People who want to start rving mostly look for campers that are light in weight and lesser in cost.
What this does is, it reduces the risk of spending too much and also, you don’t have to be pro in driving the RV. Pop up campers are light weight and easy to tow as compared to travel trailers or fifth wheel. But, they are modest form of RV’s, which give minimum facilities.
Insurance for pop up campers is not mandatory in every state but its better to have your pop up camper insured. Most states have liability coverage mandatory for towing trailers or pop up tent trailers though. If you are buying a pop up camper using a loan then the lender will make you pay for the insurance cost for sure.
Also, if you are renting a pop up camper, then the insurance will be mandatory as the owner or dealer wont let you take it on road without full coverage. The only time you may opt not to take the insurance is when you buy it with your own money. This time you can opt out depending on the state you are in. But, its not a good idea to go without insuring a pop up camper.
Whether its used one or a new one, better get the insurance for the tent trailer as that will save you from hardships that will come with unexpected incidents.
A pop up camper is a basic form of RV. It comes with most basic amenities, some of them may not even include bathroom inside it. The length, when on road with pop ups closed may be less than 10 feet. Its cost can be much lesser.
People can buy them at prices lesser than $1000 (used ones). A new pop up camper however can cost you around $5000 to $20,000.
When the prices are so low, its obvious people will think about the premiums of the insurance. That’s when this question comes to mind. Whether to go for the insurance or not.
Insurance cost for pop up camper
The cost of the pop up insurance will obviously depend on the kind of coverage you take. It will vary for different insurance companies. You can ask for quotes and get prices that are custom according to your needs.
On an average pop up camper can be insured for a cost between $75 to $350 per year. Having said this, its better to get quotes from dealers and see how it works out. There are a lot of factors that the insurance company will take into account.
What are the best companies for RV insurance
Getting your pop up camper insured will protect you from unforeseen costs.
Even though a pop up camper may cost you much less its always better to stay protected as the incident could be anything from damage to your own camper to a damage done to others vehicle, property or life.
So, which are the most reliable RV insurance companies?
Lets find out.
You can try reaching any of these by providing the model and other details. Company sales person would reach out to you and then you can discuss the details.
1. Nation General
This company provides lots of options in customizing your insurance coverage. Also, its a very old and trusted brand that has been recognized a lot.
They provide varied variety of insurance for all kinds of RVs including pop up campers. You can reach out to them online for quote and then discuss with the sales person for specific customization.
2. Safeco
This too has been around for more than a century and has a better understanding of their customers. If you are one of those RVers who use their RV not full time then you can find better options here.
If you are a full time RVer then you may not find insurance with safeco. You need to use the RV for less than 250 days to be eligible. The reason why full timers have hard time with insurance is because there are higher chances of claims.
3. Progressive
This is a well known name not only in RV industry but also in home and others.
This too is a very old company serving customers with great deals. You can get different coverages including uninsured coverage, liability, collision and comprehensive coverage. One can also get discounts by negotiating after you get the quote.
4. Nationwide
This has been around since 1926 and regarded as one of the best insurance companies in the US. This is a huge brand that covers wide variety of automobiles like ATV, boats, and RVs.
Their basic RV insurance covers bodily injury, uninsured motorist, property damage, collision, comprehensive coverage and medial payments.
Depending on your need and requirement you can customize the insurance. You can also insure for road side assistance where-in you can get 24/7 help on fuel, tire blowouts or towing or jumpstart.
You can also claim for vacation plan interruptions when you are away from home by 50 miles or more. There are other optional insurance coverages like vacation lability, replacement cost, towing and labor.
5. Good sam
This is a highly rated insurance that offers insurance for both part time RVers as well as full timers. Good sam membership club is another great deal you can have along with their insurance.
So, if you are a full time RVer or go RVing often then combining their membership and insurance can get you good deals.
6. Famers
This is a great insurance coverage for those who want to go for customized insurance. One can get insurance as a full time RVer as well.
7. AllState
This is a great insurance company if you want to combine or bundle both your home as well your RV insurance. This way your discounts will be pretty better. You can get the quote online and negotiate for the bundle coverage.
USAA too has RV or travel trailer insurance where in they offer different coverage options. USAA member get exclusive discounts. A responsible driver or one who goes a year without claiming. They provides liability coverage, roadside assistance, emergency coverage among the coverage options.
Geico also offers RV insurance. You can contact them through their online portal by providing all the camper details. They will reach out to you with additional details and provide you a quote.
Need of insuring pop up camper
A pop up campers, just like any other RV can get damaged due to various reasons.
You could be involved in an accident with another vehicle while on road. Or, the damage can be caused due to another vehicle while your pop up was lying at a location.
It could be damaged due to natural calamities like storms, tornado or floods. Severe weather can make damages which becomes too much for you to pay and that’s when the insurance kicks in.
You certainly cannot predict these incidents and insuring the RV with proper coverage is the best solution.
A pop up camper can also get stolen or vandalized. Having your valuables kept inside the pop up may get stolen as well. There are so many points to list out that only hints towards having a good insurance coverage.
As far as RV o insurance rules in general goes it varies state by state like for example California will have different rules as compared to Colorado. Its better to check with the DMV to know the exact rules and regulations.
Another thing with pop up camper insurance is you need the pop up camper to be registered. Previous owner should have it registered too. While buying a used pop up make sure you have the title clear.
For registering and title you need to complete the RMV 1 form and previous owner registration with sale bill as well.
Does car insurance covers the tent trailer?
Your car insurance can cover the pop up camper for liability as it is being towed by the car. But, you need to check this with the car insurance policy.
Mostly, it will be covered as its part of the car even though its not fully attached.
If you already have a car insurance, then go back to the dealer or go through their policy terms to find out what is being covered.
