Progressive RV Insurance coverage Evaluation for Camper Vans – Bearfoot Principle

Insurance coverage isn’t essentially the most glamorous of van life topics, however it’s a very essential one. Years in the past once I received my first camper van, I did a whole lot of analysis on this subject. After spending each penny of my financial savings on a transformed Sprinter Van, I knew I wanted to guard my funding, and never simply the van itself, however the conversion on the within as nicely. I made a decision to go along with Progressive RV insurance coverage and have had it for five years now, together with on my first van and my present van. 

On this weblog publish, I share every part I’ve realized about insurance coverage for transformed vans, in addition to my expertise with Progressive RV insurance coverage.

.

What kind of autos does Progressive RV insurance coverage cowl?

RV insurance coverage can apply to quite a lot of varieties of autos past what you consider as an RV, together with:

• Class A motorhomes: massive, heavy-duty motorhomes
• Class B motorhomes: camper vans, which we’ll be specializing in right here
• Class C motorhomes: mid-range or mini motorhomes (between class A and sophistication B)
• Pop up and truck campers
• Journey trailers

For a automobile to qualify as an RV, it usually must have sleeping and cooking amenities at minimal. In some circumstances, this may be one thing so simple as a mattress and a camp range, though the definition of RV and corresponding insurance coverage necessities differs by insurance coverage firm and should range by state. It’s additionally essential to notice that Progressive doesn’t require your camper van to be registered as an RV on the DMV so as to qualify for an RV insurance coverage coverage with them.

Relying in your automobile kind and what you employ it for, some insurance coverage corporations would require you to get RV insurance coverage moderately than vehicle insurance coverage. For instance, Progressive is not going to supply commonplace vehicle insurance coverage as an possibility in case you are utilizing your van as a camper. It’s essential that you just share these particulars about how you employ your van and what’s inside to make sure you have correct protection. Necessities range by firm, nevertheless, so do your analysis earlier than deciding what’s best for you. 

Does Progressive RV Insurance coverage Cowl DIY Camper Van Conversions?

Progressive doesn’t insure DIY camper van conversions presently. They do insure skilled conversions. It’s tough to find out the worth of a DIY conversion because the high quality of labor can’t be assured and isn’t below guarantee.

There are insurance coverage corporations on the market that do insure DIY camper van conversions, nevertheless. Progressive could possibly suggest one other insurance coverage firm relying in your particular scenario. We additionally suggest doing a little analysis within the Sprinter Supply Discussion board and different Sprinter and camper van-related Fb teams for recommendations on insuring DIY conversions.

Why Is RV Insurance coverage For Campervans Essential?

Once I first received my van, somebody informed me if I needed to economize on insurance coverage, I ought to simply get a traditional auto coverage. However after researching this myself, I realized that standard auto insurance policies sometimes don’t cowl the within of your van conversion. So if I had been to get into an accident or hit an animal whereas driving and complete my van, all the cash I spent on my van conversion would go down the drain. I’d be scrapping my van for supplies and components, and I’d be saying goodbye to van life and my distant job.

Relying in your protection, RV insurance coverage can cowl not solely the worth of the automobile in case of injury or an accident, however you would additionally get safety to your precise conversion and private belongings inside. If you happen to spent some huge cash on an expert conversion, having good RV protection is essential. If you happen to journey with digicam gear, a laptop computer, or different valuables, including on insurance coverage to your private results is probably going worthwhile as nicely.

Knowledgeable camper van conversion is a large funding, so the neatest possibility for me was to get RV insurance coverage. I’ve had Progressive RV insurance coverage for the final 5 years, and have complete loss alternative protection for the worth of my totally transformed van. Meaning, if I totaled my van, I may take my insurance coverage payout and get a model new customized transformed van.

What’s the distinction between part-time and full-time protection?

If you happen to use your camper van as your everlasting and first residence, you’ll need to contemplate full-time RV insurance coverage. That is sometimes outlined as you dwelling in it greater than 6 months out of the yr in your RV and never proudly owning or residing in one other dwelling. If you happen to reside or journey in your van lower than 6 months out of the yr, part-time RV insurance coverage protection needs to be ample. I are inclined to journey in my van about 6 months out of the yr and have a home in Salt Lake Metropolis that I’m primarily based at the remainder of the yr, so I’ve part-time RV insurance coverage protection.

