The Van Guide
Insurance · DIY

How to Insure a DIY Van Conversion: A Step-by-Step Guide

Four carriers now insure DIY van conversions. Here's the step-by-step process, the documentation you need, and which carriers to call first.

The Van Guide

Insuring a DIY van conversion is not the same as insuring a factory-built RV, and most of the difficulty is in knowing what to do in what order. The process itself is not complicated once you understand it, but the sequence matters: retitle before you quote, document before you call, and know what each carrier actually requires before you commit.

This guide walks through the process from start to finish. If you have already insured the van and want to compare carriers, see Best Insurance for Van Conversions. If you are still mid-build, see Insurance During the Build Process for what covers you before the conversion is complete.

Step 1: Understand Why Standard Auto Insurance Does Not Work

A standard personal or commercial auto policy covers the vehicle as the carrier understands it at binding — a cargo van, a work truck, a passenger vehicle. The $20,000 to $80,000+ in batteries, solar panels, cabinetry, plumbing, appliances, and finish work you installed is not part of what the carrier agreed to insure.

If the van is totaled on a standard auto policy, the payout reflects the cargo van’s market value. The conversion is your loss. If a fire from an electrical fault destroys the interior, the claim may be denied because the modifications were not disclosed. If you are sleeping in the van at a campsite and someone is injured, your auto liability may not cover it because the policy was written for driving, not for using the vehicle as a dwelling.

The right product for a completed DIY van conversion is a Class B RV policy — a subset of RV insurance designed specifically for self-contained vans with built-in habitation features. Class B policies cover both the chassis and the conversion as a combined insured value. See the camper van insurance overview for the full breakdown of what this product type includes.

Step 2: Finish the Build (or Get Close)

Most carriers will not write a Class B RV policy on a van that is not yet a self-contained living space. The conversion needs to be functionally complete — not cosmetically perfect, but functionally complete.

What “functionally complete” means varies by carrier, but the requirements converge on a common checklist. Progressive requires all of the following to classify a DIY conversion as a Class B motorhome:

  • Cooking facilities
  • Refrigeration or icebox
  • Sleeping facilities
  • Self-contained heating or air conditioning (wood stoves excluded)
  • Potable water supply with a faucet and sink
  • A self-contained toilet (portable or permanently installed)
  • A 110–125 volt electrical system (solar and inverter setups qualify)

Good Sam / National General’s underwriting guide requires the same list but adds a stricter requirement: a bathroom with indoor plumbing, not just a portable toilet. This disqualifies some budget builds.

Roamly’s published requirements are less prescriptive — they describe coverage for vans with “permanently installed sleeping and cooking facilities” — which in practice means Roamly is more flexible about what qualifies, especially for builds that have a bed and kitchen but skip the bathroom or HVAC.

The practical takeaway: if your build has a bed, a cooktop, a sink with running water, a fridge, a toilet (even a portable cassette toilet for most carriers), a heater or AC, and a working electrical system, you meet the requirements for the broadest set of carriers. If your build skips some of these, your carrier options narrow — start with Roamly.

Step 3: Retitle the Van

This is the step most DIY builders skip or postpone, and it is the single most common reason campervan insurance quotes come back high, unavailable, or incorrectly classified.

A van registered as a commercial cargo vehicle gets quoted as a commercial vehicle. A van registered as a housecar, motorhome, camper van, or RV gets quoted as an RV. The product, the pricing, and the coverage are different. Retitling is the unlock.

The retitling process varies by state. In California, it requires REG 256 (body type change declaration) and REG 256A (certification for human habitation), a DMV verification appointment, and typically a single visit. In other states the forms and inspection requirements differ, but the concept is the same: the DMV reclassifies the vehicle from its original body type to a motorhome or camper equivalent.

Do this before you start calling carriers. Carriers classify the risk based on the title. If the title says cargo van, the underwriter sees a cargo van. If the title says housecar, the underwriter sees a Class B motorhome. Multiple owners across van forums report that an initial insurance rejection became an approval after they retitled the van and called back.

