I have my renewal notice from Progressive in hand and they are jacking my premium up by almost 20%. However, to put this in perspective, the new rate is "only" $259. Still, that's a hefty increase considering that I've put maybe 100 miles on my trailer in the past year and have no claims on the trailer or my auto.

I already have roadside assistance that covers the trailer through another program.

What type of coverage do I really need? I would think that liability coverage really needs to be on the tow vehicle not the towed vehicle.

Do I even need coverage on a trailer that is 11 years old and I paid $8500 for last June?

I submitted a request for a quote online at GEICO this evening. Geez, they want to know a ton of information. I got rear ended a couple months back and it looks like that might affect my rate.

 

I am not an insurance expert but am interested in the replies you receive, but you will need to provide a lot more information before anyone can provide any input.

What type of trailer?
What type of insurance (contents, full, liability only)?
Was your previous accident filed against you?

etc...

 

I would think going without liability coverage would be risky, other coverages not so much.

Steve

 

Not sure where you are located, but my full-timers insurance on truck and trailer increased by about 20% this year. I called the insurance agent and they said that South Dakota had "authorized" a rate increase for the auto insurance companies.

They offered to lower my premium by $1000 IF I would give up the full replacement cost coverage on my 4 1/2 year old trailer. With the traffic the way it is, I kept the coverage.

You need to talk to your agent. My policy shows liability on the truck only. Liability extends to cover the trailer when I'm towing. Look at it this way - Liability is coverage for damage your vehicle does to somebody else's person or property. How much damage can your trailer do without the truck? None.

You need to look at something like the NADA RV Guides and find out the actual cost of the trailer, and talk to your agent to see how much they'll pay for comprehensive (replacement if totaled) and then decide whether the comp and collision is worth the money.

 

Progressive is pretty much the only real game in town for RV's and motorcycles. Have not looked to Geico lately. If you can qualify for USAA, that might prove a worthwhile phone call.

Toward the bigger picture, check on what the RV policy is covering (commonly shows up on the 'declarations' page of the policy).

In general:
- Yes, the liability coverage comes from the tow vehicle while the RV is under tow.
- The RV itself might have liability needs as well in case somebody tries to steal the rig and ends up getting hurt (don't flame me, am just repeating guidance I received from an outstanding insurance broker) or from some other bad-luck scenario where somebody gets inadvertently hurt.
- What the existing policy covers should show up in the coverage details.

Overall, might want to check with a reputable insurance broker to review all the insurance policies and take a holistic look rather than shop just one policy at a time. A good broker will want to understand all the insurance needs and then help you decide how to go about the best / most economical approach while avoiding duplicate coverage or gaps between policies.


Regarding the rear-ender, an insurer might want to know more about the incident. If you are able to show how the incident was 100% not your fault, it should not effect your quote / rates. So it is reasonable for Geico to identify the incident as part of the record and in turn want to know more.

 

You have the same liability issues with your camper as you do with your house. If someone gets hurt in your camper, for example.

 

OT, but can you drink alcohol in the back of an RV? Plenty of folks have been nicked for "sleeping it off" in their car, seems like RVers would be some easy pickins'.

 

I have Geico. $247 and I have towing, medical, vacation and more, full coverage.


I have had a claim on mine for glass and a tire blow out. No increase or surcharge because of it.

 

Answering the questions posed above...

I have a toy hauler. 2006 Fleetwood Gearbox 22FB. Bumper pull, not a fifth wheel.

Current insurance: It says comprehensive and collision, insured to actual cash value at time of loss. I'm not finding any dollar amount coverage like I would see in my auto policy. Nothing like 100/300, for example.

The accident I had a couple months ago was not my fault. The other driver's insurance took care of everything.

On my declarations page I do see that I'm paying for roadside assistance. I already have that through Good Sam Club (platinum coverage?) so I could take that off and same a small amount.

 

Up here, you can't get liability for something without an engine. Trailer insurance covers collision, comprehensive and in some cases contents.

We don't have the problems with lawsuits that you Americans do, which makes a big difference. I'm pretty sure my house insurance would cover me if someone injured themselves in my trailer. I guess I should check.

 

20 seconds searching sez your homeowners policy will often cover your recreational vehicle or trailer, but maybe not - you may need to get a special endorsement. About $20 a year extra. Better talk to your agent, it can be one of those important "gaps" in coverage. Your auto liability will cover a camper, I guess, so long as it is hooked up to your truck, or somesuch. So a towed camper parked in a campground could in theory, open someone to liability if a visitor got hurt. I guess. God Bless America!

 

I fired off an email to my insurance agent that covers auto/home. In the past they haven't found a competitive rate for my ATV and I ended up with GEICO for the ATV.

 

You know, that is excellent advice. Sitting down with your agent and explaining exactly what you feel you need and how to do so inexpensively would be a great starting point. I know at times I have had questions and on some of them, my agent had to make some calls, but I always got my questions answered. I am going to read my policy to see what it says.

We wrap everything into one policy with an umbrella so I guess reading what I have might help my concerns about liability. I am not worried about collision as we can afford to replace the camper if I do something dumb and wreck it, but do want protection in the event of a lawsuit. I worked a number of times as an "expert" testifying in court cases and came away with a mighty respect for how creative things can be in court and how little it seems to depend on "what is right" (in my opinion).

Steve

 

This is exactly where I'm at right now.

 

My agent emailed me back, asked for additional details and came up with a policy for $180/yr with the same company I have auto/home with.

Thanks for the advice. Progessive, "You're fired!"