For extra on this subject, see our weblog publish on selecting an RV insurance coverage coverage for van life.

What does Progressive RV insurance coverage cowl?

Here’s a breakdown of the completely different coverages provided by Progressive for professionally transformed vans and RVs. The coverages under are commonplace and are essentially the most generally chosen, though all are optionally available except for legal responsibility insurance coverage which is mostly required for any automobile being pushed. 

Commonplace Progressive RV Insurance coverage Coverages

Complete & Collision

Complete covers your van or RV for occasions past your management like theft, vandalism, fireplace, glass breakage, weather-related incidents, and collisions with animals.

Collision covers your van or RV if broken in an accident with an object or one other automobile, irrespective of whose fault it’s.

What’s good is that bodily harm safety whereas touring in Mexico is included as nicely, so long as you buy a Mexico legal responsibility coverage to your journey. If you happen to plan on touring in Baja California or some other a part of Mexico together with your van that is extremely advisable.

Progressive additionally supplies free Pet Harm protection if you are going to buy each Complete and Collision protection which pays as much as $1,000 in the direction of veterinary payments in case your pet is injured in an accident.

Legal responsibility

Legal responsibility protection is required by regulation for many autos and pays for any damages and/or accidents that you just trigger. So when you’re at fault for an accident, for instance, legal responsibility insurance coverage might pay for the opposite driver’s automobile repairs and medical payments as much as your coverage’s limits. Nonetheless, this doesn’t cowl any harm to your automobile which is why complete and collision protection are essential to have as nicely.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

UM/UIM protection protects you when you’re hit by a driver with no insurance coverage or not sufficient insurance coverage. It could possibly pay to your accidents, damages to your van or RV, and even misplaced wages when you can’t work consequently.

Medical Funds

This covers medical payments for you and your passengers when you’re in an accident in your van or RV, irrespective of whose fault it’s. 

Further Progressive RV Insurance coverage Coverages

The optionally available coverages under will be chosen along with the usual coverages highlighted above. I’ve all of the coverages Iisted above plus roadside help, emergency expense, complete loss alternative, and private results alternative – all of which I extremely suggest, particularly when you spent some huge cash in your construct and when you journey with any valuables.

Roadside Help

This covers towing your van or RV to the closest restore facility when you’re having points, the commonest being a breakdown, working out of gasoline, a flat tire, a useless battery, or getting locked out of your automobile. 

Final winter once we had been dispersed tenting in Solar Valley, the battery in my van died. It was 2 levels outdoors and I had no cellular phone sign, however fortunately I used to be in a position to message my dad by means of my Garmin inReach GPS satellite tv for pc communicator and he was in a position to assist me get in contact with roadside help. They got here out inside an hour and jump-started my van – whew!

Emergency Expense Protection

If you happen to’re touring and your campervan or RV is disabled in a coated incident greater than 50 miles from dwelling, this covers transportation and resort prices. Say your van has a breakdown and must be at a mechanic store for a couple of days, this could cowl a spot to remain and transportation charges so you may get round whereas your van is being repaired. You possibly can choose the quantity of protection you need – between $750 – $2,000 in case your RV is taken into account leisure and as much as $7,500 in case your RV is your main residence.

Whole Loss Alternative

This is among the key variations of RV protection vs commonplace vehicle insurance coverage, though it’s not obtainable in all states.

If you happen to bought your transformed van or RV new, complete loss alternative will cowl the fee you initially paid. 

For example, when you bought your professionally transformed van for $80,000, have complete loss alternative, and your van is totaled, Progressive will reimburse you for the unique buy worth (on this instance, $80,000) or substitute it with a brand new one of many identical mannequin yr or later, fitted out to the identical degree or higher, even when it prices greater than what you initially paid. That is what I’ve in my van and it provides me peace of thoughts that my funding is 100% protected within the case I had been to complete my van.

If you happen to didn’t buy your camper van or RV new (you’re not the unique proprietor), you possibly can set an agreed worth. That approach, within the occasion of a complete loss, you’ll know precisely what your automobile is value. 

