Nowadays, most RV Insurance Carriers are going to be found online. This is not necessarily a bad thing. A provider with online services for their customers can offer easy Internet account access as well as electronic payment options. You can also read about RV insurance carriers and their coverage options, and then request a quote by filling out an online form. This makes your search much easier.
What Will You Use Your RV For?
Before selecting an insurance policy from your list of RV insurance carriers for your recreational vehicle, consider its uses. Will you be living in it all year round or will it be sitting in a drive-way for months at a time? Will you be using it to go camping? Will you be towing a car behind it? Is it a brand-spanking new, state-of-the-art masterpiece with an entertainment center more marvelous than the one in your living room, or is it a “classic” you inherited from your parents that costs less to replace than your pure-bred dog?
Coverage You Want and Deserve
When researching RV insurance companies, consider the following types of coverage. Use your answers to the questions above to help determine which of these types of coverage you should obtain.
- Total Loss Replacement. A typical policy will replace your RV with a new one of similar make and quality if it becomes a total loss within the first five years. After that, coverage usually falls in the category of Purchase Price Coverage.
- Purchase Price Coverage. You recover the amount your RV would have sold for before it became a total loss.
- Agreed Value Coverage. This is the option for RVs that are older (classic) or have had custom features added. In this instance, your vehicle is insured for an amount determined by an experienced appraiser.
- Full-Timer Coverage. This is similar to a homeowner’s insurance policy, and will cover you for loss or damage to personal belongings or expenses stemming from personal liability.
- Personal Contents. This covers any personal items you may bring with you while you are traveling, such as clothing, dishes, or cameras. Under this, you have the option of selecting Replacement Cost Coverage, which will replace your lost old items with brand new ones.
- Attached accessories. This covers things such as awnings and satellite dishes.
- Campsite Liability. This will cover your expenses if an accident (for which you are liable) occurs while you are camping.
- Emergency Expenses. Your recreational vehicle insurance will cover your travel and lodging expenses in case of an emergency.
- RV Towing. Your regular automobile insurance policy will generally not cover the extra expense of towing something as large and awkward as a recreational vehicle. RV Towing coverage will have your RV taken to a qualified RV repair shop.
- Roadside assistance. Do not leave home without this one!
- Out-of-Country Coverage. Some policies may not cover problems or accidents outside of the United States. If you intend to travel in Canada or Mexico, be certain that your insurance company offers this coverage option.
- Disappearing Deductible. Enough companies offer this that you should not work with one who doesn’t. Disappearing deductible means your comprehensive and collision deductible actually reduces by a certain percentage each year that you do not have a claim, until it is eventually gone altogether.
- Seasonal Coverage. This is smart if you just use your RV during certain times of the year. This allows you to reduce your insurance premium for those months when your RV is just sitting in your driveway.
Some RV insurance carriers can also insure your car on the same policy. You will want to compare prices and coverage with a regular auto insurance company before making this decision.
Now you are armed and ready to compare prices and services and make an informed decision. Good luck and Bon Voyage!
By Alisa Elizabeth King Terry