If your state’s retitling process takes weeks and you need coverage now, keep the van on a standard auto or commercial policy during the wait, and switch to a Class B RV policy as soon as the new title is in hand. Do not try to bind a campervan policy on a commercially-titled vehicle — the classification mismatch creates problems at claim time.

Step 4: Assemble Your Documentation

Every carrier asks for some version of the same documentation package. Prepare it once and you can shop multiple quotes in an afternoon.

What to have ready:

  1. A spreadsheet of build costs. Every major component, what you paid, where you bought it. Include labor if you hired anyone for any portion. This becomes the basis for the insured value. Roamly’s published checklist asks for exactly this.

  2. Photos of the completed interior and exterior. Every angle. The kitchen area clearly showing the cooktop or stove. The sleeping area showing a permanent bed or convertible dinette. The bathroom or toilet area. The electrical panel. Good Sam requires photos upfront before they will review the risk — “the risk will not be reviewed until the photos are received.”

  3. Photos of major systems during installation, if you have them. Electrical before the walls went on, plumbing before flooring, insulation and framing. These matter more for higher-value builds and strengthen your case at claim time by proving the quality of work behind the walls.

  4. Receipts for major components. Solar panels, batteries, inverter, refrigerator, cooktop, water heater, any appliance or component over $500.

  5. Current registration document showing the vehicle’s title status. If you have already retitled as a housecar, motorhome, or camper, bring that. Carriers classify builds faster when the DMV has already classified them.

  6. A professional appraisal if your total build value is over $30,000. Roamly recommends this and notes appraisals typically cost $300 to $500. Good Sam’s underwriting guide triggers a Refer to Underwriting review for van conversions at $50,000 or more, meaning your application goes to a human — having an appraisal ready at that point smooths the process.

The build cost spreadsheet is the most important document. It directly determines the insured value, which determines what you get paid if the van is totaled. Understate the conversion cost and you are underinsured. Round numbers without receipts invite skepticism from adjusters. Be accurate and document everything.

Step 5: Get Quotes From the Right Carriers

Four carriers will cover a DIY van conversion in 2026. They are not interchangeable.

Roamly. The only major US insurance agency built specifically for DIY and custom van conversions. Roamly’s product design treats DIY as the default case, not the exception. It places policies through a panel of underwriters including Spinnaker, Progressive, Safeco, Foremost, National General, and Mobilitas, which lets it match unusual builds to whichever carrier has the best fit. Roamly is the first call for most DIY builders because the product was designed for exactly this scenario. Coverage is available in all US states except Hawaii and Washington D.C. Online quoting process — no phone call required to start.

Progressive. The largest auto insurer in the US. Progressive reversed course on DIY van conversions in November 2023 and now covers them under its RV product. Competitive pricing, especially when bundled with existing Progressive auto or home policies. Documentation requirements are moderate. The catch: Progressive requires all six habitation features (cooking, refrigeration, sleeping, HVAC, water, electrical — no toilet required) — if your build skips one, you may not qualify. No rental income coverage.

Good Sam / National General. Specialty RV insurer with decades of history and one of the deepest feature sets in the market — full replacement cost, agreed value, personal belongings up to $30,000, suspendable storage. The catch for DIY builders: the build requirements are stricter (indoor plumbing bathroom required), the $50,000 value threshold triggers manual review, and Class B van conversions are not eligible in California.

State Farm. No published DIY conversion product, but individual agents will write converted van policies on a case-by-case basis. Results vary dramatically by agent. When State Farm says yes, the pricing can be competitive — especially for owners who already have other State Farm policies. When State Farm says no, there is no corporate escalation path. See the State Farm van conversion insurance guide for what owners report and how to approach an agent.

Get at least two quotes. Minimum: Roamly plus one other. Compare premiums, but more importantly compare the coverage language — what the policy defines as the insured value, how it handles total loss (agreed value vs. actual cash value vs. replacement cost), and what it excludes. The cheapest quote is not automatically the right one.

