Campervan rental insurance and excess: what to check
"Fully comprehensive" rarely means you will never pay for damage. What matters is the excess, what the protection excludes and how the company proves that the damage happened during your rental.
Three terms to understand
- Excess: the maximum you pay for damage covered by the protection. Extra protection usually lowers it, sometimes to zero.
- Exclusions: parts or situations that are not covered whatever you pay. In campervans, look especially at the roof, the underside, tyres, glass, the interior and the awning.
- Deadline to charge: how long after the return the company can still report damage. Indie Campers, for example, says that most post-trip charges are communicated within 30 days, with exceptions (source).
Before signing, make sure you know what the insurance covers, what it does not and the excess that may be charged in the event of damage (European Consumer Centre Ireland).
What customers report about damage
Figures calculated on 13 October 2026 from 293 public complaints published on Altroconsumo, DECO PROteste, OCU, Portal da Queixa, Test-Aankoop, indiecampersopiniones.com. These are complaint platforms: they collect problems, not satisfaction, and the samples differ in size and country, so they cannot be used to rank companies. How we classify each complaint: methodology.
| Issue | Indie Campers | Roadsurfer |
|---|---|---|
| Damage charge after return | 24% (62)OCU, Sep 2026; Altroconsumo, Sep 2026, Catania | 58% (21)OCU, Sep 2026; OCU, Sep 2026 |
| Dispute over damage that pre-dated the rental | 10% (26)OCU, Sep 2026; Portal da Queixa, trip Aug 2026 | 39% (14)OCU, Sep 2026; OCU, Sep 2026 |
| Damage not covered by the protection plan | 5% (12)indiecampersopiniones.com, May 2025, Barcelona; OCU, Sep 2026, Los Angeles | 0% (0) |
| Unexpected extra charges or fees | 14% (35)Portal da Queixa, Oct 2026; Portal da Queixa, Oct 2026 | 17% (6)OCU, Sep 2026; OCU, Aug 2026 |
Amounts for damage after the return as stated by customers (only those stated in euros): Indie Campers: median €1,052 across 42 complaints that state the amount; Roadsurfer: median €545 across 16 complaints that state the amount. They are the amounts customers report, not verified invoices. They depend on the type of damage, the vehicle and the country, so they cannot be used to compare the companies.
How to protect yourself
- Ask for the list of exclusions of the protection you are buying, in writing.
- Record the vehicle at pick-up and return, inside and out, and get every scratch written on the form: how to document pick-up and return.
- Get a signed return form stating whether there is damage or not.
- If a charge arrives later, ask for dated photos and the repair invoice before paying: what to do.