Insurance on a build

[Sikafishn]

A buddy told me the other day that if you build a van out to camp in that in the event of an accident your insurance won't  cover you. Any informed thoughts? Thanks

 

[ramblingrose]

An uninsured kid, that was texting, came in my lane and totaled my van. My van build didn't even come up with my insurance company. Now, say if your van build in some way contributed to an accident then it might be an issue. For example: covered windows, overloaded, distractions from van contents not being properly secured. The best thing to do is to just call an insurance agent and ask questions.

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[Sikafishn]

An uninsured kid, that was texting, came  in my lane and totaled my van. My van build didn't even come up with my insurance company. Now, say if your van build in some way contributed to an accident then it might be an issue. For example: covered windows, overloaded, distractions from van contents not being properly secured. The best thing to do is to just call an insurance agent and ask questions.

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Thanx RR. I plan on talking to my ins. company to confirm any ?s I might have. I guess what I'm  looking for here is peoples experiences with issues of this nature. In the past I've heard of certain installments were necessary to define a rig as an rv and therefore a home that might then give certain rights to deny law enforcement access which would be a separate issue than the topic of this thread.

 

[Almost There]

After my experience with my former insurance company, be very careful in approaching your current insurance company.

Here's a link to my problems with insurance: https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=13035

Also do a search here on CRVL for  other threads on insurance.

Basically, what you can cover and how easily you can cover it depends entirely on which insurance company you're dealing with. Some will, some won't. Part of it also depends on the state/province in which you reside. And a lot of it also depends on what you're converting.

No matter what company you end up with, you will always need to be able to attach a price tag to the cost of the build. Keep track of the receipts. If you do it yourself, be prepared to not be able to cover your labor.

My van is now titled in a province where I could have it both insured and titled as an RV. I did have to provide my insurance company with a figure of what I wanted it insured for in case of total loss since it can not be looked up on any of the 'blue' book value books.

 

[John61CT]

If you're just getting liability NP.

Full collision on just the normal value of the base vehicle, not a major issue.

But trying to negotiate a higher "agreed value" payout as if all your buildout work increases what it's worth, now that is usually very difficult, do not communicate with the companies yourself, needs a specialist agent, varies very much by state.

And never say full-timing, camping is just your hobby.

 

[Sikafishn]

I guess that was my quandry. What would any of this have to do with liability which is all I have on the rig. Not likely to cough it up for comprehensive seein as how I have so little wrapped up in it. Thanks

 

[John61CT]

What would any of this have to do with liability which is all I have on the rig. Not likely to cough it up for comprehensive seein as how I have so little wrapped up in it.

Then you won't have as difficult a time.

A good agent will help.

Always read the fine print yourself though.

 

[Almost There]

What would any of this have to do with liability which is all I have on the rig. Not likely to cough it up for comprehensive seeing as how I have so little wrapped up in it. Thanks

I'm pretty sure you'll find out that a lot of the insurance companies simply will not underwrite ANY coverage (including liability) for vehicles that have been modified.

In my search for replacement coverage, it wasn't how much I wanted to insure it for or whether I wanted just liability or allperils/comp/collision etc., it was the simple fact that the vehicle was being modified.

I had one broker tell me that even changing the rims on a vehicle can and does constitute a 'modification' and would therefore make a vehicle not eligible for some insurance companies.

 

[DannyB1954]

Things vary greatly per State regulation. Even the same insurance company will have different rules in different States. I am in Nevada Nye County, and my insurance, (American Family), would not insure my van, (Dodge B250 3/4 ton), unless it was an RV. The agent had to come out and take interior pictures to prove it. The underwriter that had to approve the vehicle said they did not want commercial vans and wanted to be sure it was not going to be used for hauling cargo. I just have liability.
When I considered building an RV from a bread step van, Finding insurance made the project impossible. My auto insuraance did not want it because it was a commercial vehicle, and commercial insurance companies did not want me because I was not a business. I found one rv insurance carrier that would cover liability once it had been converted but would not give me a price. Nobody wants to cover you for full coverage as there is no way to set value on a DIY project.
The next State over, (Arizona), it is much easier, but I have too many reasons to remain a Nevada resident to move there.

 

[John61CT]

Vermont makes registration as an RV very easy, as long as you don't actually go there.

Lots of Skoolies use that as a loophole while working on the conversion, then register in their legal domicile state once complete and ready for inspection.

Changing your legal domicile state may make things easier sometimes, but should not be necessary if you don't want to.

 

[Matlock]

When I still lived in a dwelling with homeowners or renters insurance, my home policy covered any personal belongings inside my vehicles. The vehicle, in my case is a Box Van, is titled as a commercial vehicle and insured, liability only with a uninsured / underinsured policy.

Initially I had full insurance coverage but never mentioned my conversion. (probably not something I'd advise anyone to do). My agent suggested that a 10 yr old vehicle with my $1K deductible might not be worth the price of full coverage. That's when I switched coverage. Now at $246 a half.

This is Ohio so check agencies in your state. And I'd avoid checking with the ins. co. your using now. Save them for last, after you have at least one co. that will take you at an OK price..

 

[MrNoodly]

The four most expensive things in my buildout are the fridge, solar panel, charge controller and house batteries. That's a little less that a thousand dollars. The rest is just a couple of hundred in wood, insulation, and furniture -- and my labor. So the question is, how soon would the extra insurance to cover those things be greater than the cost of replacing them? Am I better off not insuring the whole ball of wax, just the vehicle, and simply paying out of pocket to replace the contents in case of a massive accident that might never happen?

Remember, insurance is based on your anxieties (with varying degrees of rationality) and on insurance companies gladly accepting your money for things that have a low probability of happening. The only way you come out ahead with insurance is if the thing you don't want to happen does happen -- and relatively soon. Otherwise you're just making someone else richer.

 

[John61CT]

There are custom buildouts - mostly discussed in other forums - that are done to a very high professional standard, actually better quality than anything you get from established RV companies.

Starting with a base of say $60K, the added value should in theory put them well over replacement / market value of $100K.

It is fair, just like a custom yacht build, to imagine that, if you were willing to pay expensive premiums, you could find comprehensive insurance based on a negotiated Agreed Value.

Some owners have succeeded in doing this, but it takes a lot of time and energy.

Your point is that for most members in this forum, it is not worth the trouble. I agree with that.

However if the communities' collective experience can be pooled to make the process easier for those few who do want / need it, that to me is what forums are all about.

And it is also a valuable message to remind people they may want to figure this angle out, while they're still in the planning stages.

 

[jacqueg]

Hmmm, when I bought my cargo van, I told my agent I was going to use it for camping and travel. No problem.

I won't trick it out with fancy cabinetry or intricate plumbing or anything else that I can't afford to lose, and it's over 15 years old, so in the insurance company's eyes, it isn't worth a lot anyhow.

 

[Sikafishn]

We're about on the same page. Mine is an 02 econo 150 with 370 k in the odo. Fully decked out for around 3k. All gear is fully transferable to the next rig. Runs great passed Oregon DEQ AND has a new tranny. Replacement value not even on my radar.