The Van Guide
Insurance · Comparison

Roamly vs Progressive for Van Conversion Insurance (2026 Comparison)

Roamly vs. Progressive for van conversion insurance in 2026: DIY coverage, cost differences, and which carrier is the right fit for your van.

The Van Guide

Roamly and Progressive are the two carriers that come up in nearly every van conversion insurance conversation, and for good reason. They are the only two major options in the US that explicitly cover DIY and custom van conversions as a standard product offering. Everyone else either refuses DIY builds, routes you to one of these two through a referral pipeline, or handles converted vans as a case-by-case exception.

But they are not interchangeable. Roamly is a specialty insurance agency built around van conversions and non-standard RVs. Progressive is the largest auto insurer in the United States, with an RV product that added DIY conversion coverage in November 2023. The two products have different strengths, different gaps, and different pricing dynamics. This comparison breaks down the differences that actually matter when choosing between them.

Quick Comparison

RoamlyProgressive
What it isSpecialty insurance agency placing through multiple carriersLargest US auto insurer with an RV product line
Covers DIY builds?Yes — core productYes — since Nov 2023
Build requirementsPermanently installed sleeping and cookingAll 6 habitation features required (cooking, fridge, sleeping, HVAC, water, 110V electrical)
Toilet required?NoNo
Agreed value?YesNo — ACV or Total Loss Replacement only
Rental coverage (Outdoorsy)?Yes — built into the productNo
Full-time coverage?Yes (confirm with specific carrier)Yes — 6+ months/year definition
Multi-policy bundling?NoYes — significant discounts
Published price range$500–$1,600/year (recreational)$125/year liability-only; full coverage higher
DIY quoting speedFaster — designed for custom buildsSlower — may require photos, documentation review

The Fundamental Difference

Roamly was designed from the ground up to insure the kind of vehicle that other carriers struggle with. Its underwriting partnerships, its intake process, and its product language all assume the applicant has a non-standard build. Progressive’s RV product was designed for factory motorhomes and expanded to include DIY builds. Both cover converted vans, but Roamly treats your van as the expected case while Progressive treats it as an accepted case.

This distinction shows up in three practical ways: build requirements, valuation at total loss, and rental coverage.

Build Requirements

Progressive requires all six habitation features — cooking, refrigeration, sleeping, HVAC (no wood stoves), drinkable water supply, and a 110-125V electrical system. If your build is missing any one of these, Progressive will not write the policy. A van with a bed, stove, and water but no dedicated HVAC system does not qualify.

Roamly requires permanently installed sleeping and cooking facilities. The threshold is lower, and the agency has publicly stated that it “updated its definition of what constitutes a motorhome to better serve the growing DIY conversion van movement.” For partial or minimalist builds, Roamly is the more accommodating option.

What this means in practice: If your build has all six features, both carriers are options and you should compare quotes. If your build is missing HVAC, a fridge, or electrical, Progressive will not write you and Roamly is the starting point.

Valuation and Total Loss

This is the most consequential difference between the two products, and the one most van owners underestimate until they need to file a claim.

Roamly offers agreed value. The policyholder and carrier agree on the insured value at binding. If the van is totaled, you receive that agreed amount — no depreciation arguments, no adjuster interpretation.

Progressive does not offer agreed value. The two options are:

  • Total Loss Replacement — only available on vehicles less than 5 years old that were new and never-titled at original purchase. Most DIY conversions are built on used vans, which disqualifies them.
  • Actual Cash Value (ACV) — the default. Pays market value at the time of loss, with depreciation. For a DIY build, there is no published methodology on progressive.com for how Progressive values a custom conversion at total loss.

What this means in practice: If you spent $50,000 building out a van and it is totaled three years later, an agreed value policy pays $50,000 (or whatever was agreed at binding). An ACV policy pays what the market says a 3-year-old converted van is worth, which may be substantially less — especially if the adjuster does not properly account for the build value. See What Happens If Your Van Is Totaled for why this matters.

For high-value custom builds ($40,000+ in conversion cost), the absence of agreed value is Progressive’s single biggest gap relative to Roamly.

