RV Insurance - Recommendations?

[Brando]

Hi All,

It's that time of the year where I need to renew my insurance coverage upon my Travel Trailer. I currently use Progressive Insurance, but they jacked up my rates for this year. No reason why.
I've looked into Geico, but they require your automobile to be insured by them to provide RV insurance, which I don't want to do.
Every other insurance company I've checked into, requires that I contact their agent rather than providing me an online quote. To avoid the hassle, I figured I'd ask you all...

Does anyone have a recommendation for RV insurance by a Company that has reasonable rates and quality customer service if I have to file a claim? I prefer to insure only my TT.

[Wyldfire]

I have Geico, one advantage of having both truck and RV with same company is if your are in an accident only one deductible for both.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by Wyldfire

I have Geico, one advantage of having both truck and RV with same company is if your are in an accident only one deductible for both.

Yeah. But I have my auto insurance and other insurances tied up in USAA. Unfortunately USAA doesn't offer RV and Boat Insurance. Instead they created some deal with Progressive to discount the insurance through them if you're a member of USAA.

So that's to say, I've heard nothing but bad things about Progressive, and I've seen my rates rise year after year when my insurance rates lower with USAA, year after year.

Thus I'm looking to move away from Progressive.

[flybouy]

Insurance is state regulated and many companies rely on local agents to service their customers. Coverage and cost is often dictated by not only the state but often by zip codes. The actuaries use UCRs (unified crime reports) to look at things like car theft, car jacking, weather damages, etc. to calculate the risk. So one person's experience may be completely different than someone else even if they use the same company.

We use State Farm and have been very pleased with their service for about 20 years now. They have never denied a claim or raised our rates after a claim. We know the agent well and he has always looked out for us. He will even notarize documents for us for free. The agent is running a business a and customer service is a lot more important to him than someone that started working at the home office yesterday and is irritated because the phone rang and they have to work. That's been my experience, YMMV.

[theasphaltrv'er]

Originally Posted by Brando

Yeah. But I have my auto insurance and other insurances tied up in USAA. Unfortunately USAA doesn't offer RV and Boat Insurance. Instead they created some deal with Progressive to discount the insurance through them if you're a member of USAA.

So that's to say, I've heard nothing but bad things about Progressive, and I've seen my rates rise year after year when my insurance rates lower with USAA, year after year.

Thus I'm looking to move away from Progressive.

Brando;
Our is just the opposite. Had USAA for many many years and the premiums just kept going up & up. Switched over to Progressive and the premiums have been steady the past 10 years. Each year I look at other insurance companies and USAA want to charge double what Progressive charges us. In fact, with Progressive, our RV & homeowners premiums both went down for this coming year & the autos a slight increase of less than 10 bucks. So we're happy.

Milo

[JRTJH]

Every state is different, so what applies to me in Michigan may not even be applicable to you in Minnesota.....

That said, we have Progressive insurance on our travel trailer as a "stand alone policy". All our other insurance is with a different company.

This year (back in November when our policy renewed) the cost went from about $300 a year to $750 a year. My DW called Progressive and they discussed the increase. Seems (as best I can remember) Progressive has a "default policy options" that they use to price your premium. If you haven't "selected the options" then their "default premium" will include many "optional, high cost coverage items"... Things like the "disappearing deductible" and "new vehicle replacement coverage" (where they reimburse you with the cost of a current model similar trailer)...

We have $500 deductible coverage, so we opted out of the "disappearing deductible" clause and our annual premium went down to $251 for Comp/Collision.... We considered that the charge to have a "disappearing deductible" was costing us $499 per year, but the cost if we used it, was $500, so a $1 savings to delete it...

So with the "full payment", "no claims for a period of time" (Emerald Level), "Home Owner" and a couple of other "discounts", we cut our annual premium by nearly $500 a year for the "same coverage"....

I'd urge you to give Progressive a call and talk to them. Chances are very good that their "premium processing software" has selected the "highest coverage options" and unless you talk to them, they won't adjust the policy to remove things you don't really need.....

Saved us 2/3 of our annual price with a 10 minute phone call.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by flybouy

We use State Farm and have been very pleased with their service for about 20 years now. They have never denied a claim or raised our rates after a claim. We know the agent well and he has always looked out for us. He will even notarize documents for us for free. The agent is running a business a and customer service is a lot more important to him than someone that started working at the home office yesterday and is irritated because the phone rang and they have to work. That's been my experience, YMMV.

