Recommendation on RV Insurance

Bassdogs · 10-22-2013, 07:35 AM

Where do you get the best coverage for your RV? TV adds hype one company or another to save$$ or get custom coverage. I have done research with the people I know with houseboats and RV's and the answers are all over the map. I have consistently heard war stories about Progressive and Geico. With them, you may save some $$ on premiums but face some real nightmares with a claim. I am insured with State Farm [Home, auto, boats, and now my White Hawk]. I got upset with my agent when the key fact that they wanted to determine coverage costs was the MSRP on my new White Hawk. I told them exactly what I paid for it [2014 new] but they wouldn't move forward without the MSRP. I told him, that when I add a car to my account, they don't do the same thing. They go to a valuation book and base coverage and premium on that and my history.

Problem here is that the MSRP on an RV is 25 - 30% over the retail value right out of the box. Anyone buying an RV knows [or should] this. So my insurance is going to be priced on an inflated value and like I told my agent, a value they would not use to determine what they would pay if it was totaled. In the end, I got a 15% discount from St Farm without explaination.

I'm very interested in what others have learned and why they went with one over another.

OnTheGo · 10-22-2013, 08:56 AM

RV America was recommended to me by an RV finance person with close to 30 tears of experience. I was told I would probably end up with Progressive (I did.) or Geico going through them. You can get the same policy by either company a little less expensive by dealing direct. The difference in dealing with the actual insurance company you end up selecting is that RV America is your agent.

Doug · 10-22-2013, 09:43 AM

I dropped Good Sam and combined everything with my State Farm account.
They recently updated their road side assistance to be the same as Good Sam.

Doug

Kave&Lucky · 10-22-2013, 09:58 AM

We got a really good quote through Allied which is a subsidiary of Nationwide. We've kept the coverage with them since purchasing. We also upgraded our AAA to include RV. We are very satisfied. My advice is shop around.

clubhouse · 10-22-2013, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kave&Lucky

We got a really good quote through Allied which is a subsidiary of Nationwide. We've kept the coverage with them since purchasing. We also upgraded our AAA to include RV. We are very satisfied. My advice is shop around.

X2 for Allied.

They aren't available in every market, but if they are available where you live I suggest getting a quote.

Coverage was based off purchase price not MSRP.

GAP like coverage is included. Basically for the first 5 model years, if totaled, replacement value is determined by the same TT but in current model year. I really liked this, plus vacation liability coverage, and roadside coverage for both TT and TV at ~$200/year with 250 deductible, it couldn't be beat -- with a company I trust.

3'senough · 10-22-2013, 06:04 PM

I have Geico and am fairly happy with them. While I have only had a glass claim or two it was painless and quick when dealing with them. That being said there is a difference in coverage and one you really need to look at when you obtain the coverage for your unit. A key point in the coverage is one in when you disconnect are you covered? If you do not specify the coverage to be RV specific you could be in a bad spot should something happen while in a site and not connected. Another option offered was current year replacement should my unit be totaled. In other words if my 2011 was totaled I would be paid enough to buy a 2014. The other options include medical coverage for anyone hurt while camping and roadside assistance.

Liabilities are a different deal and will be enacted once you are connected to your TV. My advice is to ask a lot of what if's and then quote like coverage across a few providers.

tinlizzie23 · 10-22-2013, 06:56 PM

We have our ins with State Farm. They did not base the ins on MSRP, but on book value, including all optional items. We went over the list of options, and included them in the insurance. They even insure my portable Progressive Industries EMS box at full replacement value, as long as I only use it with the trailer. I have been with them for 47 years, and never a problem. Had a very bad experience with GEICO before switching to SF, and would never return to them.

I think your bad experience with SF is probably because of your agent, not the company. I once had an accident that was the other driver's fault, but both of us were with SF. The other driver's agent tried to pin some of the blame on me, but my agent stood up to him and told him where he had gone wrong. In the end, the other agent admitted he improperly tried to get his client out of some of the blame, so that shows that not all agents are honest, even if the company is good.

Jrmay25 · 10-22-2013, 08:16 PM

American Family for all our home, auto and camper coverage. Have used them for over 20 years and couldn't tell you if they are the cheapest or not as I have never shopped around. I do know anytime I have ever needed them, including back in 2012 when a tornado completely destroyed our 1 year old Jayco, they stepped up and took care of us better than I expected.

Threebutchers · 10-22-2013, 08:25 PM

I'll put in a plug for The Hartford through AARP....saving $1,000 a yaer (3 vehicles and TT) and have better coverage than Nationwide (who I left after 23 years). You have to be an AARP Member to get the best discount, though....

