RV owners should take special care when insuring their RVs, because simply adding an RV to an existing auto-insurance policy may not provide the level of coverage and protection an RV owner may want. According to Cathy Pelfrey, RV product manager for Progressive Insurance: "Some people make the mistake of adding their RV onto their car-insurance policy, only to find out too late that the car policy doesn't cover a lot of things that can go wrong in an RV. An RV is much more than a car -- it's a house on wheels. So an RVer really needs a specialized policy that covers more than what standard car insurance covers."
Some examples of coverage provided under an RV policy but not an auto policy are if an RV were damaged during a trip, an RV policy would pay for lodging and transportation and an auto policy would not. Personal items stolen out of an RV would be covered by an RV policy, but not an auto policy.
RV insurance also can protect against depreciation if your RV is totaled. While the payout amount under an auto policy would only pay the actual cash value (cost of replacement), an RV policy would pay an agreed value decided on when the policy was initially bought. The agreed value would be paid out whatever the value at the time of loss.
While providing more coverage than a standard auto policy, RV insurance will not cover claims due to owner negligence, such as allowing a motorhome to fall into a serious state of disrepair.