INSURANCE
Specialty coverage for your RV
For many people, there’s nothing more enjoyable than
hitting the open road and cruising the country in
an RV. With all there is to prepare before embarking
on a long journey, you may not think about the limitations
of insuring your RV on an auto policy — at least
not until you need to rely on your coverage.
Here are some reasons to give your current policy
a check up, and some things to consider when insuring
your RV:
Frequent or full-time RVers need homeowner-type
liability protection. This is especially important
for those who RV year-round and don’t own a home.
When your rig is covered by an auto policy, you may
only have liability coverage when driving or towing
it, not when you’re parked. It’s also important to
have high enough limits on your liability costs.
Are your personal belongings adequately insured?
Most auto insurance policies won’t cover them, or
will only give you the actual cash value, including
depreciation. RV insurance often provides full replacement
cost coverage. If you’re counting on your homeowner’s
policy to cover this type of loss, you’ll have to
pay a deductible, plus you’ll only get about 10 percent
of your personal belongings limit for items outside
your home. Also, check to see if your policy covers
items that are left outside of your RV — bicycles,
for example — and aftermarket items like satellite
dishes, antennae and awnings.
An RV is a big investment. It makes sense to fully
protect against depreciation in case of fire or theft.
The best way to do this is to purchase total loss
replacement coverage (TLRC). While TLRC varies slightly
from company to company, the basic idea is that if
you buy a new RV and it’s destroyed or stolen within
a specified period of time (usually three to five
years), your insurance company will replace it with
a new one of the same make and model — even if it
costs more than what you originally paid. This additional
coverage is usually only available on new RVs.
Qualified roadside assistance is very important.
Many auto insurance companies offer towing and labor,
but they can’t get you help for an RV. For this you’ll
need specialized RV towing protection.
Are emergency expenses covered? A typical auto insurance
policy won’t cover lodging, meals or traveling home.
And the ones that do often feature ridiculously low
maximum limits.
If you need help insuring your RV, call AAA Insurance
Sales at 1-866-298-1232
or get
a quote online.
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