Just Dial Insurance Agency

Knowing what kind of RV you have or are interested in buying can clue you in on the type of RV insurance worth looking into. RVs break down into 3 categories: Class A, B, and C.

Bus-like in appearance, Class A motorhomes are what you’d call top of the line RVs. They’re built on a truck chassis and can be as much as 30 feet long. Because of their size, they afford a very cushy, livable space. Think full bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, plus a washer/dryer, entertainment area with a flatscreen TV, and a spacious dining space.

For a Class A motorhome, it’s worth considering RV insurance that covers it like a vehicle and home. That means coverage for collisions and that flatscreen. And, again, if you live in it or use it as a primary residence, full time insurance is definitely worth looking into.

While Class A motorhomes are built on a truck chassis, Class As are built on a van chassis. In fact, that’s basically what they are—campervans. Class B motorhomes have the bare essentials of a living space: a stove, bathroom, sink, mini-fridge, and foldable bed that doubles as, say, a dining area.

Because a Class B is smaller and therefore less of a risk on the road, coverage limits may be likewise lower and less expensive than a Class A motorhome’s insurance.

When you close your eyes and imagine an RV, a Class C probably comes to mind first. It’s like a Class A—built on a truck frame—but smaller. And it has all the amenities of a class A, which is why an insurance policy would be similar, albeit with lower limits.

Because towable RVs—like a fifth wheel or truck camper—are being hauled by a separate vehicle, RV insurance, in this case, would simply cover damage to the RV itself. Mishaps involving the RV trailer on the road would be covered by the towing vehicle’s auto policy.

An RV is basically a home on wheels. It has many of the same coverages as a standard auto policy, plus some protections you’d find on a homeowners policy. RV insurance coverages typically break down like this:

Almost every state requires drivers to have at least liability coverage. This helps protect the other person if you’re found at-fault in an accident, so that you’re not buried in repair fees or hospital bills.

There are two types of liability insurance:

• Bodily injury liability: if the other driver’s injured, bodily injury can cover their medical bills and loss of income.
• Property damage liability: if you damage someone’s property, like another driver’s car or a neighbor’s fence, property damage can help pay for the repairs.

But while liability can certainly protect your wallet, it does not protect your RV.

Enter comprehensive and collision.

Comprehensive and collision are optional coverages designed to help pay for damage to your RV — and that’s whether or not you’re at fault!

Comprehensive covers damages that are not the result of a collision. Think vandalism, hail damage, theft, or damage from a fallen tree.

Collision covers (take a wild guess?) collisions, be it with another car or object, like a median or fence.

Comp and collision are not required by law, but if you’re renting or leasing your RV, your lender may require them. It’s also worth mentioning that you can add comprehensive without collision, but you can’t add collision without comprehensive.

If your RV’s involved in an accident, medical payments coverage can pay for hospital bills and other medical costs if you or your passengers are injured. Again, that’s regardless of fault!

Say you get in an accident and the other driver’s at fault. They’d be responsible for paying for repairs or medical bills, right? But what if they don’t have enough insurance, if any?

Cue uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. They help pay for repairs to your RV or injuries to you or your passengers if the other driver can’t. Uninsured motorist coverage, especially, can be super handy in a hit-and-run accident.

Like auto insurance, roadside assistance comes to the rescue if you’re marooned on the side of the road. It includes things like:

• Tire changes
• Jumpstarts
• Fuel delivery
• Towing and labor

If you’re taking a road trip, say, and your personal belongings are damaged in an accident, contents coverage can reimburse you to replace them. Same goes if they’re vandalized or stolen.

This coverage is also a great way to avoid having to file, say, a homeowners or renters claim for your personal belongings.

If you live in your RV full-time, full-time coverage may be worth looking into. This would help cover incidents that a homeowners policy would cover. Things like:

• Personal liability covers property damage at and away from your RV (a ball you accidentally hurl through another RV’s window), or if a guest gets hurt and decides to sue (don’t worry, just a hypothetical).
• Medical payments, mentioned above, would also extend to said injured guest’s medical expenses.
• Loss assessment reimburses you for fees an HOA might charge to repair damaged property in common areas.
• Emergency expense coverage pays for temporary digs or hotels if your RV is damaged and unlivable.

With full-time RV insurance, your home is covered whether you’re on the road, at a campsite, or just having friends over for Sunday brunch. Not bad.

The short answer: it depends. Do you drive or tow your RV?

If you drive your RV, almost every state will require you to get liability coverage, just like any other vehicle.

If you tow your RV, then it’s not required by law. But if you’re financing or renting it, your lender will likely require you to get insurance. What’s more, some campgrounds require guests to show a valid proof of insurance.

And, hey, insuring your RV is never a bad idea, regardless. If yours is damaged before you even get to a campsite, RV insurance can mean the difference between being stuck in the sticks or staying at a hotel on the interim.

As you probably know, commercial RV rental insurance covers liabilities, physical damages, and situations related to your business. A commercial policy is specifically designed for those who own a fleet of RVs — typically five or more.

This is a common question so let’s clear up any confusion. Rule #1 is that using normal personal RV insurance for a rental fleet is very risky. Mainly because those kinds of insurance policies don’t allow commercial usage. This means if you file a claim, their adjusters are likely to find your business online and then deny your claim. Nobody wants their claims denied, but when exactly do you need commercial RV insurance?

If any of these apply to you, a commercial policy is probably a good idea:

• You rent out five or more RVs on a regular basis.
• You currently have an RV rental business website.
• You store your RV at your business location.
• You have business partners or employees driving your vehicles.
• You manage vehicles that have been consigned to you.
• You use commercial RV insurance for business purposes (i.e. deliveries, trade shows).

Both Wheelbase Pro and Outdoorsy have built-in processes to make getting insurance for renters easy. In this section we’ll focus on Wheelbase Pro, which offers a convenient way for you to offer daily rental insurance at no cost to you.

For starters, Wheelbase Pro makes it easy to vet your renters by having them pass a driver verification process. That includes a background check along with ID verification. Drivers also must be over 25 years of age. This verification process is automated, which saves you the time and hassle of doing it yourself.

Renters who pass the verification process then get to purchase one of three different Protection Packages at a daily rate. Each package offers physical damage, liability, and an array of additional services. Should an accident occur, your renters are also responsible for the full deductible.

You might notice coverage is similar to a personal auto insurance policy. But the limits of a commercial policy tend to be higher since there are more risks to account for.

Liability is composed of bodily injury and personal property coverage. Together, they cover injuries or damage to other people or their property if your business is found at fault for an accident.

Comprehensive insurance covers the repairs or replacement of any of your RVs themselves for non-collision accidents. Things like fallen trees, hail damage, theft, vandalism, fires and so on.

Collision covers your vehicles if they’re involved in a crash with another car or object. And that’s regardless of fault. It’s worth mentioning, too, that comprehensive is required before you can add collision coverage.

This coverage makes sure that you, employees, or passengers get their medical expenses taken care of if they’re involved in an accident. Again, this is regardless of fault.

Say you’re in an accident. The other driver’s at fault but they have not enough insurance. Or no insurance. In fact, maybe it’s a hit and run (uh oh!). But not to worry. Uninsured motorist ensures that your repairs or medical fees are covered when the other driver can’t.

To get a solid idea of how much commercial RV rental insurance would cost for your fleet, start a quick, free quote Contact us. One of our licensed agents will then ask you a few simple questions and offer up coverage options and their respective costs based on your answers. Talk about a breeze.