Not all car insurance companies provide full trailer insurance. But, its a good idea to start with the car insurance company and check if they also insure the trailers being towed by car.
Factors that decide the insurance cost
I have given an average cost that the pop up camper insurance will cost. But, as i said it will depend on lots of factors.
When you ask an agent for quotes, he will ask you number of questions before giving any final quote. Lets see those factors,
- Age of the pop up camper : If you have a brand new RV or its a used one, depending on this, the premium will vary. For new pop up campers, the insurance cost will be high as the market value is higher. And thus, any repairs or replacements will cost more.
- Brand model : A pop up camper that is little bit more luxurious and having good amenities will cost you more for the premium. A base model with little amenities will be easier on cost.
- Make year : The year of make will also decide the premium cost. The newer the make year, higher is the price of the insurance coverage.
- Length and other dimensions : The overall length of the pop up camper can also come into picture. Bigger the length, higher will be the premium. But, with pop up campers being smaller in length, there should not be much variation. This holds much importance when you go for travel trailers, where the length can be as small as 10 feet and as high as 35 feet. And thus, the insurance cost of 10 feet will be much lesser as compared to the one of 35 feet.
- Safety features : Having good safety features assures the insurance company of proper safety and thus the coverage cost can come down.
- Driver : The person who will be included in the policy will also decide the per month cost being paid. It will mostly with the age of the person, past history with rving and any incidents that were reported earlier related to driving.
- Insuring multiple vehicles : If you are going to take insurance for more than one RV or if you are going to club it with car insurance then the overall cost can come down if you negotiate with the insurance company.
- Location : Your location of residence can also affect the insurance premium that you pay. Certain areas that are prone to tornados, or storms could be charged with higher premiums. States that receive high snow than the ones that don’t receive could make the difference as well.
- The insurance company : Not all insurance companies will have similar rates. All will go through all the above factors and quote a price to you. But wait, it will not only depend on factors hat directly related to you, your pop up camper or where you belong.
- It will also depend on the insurance company itself. A bigger company which is heavily established will be able to provide you benefits and rebates on the full amount.
- This however, may not be possible for a smaller privately held insurance company. Some of the bigger insurance companies that provide insurance for RV’s include farmers, progressive, good sam’s insurance, state farm, Nationwide, AllState, safeco, geico and many more.
Understanding the RV insurance coverage
Insurance for your pop up camper or travel trailer will protect you against incidents that can happen due to your faults or because of others or even the natural calamities. So, what does RV insurances cover? For trailers, the car insurance will most likely cover the liability coverage.
Liability coverage : This is basically the coverage for bodily harms that are caused to others due to your fault. Check with the car insurance agent to confirm if this is under the car insurance policy term. If not then you need to take this, as liability coverage is must for all vehicles.
Collision Coverage : This is for recovery of damages caused due to collisions of your pop up camper or travel trailer. The damages can be high at times and paying them yourself will be hard for you. And thus, having this coverage is most important.
Comprehensive coverage : This is for all repairs or replacements needed due to incidents other than collisions. It could be anything like fire, vandalism, falling of tree branches or tress themselves, or natural calamities or disasters like tornado’s, storm.
You may need to decide depending on where you stay and most importantly your pop up campers value. A travel trailer or motorhome costs much more and for them this should be taken. But, for pop up camper its up to and the overall value of your camper.
If you bought the pop up camper through finance then the lender may ask you to take it. You need to work with the insurance agent to get best customized insurance depending on your needs.
Roadside assistance : This coverage is for costs that are incurred during the RV fails while on road. This may include costs for towing the RV to the repairer, changing tires, or other engine failures and related costs.
Breaking down of a RV on road and specially in remote areas can be hard. And, it could be a costly affair to get them to the repairer. Thus, having such an insurance can save you from such situations.
Other special coverage : Depending on needs, one can avail various other coverage’s. You need to check with the insurance agent for that. It could be pet injury, or personal medical coverage during rving. People who go full time can opt for such coverage’s.
Coverage of items in pop up : You can have the items inside pop up insured as well. But, need to check with the agent if the coverage is provided. Not all RV insurances may have such a coverage. And also, the limit will vary.
Is it similar for all towable RV’s
For other towable RV’s like travel trailer or fifth wheel too the same set of rues apply. You may not have the law to compulsorily have the full coverage but it makes sense to cover them through insurance.
The costlier your RV, more is the pain if you don’t have the coverage through insurance. The damages for the costly RV will mean you will pay a lot more without insurance.
Travel trailer and fifth wheel insurance cost will also be higher as compared to pop up or tent trailer.
Saving on RV insurance cost
Spending on insurance premium can be tough when you don’t get anything in return. But, its for financial caution and for your good. Pop up campers insurance is less costly when you compare it with other RV’s. But still, you can save more by trying few things.
- Try to see if the car insurance itself can cover the pop up camper coverage.
- If you own another RV, see if you can combine both the insurances.
- If you have been buying insurance from a company for many years, then check if you can get any benefits out of that.
- Check for offers, during festive seasons; you may get good deals.
- Customize the coverage for maximum benefits. Standards packages could be costly, try different things and ask them for special modified package if possible.
- Negotiate. Try negotiating with the agent. Getting online quotes rather than on call or direct visits can be a good idea to get the prices lower from the beginning itself. Also, check at multiple insurance companies and choose the one that best suits you with best prices.
- Increase safety. One can install safety features on the pop up camper and this can get you discount on premium from the insurance company. Safety features do count towards the insurance costs on your RV.
Conclusion
Insuring an pop up camper or any RV has to be decided after properly understanding the states rules in united states. Also, the prices may not be exactly similar to what we have discussed as it depends on lots of factors. And thus, consult with insurance companies before finalizing.