Thanks! This is what I needed to hear.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by theasphaltrv'er

Brando;
Our is just the opposite. Had USAA for many many years and the premiums just kept going up & up. Switched over to Progressive and the premiums have been steady the past 10 years. Each year I look at other insurance companies and USAA want to charge double what Progressive charges us. In fact, with Progressive, our RV & homeowners premiums both went down for this coming year & the autos a slight increase of less than 10 bucks. So we're happy.

Milo

Sorry you had that experience. USAA has always been good to me and my family. I've never had any issues with Premiums, and even checking other companies, they're about average for cost... but top other companies for customer service. Which is the only reason why I stick with them.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

That said, we have Progressive insurance on our travel trailer as a "stand alone policy". All our other insurance is with a different company.

Progressive has a "default policy options" that they use to price your premium. If you haven't "selected the options" then their "default premium" will include many "optional, high cost coverage items"... Things like the "disappearing deductible" and "new vehicle replacement coverage" (where they reimburse you with the cost of a current model similar trailer)...

So with the "full payment", "no claims for a period of time" (Emerald Level), "Home Owner" and a couple of other "discounts", we cut our annual premium by nearly $500 a year for the "same coverage"....

I'd urge you to give Progressive a call and talk to them. Chances are very good that their "premium processing software" has selected the "highest coverage options" and unless you talk to them, they won't adjust the policy to remove things you don't really need.....

Saved us 2/3 of our annual price with a 10 minute phone call.

Yes, good idea, I'll do that! But you also call out some of those hidden "shady" business practices that I've heard from Progressive too. I've also read from other customers that Progressive will nickel & dime you on any claims you submit to them. I've dealt with that before too. When it comes to RV, others have stated that Progressive will typically find something about the claim that they "don't cover" and deny you flatly or put you in jumping through hoops. On the flipside, I have my Boat insurance through them, and had to submit a claim when my friend injured himself upon my boat. Progressive tossed no red flags back at me and paid out the claim, no problem.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I'd urge you to give Progressive a call and talk to them. Chances are very good that their "premium processing software" has selected the "highest coverage options" and unless you talk to them, they won't adjust the policy to remove things you don't really need.....

Saved us 2/3 of our annual price with a 10 minute phone call.

Boom! Fixed! You were spot on! Their software changed my policy which jacked up my price. Even though I'm still paying more this year for the same coverages as last year, my rate significantly decreased by just reviewing my policy before accepting the renewal. Thanks again! ...and that sucks that I had to do that to save $$$.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Brando

Yes, good idea, I'll do that! But you also call out some of those hidden "shady" business practices that I've heard from Progressive too. I've also read from other customers that Progressive will nickel & dime you on any claims you submit to them. I've dealt with that before too. When it comes to RV, others have stated that Progressive will typically find something about the claim that they "don't cover" and deny you flatly or put you in jumping through hoops. On the flipside, I have my Boat insurance through them, and had to submit a claim when my friend injured himself upon my boat. Progressive tossed no red flags back at me and paid out the claim, no problem.

I only have one "claim with Progressive" that occurred back in 2013. A tree fell on our Springdale and destroyed the roof. We towed home on Saturday, I called Progressive when we got home (weekend crew) and they told me to locate a repair facility and let them know where the trailer was located. They gave me a "claim number" and said a representative would contact me within 48 hours. Before I could look up the number for the dealership where we bought the trailer, the phone rang and it was the claim representative. He gave me some verbal instructions, emailed me a "recommendations list" and when I told him where I intended to have the trailer repaired (dealership), he told me to call when the trailer was at the dealer's lot. Monday morning, I called the dealer, they told me to bring it in ASAP. I called the claims rep, told him and he met me at the dealership. We (me, dealer and rep) went through the trailer, and I signed the repair order with the dealer. The rep had processed the claim and emailed it to me and the dealer authorizing the repair, before I got back home (about 45 minutes).

The entire process was about as "painless" as it could have been. So, although that was my only experience with Progressive's claim service, I have absolutely no complaints. They were quick, fair, covered everything (to the penny) except for my deductible. And, 3 weeks after I got the trailer home, I got a check for the damaged patio rug that Progressive noticed, but I didn't think to include on the report....

So, while others may have had problems with Progressive, my experience is the opposite. They went beyond expectations with me.

