RV Rental Insurance Explained: What You Actually Need

Why RV Insurance Is More Confusing Than Car Rental Insurance

When you rent a car, insurance is relatively simple — your personal auto policy usually covers it, your credit card might add a layer, and the rental company's coverage fills any gaps. With RVs, almost none of those assumptions hold. Personal auto policies typically exclude recreational vehicles. Credit card benefits almost never cover them. And the platform-offered insurance varies wildly in coverage, cost, and quality.

This guide walks through every option so you can make an informed decision instead of clicking "yes" on whatever the rental platform puts in front of you at checkout.

The Types of Coverage You Need

Before comparing providers, understand what you're actually insuring against:

Comprehensive/Collision coverage protects the RV itself against damage from accidents, weather, theft, vandalism, and other physical damage. This is what the owner cares about most, and it's usually required by the rental agreement. Collision covers accident damage; comprehensive covers everything else (hail, fallen trees, theft, flooding).

Liability coverage protects you if you cause damage to other vehicles, property, or injure someone while operating the RV. This is what protects your personal assets. Without liability coverage, a serious accident could result in personal financial liability of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage protects you if another driver who lacks adequate insurance hits your RV. This is often overlooked but matters — you're driving a large, slow vehicle that's a target for inattentive drivers.

Personal effects coverage protects your belongings inside the RV if they're damaged or stolen. Most RV rental insurance does NOT cover your personal property. Your homeowner's or renter's insurance might — check your policy.

Medical payments coverage covers medical expenses for you and your passengers regardless of fault. This is a supplementary layer above your health insurance.

The absolute minimum: comprehensive/collision on the RV and liability coverage. Everything else is recommended but optional depending on your existing coverage.

The Insurance Options, Ranked

1. Platform-Provided Insurance (RVshare, Outdoorsy, Cruise America)

What it is: Insurance bundled into your rental through the booking platform. Usually appears as a daily charge during checkout.

Typical cost: $25–45/day. On a 7-night trip, that's $175–315.

Pros:

• Convenient — one-click at checkout
• Covers the most common claims (collision, comprehensive)
• The platform handles the claims process
• Required on some platforms (you can't opt out without proof of alternative coverage)

Cons:

• Expensive compared to alternatives
• Deductibles are often high ($1,500–3,000)
• Coverage limits may be lower than you'd want
• Claims process can be slow and adversarial
• Some policies have fine-print exclusions (windshield, tires, awnings, slide-outs often excluded)

The real issue with platform insurance: The deductible. A $1,500 deductible on a policy that costs $40/day means you're paying premium insurance prices for coverage that doesn't kick in until damage exceeds $1,500. That's most minor incidents — a scraped panel, a cracked bumper, a damaged awning — all coming out of your pocket despite paying for insurance.

2. Specialty RV Rental Insurance (Roamly, MBA Insurance)

What it is: Insurance designed specifically for RV renters, sold independently of the rental platform.

Typical cost: $15–30/day. On a 7-night trip, that's $105–210.

Pros:

• Often cheaper than platform insurance
• Lower deductibles available ($0–500 options)
• Better coverage terms in many cases
• You choose your coverage level
• Works across any rental platform or private rental

Cons:

• Requires advance purchase (can't buy at checkout)
• You handle the claims process independently
• Not all rental owners accept third-party insurance (verify before booking)
• Need to provide proof of insurance to the rental company

Roamly specifically has become the go-to recommendation for RV renters. They offer $0 deductible policies, coverage for items often excluded by platform insurance (awnings, tires, windshield), and their pricing undercuts platform insurance by 30–50%.

3. Your Personal Auto Insurance

What it is: Extended coverage from your existing auto policy.

Typical cost: Potentially $0 additional if your policy covers RV rentals.

Reality check: Most personal auto policies do NOT cover recreational vehicles, especially motorhomes. Some cover towable RVs (travel trailers) if they're under a certain weight. Very few cover motorized RVs (Class A, B, or C motorhomes).

Action required: Call your insurance agent. Don't ask "does my policy cover rentals?" — ask specifically: "Does my comprehensive and collision coverage extend to a rented Class C motorhome?" The answer is usually no, but it's worth the 5-minute phone call.

