Insurance - honesty about living in your vehicle?

[jakehuddleston]

I have a predicament with insurance right now for my new van, a plain white 2006 Chevy Express cargo van. I am living in Santa Monica, CA and am working full time while paying off the van so I can travel. My original/current plan is to obtain insurance where I do not tell my insurance that I'm living in my vehicle, but simply insure it as a personal vehicle.

I've been poking around the forum but haven't been able to find much information on this. Is it important to be honest with your insurance company about living in a vehicle that would not otherwise be used as a residence? I feel that it could come back to bite me down the road. The hard part is, because I am a young person living in urban southern California, insurance rates are already very high to begin with. My current quote without letting them know I will be living in my van is $200/month.

The insurance company also wants a copy of a utility bill at my new 'residence', which is the address I gave them for my new mail forwarding service. I'm not sure what to do about this, as I am clearly not living at this address, and it's apparent they are aware people try to do this. Any advice on this in particular?

Thank you for any insight into this issues.

 

[Taijibum]

I am curious about this too.

 

[minimotos95]

have you checked into fulltimers RV insurance? the quotes i got from progressive were actually cheaper than normal auto insurance and covers alot more. i'm not sure if there's a catch to it but that's something to look into.

 

[jakehuddleston]

I guess the 'catch' is what I'm wondering about. I haven't really looked into it because I just assumed that full time RV insurance would be much more expensive. My reasoning is that someone who lives in their vehicle would spend more time driving/using their vehicle and therefore be more prone to accidents/other incidents, and the insurance rates would reflect that.

 

[MrNoodly]

Progressive is very friendly to fulltime van dwellers. I'm with them and I know a few others who are too.

 

[GotSmart]

$200 a month???

I am paying $125 for two vehicles, full coverage and renters insurance. One 27 year old, one 55 year old. $500,000 limit with $500 deductible. Everything included, all riders.

I also have it cleared to be living in my vehicle for extended periods. I just need to have a renters policy to cover any personal items, such as tools. As soon as I sign over the car to my daughter, it will drop to about $60 total.

It is not easy to get USAA.

 

[Patrick46]

Yup...being young and single does have it's drawbacks, and this is definately one of them.

Once you hit 30, your rates will drop (as long as your DL is clean), and again at 40, and at 50 it makes a BIG drop! ...Woo-Hoo!!

Also, if you get married, that will reduce your rates as well, as insurance companies think that marriage makes a person more 'stable'....hahaha!!!

The insurance company also wants a copy of a utility bill at my new 'residence', which is the address I gave them for my new mail forwarding service. I'm not sure what to do about this, as I am clearly not living at this address, and it's apparent they are aware people try to do this. Any advice on this in particular?

I'd tell 'em that this is the address of my rental (which is the truth), and that all utilities are included in the rental fees. (which is also true!!)

Get a library card for this address and show 'em that!!

 

[akrvbob]

Many insurance agencies will NOT insure you if you admit to living in the van. So I recommend against telling them the truth.
Bob

 

[Patrick46]

just plead the 5th!!





a 5th of Jack that is!!

 

[GotSmart]

Many insurance agencies will NOT insure you if you admit to living in the van. So I recommend against telling them the truth.
Bob

If you are in an accident, and the insurance company finds you have been concealing information, they will not pay out. Money thrown away. Find a company that will cover you.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

There's an RV group called Escapees. It's made up mostly of full timers.

On their website, they recomend three insurance companies that specialize in writing policies for full timers.

Foremost
Poliseek
Bancorps South Insrance.

I'd get quotes from one or more of them.

Regards
John

 

[jakehuddleston]

Great advice, everyone, thank you. Yes, the $200 a month is very steep, and it stings. As mentioned, that comes with being young, single, and in urban Southern California. :-/

I will let them know that utilities are included in the rent. However, what if at that point they want to see a bill for rent? Then I'm really out of luck. Perhaps I could say that the address is just a temporary one while I'm staying with a friend for a few months...?

And thank you Optimistic Paranoid, I will check out the Escapees group and those insurance options.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

No ask...No tell.

