Does car breakdown cover include the caravan?
Most mainstream policies will recover a caravan or trailer attached to the covered vehicle at the time of the breakdown, provided it is within the policy's length and weight limits. Those limits are typically around 7 to 8 metres for a caravan and 3.5 tonnes gross for the towing vehicle. Anything larger, including many twin-axle caravans and most motorhomes, needs specialist cover.
What standard cover will not do is help when the caravan itself has the problem — a blown-out caravan tyre or a failed wheel bearing while the car is fine. Some providers include this; many do not.
Recovery with a caravan
Roadside-only cover is a poor fit for towing. A local garage may not have space for a caravan, and you will be left arranging your own onward transport for it. National recovery that explicitly includes the caravan takes the whole outfit to one destination, which may be your campsite rather than home.
Motorhomes
Motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes or longer than about 6 metres fall outside most standard policies. Specialist motorhome breakdown cover is available from the major providers and from caravan and motorhome clubs, usually with higher weight limits, European days built in and accommodation benefits suited to people whose vehicle is also their bed for the night.
Club cover
The Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club both offer member breakdown schemes delivered by the big assistance providers, often with terms written specifically for touring. If you are a member, compare the club scheme against open-market cover before renewing.
Checklist before you tow
- Confirm the caravan's length and the outfit's gross weight are within your policy.
- Check that recovery includes the caravan, not just the car.
- Check whether caravan-only faults are covered.
- If going abroad, confirm the European cover extends to the caravan.
- Carry the policy number and breakdown phone number in the car, not just in an app.