Now, as far as "shady dealings".... I think every company makes those choices... When was the last time you walked into a truck dealership and said, "I want to buy a new truck" and the salesman asks, "Do you want a King Ranch or a Platinum" ??? Or, why is the milk and bread in every supermarket always in the back, so you have to walk past everything else to get what you go in for most frequently?....

It's not "shady" it's stacking the deck in their favor.... Next time you're in Lowe's, walk the paint aisle... The paint chips are arranged so the most expensive paints are the chips you "naturally reach for first".... and the Craftsman tools are easier to reach for than the Kobalt tools....

[dutchmensport]

We have been with AllState, almost our entire married life of 37 years. We have everything through them. (House, Auto, Camper, even a life insurance policy). There may be other companies we could go with that might have cheaper rates, but the customer service and the claims process may be a nightmare. AllState is so simple, no haggling, and always upfront. If you have a claim, you call your agent. They send out an appraiser, give you a list of AllState authorized repair shops, you get the vehicle to the repair shop, and everything that happens next is between AllState and the Repair shop. If the original estimate was too low, the repair shop submits the difference in price (and this could happen several times as discovery is made with damaged parts on a car), and they hammer out the difference.

If an accident was the fault of the other person, AllState hammers out the differences in the repair costs that may change with the other insurance company. You sit back and just wait. When the vehicle is repaired, you pick up your vehicle, pay your deductible and move on. It really is that simple.

We have claims with AllState for roof damage on the house which resulted in an entire $14,000 roof replacement. We had $200 deductable. Slick as a whistle. The contractor worked directly with AllState. We did nothing but monitor the work as it was being done.

We had 2 claims on 2 different vehicles over the years. One was my fault when the fat fender of my dually clobbered a mail box. I fixed the mail box myself, Allstate was beyond great with the repair of the fat fender. We had vanishing deductible, so the repair cost us nothing.

Just about 3 years ago SUV got T-boned (100% the other guys fault) at a price tag of over $10,000 for repair because the vehicle was only a year old. Again, Allstate, the other guys insurance, and the AllState authorized repair shop took care of everything. We dropped off the car and 3 months later pick it up. Yes, it took 3 months to repair. Our out of pocket??? Zero!

When you are considering insurance on your camper, you need to consider more than just insurance when towing your vehicle. There ARE other times insurance coverage is a great thing to have.

More than likely, while towing, your automobile policy will cover any fault caused by your or your camper. While connected, the two are actually 1 vehicle. So, even though the camper backs into another car and dents it, the fault still rests on the Automobile policy, not the trailer.

You need to consider if you want coverage when the trailer is NOT connected to the vehicle. In other words, repair and / or replacement insurance so if a tree branch punches a hole through the roof, you have coverage for a repair. Or a tornado destroys the camper, or a fire while sitting at a campground.

If you have a loan on the camper, you'll need to continue a "full coverage" insurance separate from the automobile, so if anything happens, (theft, fire, tornado, vandalism) the camper is covered. Loan companies always require full coverage on the camper.

Then, you also need to consider a protection for your personal items inside the camper. In other words, (as an agent explained it to me) ... if you could take the camper, turn it upside down and shake it, ... everything that falls out needs to be insured. This is personal property coverage.

And, there is yet one more coverage you need to consider: Accident (slip and fall) insurance. If you are camped at a campsite somewhere (not your property), and some one has a slip and fall at your campsite because YOU left a garden hose stretched across your campsite and they tripped over it and they ended up with some serious (or even not so serious) injury, they could sue you for their medical expenses and pain and suffering. This would NOT be on the campground as it could be determined YOU were negligent by leaving that garden hose in an unsafe situation. If they tripped in a hole on your campsite, that would be on the campground because the hole belongs to the campground. You did not dig it. That's the difference.

So, when it comes to insurance there are multiple levels you need to consider.

For us, our AllState home owners covers all the contents inside the camper (turn it upside down and shake everything out). So, if our laptop computer get stolen, our home owner's covers that under personal property. Slip and fall and dog bites fall under our home owners policy. If the propane tank gets stolen, that falls under theft as part of the camper insurance because it's attached. If I back into another vehicle with the camper, that falls under the automobile insurance policy. We have replacement insurance on all our vehicles. If the trailer is stolen or a fire destroys it or a tree falls on the roof, that falls under the separate stand alone trailer policy that was added to the automobile policy. It is also a "replacement" policy. All of our policies have a $200 deductible, so that does make our premiums a bit higher. We could have gone with a $1000 deductible and reduced the premium costs substantially. We chose not to.

