance payments, giving you more money to spend during your road trip.

Be sure to reach out to your insurance provider to confirm that they offer this type of bundle.

Where can you buy motorhome coverage in Canada?

In Canada, you can purchase motorhome coverage from an insurance provider or the dealership where you initially bought your motorhome.

Both of these options come with positive and negative aspects, so be sure to research both options.

However, you should note that if you purchased your motorhome from a private seller (friend, neighbour, online seller, etc.), you'd likely need to buy insurance from a provider.

How much does motorhome coverage cost in Canada?

The price of your motorhome coverage will vary based on the following factors:

• Make and model
• Value of the motorhome
• The location that you live in
• Provider
• Level of coverage

Generally, Canadian drivers pay between $500 and $2,000 for motorhome coverage per year.

Motorhome coverage is more important than you'd expect

Now that you know how imperative motorhome coverage is, we hope you won't hit the road until you're confident that your policy is up-to-date and satisfactory. Doing this will give you peace of mind on and off the road, allowing you to focus on what's most important: enjoying the experience and making memories.