Is trailer insurance different to caravan insurance?

No. In Australia, trailer insurance and caravan insurance usually refer to the same type of policy. Always check the PDS to be absolutely sure what's covered.

Does car insurance cover trailers?

Some car insurance policies do include cover for trailers. However, the benefit limit is typically quite low, around the $1,000 mark. If you have a valuable caravan or trailer, it's worth considering dedicated trailer insurance.

Do I need trailer insurance while my trailer is not in use?

This depends on what you want cover for and the risk you're willing to take on. If you're not using your trailer then you're less likely to accidentally cause damage to someone else's property. But you may still need cover from weather events or theft. No insurance is mandatory for a trailer that's just sitting at home but you may like to consider what can happen to it while at home (storm damage, theft) and if you want cover for this.

Does CTP cover damage to my trailer?

No. CTP only covers personal injury liability, so it won't cover damage to your trailer or damage your trailer causes to other people's property. For that, you'd need third party property damage, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive trailer insurance, depending on how much cover you want. None of these are legally required, so it's up to you whether you'd like the additional cover.

Compare Trailer Insurance

Trailer insurance is not mandatory. Your car's CTP covers personal injury only - trailer insurance is separate cover for property damage and theft.
Comprehensive cover provides the broadest protection against accidental damage, weather and theft.
Compare quotes from multiple providers as costs vary based on your trailer and personal details.

Compare trailer insurance

5 of 21 results

Accidental Damage	Flood	Trailer replacement	Agreed or Market Value	Annex cover	Choice of Repairer
Youi Third Party Property Only Caravan & Trailer	No	No	No	N/A		No	Get Quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Youi Third Party Fire & Theft Caravan & Trailer	No	No		Market	Optional	No	Get Quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Youi Comprehensive Caravan & Trailer				Market	Optional	No	Get Quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
TIO Trailer Insurance				Agreed			View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Suncorp Trailers and Horse Floats Most Loved				Market			View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 5 of 21 results

What is trailer insurance?

Trailer insurance can cover your trailer for accidental losses and damages. Depending on the level of cover you select, this can include cover for:

Legal liability, usually from $20 million upwards
Accidental damage
Storms
Fire
Theft
much more.

Do you need to insure a trailer in Australia?

Trailer insurance isn't a legal requirement in Australia but it's worth considering.

If you're wondering what kind of mandatory insurance is needed for trailers, this is covered off by your car's compulsory third party (CTP) policy. CTP insures the car and the trailer attached to it.

Other, non-mandatory trailer insurance is worth considering because CTP doesn't cover you for any damage your trailer incurs or causes — CTP only covers you for personal injury liability. This means CTP won't cover you for any damages your trailer causes to other people's property and it also won't cover your trailer for any damages you incur from other people. Here's a breakdown of the types of trailer insurance you might like to consider.

Third party property damage

Covers damage to other people's property that you caused with your trailer.

Third party, fire and theft

Covers damage your trailer causes to other people's property, as well as cover for damages arising from fire or theft. It can cover your trailer for up to an agreed amount if it's stolen.

Comprehensive

Covers all of the above, plus a wide range of additional benefits including weather damage, accidental damage and vandalism.

Trailer insurance types, compared

Here's a more detailed breakdown of what you could be covered for under each type of trailer insurance policy. Remember, each provider's exact benefits will vary so this should be used as a guide only. Always read the product disclosure statement (PDS).

Legal liability

Feature	Third Party Property	Fire & Theft	Comprehensive
Accidental damage	No	No	Yes
Storm or flood	No	No	Yes
Fire	No	Yes	Yes
Theft	No	Yes	Yes
Earthquake	No	Yes	Yes
Emergency expenses	No	Yes	Yes
Towing costs	No	Yes	Yes
Contents	No	Yes	Yes

Beyond these standard categories, insurance providers generally fall into three specific types of service models. Specialist insurers focus specifically on towable assets and often provide higher coverage limits for contents and off-road use. Comprehensive insurers are typically large general providers that offer trailer cover as an extension of their motor vehicle suite, providing ease of management through bundled policies. Customisable providers let you build a policy from a basic starting point, adding specific features like increased contents or specialised equipment cover only when needed.

What optional extras are available?

What's available as an optional extra will depend on the provider but typically, these features can be added to your policy.

Annex cover: This covers your caravan annex for damage.
Burnout of electric motors: This can cover the costs of repairing and replacing burnt out electric motors that are permanently fitted to the trailer.
Business items: If you carry business items in your trailer, this can provide cover for those items up to a certain amount. Usually around $1,000.
Spoilage of food: If your trailer was carrying food, you can be covered for a certain amount to replace the groceries lost.