If you have a claim against you how do they know you're not just on a long vaca.

Borrow an address from a friend and have them write you a room rent receipt.

 

[jakehuddleston]

Hmm, interesting. The full-timer's RV insurance seems to be cheaper in general. I never would have thought this. My current quote from Progressive is around $135/month as a full-time residence, versus insuring it as a personal vehicle.. For some reason this goes completely against the logic I thought the insurance companies would use. I will continue posting updates as to what I end up going with.

 

[macmccune]

Hmm, interesting. The full-timer's RV insurance seems to be cheaper in general. I never would have thought this. My current quote from Progressive is around $135/month as a full-time residence, versus insuring it as a personal vehicle.. For some reason this goes completely against the logic I thought the insurance companies would use. I will continue posting updates as to what I end up going with.

I am 20, I live on the East coast and my insurance is over $150 a month. Thing is I currently drive a 1.3l Aspire that loses drag races to semis.
I also quoted rv insurance (for several different vans/campers) and found it was cheaper. I think the logic is that you are less likely to speed and otherwise drive dangerously, which is why premiums for younger people are so high. Then again insurance is even cheaper for a racing motorcycle.
The snapshot program lowered my rates about $20, but its still pretty high for how little I drive. I guess I will get bigger bang for my buck when Im living in a van, though at that rate it will be my biggest expense.

I also plan to have a camera on my dashboard (like the police and people in russia/asia) that way I can show what happened in the event of an accident. I wish there was a way you could get lower rates if you have a camera running.

 

[Patrick46]

I am 20, I live on the East coast and my insurance is over $150 a month. Thing is I currently drive a 1.3l Aspire that loses drag races to semis.
I also quoted rv insurance (for several different vans/campers) and found it was cheaper. I think the logic is that you are less likely to speed and otherwise drive dangerously, which is why premiums for younger people are so high.

actually, the reason insurance for RV's is so significantly cheaper is that it's a common beleif in the insurance industry that RV's are driven less then 1/4 the mileage cars and trucks are.

Motorcycle insurance is so cheap because motorcycles don't do nearly the damage to other's vehicles as they do to themselves in a collision.

I'm only paying $120 per YEAR for my RV, (liability coverage only), but I'm over 50, have a clean record, I'm a homeowner, and have multi-vehicle discounts.

Keep your driving record clean, and you're rates will drop after 25, and even more as the years roll by. Definately worth it.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Oregon liability insurance is a little higher since they require personal injury on you as well. Multi-vehicles, its already built in the policy if you read the details.
Two vehicles, two drivers in Or $68/mo...Az $42, same vehicles. Our RV under $100/yr. I'm 66, Margie 55, both covered. Take me and 1 vehicle off in Or and Margie would have paid $77/mo, Az $54. Been with the gecko for years and get a good discount for that too.
True, states vary and many are out of sight. Might wanna talk to an agent that handles several companies for best rates in your area.

Also, for anyone thinking of Or residency, you have to take the test (written & driving) to trade in your license if you have never had one there. Most other states reciprocate with just an eye test.

 

[simply lesa]

Im being dropped by Gieco, even tho they have full time RVers insurance because my conversion van complete w RV sticker doesnt qualify as an RV, without any inspection. They ran a check on my mailing address and asked me to prove a physical address bc my mailing address is a mailing house. Bobby at Escapees, Bancorp South confirmed thats a new normal process for Gieco. I will be moving over to Progressive, through Bobby bc of her help and info. BTW i anonomusly called Progressive asking questions and saying out right that I live in my van. I was yold they dont care...come on over!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Good info Lesa.
I guess the Gecko doesn't bother us since I've been with them so long.

 

[jakehuddleston]

Alright everyone, update on the insurance situation: my agent found full-timer's RV insurance for me at a rate even lower than Progressive's. The company is called Foremost Insurance. Fully covered, listed as a conversion van, and paying about $120/month vs. $200/month. That's a significant amount per month and per year in savings by going with RV insurance instead of standard auto insurance. If your standard rates and/or quotes are high, definitely check out full-timer's RV insurance. I never would have expected the rates to be lower, but they definitely are.