insurance???

[rts64]

what do you guys and ladies think of insurance, do you go with your home/auto provider or do you go with a Ins. company specializing in MH coverage??  What are your experiences with either or????? thanks in advance,,,rick

 

[Wendy]

We checked around but got the cheapest rates wtih the insurance company that covers our car and house (State Farm). Others have fared better with a separate company. It pays to shop around.

 

[Ron]

We have always used AON a specialized RV insurance agency and have been with National Interstate for a few years.  However that will be coming to an end.  With no claims ever filed, no accidents, they want $3600 for renewal.  Looks to me like a real ripoff policy has been put in force.  Yes we are shopping and are looking at Explorer, GMAC, as well as State Farm and others.

 

[Wendy]

Must be that new Jeep you bought

 

[Ned]

The insurance needed will depend on your RV usage.  Fulltimers need different coverage from vacation users, and not all insurers write fulltime policies.  If you're usage is vacation only, typically defined as less than 6 months a year, then shop your auto insurer as you may get a multiple vehicle discount.  Vacation coverage is easier, and cheaper, than fulltime insurance.

For fulltimers, there are a limited number of companies that write such policies.  I think we have some material in our forum library that can help. 

Premiums will vary considerably depending on the state and county where the vehicle is garaged.

I know Montana is more expensive than many other areas, but $3600 does seem out of line.  We have our policy from National Interstate and our current premium is $941 for the year for fulltime coverage.  We're registered in Texas.  Insurers can't arbitrarily raise individual rates, but only on classes of policy holders, just like any other insurance.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Have used both with good results. An RV specialist will generally have good RV coverage in their policies but with a home/auto insurer you need to read the contract carefully to make sure you are getting a motorhome specific policy and not just one for a big expensive car. The differences can be subtle sometimes, but a car policy may have wording that either excludes house-related features (furniture, appliances, awnings, etc) or simply ignores them and leaves them bundled under unscheduled personal property with a relatively low reimbursement limit. Make sure the policy specifically states the vehicle is a motorhome and does not have "fine print" exclusions for things like entertainment equipment or a $2000 limit on personal property (you will likely have much more than that on board).

Several years ago we switched the motorhome from our car carrier (AARP Hartford) to an RV specialist (Explorer RV, who represents Great American & National Interstate) so that we could get full replacement value coverage on a new motorhome, a coverage that Hartford did not offer. Price was within a few dollars of each other, but Hartford simply could not provide what we wanted. HArtford otherwise have an excellent motorhome policy and now that our rig is no longer new we would happily use them again, but so far have stayed with Explorer's policy.

As for price, you will just have to shop around. Rates vary substantially by area and your personal circumstances and no one company or type of insurer has a lock on low rates.

 

[rts64]

it would be on a used MH,but financed, but what do you think of this ,I have not priced it yet , but see what you guys/ladies think about this scenario, you do insurance with your home/auto that usaully pays market value only(most of the time,like with autos) but then you buy cheap gap insurance for the difference to cover your loan balance for (god forbid if your totaled out) but things do happen, sounds a little complicated but I have heard of having gap insurance on multiple vehicles and which ever one gets whacked it gets the gap ins.....I also live in ga, which I think has one of the higher ins rate,,,, anyway food for thought,,,,,,rick

 

[scottydl]

Do a search for older discussions on RV insurance, and you will fine that more of us have Progressive than any other company.  I joined up with them too after getting online comparison quotes from multiple companies... the price difference for Progressive was considerable.  My other home/auto/life coverage is through AllState, and to cover the RV they wanted OVER 2x what I'm paying with Progressive.  Also I plan to drop my coverage to comprehensive only during the winter, when the RV doesn't move from my driveway and is only at risk from some sort of natural disaster.

 

[JulieP]

We just insured ours with our car insurance company(liberty mutual) and it was $452 a year.  Mine is occasional use with me (38 year old female with no tickets/accidents in a while) as the primary driver.  Ours is used and not as expensive as many.  My husband just sold an 85 Porsche 911 and this is HALF what that 911 was(though it was a sweet 911 and in perferct condition)  He wanted the motorhome more than the car  ;D

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

We have National Interstate on our motorhome, full-timers insurance, for $776 for 1 year...just renewed it this month. 2 cars with Progressive for around $800 a year.