How much does trailer insurance cost?

The cost of trailer insurance is impacted by a broad range of factors, including:

The age and value of the trailer
Your age and driving experience
Where the trailer is usually stored
The level of cover you choose
How often you're driving with the trailer

The only way to get an accurate picture of trailer insurance pricing is to request a quote from a provider. We suggest requesting quotes from multiple brands and comparing policies and prices to find the best option for you.

"Always compare multiple policies, taking benefits and pricing into account. If your preferred policy is more expensive than other options, call the insurer and ask if they can match a quote from another provider, or at least lower theirs. Insurers sometimes have some wiggle room on pricing, so it's always worth asking."

Nicola Middlemiss

Journalist

FAQs

This depends on what you want cover for and the risk you're willing to take on. If you're not using your trailer then you're less likely to accidentally cause damage to someone else's property. But you may still need cover from weather events or theft. No insurance is mandatory for a trailer that's just sitting at home but you may like to consider what can happen to it while at home (storm damage, theft) and if you want cover for this.
No. CTP only covers personal injury liability, so it won't cover damage to your trailer or damage your trailer causes to other people's property.
For that, you'd need third party property damage, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive trailer insurance, depending on how much cover you want. None of these are legally required, so it's up to you whether you'd like the additional cover.

Finder writers are subject matter experts and use primary sources, in-depth research and interviews with other experts to ensure you're getting accurate, up-to-date information. Articles are fact checked in line with our editorial guidelines.

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by

Nicola Middlemiss

Journalist

Add to Preferred Sources

Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

Nicola's expertise

Nicola has written 170 Finder guides across topics including:

Personal finance
Personal insurance, including car, health, home, life, pet and travel insurance
Commercial business insurance

Co-written by

Peta Taylor

Publisher of Insurance

Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio

More resources on Finder

Ask a question

Click here to cancel reply.

Display name

Your email (will not be published)

Your question

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

4 Responses

JeanetteJuly 16, 2025

I would like a quote for a Box trailer, 4 wheels for a building company, we have just received the trailer today

Finder

SarahJuly 17, 2025Finder

Hi Jeanette,

Congrats on the purchase! You can click on the ‘continue’ button on any of the companies listed in the table to get a quote for your trailer.

JenniferFebruary 4, 2018

Hi
I would like an insurance quote on a mobile food trailer. It is a 2016 model Kings trailer. 3.3 meters long x 2.2 meters high x 1.8 meters wide. It is in as new condition and has some equipment inside a fridge, rangehood cooker etc. I would like to insure it for $15000. Can you help me.

Finder

JoshuaFebruary 11, 2018Finder

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for getting in touch with finder. Just to confirm that we’re not offering insurance ourselves as we are a comparison website and general information service.

Looks like we only have one brand listed above for your option for a trailer insurance. I would suggest to go through our guide above on how you can get one. If you like to reconsider, you may check with the brand and discuss your options with them. Please also click on the green button “Get Quote” if you like to see the cost of their policy and see if it’s right for you.

Cheers,
Joshua

More guides on Finder

View caravan insurance brands: A to Z listing
Your listing of Australian caravan insurance brands.
Allianz Caravan Insurance
Our review of Allianz Caravan Insurance.
RAA Caravan Insurance
Find out if RAA Caravan Insurance is right for you with our quick review.
APIA Caravan Insurance Review
Find out if APIA Caravan Insurance is right for you.
CIL Caravan Insurance
Your guide to CIL caravan insurance.
Youi caravan and trailer insurance review
A breakdown of Youi's caravan insurance policies.
Australian Caravan Insurance
If you’re searching for insurance cover for a caravan, cabin, trailer or horse float, check out the policies provided by Australian Caravan Insurance.
RACV Caravan Insurance
Looking for caravan insurance that offers you more? Check out the advantages of insuring through Victoria’s biggest club. RACV caravan insurance offers two great levels of cover, competitive premiums and a range of optional benefits and you can read the full story here.
RACQ Caravan Insurance Review
Whether touring or at home, caravan insurance is a must-have and RACQ Caravan Comprehensive Insurance covers you against practically any eventuality. Find out here about the protection it provides and the advantages of belonging to Queensland’s largest club.
Motorhome insurance Australia
What it is, what it can cover and where you can get it.

Compare trailer insurance

Insurance can protect your trailer from accidental damage, theft and fire damage. Compare your options.