If you have USAA, Progressive, or State Farm: These companies are more likely to offer short-term RV endorsements or have policies that cover motorhome rentals. Ask about temporary rental coverage add-ons.

4. Credit Card Rental Coverage

What it is: Rental vehicle damage coverage included as a benefit of your credit card.

Typical cost: $0 (included with card membership).

Reality check for RVs: Almost certainly doesn't cover motorhomes. Most credit card rental benefits explicitly exclude:

• Vehicles over a certain value ($50,000–75,000)
• Vehicles over a certain weight
• Recreational vehicles, campers, and motorhomes
• Vehicles rented for more than 15–31 days

Check anyway: Premium cards (Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X) occasionally have broader coverage. Read the actual benefit guide — not the marketing summary — and look for RV-specific exclusions. If your card does cover RVs, it's a free secondary coverage layer worth having even with other insurance.

5. Travel Insurance with Rental Vehicle Coverage

What it is: Trip-level insurance that includes rental vehicle coverage as one component.

Typical cost: $100–300 for a trip, depending on trip value and coverage level.

Useful for: Medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and travel delays. The rental vehicle component is usually secondary coverage with high deductibles and low limits — not a replacement for dedicated RV insurance.

Best use: As a supplementary layer for trip cancellation and medical coverage, not as your primary RV damage coverage.

The Decision Framework

Here's how to decide what insurance to get:

Step 1: Call your auto insurance agent. Ask specifically about rented motorhome coverage. If you're covered, document it and provide proof to the rental company. You may only need supplementary coverage.

Step 2: Check your credit card benefits. Read the actual terms, not the summary. If your card covers RVs (unlikely but possible), this is free secondary coverage.

Step 3: Compare platform insurance vs Roamly (or similar specialty insurance). Look at three things:

• Daily cost
• Deductible
• What's excluded (awnings, tires, windshield, personal effects)

Step 4: Make your decision based on total exposure:

What to Do About Deductibles

The deductible is the most important number in your insurance policy. Here's why:

A $0 deductible policy from Roamly at $20/day beats a platform policy with a $1,500 deductible at $35/day — both in cost and in peace of mind.

Most RV damage claims fall in the $500–$3,000 range: scraped panels, awning damage, minor collision damage, windshield chips. With a $1,500 deductible, you're paying for most of these out of pocket. With a $0 or $250 deductible, insurance actually does what you're paying it to do.

What Insurance Doesn't Cover (Usually)

Even good RV insurance typically excludes:

• Interior damage from negligence (burns, stains, broken fixtures)
• Damage from exceeding vehicle limits (low bridges, weight overages)
• Tire blowouts and road hazard damage (often excluded or limited)
• Mechanical breakdowns (that's roadside assistance, not insurance)
• Personal belongings (check your homeowner's/renter's policy)
• Damage from operating while intoxicated
• Driving off approved roads (off-roading a motorhome voids most coverage)
• Damage from pets (the pet fee/deposit covers this, not insurance)

Read the exclusions list. The 5 minutes it takes can save you a $5,000 surprise.

Five Rules for RV Rental Insurance

1. Never rent without insurance. Even a short trip. Even if the RV looks old. Even if the owner says "don't worry about it."

2. Know your deductible. The lower, the better. A $1,500 deductible means you're self-insuring for most common damage scenarios.

3. Read the exclusions. If awnings, tires, and windshield aren't covered, you have significant exposure to common damage types.

4. Get a $0 deductible policy if you can. Roamly and similar providers offer this at a price that's competitive with — or cheaper than — platform insurance with high deductibles.

5. Don't go without insurance. The minimum damage bill for a minor RV accident is $3,000–$5,000. A serious accident can total a $100,000+ vehicle. This is not the place to save money.

What to Do During the Rental

• Carry proof of insurance (whatever policy you're using) in the RV at all times.
• Know the claims phone number before you need it.
• In any accident: call 911 if anyone is hurt, file a police report, document everything with photos and video, exchange information with the other party, then call your insurance provider.
• Do not admit fault at the scene. Let insurance adjusters determine liability.
• Notify the RV owner and the platform (if applicable) as soon as it's safe to do so.

Insurance is the least exciting part of planning an RV trip. It's also the part that protects you from a trip becoming a financial disaster. Spend 30 minutes understanding your options before you spend $300 on the wrong policy.