The best insurance broker for a new campground or RV park owner is the one that fits your park, your state and your lender, and you can test that fit with questions rather than labels. Look for someone who understands park property (roads, underground lines, docks, trees), can place guest vehicle, liquor and pollution coverage, and builds seasonal payroll and business income estimates correctly. This guide gives criteria, questions and red flags for buyers who just closed. It does not rank any firm.
The short answer
- Test for park knowledge. Ask how a broker would handle roads, pipes, trees, guest RVs, propane and a seasonal payroll estimate for your park.
- Several broker types are legitimate options. Specialty agencies, independent brokers, wholesalers, association programs and others each have trade-offs.
- Confirm the license on your state insurance department lookup, and ask whom the person represents and how they are paid.
- A quote is not coverage. Nothing is in force until the carrier binds it, so get written confirmation before closing.
What should a campground or RV park broker be able to do?
Industry experience is a claim to test. These criteria come from how parks run.
| Criterion | Why it matters at a park | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| Park property knowledge | Roads, underground lines, docks and trees are excluded or limited on some standard forms | Ask what the form says about each, and whether an endorsement exists |
| Add-on placement | Garagekeepers, liquor, pollution and equipment coverage depend on operations | Ask which the broker would recommend for your park and why |
| Seasonal payroll and business income | A short, intense season makes estimates and worksheets easy to get wrong | Ask how the broker builds the payroll estimate and checks the worksheet |
| Market access | Coastal, wooded or older parks may need carriers beyond the standard market | Ask which markets the broker can reach, directly or through a wholesaler |
| Contract and lender fluency | Land permits, franchise agreements and loans set insurance terms | Hand over the lender's insurance schedule and see how the broker maps it |
| Loss control and claims support | Tree, pool and propane records influence underwriting, and claims arrive in peak season | Ask what safety help is offered and who answers on a holiday weekend |
See specialist vs generalist broker for your industry.
What kinds of brokers and markets can serve a campground?
Each type is legitimate. In general industry usage, an agent represents the insurer and a broker represents the buyer, but states define these roles differently, one firm can act either way, and a license shows what a person may sell, not whom they represent. Ask directly.
| Type | How it generally works | Strengths | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty recreation and hospitality agency or program administrator | Focuses on parks and similar properties, and may place through a managing general agent (MGA) with underwriting authority | Knows the class and its programs | Appetite varies by state and risk, so ask which programs fit your park |
| Independent retail broker, with a wholesaler for coastal, wooded or older parks | Places business with several insurers. A wholesaler usually works through your retail broker | Can compare options across insurers and, with a wholesaler, reach harder risks | Park depth varies by firm. Surplus lines policies have no state guaranty fund protection, and a licensed surplus lines broker handles premium tax |
| Trade association program | A member benefit arrangement | Industry familiarity | A member benefit does not set price or coverage, so compare terms |
Captive agents, direct carriers, online platforms and the seller's broker are also legitimate. See broker vs buying direct, the seller's broker vs your own and retail broker vs wholesaler vs MGA.
Which questions should you ask every broker?
- How many campgrounds or RV parks do you place, and what claims have you handled (without names)?
- Which form and edition would the quoted policy use, and what does it say about paved surfaces, underground pipes, docks and trees?
- How would you handle propane, guest vehicle moves, alcohol events and a pool?
- Will you put flood, named storm and business income advice in writing?
- How do you build a seasonal payroll estimate, and what happens at audit?
- How are you paid on my account (commission, a fee or both), and is other compensation tied to which insurer you use?
- Whom do you represent, and what is your license number?
- What is your plan for the first 90 days?
More are in questions to ask a broker after buying a business. Brokers are generally paid by commission from the insurer, and some also charge fees. Rates vary, so ask each broker to explain theirs (how brokers get paid).
What are the red flags?
None of these proves bad faith, but each is worth a second look.
- Coverage described, not shown. Roads, trees or pollution are "included" with no form to read.
- No questions about operations. Never asking about propane, events, guest vehicles or seasonal pay means quoting a generic risk.
- No license on request. The broker cannot or will not give a license number.
- Pressure to bind before reading, or confusion between a quote and bound coverage.
- Vague on pay. The broker cannot say plainly how it is paid on your account.
- Lender steering. A lender can require insurance terms, but being told you must buy through a named agent is worth questioning. Ask which loan document or law says so, and bring in your attorney, because rules differ by lender and by state.