Zinkow · 10-23-2013, 12:30 AM

I've had Foremost for over 30 years. Never any problems with them - highly recommended!

Bassdogs · 10-23-2013, 07:26 AM

Likewise I have been w/ State Farm since I got out of college. Homes, cars, boats, and several of each over the years. Have almost always received excellent service and fair pricing I think. At least I did until this RV thing came up with my new TT. I still think there is a tremendous value having a local agent fighting on your side, but they are limited in what they can do. In this case, the "home office" just didn't come off as having a clue about the ins and outs of RV insurance. That prompted my ?? in this thread.

I have a very close friend who has a marine boat service business. Both Geico and Progessive have ran him in circles on customer claims. In one case he submitted an estimate on replacing the lower unit [outdrive] on a damaged boat. They would not approve and wanted him to do a complete teardown and have old parts available for inspection by their claims person before they would approve new parts. Like he told me they wanted him to waste more labor costs doing the tear down than the whole repair was going to take as proposed. In the meantime the owner was sitting at the dock with out use of his boat. Replace boat with RV and you have the context of my questions. As an owner, I want fair premiums but prompt and fair claims service as well. Geico and Progressive seem to do the first pretty well. Claims [at least around here] are a whole different ballgame.

Now thinking about requesting a quote from Allied. Just got my renewal invoice for the next year and coverage for my White Hawk is $380 for a $1k deductable and who knows what specific coverages.

William · 10-23-2013, 11:38 AM

USAA if you can get it is the best.

judgerr · 10-23-2013, 02:52 PM

Had State Farm for over 40yrs. They dropped me like a hot potatoe when they found out we went full time. We never even had any claims in that time that were our fault. I dropped all my other inurance with them!
I wouldn't insure anything with them now!!

Bassdogs · 10-23-2013, 03:26 PM

I have a local State Farm agent who has been very helpful and supportive in other matters [not RV related]. I'm suspecting that these others Allied / Geico etc are online agents.

Our RV's are some of our largest personal assets outside of the obvious homes etc. There cost is all over the charts but generally are as much or many times more than the other vehicles we own. Yet most of us [myself included] are not clear and do not understand what coverages we have on our RV's. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can before I request a quote from one or more of the companies that y'all think are the best.

Appreciate your feedback.

clubhouse · 10-23-2013, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

I'm suspecting that these others Allied / Geico etc are online agents.

Appreciate your feedback.

Allied is not available online. They are exclusively sold through independent agencies only, not company owned agencies like State Farm.

Oh, and I know State Farm agents think they own their agencies, but they don't -- ask if they can sell I or what they paid to get it. I only make that point because generally I think State Farm and their agents are great, but if push comes to shove the State Farm agent has to bend to State Farm or risk losing their agency. An independent agent maintains little more control over the situation and can simply start moving their customers policies to another provider -- of course with the insured in agreement.

Bassdogs · 10-25-2013, 11:46 AM

Just checked for a near by Allied Agent and found that "Allied currently does not write insurance in Kentucky.

clubhouse · 10-25-2013, 02:04 PM

Thats unfortunate. Allstate has funny commercials -- maybe they also have good rates and service :-)

Kave&Lucky · 10-26-2013, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Just checked for a near by Allied Agent and found that "Allied currently does not write insurance in Kentucky.

Now that's odd! my agent is located in Kentucky of all places!!

BTW Bassdogs, I'm not questioning your post. It just seems odd that Allied has an agent in a state they don't offer coverage. But I also know the insurance industry is fickle at best!

Rob_Fla · 10-26-2013, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judgerr

Had State Farm for over 40yrs. They dropped me like a hot potatoe when they found out we went full time. We never even had any claims in that time that were our fault. I dropped all my other inurance with them!
I wouldn't insure anything with them now!!

X2

As soon as you mention you are Fulltime in your RV, the list of insurance companies to choose from gets quite a bit smaller.

Bassdogs · 10-26-2013, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kave&Lucky

Now that's odd! my agent is located in Kentucky of all places!!

BTW Bassdogs, I'm not questioning your post. It just seems odd that Allied has an agent in a state they don't offer coverage. But I also know the insurance industry is fickle at best!

Well I went to the Allied website and did an agent search using my zip That was the message i got. It does seem strange, but if you're in NC then that is the state where your policy is issued and has nothing to do with where the agent lives. Wondering if the agents represent more than one company?

Guess I'll stick with ST F for now, as Geico, progressive, and anything Camping World sponsors are out of consideration.

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