INSURANCE?

[John Linck]

I have had good luck with State Farm over 40+ years. Several auto claims and a new hail damaged roof later I could't be more satisfied. Always fair and very prompt in getting me the money. I hate the premiums, but I am ahead overall.

But, as the above posts suggest, YMMV.

Wisconsin used to have pretty strict consumer friendly insurance regulation. Lately that has been weakened with a change in politics. You can probably guess which way its changed. I don't think companies fear the insurance commissioner anymore.

john, living in Madison (94 square miles surrounded by reality)

[Kai in Seattle]

floyd,

wherever in the universe one may roam, having that friendly don't panic cover to look at is always calming. Thanks.

BEST
Kai

[TheWanderers]

Originally Posted by TheWanderers

Bob,

We insure with State Farm and their service sucks. The coverage is pretty much industry standard but it's the idea of customer service that has become polluted.

After discussing coverage of my trailer with my agent, she made it clear that the only time the trailer is covered is while it's actually attached to the tow vehicle. When unattached, zero coverage, including zero liability. It seems that if it doesn't have an engine, like your old bus, it isn't considered and RV and insurance isn't required at all. At least that's what she outlined for the state of Kentucky. I tried to explain that it was a Antique and a Vintage model no longer in production and it didn't matter to them.

State Farm doesn't care and they don't give one hoot about you or your car/camper/trailer/house/multi-vehicle discount crap! All they care about is collecting their premiums: PERIOD.

Recently, we were rear ended while stopped in traffic and when I called to report the incident to my agent, they filed the claim and sent me a check. THEN I find out that they filed the claim as if I were at fault and that my rates would increase if I cashed the check! Did they bother to ask me if I was at fault?!? No. They simply said, "sorry, you'll have to call the claims department, we can't help you with that."

After insuring with State Farm for over 30 years, I too expected the value of my long term relationship to be of some value. HA!!!!! They don't care one tiny iota about me or my property. They just want your money. Will "my" agent work for me? Nope. My agent is nothing more than a glorified cashier.

Lot's of people, me included, think that having a relationship with your local agent will entitle you to special understanding of the circumstances of an event or accident. FAT CHANCE! Don't be fooled like I was...my wife explained to me in clear detail that "insurance is the biggest legal racketeering business you can imagine."

My eyes have been opened and I want to switch companies. Problem is, they're all the same. You loose....

End of rant. Bill (not Laura)

I filled out the customer satisfaction survey yesterday. hahahahahaha

bill(not laura)

[k0wtz]

I once had a car totaled by a neighbor she was state farm we were state farm. I had an older car well kept up that's the way I roll. it had high miles didn't mean a thing to me but it was worth a lot to me.

but alas when adjusters look at stuff they have books to go by and those are industry standards by the way. I had a figure in mind a high one the car meant a lot to me but his offer was not up to my thoughts.

Matter of fact he already had the check cut but I cajoled him out of an extra 500.00 no where close to what I wanted but I could see I wasn't going to get any more so I accepted!

saying this I suppose if someone had a big loan on a car above book value they would be out of luck. We all have expectations on our things sometimes we have to be realistic but it does hurt!

I still stand by State Farm!

[LyleB]

I had very good experience with State Farm recently. Freeway driving in the rain, I hit a deer. Airbags deployed, truck not driveable. Bluebook retail of the truck was between $6000 and $7500. Estimate for repair was $7500. State farm gave me the option to repair, or total the truck. They told me if they repaired it, I would be liable for any cost overrun in the repair. I decided to total it.

When I received the check from State Farm, it was for $10,650. I called to inquire about the additional money. Their explanation was that the buy out included tax on a new vehicle, licence transfer fee, plus their estimate of what they could get wholesaling salvage parts. They also allowed me to remove the relatively new cap that was on the truck. Plus I was informed that this claim would not affect my rates at all, since it was deemed an "Act of God".

I was very satisfied with both the service and the settlement.

[V'sGlassSleeper]

I've read through the threads and since Insurance coverage and carrier policies seem to vary so much state to state, I am hoping to hear from Arizona members, particularly those with OLDER travel trailers like mine.