The wider list is in red flags in an insurance broker. The seller's broker may have done a fine job, so frame the choice as fit, not a verdict.
How do you compare brokers fairly?
A hypothetical example. A buyer of a 60-site waterfront park with a clubhouse and a propane refill area meets three brokers. The buyer sends each the same package (declarations pages, property form, loss runs, the lender's insurance schedule) and asks the questions above. Broker A answers with form language and a written endorsement list but reaches few coastal markets. Broker B reaches a specialty market quickly and explains its pay plainly, but shows quotes from only that market. Broker C knows the seller's loss history, and the buyer still needs to see how it would place garagekeepers coverage. Each has a strength and a question to close. The buyer weighs fit, clarity and service, then asks the chosen broker to put recommendations and exclusions in writing.
Line up quotes the same way: coverage, exclusions, deductibles and conditions, not just premium, because a lower price can come from a narrower policy. After you choose, see broker onboarding and, for SBA-funded buyers, choosing a broker for SBA-funded buyers.
Where does Morrow fit, and who should look elsewhere?
Morrow is an independent agency (a licensed insurance agency, Afthonea Inc.) that focuses on business insurance. For a campground or RV park buyer, Morrow can review the policies you inherited, flag gaps and request quotes. It does not issue policies, and carriers decide what to offer. Morrow is licensed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia only. Confirm any broker's license on your state insurance department lookup, and ask for the National Producer Number.
Look elsewhere if your park is in a state outside that list, if you need life, health or disability coverage (use a specialist), or if you want a firm that writes only recreation properties or a very large and complex program. Morrow is one option among several. It is a general business insurance agency, not a program administrator that writes only recreation properties, so test it against the criteria above like any other broker. See insurance after you buy a campground or RV park and contracts, licenses and bonds for what to bring to a broker meeting.
Keep reading
- Just Bought a Campground or RV Park? What Insurance Do You Need?
- Contracts, Licenses and Bonds for a Campground or RV Park
- Specialist vs Generalist Broker for Your Industry
- Questions to Ask an Insurance Broker After Buying a Business
- Red Flags in an Insurance Broker After You Buy a Business
- All guides for new business owners
Frequently asked questions
How do I find an insurance broker who understands campgrounds?
Ask for examples of campground claims handled, which insurers or programs the broker uses for parks and how it would treat roads, pipes, trees, propane and guest vehicles. A label such as specialist is not an official designation.
Should I keep the seller's broker?
It can be a good choice, since the broker already knows the park. The key question is fit for your plans. Ask the same questions of the incumbent and of at least one other broker, and compare in writing.
Does it matter if a broker is independent or captive?
An independent broker can approach several insurers, while a captive agent represents one insurer or group and knows its products well. Either can be right for a park. Ask whom the person represents and how they are paid.
Can my lender make me use their insurance agent?
Usually a lender can set insurance terms, such as clauses and cancellation notice, but being told you must use a named agent is worth questioning. Federal anti-tying law (12 U.S.C. 1972) restricts banks from tying credit to products from the bank or its affiliates. It does not mention insurance by name, covers banks rather than every lender and does not squarely address an outside agent. Small Business Administration (SBA) rules bar certain fees paid to the lender or its designee as a loan condition, and that rule is about fees and does not itself say who picks the agent. Some states have their own rules. Ask which loan document or law requires it, and bring in your attorney.
How do I check that a broker is licensed?
Use your state insurance department's license lookup, confirm the license is active and covers property and casualty insurance, and note the National Producer Number. Producers are licensed by state, so check the state where your park is located and any other state that applies to your policy.
References
- SBA: SOP 50 10 8.1, prohibited fees and insurance requirements (effective October 1, 2026)
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: 12 U.S.C. 1972, tying arrangements
- NAIC: Surplus Lines topic page
- Texas Department of Insurance: Find an agent by name or license number (example of a state lookup)
- National Insurance Producer Registry: Producer Database (PDB) reports
- Insurance Services Office: Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, CP 00 10 10 12
Just bought a business? Get your insurance reviewed.
Send Morrow the declarations pages, loss runs and key contracts you inherited. Morrow can review them against the business you bought, flag gaps and request quotes where it makes sense. Any new terms depend on carrier underwriting.
Morrow · 25 New Chardon Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02114
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a coverage determination. Coverage depends on the actual policy wording, carrier underwriting, your purchase agreement and your contracts. Ask your attorney and accountant about deal and legal questions.