What happens if I damage a motorhome rental?

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Kristof Haines
4 Apr, 2022
5 minutes to read

You hope it won’t happen, but just in case

No one ever plans to have accidents while on holiday. That’s why they’re called accidents. But sometimes things don’t quite go as smoothly as you’d hope. That’s why it’s worth doing a little bit of research before you head off, to make sure that any accident in your motorhome rental does not impact too much on your holiday. There are a number of ways that you can protect your wallet from the worst of any charges coming out of a motorhome rental accident, be it big or small, so take a look over the info below so you don’t need to panic if any issues come up.

After any motorhome rental damage

If you have a minor incident and your motorhome hire ends up with a scratch or a small dent, your holiday will most likely be able to continue as normal. Before you drive onwards, however, you need to call the rental company and let them know about what’s taken place and what kind of damage has occurred. Once in touch, they will advise you on what to do next. If you don’t inform your rental company immediately, it can have an effect on your insurance claim so it’s best to get this out of the way as soon as possible. After that’s taken care of, you can continue on with your campervan rental holiday as normal.

Changing a tyre on a campervan.
A motorhome crashed in a ditch.

If you have a major accident, the procedure is a little bit different. Once you make sure that both yourself and anyone else involved in the accident is okay, you’ll want to contact the emergency support number (normally found on your key chain or rental contract) which your rental company has given you. This is usually connected to a 24-hour roadside assistance service who will advise what the next steps will be and assist in taking care of the damaged motorhome.

What happens next depends on your rental company, but companies will generally offer you a replacement campervan hire if there’s one available, so you can continue your holiday, more or less, uninterrupted.

Once the vehicle has been returned and assessed for damages, you will be advised of the costs for repairs.

Once you return the motorhome rental

Most motorhome rentals come with standard insurance (also referred to as standard CDW) included in the daily rental rate, which leaves a reduced excess amount. This excess amount is passed over to the renter as their responsibility. Once the vehicle has been returned and assessed for damages, you will be advised of the costs for repairs.

In the instance you do have an accident, you may be required to pay (up to) the excess amount (which will be stated in your rental agreement) to repair the motorhome. If the damage is less than the excess amount, the difference will be refunded to you. For most of our rental partners, it is common practice, the full excess amount is charged immediately on return of the vehicle and the difference is refunded after the repairs have taken place.

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A Jucy campervan parked next to a lake with snow capped mountains in the background.

Enjoy a stress-free holiday by being prepared

One of the easiest ways to avoid any hassles and ensure peace of mind while you’re on the road is to consider protecting yourself by purchasing a motorhome insurance cover. You will find these options readily available when making a booking via GoSee. The insurances provided will come either directly from the rental company or be offered by one of our third-party independent providers, Rentalcover.com and Riverside Underwriters Ltd.

When considering an insurance option, always refer to the terms and conditions as you will find each insurance is unique and could work to: cover administration costs, reduce your excess or waive the fees, or work as an excess refund insurance. If you need help understanding your options, give our team at GoSee a call to assist you!

Dealing with your claim

The exact details around how the initial claim/payment process works vary a little bit from rental company to rental company, however you can be assured once you have contacted the rental company direct, they will assist you in making a claim and guide you through the process.  Depending on the policy provider you choose, the instructions on how to make a claim will be included along with contact information and business hours. We at GoSee also have an in-house Claims team who can provide further assistance should you need it and steer you to the right direction!

Armed with the knowledge above, it’ll be easy for you to come through any holiday hiccups relatively unscathed. All it takes to reduce the risk is a little preparation and keeping in touch if anything goes wrong. With that out of the way, you can concentrate on just exploring and having an amazing campervan holiday in New ZealandAustralia (Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns), the United Kingdom, Canada, or the USA.

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