TT Insurance

[Taranwanderer]

Ok, I'm sure this has probably been discussed somewhere, but searching the forums didn't come up with it, so here's my question: when I purchased my TT from the dealer and he arranged the financing through a local bank, of course I was told "You have to have your camper insured." Now, I've owned other trailers in the past (car hauler, utility, small pop-up, etc) but never had any of them insured. I was brought up believing that any trailer you're towing is covered by your tow vehicle's insurance. So if I'd get in an accident, my auto policy (or the at-fault party's) would cover it. When the TT is sitting in my yard (95% of the time,) and a tree falls on it, my homeowner's insurance would cover it. And if I'm at a CG and a tree falls on it, the CG's insurance would cover it. Since its not a drivable and not capable of causing an accident on its own, I can't envision a scenario where it wouldn't be covered under one of these other policies...am I nuts? Now I realize that the bank wants their collateral on the loan insured, but do I really need a separate policy or rider once I pay off the loan? Opinions please! TIA...

[jamesroadking]

I have a Work and Play WRS30, the way I see it is. If I'm I am at fault in an accident, my car insurance will pay for the damage to the other persons car, if I have full coverage my insurance, my insurance company will pay for my truck to repaired. Not my $30k towable trailer, that's why I have it insured, also for fire, tornados, theft etc.

[Bryan2503S]

I have insurance even though I have no loan. I think it's worth it. My auto coverage wouldnt cover full replacement value if totaled. My HO policy wouldn't either. I wouldn't trust a campground to cover anything at all.

My camper policy offers full replacement value coverage. If my trailer it totaled tomorrow, I don't get blue book depreciated value. I get enough to replace it with same or like model.

The first thing you probably should do is examine your House/Auto policies and/or call your agents and find exactly how much coverage you have. I'll bet you'll be surprised how little you actually have.

[pwrstroke2012]

You should call your insurance agent and get the facts from them as all policies are not the same. I also have separate policy for my camper and will keep it even when I pay camper off.

[J4A4E]

We have a separate policy for the trailer with full replacement. We did find out we needed to have an additional rider for the awning as our insurance company looked at the awning as an add on even though it was factory installed.

[DDC]

I have always insured ours, but it is a tough question to get an honest answer, because we tend to ask insurance agents and lets face it they are in the business of selling insurance. For what it costs it's a cheap way of putting ones mind at rest, although any insurance is a gamble because you never know how good it is till you need it.

[Badlands]

If you are in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist, and you have to turn to your auto insurance provider to pick up the tab on your trailer, be ready for reality to set in. Yes, most/all states require motorists to carry auto insurance, but the facts show that a high percentage of drivers are either non-insured or under-insured. It's not worth the risk to me to be uninsured on my TT, and depend on a stranger to make things new again if my unit is damaged. As for campgrounds covering the bill if 'an act of Nature' drops a limb on your trailer, I'd be interested to learn how many folks on this forum have had that happen. Whether a private CG, or state or federal owned, who picked up your damage claim?

As with Bryan2503S, my carrier provides full replacement value for an identical new unit, not some depreciated number. That's peace of mind, for a monthly cost of less than a good meal out.

[Iwannacamp]

It's prolly been covered... In Arkansas your TV insurance covers the liability, but the rest is for the comprehensive on the trailer. I would suggest increasing your liability.

[camper1999]

I have full coverage on my camper. You need to check with your insurance company to make sure what is covered. If your trailer is connected to your TV it is covered through your TV insurance. If it is sitting on your property it may or may not be covered by your homeowners insurance. If your TV was parked on your property and you had no insurance on it and something happen to it would your homeowners insurance cover it, nope. As far as the campground covering anything especially state parks good luck. If someone steals your camper or damages it some how, when it is at the campground disconnected from your TV, that is what the insurance is for. If a tree falls on your camper due to high winds at a campground they will not cover it unless you can prove neglect, an old dead tree that they knew was an issue and they did nothing about it. You have an investment make sure it is insured.