 

[KodiakRV]

When I was shopping for RV insurance last Fall, Progressive Direct was less than half the quote from Allstate, my auto insurer for 30 years. 

I also liked Progressive's website quote system -- I could play around with different options and see the affect on premiums instantly.  One surprise I discovered:  saying you may use your RV for up to 6 months per year was less than $10 more than saying you were going to use it less than 1 month per year.

 

[dsolberg]

There are several factors that affect the price of RV insurance.  The type/price of vehicle, the state, useage, driver/driving record.  As stated in the previous posts, I highly recommend you work with a company that specializes in RV insurance.  They can customize a policy to fit your needs whether you are a part-time vacationer, or full-timing.  There are policies that cover purchase price, agreed value, total replacment as well. 

I also recommend using an agency that understands RV insurance.  Too often the "on-line" companies are there to sell you a policy, but disappear when it comes time to make a claim.  More often, you'll find better customer service with the independent agencies rather than the company owned representatives.  Also, go to your next rally and see what companies support your lifestyle and events.  Which companies are sponsoring entertainment, conducting safety or driving seminars, and who is buying the ICE CREAM!  That's who I recommend.

 

[scottydl]

For the record, I've had a roadside claim with Progressive already and they were quite helpful and friendly on the phone.  Went to great lengths to try and find the right tow truck for the job, although in the end I (thankfully) ended up not needing it.  They are a large company so I'm not too afraid of disappearing claims, although I'm sure there are a lot of "no name" internet insurance companies out there to watch out for.  Progressive has all the options dsolberg mentioned (time used each year, agreed value vs. total replacement), and is quite handy to use their website and make changes anytime as KodiakRV mentioned.  When I made my claim I did spend a fair amount of phone time on "hold" trying to get the service lined up, but at least they WERE available 24/7 and I didn't have to wait until the next business day or pay for the services out-of-pocket and then hope I'd get reimbursed.

 

[rts64]

scotty I read about your first roadside call wow ,what  a test of patience right out of the gate, hope things got better for you , its funny how something as simple as a battery post breaking can create so much havoc,,,

 

[Marsha/CA]

We also have National Insurance and our policy is about $1100 per year.  We just changed to "fulltimers" policy because while our house is being built, we are living in the motorhome until then.  The $1100 includes the increase for fulltimers.

Our cars are with Farmers.  When we bought the coach 5 years ago, Farmers referred us to some other agency.  We elected to go with an RV insurance providers instead.

Marsha~

 

[ArdraF]

Our GMAC RV-specific policy provides full replacement coverage for the first five years of ownership.  With an investment as large as an RV you want to make sure you're covered for everything.  A car-oriented policy will not do the job.  Cost is wholly dependent on where you live.

Also, make sure you get the max medical coverage.  After I broke my elbow cleaning the outside of the motorhome, our carrier paid the first $5,000 in medical bills - no hassles or questions asked once they found out at the hospital that it was RV-related.  After that experience we upped our medical to the maxiumum.  We had always assumed - incorrectly - that medical costs only pertained to accidents, but they're much more inclusive than that.

ArdraF

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Also, make sure you get the max medical coverage.  After I broke my elbow cleaning the outside of the motorhome, our carrier paid the first $5,000 in medical bills - no hassles or questions asked once they found out at the hospital that it was RV-related.  After that experience we upped our medical to the maxiumum.  We had always assumed - incorrectly - that medical costs only pertained to accidents, but they're much more inclusive than that.

Medical coverages will likely vary by state as well - different states will mandate different coverages, requiring some and , some prohibiting others. 

 

[scottydl]

Re: medical coverage, I zeroed out all those options because I have a typical HMO policy through my employer.  Is there any reason I should need to be covered for RV-specific injuries?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

No particular reason, but if your other policy has large deductibles or co-pays, you might find the RV policy covers some of that expense for you.  But if your employer's policy is no cost to you,  you probably would not pay much for RV specific coverage, even if available.

 

[SamIAm]

My RV center recommended that I call an agent named Dan Herrera in Houston, TX (832-364-6630).  After shopping around he was able to find a company (SafeCo) that was $200 cheaper per year than anything I was able to find.