When it comes to RV insurance, it’s OK to have questions. Even a lot of them. You may wonder what the insurance coverage is like on your RV? What’s covered when you’re on the road? And what about when you’ve parked or even put it away for the winter and aren’t using it? Oooo! And does your vehicle coverage extend to your RV if it’s being towed?
We get it, Alice. It’s easy to fall into a rabbit hole when digging into the terms and conditions of insurance policies. (Even when it’s not an RV.) But the basic questions you really want to get to are: What should you look for? And what do you actually need?
To get a better picture of what you need. Let’s go through the most common policy elements and potential scenarios you’ll encounter. Reading these will better equip you to determine what you really need and — better yet — talk with an agent to ensure what you think is insured actually is.
What Does RV Insurance Exactly Cover?
Comprehensive Coverage
The things we usually think of when it comes to insurance — collision, theft, natural disasters, and such — fall under the umbrella of comprehensive coverage. (Though they are also available separately.) Not all policies are created equal, of course. And even something called “comprehensive” may not cover everything.
Double-check the specifics of your coverage to make sure there are no surprises. For example, does “flooding” mean a burst pipe in your RV or an overflowing river? Or both? If something isn’t clear, the insurance company’s agents are just a phone call away. There’s no sense in paying for a policy that doesn’t provide the protection you need.
Liability Coverage
Ugh. This is one of those cringe scenarios. But what if someone hurts themselves in your RV? What if your pet bites a fellow camper and that requires medical attention? Or the awning comes loose and causes damage to someone else’s RV.
It’s wise to have liability coverage on your RV for all those “what if” situations. (There are so many.( Surprisingly, liability coverage for RVs is very, very inexpensive and might be part of a larger package of overall insurance to consider.
Contents Coverage
No matter how big or small your RV is, you’ve got stuff. As someone in the insurance industry said to me once, if you turned your RV upside down and shook it, those loose things are all the things you might consider covering.
It’s amazing how quickly all the stuff in our RVs adds up in value. For example, we have an air compressor, electric drill, screen tent, Starlink dish and flag pole, sewer hoses, drinking water hoses, surge suppressor, and other things — just in the passthrough of our travel trailer. That collection of “stuff” that I mentioned is worth almost $2,000.
The bottom line: Consider looking at your policy to see how it handles the various things inside the trailer. Are they covered by your homeowner’s insurance? Maybe, or maybe not. If you’re not absolutely sure, a trip through the legalese on your policy might be worth taking.
Roadside Assistance
Many RV policies make mention of roadside assistance, but how do you take advantage of that if you need it? Does your roadside assistance plan cover both your truck and trailer, or your motorhome and towed vehicle if there’s a breakdown?
When our friend called roadside assistance, the tow company came and first hauled their tow vehicle to a repair shop. When the tow company returned to pick up their vintage trailer, however, it had been stolen. With a truck and trailer, it may take two tow vehicles at the same time to get everything to the shop at once. Knowing how the company handles these situations can save you some headaches and heartbreak.
Medical Coverage
If there is an incident, how does your insurance cover any needed medical attention? This can also extend to occupants of a drivable RV, and even all the way to pets.
Since pets can often free-roam in a vehicle, they are susceptible to injury if there’s a sudden change of speed, which is exactly what happens in a collision. What does your policy say about Fido’s injuries?
You Have RV Insurance. But What-If …
“My RV trailer is covered by the tow vehicle’s policy.”
This is something I read a lot. Your tow vehicle’s insurance may cover the trailer when you’re towing it. But I would strongly suggest you look at that insurance to see if it’s still covered once you’re unhooked.
We recently had a tree limb fall onto our RV. While the damage was repaired — which involved replacing the entire side wall of the camper — it was the RV park and not the tow vehicle’s policy that covered the repair.
At least that’s how our policy is written. It’s a good thing the RV park stepped up in this case. If they hadn’t, and we only had the specific insurance policy we have on our tow vehicle, the almost $6,000 in repairs would have come out of our own pockets.
“I have a loan on my RV.”
Almost all loan companies require that you have specific coverage on your RV. Typically, the loan company wants to be sure that the vehicle they hold the loan on is covered in the event of damage.
But they may also require specific liability insurance on the RV. If you’re involved in an incident, that liability coverage helps protect you from someone coming after you following the incident.
A loan company can actually start action against you if you’re not meeting their defined coverage; some of them will also tack on their own insurance which can be very pricey compared to what you get in the open market.
“I rent out my RV.”
While many rental agencies have insurance or require renters to have coverage in the event that something goes wrong, it’s also a good idea to look at your policy to see if renting out your RV is allowed. Depending on the value of your RV and/or its contents, you might also consider additional liability coverage before renting it out.
Why You Need RV Insurance
Insurance is designed to provide peace of mind. But for true confidence whether at home or on the road, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with your policy’s coverage, know who to call when you need help, and have an idea what that help will look like. The best insurance policy is one you never have to use. The next best thing is one that you know you can count on.
By the way, I recently had the opportunity to catch up with the Girl Camper podcast in a really good episode about RV insurance. You might want to give it a listen, even if you’re not a Girl Camper yourself.