The short answer
Motorcycle and recreational vehicle insurance is a policy written around a vehicle that is used by season, for fun, and often stored for months. It still has liability, damage cover and injury cover, but adds things like lay-up periods, accessories, contents and towing. A licensed broker compares insurers for the vehicle, the rider or driver, and where and when it is used.
- Riders buying a first motorcycle or moving up to a larger one
- Owners of motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and camper vans
- Households with ATVs, side-by-sides or snowmobiles on rural or recreational land
- Riders who store the bike for the winter and want to stop paying for months of no use
- People who live part of the year in an RV and need more than a holiday-use policy
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for motorcycle and rv insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Liability
What you owe if you injure someone or damage their property while riding or driving. Motorcycles and motorhomes are generally required to carry it on public roads, while rules for off-road machines vary by province and by where you use them.
Collision and comprehensive
Damage to the machine itself. Collision follows a crash; comprehensive covers theft, fire, vandalism, falling objects and weather. Each is usually subject to a deductible you choose.
Seasonal and lay-up cover
Many insurers let you suspend the driving parts of a policy while a bike or RV is in storage, but keep protection against theft, fire and storm damage. Ask how the lay-up dates are set and whether you can ride in a mild week.
Accessories and custom parts
Aftermarket exhausts, saddlebags, upgraded seats, audio systems, solar panels and awnings are often capped unless they are listed. Keep receipts and photographs so you can show what was added.
Contents and personal effects
For an RV, the clothes, kitchen items, electronics and bedding kept inside. Ask whether contents are included, what the limit is when the unit is parked at a campsite, and whether theft from an unattended unit is treated differently.
Trailers and towing
A trailer may be covered under the tow vehicle policy for liability only, or need its own cover for damage. Ask how the connection between the two is treated, and whether a tow hitch or a camper on a truck is a separate item.
Roadside and trip help
Roadside assistance, towing for a large unit and help with lodging or return travel after a breakdown are optional and differ widely. Confirm the towing distance and whether a motorhome is accepted at all.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- Year, make, model and vehicle identification number for each bike, RV, trailer or off-road machine
- Motorcycle licence class and the date each rider first held it, plus any rider-training course completed
- Claims and convictions for every rider or driver over the past several years, with dates
- Roughly how many kilometres the vehicle is used in a season, and the months it is on the road
- Where it is stored in the off-season and what protects it: locked garage, storage compound, driveway or cover
- Receipts or a list of upgrades, accessories and custom parts, with photographs
- For an RV, whether it is lived in, rented out, or kept at a seasonal site, and the site address
- Purchase price and date, and any lender or lease that requires named cover
- Your current policy or renewal notice with limits and deductibles
A broker will ask
- Who rides or drives it, how long have they been licensed for this kind of vehicle, and have they had a claim or a conviction?
- Is it a daily rider, a weekend machine or something that comes out a few times a year?
- Is it kept in a locked building during the off-season, and does the building have heat or an alarm?
- Has it been customised, or does it carry equipment that was not on it when it left the factory?
- For an RV, is it ever lived in, rented to others or left at a seasonal site?
- Do you tow anything with it, or is it towed by something else?
- Do you ride or camp across the border, and for how long at a time?
- Would you like to suspend cover over the winter, and when do you expect to start riding again?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A rider buying a first big bike
A 34-year-old commuter has held a motorcycle licence for two years and just bought a used sport-touring bike. The previous owner fitted a larger windscreen and heated grips, and the dealer asked for proof of insurance before handing over the keys.
First steps. Photograph the bike, write down the added parts and bring the licence history and any training certificate. Ask the broker how a newer rider is rated on a bigger machine, whether the accessories are covered as listed items, and how to arrange winter lay-up from the first policy.
Retirees who spend winters in a motorhome
A couple sold their house and now live in a Class A motorhome, spending summers at a lakefront site in Ontario and winters in the southern United States. They tow a small car behind it and are unsure how their old holiday-use policy treats full-time living.
First steps. Tell the broker plainly that the unit is a home for most of the year, and list where it is parked each season. Ask how full-time use changes liability and contents cover, whether the towed car is covered, and what applies when you cross the border.
A farm family with ATVs and a snowmobile
A family on a rural acreage keeps two ATVs, a side-by-side and one snowmobile. The kids ride on the property and the adults take the snowmobile out on shared trails, but nobody has checked which of those uses their home policy might already cover.
First steps. Gather the model and serial details for each machine and note where each is ridden. Ask the broker how off-road liability works in your province, whether trail permits matter, and how to avoid paying twice for something already on the home policy.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Lay-up period
- The stretch of the year when the machine is parked and not driven. The policy can suspend the driving parts while still guarding against theft, fire and storm damage.
- Listed accessory
- An added part, such as a custom seat or exhaust, written onto the policy by name with its own value. Unlisted extras are often paid only up to a small general limit.
- Contents cover
- Protection for the belongings kept inside a motorhome or trailer, such as bedding and cookware. It is separate from cover for the vehicle itself and has its own limit.
- Off-road liability
- Protection if you injure someone or damage property while riding a machine away from public roads. Rules differ by province and by whether you are on private land or a trail.
- Tow vehicle
- The truck or car that pulls a trailer. Its policy may respond for harm done to others, but damage to the trailer itself usually needs separate arrangements.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Insuring a bike on the same terms as the previous owner without checking who the rated rider is now.
- Leaving upgrades and accessories off the application, then finding they are capped or excluded after a theft.
- Cancelling cover for the winter and losing protection against theft, fire or a collapsed roof in storage.
- Telling the insurer an RV is for holidays when it is lived in for months at a time.
- Assuming the tow vehicle policy covers damage to the trailer, or that the trailer covers the truck.
- Riding in another country or province for a long trip without confirming the policy extends there.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles motorcycle and rv insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
Do I need insurance for a motorcycle?
In Canada, riding on public roads requires insurance, though what is mandatory and who provides it depends on the province. Some provinces have a public insurer for basic cover; others rely on private insurers. A licensed broker where you live can explain the required parts, what is optional and what a lender might insist on.
Can I stop paying for motorcycle insurance in winter?
Many insurers allow a lay-up or storage arrangement that pauses the driving parts of a policy while keeping protection against theft, fire and storm damage. Do not cancel outright without asking, because a gap in cover can be treated as a break in continuous history and could affect future applications.
What is the difference between RV insurance and auto insurance?
A motorhome is both a vehicle and a place to live, so cover often includes contents, awnings, attached equipment and sometimes temporary living expenses after a loss, on top of the usual liability and damage parts. Car policies rarely include those. Ask whether the unit is treated as a recreational vehicle or a full-time residence.
Does my car insurance cover a trailer I tow?
It may extend liability for a trailer being towed, but usually not damage to the trailer itself or what is inside it. A travel trailer, camper or large cargo trailer often needs its own policy or a listed addition. Check with your broker before the first trip rather than after a loss.
Are ATVs and snowmobiles insured the same way as road vehicles?
Not usually. Rules for off-road machines vary by province and by where they are ridden, such as private land versus a designated trail. Liability can be mandatory in some places and optional in others, and a home policy may cover some use. A broker can explain the pieces for your location.
Does insurance cover aftermarket parts on my bike?
Often only up to a limit that is lower than people expect, unless the parts are listed or declared. Keep receipts, photographs and a short list of what was added, and tell your broker at the start. Anything fitted later should be reported so it can be added before a theft or crash.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.