Insurance!

[BurbMan]

This has me hopping mad! I've been a USAA member for a LOT of years (40+) and always had my TT insured through them. Now they're out of the RV segment and have partnered with Progressive for that. Last year when I was finishing the build (and tallying receipts) I thought insurance would be a good idea. I called USAA who sent me to Progressive where I bought a policy for $162/yr.

We move from NY to IN last month and I get everything switched over with USAA, no problem. They remind me to call Progressive and do the same. After 20 mins on the phone getting the new policy written, they ask for the VIN. I tell them there is no VIN, only a serial number. This is not a vehicle, it's a camper. Uh-oh, please hold.

The Progressive guy comes back on the phone and says they can't write the policy since the camper has no VIN. Further, my NY policy currently in effect with Progressive is being cancelled immediately, because it was written by an independent agent, not a Progressive employee, and they made up numbers for the VIN to get the policy boarded. WHAT?? Oh, and you're not entitled to a refund.

So I call USAA back and let them know how well Progressive is treating their customers. I got a really nice guy on the phone who tells me that my camper is actually covered by my homeowners policy like any other personal property.

If you had $5000 worth of expensive furniture in your truck and you were in a crash and rolled the truck and ruined the furniture, the auto policy would cover damage to the truck and homeowner's would cover the loss of the furniture. Same with the camper, it's personal property like furniture, not a vehicle.

The main reason for wanting insurance is to cover it from storm damage while it's parked, not really concerned about collision.

Who do you guys use for insurance? Anyone have a similar experience with Progressive? Anyone get a similar story about being covered by homeowners?

[mikim]

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/indiana/

I would check with some of these insurance companies as a starting point.

[stevenal]

I believe Lance does lots of business in states where campers are titled, registered, and licensed as vehicles. They also must realize campers sold in the "cargo" states might end up elsewhere, and I suspect they provide lighted license plate hangers and certificates of origin for all campers. I believe what you are calling a serial number can equally be called a VIN.

I use State Farm for vehicles, home, and umbrella. No claims yet regarding a camper.

[thomas201]

I will put in another plug for a personal/umbrella policy. You are really buying professional negotiators to limit a claim. After all, the insurance company does not really want to pay that first $1 to $2 million dollars. They have to give up that money, before you have to start paying.

[coolmom42]

Beaker wrote:

burbman wrote:
If you had $5000 worth of expensive furniture in your truck and you were in a crash and rolled the truck and ruined the furniture, the auto policy would cover damage to the truck and homeowner's would cover the loss of the furniture. Same with the camper, it's personal property like furniture, not a vehicle.

My understanding is you need separate collision for the camper, it is not "personal property".
Tow vehicle protects for liability if camper causes damage while being towed, or comes loose.
Homeowner policy used for loss of furniture and personal liability on camper.
That's how it was explained to me by insurance agent.

The OP is talking about a truck camper, not a towable. Different thing so far as collision.

[mkirsch]

mellow wrote:
I have a separate policy on my TC with Geico, covered for $25k, the rates have gone up so I am shopping as well.

What kind of policy, though? Auto, home, other?

Since it is not a vehicle, a vehicle policy does not make sense. The reason people gravitate toward vehicle policies is because the camper is primarily used with a vehicle.

A camper is really just personal property.

Also, a "liability" policy just covers you if the camper hurts someone else. It would not cover you for losses.

[mellow]

I have a separate policy on my TC with Geico, covered for $25k, the rates have gone up so I am shopping as well.

[specta]

BurbMan wrote:

brholt wrote:
There are insurance companies that know exactly what a truck camper is and will write a separate policy. Fine one of those companies.

Suggestions welcome!

Germantown Mutual Ins is who insures mine.

[Sjm9911]

I have insurance on mine, it was relatively cheap, 120 or so for the year on a 10k camper. I was told the same, liability is covered by auto , everything else is on the camper insurance. It would probably depend on state, and compony as to whats covered. Everywhere is diffrent.

[Supercharged111]

The way I understand it, the truck policy will cover it to an extent. What that extent is I do not know. I wanted mine covered when it wasn't on the truck and to its total value, so State Farm added the camper as a rider to my truck and apparently that covers the whole shebang for like $8 a month. I now store it in a hangar and fear very little about the camper when it's not on the truck.

[BurbMan]

brholt wrote:
There are insurance companies that know exactly what a truck camper is and will write a separate policy. Fine one of those companies.

Suggestions welcome!

[specta]

My camper has a separate policy with an agreed replacement payout.

[Kayteg1]

brholt wrote:
I would be very careful about this. When looking for insurance I talked to a number of insurance companies about the camper and several told me that it would be covered as cargo. When I asked them if they would cover me if I loaded a $50,000 grand piano in the truck and crashed it there was silence, a check with the supervisor, and then the said it would not be covered.

There are insurance companies that know exactly what a truck camper is and will write a separate policy. Fine one of those companies.

You make it sound complicated.
As I posted above - cargo is insured with low limits, so if you plan to total $50k unit, you better get special policy for it.
My campers I bought used, when I don't make accidents, so low comprehensive insurance don't bother me.

[brholt]

I would be very careful about this. When looking for insurance I talked to a number of insurance companies about the camper and several told me that it would be covered as cargo. When I asked them if they would cover me if I loaded a $50,000 grand piano in the truck and crashed it there was silence, a check with the supervisor, and then the said it would not be covered.

There are insurance companies that know exactly what a truck camper is and will write a separate policy. Fine one of those companies.

[specta]

I would find an independent insurance agency and talk to them.

[TxGearhead]

In Texas a truck camper is consider cargo and is covered as such by the trucks insurance when on the road. No license plate either.
When stored at home the truck camper is covered by the home owners policy.
I did drive by my insurance agents office and let them take a pic and record the serial number.