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Old 02-27-2003, 06:33 AM   #1
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Insurance Primer for Newbies Needed

I put insurance in the search engine and learned a lot about how much I need a good towing policy! What I'd like to know is how to insure the egg itself. I added it to the car insurance but when I asked about insuring contents, the rep said my homeowners covers that. So, this means I need trailer insurance for towing, collision, and loss/theft from three different companies? :conf



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Old 02-27-2003, 06:45 AM   #2
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Hi Susan
Up here where I live We get our plates and insurance from the same place.Its a government run policy.I get my home insurance from the same outlet but it is not government.In winter I have what is called a sitting policy for my RV. In summer or camping season I renew my plates and insurance policy for the 6 month season.:wave



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Old 02-27-2003, 08:37 AM   #3
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Make sure you tell your homeowners policy holder about your TT contents.



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Old 02-27-2003, 08:39 AM   #4
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Hi Susan

You're right on our insurance woes. I just went through updating all of my insurance policies.

At least in my state, the only insurance you place on your trailer is collision and comprehensive. The liability and all the other items you normally see on the auto insurance ''declaration page'' are covered by the tow vehicle. If you use your trailer seasonally, you may even elect to insure it only for the months that you are using it. We won't activate our trailer insurance until April or May when we bring it out of the garage. You can buy your trailer insurance from another company such as Good Sams (GMAC insurance), but I just found they were much more expensive than adding on to my regular auto policy. GMAC wasn't even close for a package of insurance, but those things change by where you live.

I think your homeowners (or renters) insurance will cover your personal contents in the trailer--at least that is the case with our insurance. You should confirm that with your homeowners agent.

As to towing, after 35 years with AAA, we dumped them this month because of their lousy record with trailers. Many friends had horror stories about being left on their own, even with the AAA RV-plus, as we had. When we only had a car to be considered, AAA was always great, but I did not look forward to having our trailer left someplace in the Utah desert! Good Sams seems to be the reasonable choice for road service, if you have a trailer or RV.

At best, insurance is frustrating. Just a necessary evil!



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Old 02-27-2003, 10:52 AM   #5
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What really ticks me off is our trailer is insured by itself when sitting. When under tow it is insured under the van....BUT....the contents of the trailer are insured under the house insurance. This means if the trailer and contents get totalled we end up paying two deductables. :splat I think its a rip off but we have to have insurance?
Nancy



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Old 02-27-2003, 11:44 AM   #6
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Allstate

Be sure to check Allstate's RV Roadhelp policy for emergency insurance. Seems a pretty good program.



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Old 02-27-2003, 04:05 PM   #7
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Insurance plus

I just got insurance in Florida. Progressive, GMAC and others wanted around $400 to $450 to add or just to cover the Casita. I got a policy from a company here in Florida (Mentone (sp?) they specialize in RVs)for replacement value (2000 SD) plus a few odds and ends (unexpected accident trip insurance and something else) with a $500 deductable for $275.00. I did some research into the breakdown towing options and selected Good Sam's road service @ $79.00.



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Old 02-27-2003, 04:34 PM   #8
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Full replacement value, newer units

Bill, you made an excellent point about the ''full replacement'' value on the trailer. Most companies seem to offer it, some with a small additional charge. (And some not at all.) The companies that I talked to only offered it for the latest five (model) years, (i.e. '99-'03) and after that it probably goes to NADA or some other ridiculous standard rather than full replacement in a total loss.

I presume the rate you were quoted was for a full year rather than 6 months. Mine's $120 for six months, which kind of ticked me, because last year it was only $60/six months. But considering homeowners, vehicle ins. and umbrella from one outfit, I got a much better total price, even with the jump in trailer premium.

With all insurance premiums seemingly going to h--l on a sled, it pays to shop your insurance every couple of years, at least, being sure you stay with a good carrier.



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Old 02-27-2003, 09:09 PM   #9
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Insurance

I added my Casita to my Allstate auto policy for $76. for six months. That includes replacement cost collision, comprehensive, and $2000 contents. It is $250 deductible. I don't store the trailer at the house, so my home owners policy may not cover it.



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Old 02-28-2003, 06:17 AM   #10
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Thanks so much for all your input folks! What a silly complicated system.



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Old 02-28-2003, 11:42 AM   #11
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I just popped for the Affinity roadside assistance package, for $79.00. I've never once broken down on the road, in several hundred thousand miles, and I figured blowing $79 would be a good way to ensure that I never do. Could only happen if I'm not covered for it, right? Seriously, I'll plan to break down on my next trip out, and I'll let y'all know how it went.



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Old 02-28-2003, 01:10 PM   #12
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State Farm insures my trailer for 12 months for $160 or so.

Liability falls under automobile.

