Caveat Emptor/Disclaimer: The information below is based solely on my own research and experience and is thus entirely subjective. Your experience and results may vary. Do your own due diligence.
I wanted to chime in because I have been shopping around for new home, auto and travel trailer insurance. Also, based on some forum posts, I decided to price a $1M umbrella policy as well. I've had AAA and their premiums here in AZ have skyrocketed in the last 5 years, despite my having zero claims ever; I've personally experienced very spotty customer service far too often; and my online research reveals that they are not well-rated for their claims processing and payouts (which is the most important thing if you do end up having to file a claim). My big concern was not wanting to pay a lot of money for coverage that may not even be reliable if and when I ever need it, so I set aside a big chunk of time and started researching.
I have over 20 years' experience in Compliance, so I am not comfortable filling in my confidential information on any "instant insurance quote" website. In addition, other forum members mentioned that you end up having to provide all that information all over again to individual agents anyway, so I spent 45-60 minutes each time calling about 10 different insurers for quotes and hours researching insurance ratings - both financial strength and consumer satisfaction scores and complaints.
Based on what I learned, if your trailer is 5 years old or newer, you can get replacement cost coverage with many insurers. After that, you are looking at an agreed or stated value policy or a combination of agreed/stated value and actual cash value, or just a cash value policy, depending on the insurer. Cash value does not seem worth it if your trailer is as old as mine (I have a 1988
Bigfoot B19 Deluxe).
For those of you who have USAA (which is only for living current or former members of the military and their families - my dad was in the military but he's dead and was not a member of USAA, so I do not qualify), they are top-rated and you're probably already getting some of the best rates available, so you can pat yourself on the back and ignore the rest of this post.
For everyone else, here are some resources from my research that I hope may be useful:
Travelers Insurance - Devin Engelmann agent, Secord Insurance Agency (Seattle), 206.783.4024
This was a referral from a member on this forum (thank you, Kai!) for a wonderful agent, Devin, who insures only in WA and AZ (but Travelers does offer coverage in other states, just not with Devin). He gave me the
most competitive auto and travel trailer bid via Travelers Insurance (which is listed in the top ten among best-rated insurers) and would've saved me several hundred over my current coverage with AAA; however, the homeowner's premiums were quite a bit more than the company I ended up going with. If you only need auto and TT insurance, this is a great option and Devin said that Travelers is willing to work with owners of vintage TTs so that you would get better coverage for your premium than just NADA value. He may also be able to insure newer homes than mine for less money. Devin works with many different insurers. He also offers a
guaranteed agreed-upon value RV policy through Safeco, but it will cost you almost twice what Travelers does.
Amica - Calie M. Delarosa agent, Amica Direct Insurance, 888.892.6422 x30520
Another fantastic agent, Calie provided detailed quotes for Amica, the highest-rated insurance company across the board for coverage, claims processing and fair payouts on claims. Amica is a mutual insurance company and offers excellent coverage options. For vintage
fiberglass, she said that their coverage is a combination of agreed/stated value and actual cash value. Basically, you need to be able to prove what your stated value is - through current
for sale listings, your receipts, and if you choose to do so, an appraisal from a third party appraiser (more on that later). I would have gone with Amica, but they were considerably more than the company I chose and interestingly enough, it was their auto and travel trailer coverage that was so much higher, though I would have still saved money going with them over staying with AAA. Their homeowners premiums were some of the most competitive.
Owners Auto Insurance - Susan Vanyo agent, Vanyo Insurance, 480-998-4014. Owners Auto is about the third highest-rated company across the board and Susan is a knowledgeable and proactive agent who represents many different insurance companies, but quoted me the best rates for auto, travel trailer and homeowners. Susan said that the coverage for the travel trailer is a combination of stated value and actual cash value, and I have all my records from my purchase and receipts from all the renovations I am doing, plus have been downloading listings for
Bigfoot B19's to illustrate that they sell for much higher than N.A.D.A. By going with Owners Auto, I will be saving almost one thousand dollars a year versus what AAA would be charging me for less coverage. I did opt for $1,000 deductibles because I would never submit a claim for less than that (to avoid having premiums go up). Vanyo Insurance Agency has excellent ratings on Yelp.
Finally, a honorable mention to State Farm - Amy Johnson agent, Brock Quinn Insurance, 480.668.3878. Amy was thorough in providing quotes and said that State Farm does offer agreed/stated value coverage. Their rates were about the same as Amica for auto and travel trailer coverage, but very competitive on homeowners coverage. I've seen some very positive posts from forum members about their experiences with State Farm, but when I researched their ratings online, I was not impressed by their reviews and even found a report that was less than complimentary about their claims processing and payouts - but this may be in that category of "it depends on where you are and who your agent is," in which case, I certainly felt that Amy was a competent agent and the insurance agency she works for has great ratings on Yelp.
Again, this information is shared just FYI from my own experience and is therefore subjective - your results may be different and there may be other companies out there which are as good or better, so do your homework. I am relieved that my research is behind me and happy that I found a top-rated insurer that will charge me a lot less than my current insurer and provide much more reliable coverage.
Finally, I was given the contact information for Pinnacle Auto Appraisers (I think they may be local to Phoenix, but might be able to refer you to appraisers in your area) by my current insurer. When I called Pinnacle Auto Appraisers to learn more, they quoted $225 for an appraisal if I provide extensive photos and information supporting value (which they then confirm with online research on their end) and $300 if they come to me to take photos and then to the remaining research. I am still working on renovating my
fiberglass gal but might consider getting her appraised in the future, as it does provide a baseline value for insurers. I would probably do more research on appraisers first, to ensure that I am dealing with a well-rated appraiser who is familiar with vintage and preferably vintage
fiberglass travel trailers - sure sounds like a good niche to get into, forum members!
Happy Trails!
Peanut
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