Recreational Vehicle Insurance Calgary

How RV insurance differs between motorhomes, travel trailers, and park models in Alberta

Motorhomes, travel trailers, and park models all fall under the recreational vehicle category, but how you use and insure them is actually quite different. Insurance for your motorhome is built to protect your vehicle while you’re on the move, insurance for a travel trailer is there to protect it both on and off the road, and insurance for your park model helps protect your home away from home once it’s parked.

Motorhomes

A motorhome (or campervan) is a self-propelled vehicle, which means it must be insured under Alberta’s auto insurance system. You’ll need at least the minimum amount of Alberta’s mandatory auto insurance, which includes third-party liability, accident benefits, and DCPD coverage.

Typically, motorhome owners purchase standalone auto coverage where they can build a policy with comprehensive protection that includes additional coverage for physical damage, theft, their personal belongings, and accessories. This kind of policy ensures your motorhome is protected whether it’s parked at home, at a campsite, or out driving along the highway.

Travel trailers

A travel trailer is different because it doesn’t have its own motor, so it must be towed by another vehicle. Travel trailers can include tent trailers, fifth wheels, pop-up trailers, toy haulers, and park models.

Since travel trailers can’t be self-driven, they don’t fall under Alberta’s auto insurance requirements. Instead, your auto insurance liability can be extended to it while it’s being towed, but once it’s unhitched, that coverage stops. If you have a form of property insurance, such as Calgary home insurance, your belongings within the trailer may also receive limited protection through the contents coverage portion of your policy.

However, to prevent filing a claim against your auto or home insurance policy, you can also purchase separate travel trailer insurance. It helps protect you, the trailer itself, the belongings inside, and any attached accessories against theft, collision, fire, water, or weather damage, whether or not it’s being towed.

Park models

While still technically a travel trailer, a park model is designed to stay in one place for an extended period, often at a seasonal site or resort. Once it’s set up at a campground or resort, it’s treated more like a small cottage than a vehicle.

Park models can also have limited liability protection while being towed, and some belongings may fall under your property insurance. However, most owners insure their park models under a specialized travel trailer insurance or property insurance policy, similar to mobile home insurance or seasonal dwelling insurance. This type of policy typically covers the unit itself, detached structures such as decks or sheds, personal liability, and your belongings and accessories.

We’re in your community

Here at Calgary BrokerLink, we understand this wondrous city because we’re part of it, too. Our Calgary team lives and works right here, just like you. From weekends at Ghost Lake and summer drives through Kananaskis to busy weekday commutes along Deerfoot Trail, we know how life in this city moves.

We’ve seen how one hailstorm can hit hard, but we’ve also seen how neighbours come together to help each other recover. That’s the same spirit we bring to the way we do business: honest advice, local knowledge, and real support when it matters most.

Whether you’re insuring your first RV, protecting a family motorhome, or updating your coverage before a trip into the Rockies, our local insurance brokers are here to help. We’ll make sure you’re protected for the road ahead, wherever your travels take you.