This protection is predicated on the unique buy worth or the agreed worth set in your coverage, so if the worth of your camper van/RV adjustments considerably and also you’d like to regulate the quantity coated you’ll must contact Progressive to replace your coverage. 

Alternative of Private Results

This covers the price of alternative or private objects inside your camper van or RV, like digicam gear, your smartphone, or some other valuables you journey with as much as a specified quantity.

Say your van will get damaged into at a trailhead when you’re mountaineering and your laptop computer, digicam, and different valuables are stolen. Or say your private belongings are broken as a consequence of an accident – this protection will reimburse you so you possibly can substitute these stolen or broken objects.

Pest Injury Safety

If you happen to fear about mice stowing away in your camper van or different critters inflicting harm, pest harm safety could also be a good suggestion. 

Right here’s one instance: marmots are identified for chewing up automotive wiring and radiator hoses to the purpose of disabling a automobile on the trailhead for the Mineral King Loop in Sequoia Nationwide Park. Pest harm safety may cowl this.

There are a couple of extra further protection choices that Progressive gives for camper vans and RV that you could be taught extra about right here, however the ones talked about above are those I discover to be crucial. Needless to say a deductible might apply and protection might range by state.

Right here is the protection I’ve in my Progressive RV insurance coverage coverage for my transformed Sprinter camper van:

• Whole Loss Alternative
• Legal responsibility Insurance coverage
• Uninsured Motorist
• Private Harm Safety
• Medical Funds
• Complete
• Collision
• Emergency Expense
• Trip Legal responsibility
• Alternative Price Private Results
• Roadside Help

For complete and collisions, I’ve a $500 deductible so something past that’s coated by my Progressive RV insurance coverage.

Be aware that the decrease your deductible, the upper your month-to-month premium will likely be, and you may select a deductible anyplace from $250-5000.

Suggestions for Insuring Your Camper Van

To insure your camper van, you’ll must know the worth of your automobile, inside and outside, in addition to the approximate worth of your private belongings. Other than the apparent like your private data and automobile make, mannequin, and yr, you’ll want the next data:

• Whether or not your automobile was bought new or used
• How a lot the automobile is value (i.e. how a lot you bought it for and/or how a lot it will be bought for at present)
• Whether or not it was professionally transformed or DIY
• What you employ it for (tenting journeys, and so on.)
• Whether or not you employ it full time or half time
• What state you reside in and primarily use it in (every state has completely different insurance coverage necessities)

You’ll additionally need to:

• Maintain invoices, receipts, and/or billing statements out of your skilled camper van conversion in addition to the proof of buy that exhibits the whole sum you spent
• Take photos of the within of your van to doc completely different points of your transformed van, together with main home equipment, in case something occurs

If you wish to insure your private belongings contained in the van, you’ll must have a good suggestion of the cumulative worth so you possibly can choose the suitable degree of protection (Progressive gives completely different ranges of private results protection relying on how a lot protection you need). You’ll need to:

• Maintain copies of receipts to your valuables that you just journey with (suppose digicam gear, laptop computer, good cellphone, jewellery, and so on.). I like to recommend taking photographs of your receipts along with making a spreadsheet or doc that lists the objects you journey with and their worth.
• Take photos of your valuables that you just journey with
• Maintain all this in a folder in your pc (or in Dropbox or Google Drive) so that you’re ready in case it’s essential file a declare

I’ve a Google Drive folder the place I maintain photographs of my van (inside and outdoors), photographs of my valuables, and receipts for my van and valuables so I’ve every part prepared in case I’ve to make a declare. I maintain this on-line as an alternative of on my pc in case my pc had been to interrupt or get stolen.

Why I Selected Progressive RV Insurance coverage for my Camper Van

I first discovered about Progressive by means of USAA – as a USAA member, I get a reduction on Progressive insurance coverage so getting a quote from them was a no brainer for me since USAA doesn’t supply RV insurance coverage. After trying into it additional, I discovered that Progressive’s protection for RVs higher matches my wants than different choices on the market.

