Motorhome hire Collision Damage Waiver

Tweetypie2021

Hi,
We are hiring a motorhome for 7 nights and we have queried about CDW, it will cost us a total of £245 and will reduce the excess from £1500 to nil.  But the CDW doesn't include damage whilst reversing or to windows.  This is the first time we have hired a motorhome and we're not sure weather the CDW would be worth it.  Just wondering what other peoples experiences have been and if they sought independent insurance?
Thanks!

greyteam1959

I took out independent insurance when I hired a motorhome.
If I remember correctly it was about £65 for a year.
Do some research on the internet 

Ibrahim5

Hiring a car is scary enough for me. A motorhome would be terrifying. Everything is engineered to be lightweight so things are just that bit more delicate. You could be accused of all sorts of scratches and damage which they could charge multiple customers for the same damage.

Steve182

Whenever I hired a car abroad (used to do it regularly pre covid ) the excess was always 500 to 1500 euro.  and insurance to cover it was generally about £10/day through an independent insurer or sometimes more than the actual vehicle hire cost if done through the hirer. I never paid it, just accepted the liability.

Goudy

As already mentioned, take out an independent excess policy.

Just Google Motorhome Excess Insurance and check out what each cover. Money Maxim tend to rate fairly highly for excess cover.

The hire company will block the excess amount on your card and in the event of any accident/damage, will charge you, but you just claim it back from the excess policy.

You can buy these annually or just the dates you need, UK and Europe or Worldwide.

I have an annual UK and Europe policy for hire cars as I generally hire 5 or 6 times a year, that costs me around £35 a year with a renewal discount.

A specific Motorhome policy will be a little more expensive, from around £8 a day or £70 a year depending on where you are going.

AdrianC

Ibrahim5 said:

You could be accused of all sorts of scratches and damage which they could charge multiple customers for the same damage.

So make sure any pre-existing damage is documented when you collect it...

Yes, motorhome insurance usually excludes reversing damage and overhead damage. This is precisely because they're taller and longer than drivers are used to, so this sort of self-inflicted single-vehicle carelessness is rife. Pay attention to what you're driving, and it's not going to be an issue.

Vans aren't hard to drive. In many ways, they're easier than cars.
You have excellent visibility in all directions with two exceptions - over-the-shoulder on the passenger side, and no interior mirror. But that's not an issue, so long as you use the door mirrors. Van door mirrors are a league better than most car ones.
Then it's just a case of remembering the length... The length within the wheelbase tends to "cut" corners, while the rear overhang swings out. Again, door mirrors...

Get used to driving a van, and you'll be a better car driver.

ian16527

Be careful with overhanging branches as well. 

zagfles

First you need to understand the terminology. CDW is almost invariably included in the base price for the rental. You need that, and it should be included, so don't tell them you don't want it!

It's the CDW excess they want to charge you extra for. Buying this from the hire company is invariably a rip-off, not only expensive but often excluding half the vehicle (tyres, windows, roof, underside etc). It's the same for normal car hires.

There are loads of reputable excess insurers that will cover the excess for a reasonable price and normally include stuff like glass, tyres etc. See https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-car-hire/#needtoknow-6  it's focused on car hire abroad but the same principles apply.

Sandtree

Just be aware that if you buy independent excess insurance that you will need to pay the excess first and then reclaim it from the insurer. There are two things to check:

1) What happens if the damage is below the value of the excess... better policies will cover this still but some won't as technically you've not paid the excess

2) What documentation are they going to require in the event of a claim... some excess companies want to validate the damages really were £1,500 or more (if thats your excess and what you've been charged) but getting the appropriate supporting documents from the hire company can be difficult.

Independent is certainly cheaper and often has better cover but claiming is more painful.

zagfles

Sandtree said:

Just be aware that if you buy independent excess insurance that you will need to pay the excess first and then reclaim it from the insurer. There are two things to check:

1) What happens if the damage is below the value of the excess... better policies will cover this still but some won't as technically you've not paid the excess

Really? Any examples? Never heard of that.

Sandtree

zagfles said:

Sandtree said:

Just be aware that if you buy independent excess insurance that you will need to pay the excess first and then reclaim it from the insurer. There are two things to check:

1) What happens if the damage is below the value of the excess... better policies will cover this still but some won't as technically you've not paid the excess

Really? Any examples? Never heard of that.

As an easy to find example, appreciating that this is a Home Excess rather than Motorhome Excess policy, is https://www.bettersafe.com/home-excess-insurance 

Are there any exclusions?

• If the incident that gave rise to the claim under your Home Insurance Policy happened before the Start Date of Cover, as stated in Your Insurance Schedule
• Where no Excess was paid by You or deducted from the claim settlement by the insurer of Your Home Insurance Policy
• If Your claim under Your Home Insurance Policy was not successful or was for less than the amount of the Excess

I have seen similar on other excess products including those related to rentals.