Background: I have had AAA insurance for my home, truck and camper AND their RV Plus Roadside Assistance for about 10 years, never any claims. Not only have I never been impressed by their customer service, but recently they raised their rates across the board, so my homeowner's insurance has gone up by over $250 per year and my car insurance by $400 per year. Again, not due to anything I have done - when I called to ask why, they said they've had a lot of losses in Arizona. They have also been collecting insurance dues on my 1988 Bigfoot B19 and while my policy shows a stated value of $10,000, they admitted that it's really only covered for $3,000, because that is the Blue Book Value. I explained that if I were to replace it with all the work I have done to it, it would cost me more like $17,000 if I could find one like it, because this size is so rare. They recommended I look into some "Classic Car"-type coverage, which they said they do not provide for travel trailers.

I do plan to keep the Roadside Assistance BUT I am shopping around for better rates and better coverage for home and auto insurance, and insurance for my camper that will provide actual replacement cost if it is stolen or damaged. Can anyone from Arizona speak to your experience in terms of these coverages? Did you find any insurer who could BUNDLE all of these or did you have to get the camper insured separately? Did you find an insurer who could/would fully cover your classic travel trailer?

I did start comparison shopping and want to switch insurers ASAP because every month that I do not is costing me a lot of money. Thank you, fellow Zonies, for your input!

[rbryan]

It's really not a state thing when it comes to replacement cost coverage. Most every insurance company that offers it does the same thing. If you have actual cash value or ACV coverage, they go by the book value at the time so you are affected by depreciation. If you have replacement cost coverage, they cover the current cost to replace it, but usually only for 5 years. If it's more than 5 years old, replacement cost coverage pays the original price for the trailer.

We have Good Sam which uses Progressive as the underwriter, with full replacement cost coverage and interior content coverage. Right now a loss would result in a payout of the cost of a 2018 model, because ours is a 2015. After 2020 however, it'll only be covered for the original cost.

I'm not really surprised that AAA was clueless when it comes to insuring a vintage vehicle. Rather than trying to finding canned coverage for a vintage trailer, an easier path might be to find an insurer who will underwrite for an "agreed upon value". Then all you need is an appraisal of what the trailer is actually worth today. It's better if you get such an appraisal from a member of a professional appraisal organization like the American Society of Appraisers. Some of these folks actually specialize in valuating vintage RVs. Once you have an official appraisal, you can use that with the insurer to determine the coverage amount. If I recall, Progressive is one company that will write RV policies using an agreed upon value, but there are probably others.

As for bundling, I think if you want agreed upon value coverage for a vintage RV, it will be hard to bundle that with other coverages unless you get lucky and that particular company is significantly lower on the auto and home policies as well. Might be best to just get the RV coverage separate.

[V'sGlassSleeper]

Thanks for your response. Is there no way to prove - through online ad posts and other real-market information - what the actual replacement cost would be for these vintage fiberglass travel trailers? I bought this trailer in 2007 for over $11,000, had to drive all the way from Phoenix, Arizona to Vancouver Island, BC to get it and will easily have put $6,000 into it by the time I finish all the renovations. What is the point of having any insurance on it at all if the insurer goes by the Blue Book Value of $3,000? Sounds like I may as well put what I would continue to spend for such pathetic coverage into a savings account and self-insure. As for theft coverage, the money seems better spent on installing tracking devices and security cameras.

[David Tilston]

I have no insurance on any of my trailers for exactly that reason. Insurance companies never loose money.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by V'sGlassSleeper

Thanks for your response. Is there no way to prove - through online ad posts and other real-market information - what the actual replacement cost would be for these vintage fiberglass travel trailers? I bought this trailer in 2007 for over $11,000, had to drive all the way from Phoenix, Arizona to Vancouver Island, BC to get it and will easily have put $6,000 into it by the time I finish all the renovations. What is the point of having any insurance on it at all if the insurer goes by the Blue Book Value of $3,000?

There IS a way to prove it's actual value to an insurer, and that's with an appraisal, as I mentioned. If the appraiser specializes in determining actual market value for a vintage trailer, they will take the current market and ads as well as any improvements or renovations into account in determining the value.

But, the appraisal isn't much good unless the insurer agrees to use it. That's agreed upon value coverage. Off the shelf coverage doesn't offer that.