How one can take advantage of out of your Progressive RV insurance coverage coverage

If you happen to resolve that Progressive RV insurance coverage is best for you, you could possibly decrease your insurance coverage fee with all of the reductions they provide. Listed here are all of the alternative ways to save lots of:

• Authentic proprietor: If you happen to’re the unique proprietor of the transformed van or RV
• Accountable driver: You probably have a clear driving document freed from tickets or accidents up to now 3 years
• Superior quote: If you happen to get a free quote forward of time (even simply 1 day earlier than signing up with them), you’ll be eligible for a reduction
• Paid in full: If you happen to pay your complete annual premium at first of the time period moderately than month-to-month. That is what I do, and I save a pair hundred {dollars} a yr. Additionally, when you pay in full and also you promote your van and cancel your insurance coverage earlier than the yr is over, they offer you a refund for the distinction.
• On-time fee: If you happen to’ve paid your funds on time during the last yr. If you happen to don’t pay in full originally of your time period and need to make month-to-month funds, I extremely suggest organising automated funds in order that the fee is routinely deducted out of your checking account every month and also you received’t have to fret about remembering to pay on time.
• Declare free renewal: If you happen to haven’t filed a declare within the final yr, once you renew your insurance coverage you’ll get a reduction
• USAA member: If you happen to’re a USAA member, you get a reduction
• Multi-policy: You probably have a couple of coverage with Progressive. For instance, when you or your partner have one other automobile along with your camper van, you’ll get a reduction when you use Progressive to your auto insurance coverage coverage as nicely. Similar goes for dwelling, renters, apartment, boat, and motorbike insurance coverage. 
• House owner: If you happen to personal your private home

Not all reductions can be found in all states and sure restrictions might apply in some conditions, however these are all value trying into.

Reap the benefits of the Progressive app as nicely. You possibly can view your whole profile and use the app to get coverage data, verify your fee standing, print ID playing cards and different paperwork, request roadside help, and even file a declare.

How one can Get a Progressive RV Insurance coverage Quote

You possibly can get a free Progressive RV insurance coverage quote right here. It’s fast and simple, and all you’ll want for a fundamental estimate is:

• Your zip code
• Sort of motorhome (Class B, truck camper, and so on)
• Identify, DOB, Deal with
• Car particulars just like the make, mannequin, yr, builder/producer, buy worth, and yr bought

Then Progressive provides you with a quote proper then and there, taking your eligible reductions under consideration. What’s good is that they present you charges for 3 completely different ranges of protection: fundamental, selection, and plus.

• Fundamental contains the naked minimal akin to legal responsibility and uninsured/underinsured motorist.
• Selection is extra complete and likewise contains protection for medical payments when you’re in an accident, complete and collision protection, protection of the particular money worth of your RV, private results protection, and extra.
• Plus is much more complete. With any of those choices, you possibly can customise as wanted to get precisely what you want to your automobile and life-style.

When you get a quote, you should purchase your coverage on-line, save the quote for later, request a name to refine your protection and ask any questions you might have or name Progressive instantly to debate. 

Progressive RV insurance coverage begins at as little as $125/yr for a fundamental legal responsibility coverage which excludes journey trailers and isn’t obtainable in all states, though that’s the naked minimal and also you’ll possible need extra protection when you’ve invested in a professionally transformed van or RV.

How one can File a Declare

The advantage of submitting a declare with Progressive is that they’ve 24/7 buyer help obtainable. So irrespective of when your accident or difficulty occurs, you may get on the cellphone with somebody who might help you. 

You too can report a declare on-line by means of the Progressive web site or by means of the Progressive app. When reporting a declare on-line, you’ll simply must fill out the fundamentals like the place and when the accident occurred and a consultant will likely be in contact with you inside 1 enterprise day to gather extra particulars. 

If you happen to do get into an accident or there’s one other difficulty together with your camper van that could be coated, you’ll want to take thorough photographs and notes to doc what occurred instantly. You possibly can even take a video in your cellphone.

Aside from roadside help for the time I needed to get my van jumped, I’ve fortunately by no means needed to file a declare within the 5 years I’ve had Progressive RV insurance coverage on my two transformed vans. Nonetheless, in talking to different van lifers and Progressive policyholders, we’ve gotten nice suggestions on the claims course of. 

I hope this supplies some helpful insights into RV insurance coverage for transformed vans and what Progressive gives. You probably have any questions or your individual experiences to share, we’d love to listen to them! Go away a remark under.