If you separate these different possibilities and attempt to get this type of coverage, you may not be able to get the coverage you really need to truly protect yourself for any situation.

I strongly encourage you to get everything you own and do under one insurance company. In the long run, you do save more. You may pay a bit more for RV insurance, but you may get a substantial decrease in your home own's policy.

So, if you have a home and it's insured, this is really the best way to go.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Now, as far as "shady dealings".... I think every company makes those choices... When was the last time you walked into a truck dealership and said, "I want to buy a new truck" and the salesman asks, "Do you want a King Ranch or a Platinum" ??? Or, why is the milk and bread in every supermarket always in the back, so you have to walk past everything else to get what you go in for most frequently?....

It's not "shady" it's stacking the deck in their favor.... Next time you're in Lowe's, walk the paint aisle... The paint chips are arranged so the most expensive paints are the chips you "naturally reach for first".... and the Craftsman tools are easier to reach for than the Kobalt tools....

That's true. I've worked for an Insurance company before and Lowes too. Ha. I get the whole approach about making money and arranging things to get more money from the customer. Insurance Companies usually use what is referred to as a "black box" approach in how they apply rates to your insurance coverage. More or less, it's a legal scam. Anyhow, we all can read between the lines.

Glad to hear that Progressive has been good to you. As far as my auto accident about 15 years ago, Progressive nickel & dimed me, then totaled-out my car and tried to give me the value of my car under market, due to all the paint nicks and scratches, and minor dents on parts of the car where the accident had not damaged. I had to negotiate to a middle ground to get any money from Progressive as they were trying to keep costs under the deductible so they, basically, wouldn't have to pay anything out to me. At one point they told me I should forgo the claim all together.

[DonP]

Good morning, I have Foremost, it's part of Farmers. It's going to be about $150.00 per qtr.. I have full replacement coverage locked @ $43000.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

I strongly encourage you to get everything you own and do under one insurance company. In the long run, you do save more. You may pay a bit more for RV insurance, but you may get a substantial decrease in your home own's policy.

So, if you have a home and it's insured, this is really the best way to go.

You make good points here. I do have everything under USAA, including the Progressive policies that are discounted through some agreement USAA has with Progressive. I think for the very reasons that you stated... where insurances have to cover it all.
And I do have all the coverages you've listed too... because as you've stated, anything can happen to you at any time and you're liable for it. A few years back my friend did some odd thing (long story) upon my boat and blew out his bicep in the process. Needed to get surgery upon his arm to repair the damage. Luckily he's a great friend and didn't sue me, but my medical coverage on my Boat gave him a few thousand dollars to aid in his medical expenses.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by DonP

Good morning, I have Foremost, it's part of Farmers. It's going to be about $150.00 per qtr.. I have full replacement coverage locked @ $43000.

Thanks! Good to know to compare!

[Wyldfire]

Originally Posted by Brando

Yeah. But I have my auto insurance and other insurances tied up in USAA. Unfortunately USAA doesn't offer RV and Boat Insurance. Instead they created some deal with Progressive to discount the insurance through them if you're a member of USAA.

So that's to say, I've heard nothing but bad things about Progressive, and I've seen my rates rise year after year when my insurance rates lower with USAA, year after year.

Thus I'm looking to move away from Progressive.

Yeah I priced USAA but Geico was a lot cheaper for both trucks and the house. Also came in cheaper for the RV then USAA and Good Sam. USAA used to be the end all low price leader but of late have priced themselves out of the market. Geico has been great for the couple claims I have had.

[Sawtooth]

I have Progressive for two vehicles. One is my towing truck.
I have been told several times my RV is covered when parked in a campground or when being towed by my truck, if it is damaged, for towing to a repair shop. Also covered with Liability, same terms and limits as my truck.
This coverage is automatically in force if the tow vehicle is insured with Progressive.

However, I suspect in the event of a claim, the Company (ANY INSURANCE CO.) will beat one down with exceptions etc, to pay out the minimum.

My reason for having Progressive is it is the cheapest, by a far cry.
They did increase my current policy renewal by 12%. Which for an octogenarian (sp) closer to 90 than 80 is reasonable.

Keep your powder dry!
Sawtooth in Montana Big Sky Country