[Jon in AZ]

I have been very happy with State Farm Mutual, both cost and claims response, for over 30 years. I do not have any special coverage for my Scamp, just a standard ACV policy, and I've never made a claim on the trailer.

Based on what I've read from others who have made claims under similar policies in other states, they will initially offer to settle for the NADA value, but with proof of a higher actual market value (through comps collected from this site and www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com) most people have reported eventually coming to a satisfactory settlement. I don't have a lot of money tied up in my Scamp, so that is good enough for me.

In the case of a vintage unit like yours that has undergone a major renovation, the only way to protect your full investment is an agreed-value policy, which Robert describes well. Receipts for work and materials are helpful in the appraisal process. I have no idea which Arizona insurers might offer that type of policy nor what premiums might look like.

It's a lot of trouble, and you may find in the end the self-insurance approach is best. One advantage of going through the appraisal process is if someone else is at fault and your trailer is destroyed, you have established a basis for a higher valuation prior to the claim.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

It's a lot of trouble, and you may find in the end the self-insurance approach is best. One advantage of going through the appraisal process is if someone else is at fault and your trailer is destroyed, you have established a basis for a higher valuation prior to the claim.

Yep, a very real possibility.

[k0wtz]

I too use state farm just before I sold my a-liner I crashed it a tad due to my back surgery and not being able to turn. I called state farm no problem get an estimate I waited a month for campers world to send me an estimate they never bothered.

in the mean time I got to looking at it and the damage was really minor I fixed it and sold the camper.

in my 50 years with them I have had quite a few claims never a problem ever.

bob

[V'sGlassSleeper]

Thank you for the tips, folks. I like the idea of getting my trailer appraised once I have finished all the renovations, which should be in a couple of months. I will definitely start looking for an insurer who specializes in vintage trailers. If that proves impossible to find, then I guess my only option will be self-insurance. With new 19 foot travel trailers this size only being offered by high-end manufacturers like Escape and Oliver, and vintage Bigfoot travel trailers in this size being so hard to find and usually not in tip-top shape because of their age (hence my having to do a thorough renovation of mine), replacing mine would not be cheap if it got totaled, especially with all the upgrades I have done (nevermind all the sweat equity I have in mine).

[thrifty bill]

Not only do insurance companies not recognize the value, so too with the NC DMV. Did make for cheaper plates.

I even asked my insurance company to google escape trailer. It’s the first one listed. They insisted my Escape is a cheap stickie.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

I even asked my insurance company to google escape trailer. It’s the first one listed. They insisted my Escape is a cheap stickie.

There is a cheap stickie Escape:
https://www.kz-rv.com/products/escape-travel-trailers/
You need to make sure they know the difference for your insurance.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Not only do insurance companies not recognize the value, so too with the NC DMV. Did make for cheaper plates.

I even asked my insurance company to google escape trailer. It’s the first one listed. They insisted my Escape is a cheap stickie.

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

There is a cheap stickie Escape:
https://www.kz-rv.com/products/escape-travel-trailers/
You need to make sure they know the difference for your insurance.

That's right. Progressive (via Good Sam) made the mistake of showing mine as a KZ Spree Escape on the policy. When I made them change it to a "make" of Escape and a "model" of 19, it showed correctly on the policy. The trailer make was not in their system however, so it took awhile for them to agree to the value.

[k0wtz]

when I called our agent to insure our scamper he asked what I thought it was worth I told him no more than I paid for it 5k. he said fine and wrote the policy for that.

bob

[Jon in AZ]

Bob, that does not mean it is insured for $5K. I think you'll find your policy is an ACV policy, which means they will pay you what they consider its "actual cash value" at time of loss.

That would probably be the NADA value, and it will be up to you to convince them otherwise.

The number you gave them was probably used to set your premium.

[k0wtz]

jon he asked what I paid for it I told him 5k he asked what I wanted to value it at and it told him 5k which I think is fair value.

I doubt I can replace it for that but if it was in an accident I would probably accept what they considered fair value I have got use out of it! now if it was a high dollar rig I would probably whine.


I had a neighbor crash into my Lincoln one time it was totaled they had their book value but I squeezed another 500.00 out of them because although it had high miles I had more in it than they offered. the adjuster got mad but he tore the check up and wrote me another one.

I don't know what convinced him to do that! both of us were state farm by the way.


bob