[Ida Ratherbe Camping]

We have replacement on ours. Matter of fact the bank asked for the insurance policy and that they be listed as a lien holder. For right over a hundred bucks a year, I think its worth it.

[rycej]

I thought the same thing when we got our TT. At times it would be covered by the truck insurance, and others by the home insurance. When my wife (who went in to get the TT added to the truck insurance) asked the agent about the car and house insurance, she was told, that while connected to the truck and driving it is covered. When asked about house insurance covering it, the agent more or less said that it wouldn't be covered.

Either way, it was only $200.00 for full coverage. Plus that covers if someone gets hurt while in or coming out of the TT at a site.

I think it is worth it.

[greysailor]

I probably need to check into a separate camper policy. Our CC will be built next week so I pulsed my State Farm agent on a policy price. Surprised to find out that the policy will be the same amount as the ’04 diesel pusher we just sold…..silly me, thinking that an insurance company is going to lose $$$.... When asked why the coverage for a CC at 25% less value than the motorhome warranted the same policy premium, the line I got was: “we see more losses on towable RVs in general due to driver inexperience and poorer quality construction, therefore; the premiums are higher”. What a racket!!

[whj77372]

From what I have read, it is much better to have an RV policy and not just add your RV to your auto policy. RV insurance can insure replacement cost and an auto policy will only pay ACV which in most cases is much less. I know a person who added an expensive high end fiver to an auto policy. The fiver was financed and when it got totaled, the auto policy paid ACV and that left thousands of dollars that he had to pay the finance company. Good Luck

[Batts-toy]

The best way to go is add the TT to your auto policies, another thing people miss is to check your TV towing policy several insurance companies do not cover towing the TT so be sure and cover this base also.

[Batts-toy]

Originally Posted by greysailor

I probably need to check into a separate camper policy. Our CC will be built next week so I pulsed my State Farm agent on a policy price. Surprised to find out that the policy will be the same amount as the ’04 diesel pusher we just sold…..silly me, thinking that an insurance company is going to lose $$$.... When asked why the coverage for a CC at 25% less value than the motorhome warranted the same policy premium, the line I got was: “we see more losses on towable RVs in general due to driver inexperience and poorer quality construction, therefore; the premiums are higher”. What a racket!!

As low as TT insurance is 2 to 3 hundred a year, you must have been getting the MH coverage really cheap or you should be insurance shopping.

[Terier]

RV insurance is one thing that the more I check into it the more confused I become. The key is to find out as much as possible as there can be some surprises. Not all polices are equal nor are they the same. I do have a policy for my TT with the same company as my auto & homeowner policies until I figure what is best for me.

[maverick_415]

Don't rely on what other people say or think. Read your auto policy and confirm coverage. Although the travel trailer is an extension of the tow vehicle you still may need to add it to the policy for an additional premium. A TT is additional exposure to an insurance company. They're not going to insure it for free.

[Cajun Happy]

Your automobile insurance will cover the liability ,if for some reason your tt would get disconnected and crash into something. Just like on an automobile policy you need physical damage insurance. Collision and Comprehensive. Collision is for when you are towing sand there is an accident with another vehicle or you hit something with the tt. Comprehensive is if a tree limb falls on it, fire, wind & theft,(basically any other damage to the tt that is not caused by a collision). Some poilcies will just list it as physical damage. If you have comprehensive and collision you may have different deductables similar to automobile insurance.

[Archicamper]

A tree fell on my camper at an Indiana State Park and the told me to go scratch! Don't count on the campground.

[Kf4mnc]

Originally Posted by Batts-toy

The best way to go is add the TT to your auto policies, another thing people miss is to check your TV towing policy several insurance companies do not cover towing the TT so be sure and cover this base also.

This is very true! Many policies specifically exclude trailers and require you to get an additional policy for the towed item.

Regarding campgrounds covering damage . . . I'm pretty sure when you sign the paper at the park it relieves them of all liability.

You need to call your agent.