Insurance and RAM 5500

[Cliff_and_Miche]

I am looking for insurance options for my new RAM 5500 flatbed and Northern Lite camper. USAA surprised me as they will not do it. I want to protect the camper on or off the truck. Any recommendations? "Commercial" truck is the problem. Thanks!

[mkirsch]

"I really think it is just people not well trained thrust out into the call center but I should not have to train them."

Even experienced agents don't come across rigs like yours on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. You have a VERY specialized rig, and can't reasonably expect everyone, or anyone in the car/minivan/suv department to know what you're talking about, especially when you make it unnecessarily complicated.

I'm positive I could have that truck insured to your satisfaction on my Geico policy in <5 minutes using their online interface.

[PButler96]

Grit dog wrote:


Glad you got it figured out, but fwiw, that is WAY high,

$3600 year? For one vehicle? Ya think? Naaaaaaa? Is insurance that much more expensive out there? Im pretty sure I could insure a nose picking teenager driving a Hellcat, Roush Stang, or ZR1 Vette for less than that.

[mike_kellie]

This might not apply to your truck now. But most likely it was shipped and sold as an incomplete vehicle. My insurance company knows the value of my custom service body plus the trucks value. It's obviously insured for the sum of both.

[greenno]

From what my insurance broker told me about Homeowner insurance coverage is if the object you want insured is able to purchase insurance separately it won't be covered by the main policy.
Like a bike, lawnmower or such. But since I could actually get insurance for the camper they would not cover it on my policy. Just my .02

[Grit_dog]

Cliff and Michele wrote:

bighatnohorse wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
USAA connected me to Progressive Commercial. They wrote up a commercial policy for exclusive personal use. My Ram 5500 is a 2015 model and I pay under $1k/year for full coverage.

Do you have an agent that you work with?
(I'm wondering how to get with an agent that I can communicate with and who understands what I'm asking.)

After talking to about five people from both Progressive and USAA I was finally connected to someone who REALLY knew her stuff. I think I was dealing with new hires who were not spun up on their jobs. I had to explain to one "agent" the difference between truck weight and GVWR. No clue. I am putting the camper on a flatbed. Another could not get through his head that the flatbed was not a towed trailer but mounted on the truck. Sarah Warner at USAA Commercial really knew her stuff. Wish I had her direct number, I would give it out.

So I got my insurance. Since the value of the truck and all its permanently mounted gear will be $125K and I set high liability limits, the cost is $3600 per year paid annually. Not a bargain but good, solid coverage. Going to look for camper insurance more now. I had to explain to someone that a truck camper is removable. I really think it is just people not well trained thrust out into the call center but I should not have to train them.

Glad you got it figured out, but fwiw, that is WAY high, if you're a low risk customer (credit score, accidents, tickets, qualify for discounts etc).
And that doesn't even include the camper?
The TC, even a new expensive one should be under $500/year.
Also, unsure what you meant about setting high liability coverage because the truck is expensive.
Comp and collision cover the truck. Liability covers you when you get sued. Not totally, but somewhat mutually exclusive of the vehicle or it's value. Liability limits should be what your comfortable with whether you're driving a Honda civic or your 5500.
And even if you took, say, a $2M umbrella policy on top of the auto policy liability, swag guess is that would be $500/year tops.

JMO

[Bedlam]

bighatnohorse wrote:

Do you have an agent that you work with?
(I'm wondering how to get with an agent that I can communicate with and who understands what I'm asking.)

The sub agent USAA used for Progressive Commercial was United Financial Casualty 800-444-4487

My rates were discounted for veteran service, full payment for the year and no accidents, tickets or claims

[Cliff_and_Miche]

bighatnohorse wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
USAA connected me to Progressive Commercial. They wrote up a commercial policy for exclusive personal use. My Ram 5500 is a 2015 model and I pay under $1k/year for full coverage.

Do you have an agent that you work with?
(I'm wondering how to get with an agent that I can communicate with and who understands what I'm asking.)

After talking to about five people from both Progressive and USAA I was finally connected to someone who REALLY knew her stuff. I think I was dealing with new hires who were not spun up on their jobs. I had to explain to one "agent" the difference between truck weight and GVWR. No clue. I am putting the camper on a flatbed. Another could not get through his head that the flatbed was not a towed trailer but mounted on the truck. Sarah Warner at USAA Commercial really knew her stuff. Wish I had her direct number, I would give it out.

So I got my insurance. Since the value of the truck and all its permanently mounted gear will be $125K and I set high liability limits, the cost is $3600 per year paid annually. Not a bargain but good, solid coverage. Going to look for camper insurance more now. I had to explain to someone that a truck camper is removable. I really think it is just people not well trained thrust out into the call center but I should not have to train them.

[Optimistic_Para]

greenno wrote:
Had a separate policy for just the camper when it's not mounted on the truck. A little under 3 bills for 35k coverage if I remember correct and it was through Progressive. Use to store the camper at a separate area from my home. Sold my boat so camper sits where that used to be, set back from the street alongside our long driveway.
Camper is covered 100% when it's on my F350 so I'm covered there as well.

My understanding is that a truck camper is covered by your homeowner's policy when it is off the truck and sitting at your house, and covered by your vehicle's policy when it is on the truck. But if you take it off the truck anywhere else like a campground (if, for instance, you need to get some work done on your truck and they need to keep it overnight.) it's not covered by either policy.

[bighatnohorse]

Bedlam wrote:
USAA connected me to Progressive Commercial. They wrote up a commercial policy for exclusive personal use. My Ram 5500 is a 2015 model and I pay under $1k/year for full coverage.

Do you have an agent that you work with?
(I'm wondering how to get with an agent that I can communicate with and who understands what I'm asking.)

[greenno]

Had a separate policy for just the camper when it's not mounted on the truck. A little under 3 bills for 35k coverage if I remember correct and it was through Progressive. Use to store the camper at a separate area from my home. Sold my boat so camper sits where that used to be, set back from the street alongside our long driveway.
Camper is covered 100% when it's on my F350 so Im covered there as well.

[Buzzcut1]

For the camper get it it's own separate rider policy, covers it on or off the truck.

[Optimistic_Para]

FWIW, the best info I've ever seen on understanding the various RV insurance options is here: https://www.rv-dreams.com/rv-insurance-coverages.html

[Bedlam]

USAA connected me to Progressive Commercial. They wrote up a commercial policy for exclusive personal use. My Ram 5500 is a 2015 model and I pay under $1k/year for full coverage.

[joshuajim]

Try a company named Wawanesa. They are a Canadian company but also service WA, OR and CA. I have been with them for almost 50 years and no one has beat their rates yet. JD powers rates them #1 in customer satisfaction.

I’ve had 2 claims in that time. One was my wife’s fault and the other was the deer’s fault (both totals). In both cases they settled very quickly for more than I thought the vehicles were worth. The truck hit a deer while camping in Utah. Using bailing wire and duct tape I made it back home to CA. It was an older truck and the damage mounted up quickly.

When they gave me the payout amount, I said, “Man I just put 4 new tires on it”. The adjuster asked me how much they cost and added that amount to the claim. I’ve never seen that happen before.

[Lwiddis]

Have you asked your local independent insurance agent? His/her commission comes from the insurance company.