Rental Coverage

Roamly explicitly supports peer-to-peer rental through platforms like Outdoorsy. This is built into the product design, reflecting Roamly’s affiliate relationship with Outdoorsy. If you list your van for rent when you are not using it, Roamly’s coverage remains active.

Progressive’s RV policy does not cover rental income from platforms like Outdoorsy or RVshare. Listing the van for rent while covered by Progressive creates a coverage gap — the policy was not designed for that use and claims arising during a rental period may be denied.

What this means in practice: If you will ever rent your van on a peer-to-peer platform, Progressive is not the right policy. If you will never rent the van, this difference does not matter.

Pricing

Direct apples-to-apples pricing comparisons are not possible without quoting the same van through both carriers, because premiums depend on vehicle, driver, state, and coverage selections. But the pricing dynamics are different in ways that favor each carrier for specific situations.

Progressive tends to win on price when:

  • You already have Progressive auto, home, or both (the multi-policy discount can be significant)
  • You are in a state where Progressive’s scale gives it pricing advantages
  • You stack multiple discounts (safe driver, paid in full, paperless, original owner, claim-free renewal)
  • Your build is well-documented and clears underwriting quickly

Roamly tends to win on value when:

  • You need agreed value coverage (Progressive does not offer it)
  • Your build does not meet all six of Progressive’s habitation requirements
  • You plan to rent the van
  • You are comparing total cost of coverage including what you are actually protected against at total loss, not just the premium number

The cheapest premium is not always the best policy. A Progressive policy at $800/year with ACV settlement may cost less than a Roamly policy at $1,100/year with agreed value — but the Roamly policy may pay $30,000 more at total loss. Price the coverage, not just the premium.

Quoting Speed and Process

Roamly was designed to quote custom builds. The intake process expects non-standard vehicles, the underwriting team is familiar with conversion documentation, and DIY applications are processed as the normal workflow. Most quotes resolve within days.

Progressive can process a factory Class B quote in minutes. A DIY conversion quote may take longer — photos, build documentation, and additional review may be required. Progressive’s RV product infrastructure was not built around custom builds, even though it now accepts them.

For a well-documented build with professional photos and organized receipts, both processes are straightforward. For a build with incomplete documentation or unusual features, Roamly’s process will be smoother.

Full-Time Coverage

Both carriers offer full-time coverage, but the specifics differ.

Progressive defines full-time use as living in the RV more than six months per year. The full-timer’s endorsement adds full-timer’s liability, medical payments for visitors, and loss assessment coverage up to $5,000. Emergency expense coverage increases to up to $7,500.

Roamly covers extended travel and writes policies for full-time use, but the specific terms depend on which carrier the policy is placed with (Roamly places through multiple underwriters). Confirm the full-timer’s coverage details with Roamly directly for your specific placement.

For full-time coverage specifically, Progressive’s product terms are more publicly documented. For either carrier, ask about the full-timer’s endorsement in writing before binding.

Who Should Choose Roamly

  • Your build does not meet all six of Progressive’s habitation requirements
  • You need agreed value coverage to protect a high-value conversion
  • You plan to rent the van on Outdoorsy, RVshare, or similar platforms
  • You want a quoting process designed for non-standard builds
  • You are in a state where Progressive’s pricing is not competitive

Who Should Choose Progressive

  • You already have Progressive auto or home insurance and want the multi-policy discount
  • Your build meets all six habitation requirements and is well-documented
  • You want the stability of the largest auto insurer in the US
  • You are in a competitive-rate state where Progressive’s pricing beats specialty carriers
  • You do not need agreed value and are comfortable with ACV settlement
  • You will never rent the van

The Bottom Line

For DIY and minimalist builds, rental-friendly coverage, and agreed value protection: Roamly is the better product fit. For existing Progressive customers, well-documented builds in competitive states, and factory Class Bs: Progressive is likely the better price. For everyone in between: get quotes from both and compare coverage terms, not just premium numbers.

The single most important question to ask yourself is: “If my van is totaled, how much will this policy pay?” The answer to that question — not the annual premium — is what separates these two products.

How to Get Quotes

Get both. Compare coverage, not just price.

Sources and Verification

All coverage details reflect published carrier materials as of April 2026. Individual quotes, coverage availability, and terms vary by state, vehicle, and driver profile. Get direct quotes before making coverage decisions.