Contents fall under homeowners ... something like they figure 10% of the contents insurance.

Good Sam's road side assistance is the only way to go for towing. They'll tow your disabled tow vehicle to one place ... and your trailer to the nearest campground.

Nancy, I never thought about the "two deductable" situation! Dang, just like the marriage penalty in the US tax code!



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Old 02-28-2003, 01:12 PM   #13
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Note to you folks who insure for only "6 months."

Come on now!

Why are you only using your rig half time?????

When the going gets tough, the tough get going (camping, that is).



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Old 02-28-2003, 05:21 PM   #14
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Bigfoot Insurance

We've basically only got one place to go for TT (road) insurance here in BC and that's ICBC (government). It costs us about 60 bucks for a full year. Now the Durango is different. Maximum discount and I still pay 1800 bucks a year. 300 bucks more than it cost me new. The trailer is cheap! :)


P.S. Ches is buried under 12 feet of snow for 8 months of the year so he should only insure his TT for road use monthly.......lol :o



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Old 02-28-2003, 05:38 PM   #15
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Charles, Nancy, we've always had the two-deductible system; you just may not have recognized it 'til now -- Even in just an automobile, any contents not specified in your auto policy fall under your homeowners/renters ins. Found that out when someone broke into a van and took stereo stuf and a toolbox.

Things are easier when all the ins coverages are with one company, but there's still multiple deductible.

If you have an older truck and trailer, there are no deductibles because there is no collision/loss coverage and you self-insure for that kind of thing. Personally, I believe ins is for catastrophic financial events, like liability and cancer, not fenders and broken legs.

Pete and uninsured Rats



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Old 02-28-2003, 06:07 PM   #16
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insurance

It must vary from state to state?!

Our agent, who has been reliable for many years, told us that with our present 2 car auto insurance and homeowners policy, additional insurance wasn't 'required' for the Casita. Other's might look at all the 'what ifs' and disagree. Anyhow, past claims on the house and car have been handled satisfactorily so I'm not gonna change!

The motorhome was another matter. It was 8 years old and sat in the driveway most of the time. We're retired, usually drove only 1 vehicle at a time while we were paying collision and liability on 3. That got expensive! :o

Don in OKC



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Old 03-01-2003, 08:40 AM   #17
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Don,

Ask your agent if you have an accident and destroy the trailer if he will get it replaced. I think he is only covering you for liability and not collision. Also comprehensive should be questioned. Home owners policy's may cover some loss due to thief, but not sure about storm or water damage. And the amount of coverage may not be enough.

I would like to here his answers to these questions, with exact dollar amounts.

Thanks Ron



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Old 03-01-2003, 05:32 PM   #18
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damage

Ron:

My understanding is; 'that as long as it's hooked to the car' collision damage is limited by the maximum amount of our policy (on the car), as if it was part of the car. In the event of an accident I'd suppose you'd get into the 'fault/no fault' thing in order to determine who's to pay.

Insurance, taxes and legal matters bewilder me. :o

I'll check it out. :)
==========

Also, as I understand it, theft of contents (or the entire trailer) applies when it's parked on our property in order to be a homeowners claim, which is OK for us.

Any theft of contents while camping is not likely to meet our deductable.

If the trailer is stolen while (disconnected from the car) camping, it's my loss. This is a chance I'm willing to take.

The coupler is locked, towing or not.



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Old 06-13-2003, 05:45 PM   #19
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trailer insurance

I was browsing this old topic and figured I would add my recent experience. Adding a new 13-ft trailer to my full auto insurance (Farmers) was $57/year plus $10 for towing (as was previously pointed out, AAA does not cover trailers). Seemed like a reasonable cost.



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Old 06-13-2003, 06:59 PM   #20
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Quote:
Orginally posted by Big Eddy

(as was previously pointed out, AAA does not cover trailers).
Big Eddy, AAA does cover trailers with their so-called ''RV-Plus'' which is a higher-priced option. However, AAA does not have adequate towing contracted in some areas/states (Colorado, for instance). So, what happens is that they send a tow service out which can tow your car but may not be adequate for the trailer too. AAA-RV-Plus then tells you to ''find another tow service and we'll reimburse you up to a specified dollar amount '', which may likely prove to be inadequate.

Based on the experiences of many members of our local Good Sams chapter, we canned our AAA of 30-some years and switched to Good Sams road service. Not one member of our Good Sams Club has retained AAA and those who have had breakdowns have reported good service from GS. AAA was (were) great with cars, but don't know diddly about trailers. I had always thought that AAA was the ultimate, but they're not.

Eddy, you got a superb deal with Farmers; just make sure there is no unreasonable limit on reimbursement if you have to hire a tow truck yourself. Towing from remote areas like the AZ or UT desert can run hundreds of bucks.



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