Did you know that most campers / travel trailers are NOT covered by your homeowners policy? Many people think that it is covered by their homeowners policy because it is considered personal property. But, in reality, you need to have a separate policy or endorsement to your current homeowners policy to cover it with most insurance companies.

With the company I worked for, they required a separate policy. You could select your deductibles and the amount of coverage was usually determined based on the value of the unit. If you just added an endorsement to your current homeowners policy, the deductible is usually the same as your homeowners policy.

How do you determine how much coverage I need? They will usually ask you a few questions about your travel trailer / caravan. Some of the questions that will be asked are:

• What is the year, make and model of the unit?
• How much is the unit
• How much did you pay for the unit or do you know the MSRP?
• How much coverage do you want or what does your bank require?
• If you have a link (you are making payments to a bank), they will also need the bank information to be able to include it in the policy. They do this so that if it is damaged (total loss) the bank will get the money to pay off your loan.
• What deductible amount do you want? (50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, or 2000 are pretty common)

What they are going to do is look up the make and model of the year in their system to get a value for the unit. It doesn’t matter if you are 10 years old, they will fit the unit’s MSRP. There, the system will assign you an “insurance number” where I worked, it was called IRG, or Insurance Classification Group. This tells them how much to charge you for the unit. In general, the lower the “IRG”, the cheaper the cost of insurance.

What is the difference between a travel trailer and a camping trailer?

Travel trailer – A trailer designed for use with a private passenger car and permanently equipped as a dwelling. Travel trailers are designed to be towed by a car, truck or van using a bumper or frame hitch, the travel trailer provides all the comforts of home and is perfectly suited for weekend getaways or family vacations. (Like a fifth wheel or traction unit like a Fleetwood Prowler)

Camping trailer – A trailer designed for use with a private passenger car that is expanded into temporary housing. These differ from travel trailers by their collapsed, low-profile towing position. It also includes a trailer that is not equipped as a dwelling, but is used solely for camping and similar recreational purposes. (Like a Pop Up or Tent Camper) What type of coverage do I get? Basically, you are buying physical damage coverage. You can usually buy it with expanded collision coverage as well. Some companies offer it, others don’t. The one I worked for offered it. Liability coverage will extend from the vehicle that is pulling the unit. So if you have state minimum limits on your truck that is pulling it, that’s all you have. If you are driving down the road and somehow get loose and crash into the car next to you, your car liability will pay for the damage caused by the unit. Going to not cover the damage done to the unit. That’s where physical damage comes in.

You’ll also want coverage for physical damage to your unit in case the unit is stolen, or damage from storm, fire, or lightning, for example. It is good to have it. If you are spending the money on the unit, you can also protect it. The cost of the insurance depends on the age of the unit. We have a 1999 Fleetwood Prowler and I think we pay $ 180.00 per year. I don’t think it’s that bad. So if you own one, be sure to check with your insurance agent today to make sure it’s covered.