# Caravan insurance in Germany: trailer, awning, contents and seasonal pitch > A caravan has no engine and no driver, which is why German insurers treat it differently from a motorhome. As a trailer it needs its own third-party liability policy, but it never earns a no-claims discount. Kasko protects the van and, if named, the awning, while clothes, electronics and crockery usually need separate contents cover. Once a caravan is deregistered and parked on a seasonal pitch, a dedicated static caravan policy fits better than a motor contract. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-caravan-insurance.php Updated: 2026-11-04 ## What insurance does my caravan actually need in Germany? As long as it is registered, it needs its own motor liability policy, otherwise you will not get a number plate. A new or valuable caravan should also have Kasko, and the policy should name the awning. Loose belongings are usually not part of Kasko, that is what contents cover is for. If the caravan is deregistered and stays on a seasonal pitch, the liability requirement ends and a static caravan policy protects the van and what is inside. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** Yes, its own motor liability policy while the caravan is registered - **Liability when towing:** since 2020 both keepers are liable, between them the towing car usually pays (section 19 StVG) - **No-claims class:** caravans have none, so there is no discount for claim-free years - **Driving licence:** B up to 3,500 kg combined, B96 up to 4,250 kg, above that BE - **100 km/h:** on the Autobahn only with the Tempo 100 sticker, otherwise 80 km/h, valid in Germany only - **Gas inspection:** mandatory every two years since 19 June 2025, caravans included ## Hitched or parked: who pays for damage Since July 2020 section 19 of the German Road Traffic Act sets out liability for car and trailer combinations. Towards an injured party, the keepers of the car and of the caravan are jointly liable, so the claimant can turn to either. Between the two insurers the car's policy normally carries the loss. The caravan side only pays when the damage came from a risk specific to the trailer. The caravan's own liability policy still matters. Once it is unhitched on a pitch it is the only cover in play, for example if the van rolls away and hits someone else's car. In 2023 the Federal Court of Justice also confirmed that reversing with a trailer counts as towing it. ## Awning, canopy and accessories: what Kasko covers Partial Kasko (Teilkasko) covers theft, storm, hail, lightning, fire and glass. Comprehensive Kasko (Vollkasko) adds damage you cause yourself, for example clipping a gatepost while manoeuvring. For a new or high-end caravan comprehensive cover is usual for the first years, for an older one partial cover is often enough. The awning is the most common gap. Some policies include it up to a limit, others only for an extra premium. Check that the awning and any wind-out canopy are named in the schedule, and report one you bought later. The same goes for a motor mover, solar panel or satellite dish added after purchase. ## Seasonal pitch: when the caravan is deregistered If you leave your caravan on a campsite for the season and deregister it, motor liability is no longer required. In most contracts, though, Kasko ends with the plates unless the policy includes dormant cover (Ruheversicherung). Clarify this before you deregister, or the van may sit unprotected for months. German insurers offer dedicated policies for this, known as Dauercamping cover. They work like a mix of Kasko and contents insurance and protect the van, awning and inventory against storm, fire, burglary and, depending on the policy, snow load or vandalism. Many require the caravan to stand on an official campsite or in winter storage. ## Caravan or motorhome: why they are separate contracts A motorhome is a motor vehicle with an engine and a driver, a caravan is a trailer. That drives the differences: no no-claims class for the caravan, and when towing the car's liability normally carries the loss. Breakdown help and repatriation depend on a breakdown policy, so check whether yours names the caravan. If you are choosing between the two, or own both, look at the contracts separately. What matters for a motorhome, chassis, engine and Kasko territory for long trips, is on our motorhome insurance page. ## What is covered - Liability: damage the parked or detached caravan causes to others - Partial Kasko: theft of the whole caravan and fixed parts - Partial Kasko: storm, hail, lightning, fire, explosion, flood and glass - Comprehensive Kasko: damage you cause yourself, for example when manoeuvring or hitching - Comprehensive Kasko: vandalism by unknown persons - Awning and canopy, if named in the policy - Contents cover: clothes, crockery, electronics and camping furniture against burglary, fire and storm - Seasonal pitch policy: deregistered caravan and inventory on a long term pitch ## What is not covered - Damp that creeps in through failing seals over years, without an insured event - Wear on tyres, axle, brakes and the overrun coupling - Loose belongings under Kasko alone, that is a job for contents cover - An awning that is not named or was never reported - A deregistered caravan without dormant cover or a seasonal pitch policy - Breakdown help and repatriation, which belong to a breakdown policy ## Who needs it - Every keeper of a registered touring caravan in Germany - Buyers of new or financed caravans who need comprehensive cover - Anyone travelling with a large awning, canopy or motor mover - Seasonal campers whose caravan stays deregistered on a pitch - Anyone who leaves electronics, bikes or a lot of kit in the van ## Who does not need it - Comprehensive cover for an old caravan of little value, if you could absorb a total loss - Motor liability for a caravan that stays permanently deregistered on its pitch ## What it costs The premium for a caravan does not depend on a no-claims class, but mainly on value, use and the cover you choose. An older van with liability only and a new caravan with comprehensive cover and an awning are far apart. So we list what drives the price instead of quoting averages. **What drives the premium:** - Value and age of the caravan - Gross vehicle weight - Year round registration, seasonal plates or deregistration - Partial or comprehensive Kasko and the excess - Awning, canopy and accessories as a separate sum - Contents cover as an add on - Seasonal pitch instead of touring _We do not quote ranges because value, equipment and use vary too much from one caravan to the next. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Basic:** Liability with a high flat limit and partial Kasko against theft, storm, hail and fire. Awning only if expressly named. Fine for older caravans of moderate value. - **Comfort:** Comprehensive Kasko that waives the gross negligence defence, awning and canopy with their own sum, accessories such as a mover included. The usual choice for caravans up to ten years old. - **Premium:** New value or purchase price settlement for several years, contents cover with electronics and bikes, dormant cover for the off season. Worth it for new and high-end caravans. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Liability limit | EUR 100m flat | EUR 100m with a high limit per injured person | A detached caravan rolling away can cause serious injury. | | Awning and canopy | named, with a fixed limit | own sum matching replacement value, later purchases included | A large awning is expensive and the first thing to suffer in a storm. | | Accessories | fixed parts included | mover, solar and satellite dish with their own limit | Retrofitted kit adds up and is otherwise missing after a loss. | | Gross negligence | waived in partial Kasko | waived in partial and comprehensive Kasko | A forgotten corner steady or open roof light would otherwise reduce the payout. | | New value settlement | twelve months | 24 months or more, purchase price for used vans | A caravan loses a good part of its value in the first years. | | Contents | burglary and fire | all risks including electronics and bikes | Thieves usually take what is inside, not the caravan. | | Off season | dormant cover when deregistered | seasonal pitch cover for van, awning and inventory | Without it a deregistered caravan sits in winter storage unprotected. | ## Insurers on the German market Almost every large German motor insurer covers caravans, and several offer seasonal pitch policies as a separate product. This is a market overview, not a statement about who we work with. - **Allianz**: caravan cover and its own seasonal pitch policy, agents and brokers - **Württembergische**: dedicated caravan policy, part of the W&W group - **R+V**: trailer insurance, insurer of the cooperative banks - **HUK-COBURG**: own sales force, does not work with brokers - **VHV**: strong in broker distribution - **DA Direkt**: direct insurer of the Zurich group - **ADAC Autoversicherung**: insurer of the German motoring club, sold direct - **Gothaer**: agents and brokers 106 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflicht, Kraftfahrzeug-Kasko). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Storm rips the awning** (a few hundred to several thousand euros): Storm is a partial Kasko event, but the awning is only paid if the policy names it. Strong policies include it with its own sum. - **Gatepost hit while manoeuvring** (a few hundred to several thousand euros on the body): Damage you cause yourself is an accident claim and only covered by comprehensive Kasko. - **Hail smashes the roof light** (a few hundred to several thousand euros): Hail is a classic partial Kasko claim, and rain getting in afterwards belongs to the same event. - **Break-in on the campsite** (laptop, camera and cash, easily four figures): Partial Kasko pays for the forced door. The stolen items only contents cover pays, cash usually not at all or only up to a small limit. - **Unhitched van rolls into a car** (damage to the other vehicle): Here the caravan's own liability policy pays, not the car's. Damage to your own caravan is only covered by comprehensive Kasko. - **Damp rots the floor** (repair often in four figures): Water creeping in without storm, hail or accident is not an insured event. Only regular damp checks help. ## Myth or truth - „When towing, only my car insurance is ever liable." ✘ False. Since 2020 both keepers are liable towards the injured party. Between them the car usually pays, but the caravan side does when the cause lay in the trailer. - „My caravan builds up a no-claims discount like a car." ✘ False. Trailers have no no-claims class in Germany. In return, a claim does not lead to a downgrade. - „A deregistered caravan does not need motor liability." ✔ True. Without registration the requirement ends. The van and its contents on the pitch then need their own cover. - „The gas inspection is mandatory for caravans too." ✔ True. Since 19 June 2025 the two-yearly inspection applies to vehicles with an LPG system, whether motorised or towed. - „Every caravan Kasko policy automatically includes the awning." ✘ False. Many do, but not all, and often only up to a limit. Always report an awning you buy later. ## Common mistakes - Not naming the awning, or not reporting a new one - Deregistering the caravan and forgetting that Kasko often ends too - Assuming the towing car's insurer always pays for everything - Letting the gas inspection lapse and having no certificate after a fire - Exceeding the car's nose weight limit and risking a reduced payout after an accident - Driving abroad at 100 km/h because of the German sticker, where local limits are lower ## FAQ ### Does my car insurance pay if the caravan causes damage while hitched? Usually yes. Both keepers are liable towards the injured party, but between the insurers the car's liability policy normally carries the loss. Only when the cause lay in the caravan itself does its insurer contribute. ### Do caravans earn a no-claims discount in Germany? No. Caravans and other trailers have no no-claims class, so a claim does not push the premium up through a downgrade either. ### Is my awning covered? That depends on the policy. Some include it up to a limit, others only for an extra premium. Ask for written confirmation and report any awning you buy later. ### Do I need insurance if my caravan is deregistered on a campsite? Not motor liability. Without plates, though, Kasko usually ends as well. A seasonal pitch policy then protects the van, awning and inventory, often on condition that it stands on an official campsite or in winter storage. ### Which driving licence do I need to tow a caravan? With category B, car and caravan together may weigh up to 3,500 kg. The B96 extension allows up to 4,250 kg after a training course without a test. Heavier combinations need category BE. ### Can I tow at 100 km/h? On German motorways yes, if car and caravan meet the conditions and carry the Tempo 100 sticker. Without it the limit is 80 km/h, and on country roads always 80 km/h. Abroad the local rules apply. ### Is the gas inspection mandatory for caravans? Yes, again since 19 June 2025, every two years. The certificate also helps with the insurer if the cause of a fire has to be established. ### Does German household contents insurance cover a break-in to my caravan? Do not rely on it. The away from home part of household cover is mainly for belongings inside buildings. Ask whether your policy includes the caravan, otherwise contents cover closes the gap. ## Legal basis and sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/) - [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/) ## Request quotes We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-caravan-insurance.php#anfrage --- Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.