Step 6: Ask the Right Questions

When you have a carrier on the phone or filling out an online application, five questions separate a good policy from a bad one:

  1. “Is this being written as a Class B motorhome policy or as an auto policy?” An auto policy will not cover the build. If the answer is auto, stop and try a different carrier or retitle first.

  2. “Does the insured value include the conversion, or just the base vehicle?” The answer should include both. If the quoted coverage amount is only the cargo van value, the policy will underpay a total loss by the entire cost of the conversion.

  3. “Is this Agreed Value, Total Loss Replacement, or Actual Cash Value?” Agreed Value locks in the insured amount at binding — what you get paid at total loss. Actual Cash Value depreciates over time and is usually the worst option for a custom build. Total Loss Replacement replaces the van with a new equivalent (when available, typically first five model years for factory builds). For a DIY conversion, Agreed Value is what to ask for.

  4. “What documentation will you need at claim time?” Know this before you need it. Some carriers rely on the documentation submitted at binding. Others want updated photos, receipts, or an appraisal at claim time. Knowing the expectation means you can maintain the documentation as the build evolves.

  5. “Does the policy cover peer-to-peer rental use?” If you ever plan to list the van on Outdoorsy or RVshare, only Roamly explicitly supports this. Every other carrier treats rental use as an uncovered commercial activity — Good Sam’s underwriting guide lists “vehicles leased or rented to others” as an unacceptable risk.

Step 7: Bind the Policy and Update Records

Once you choose a carrier and bind the policy:

  • Confirm the insured value in writing — the declarations page should show the full agreed value (base vehicle + conversion), not just the chassis.
  • Update DMV records if your insurance carrier has changed — some states require an insurance filing.
  • Notify any lienholder if you have a loan on the base vehicle.
  • Store your documentation — the build spreadsheet, photos, receipts, and appraisal — in a place you can access after a loss. Cloud storage is ideal. If the van is totaled in a fire, you do not want your only copy of the build receipts to have been inside the van.
  • Set a calendar reminder to review coverage annually — build values, mileage, and use patterns change.

Common DIY Insurance Questions

Can I insure a DIY van conversion? Yes. Four carriers cover DIY builds in 2026: Roamly, Progressive (since November 2023), Good Sam / National General, and State Farm (agent-dependent). See the carrier comparison for how they differ.

Does my DIY van need to be RVIA-certified? No. None of the four carriers above require RVIA certification for a DIY build. Roamly, Progressive, and Good Sam accept DIY builds with documentation (photos, receipts, build spreadsheet). Some carriers may offer higher limits or smoother underwriting for RVIA-certified units, but certification is not a prerequisite. See the RVIA certification guide for what certification does and does not do.

What if my build doesn’t have a bathroom? Your carrier options narrow. Good Sam / National General requires indoor plumbing — a portable cassette toilet in a cabinet does not meet their definition. Progressive requires a “self-contained toilet,” which may or may not include portables depending on the underwriter’s interpretation. Roamly is the most flexible on build requirements and is the starting point for minimalist builds.

What if I’m still mid-build? Keep the van on a standard auto or commercial policy until the conversion is complete and the van is retitled. See Insurance During the Build Process for what covers you during construction and where the gaps are.

Is DIY van insurance more expensive than insuring a factory Class B? Not necessarily. DIY builds are often lower in total insured value than factory Class Bs (a $60,000 DIY conversion vs. a $180,000 Winnebago), which means lower premiums. The underwriting process may take longer and require more documentation, but the per-dollar cost of coverage is comparable.

What if a carrier rejects my DIY build? Try a different carrier. Rejection from one carrier does not affect your ability to get quotes from others. Roamly was purpose-built for the builds that mainstream carriers struggle with — if Progressive or Good Sam says no, Roamly is the next call.

Where to Go From Here

Sources and Verification

Every factual claim in this article links to its primary source inline. Coverage products change; verify directly with the carrier before binding. This article reflects published materials as of April 2026.