Insurance Recommendations (Or, surprise! Not covered!)

[GrayWhale]

These exclusions are probably meant to help keep the rates down across the board for everyone else.

 

[SoulRaven]

Once I got moved to WA state to take care of my dad I cancelled the RV policy and got car insurance through them however, I didn't get PIP(personal injury protection) to save money(WA state is expensive and I'm on a fixed income).  What I didn't know and only found out this year was that it's a REQUIREMENT in WA state to have it.  Had I known that and Poliseek said something about it the personal injury claim from the accident would have been handled. 

....

That's not the only people they carry which is why I'm assuming you were referred to them.  Although high-risk drivers are a staple, Vern Fonk was to the PNW what Lloyds of London used to be.  They are one of the few companies that will insure a driver for driving anything without attaching the policy to a car(broad form policy) and at times have been known to write creative policies outside the norm.  I'm unsure if the company does that since it was sold by the family to an outside insurance group.  Companies like them are rare anymore.  The spokesman on their commercials(who also wrote them) was the manager of the Everett office and he was one of their creative policy gurus, but he died last year.

I was told PIP is a requirement too, except now I can't find anywhere online where that's corroborated. Everything I can find says it isn't. Weird.

Back when I was told PIP is a requirement in WA, I was l also told that getting medical payments was an acceptable alternative. It's a lot cheaper. The main downside is it doesn't cover lost wages, but if you're on a fixed income it doesn't matter so much. I'm able to afford much higher medical coverage going this route--$50,000 in medical payments.

For me personally, knowing how complex my medical condition is even without anything major happening, I know if every a car accident put me in the hospital I'd be seriously thinking I'd rather end things than go through that. Basic medical procedures take forever (I've been fighting the system to get abscessed teeth extracted for MONTHS). So I decided for me personally, it was essential to know that I had extensive coverage to cover any medical, to give myself the best chance possible of pulling through in such an unfortunate event.

Anyway, good news, I got coverage! An independent agent did a lot of research for me and I'm getting a policy with Mapfre. Not a lot of positive reviews online, but he told me about how the company was sold and everything recently has been good experiences. In any case, I'll be relying on the info shared in this thread in case of an accident, rather than on the insurance pulling through for me without a fuss. As long as I'm covered.

It's auto insurance, though. RV coverage was simply not available to me....my van doesn't come anywhere close to minimum requirements to be considered an RV. Some contents are covered as part of comprehensive, but it's minimal.

My hard work on building excellent credit has paid off. I just now had to add my bf to my policy, and he's younger which raises the price considerably. But the agent said my premiums were 50% less than average for my age and coverage, and excellent credit score is the reason for it.

I'm following last year's budget strategies regarding insurance. So I'm purchasing 1 year of coverage at a time, which gets me $86 off. The way to do that is by getting a new credit card (since SSI prevents me from saving), that has a $150 sign up bonus if I spend 500 within the first three months (my premium is WAY over that) plus $25 for adding an Authorized User (boyfriend), plus unlimited 1.5% cash back (~$17). All this added up means that alongside 50% lower rates for having a good credit score in the first place, by getting another card I'm saving $86 PLUS getting $192 refunded back to me on this year's car insurance.

I still have no doubt Amica would be a lot easier to deal with in case of an accident, but this way I know for sure I'm covered, which is the important thing.

 

[moorejames]

Oregon is a PIP state. http://www.oregoninsurancelaw.com/oregon_pip_law.htm

MAPFRE seems to be a company that's going to be decent. They're a Spanish company that bought a couple so-so American companies as their way into the marketplace. I know a couple of people who work in their US Mgt and they seem happy with the direction the company is headed. 

Glad to hear you found an independent agent that was willing to do the work to find a good fit for you.

 

[Pokey]

Insurance is going to be a really big issue of concern for full time Van Dwellers.  I am a licensed agent and a current employee of one of the major companies mentioned in the Blogs.  My company is a "preferred carrier".  This means we review the risk and determine eligibility based on exposure. Do you think being on the road 1000's of miles a year is an exposure?  For sure!  Van Dwellers unfortunately can also be targets for theft.  Another exposure.  My best advise is to be perfectly honest to the insurance broker.  The state where you are registered to vote should be your residence state and where you vehicle is licensed. If you do not have a domicile in any state, say that! Maybe your broker can find an insurance company for you.  But DON'T seek out some state and pretend you live there just to get a better premium.  This only will get your policy cancelled in the event of a loss. This is why insurance companies are so skeptical and premiums are high.  Good Luck!

I know, right? I sure hope it doesn't catch on; it becomes a human rights issue.


Let me know what you find. My boyfriend has Safeco and we were rear-ended on the freeway back in March, so we've had the 'pleasure' of dealing with them. Can't say I recommend them. The accident was fairly serious; the van was a total loss and we both got pretty bad whiplash. Safeco is STILL refusing to pay the full medical bills; they just keep paying down a fraction of the amount and then billing us for the rest. Which goes back to the lawyer which goes back to them and they pay a little bit more, repeating the cycle over and over again. It's ridiculous.

That's in addition to the independent medical investigation they're launching at me. For a long while they were completely refusing to pay for my urgent care appointment two days after the crash. All I've asked them to cover is the ER visit, the urgent care visit, one primary care visit and the osteopathic treatments for my whiplash. No prescriptions, none of the severe psychological fallout (I stuck with substandard medicaid treatment) and yet they're suspecting me of insurance fraud.

For the latter, I don't know if it would be any different with another insurance company, sadly. But as far as only paying little bits of bills at a time and then sending the rest to us, I'm pretty sure there are better companies out there who would actually pay as outlined in the policy.

 

[introverting]

I've read that van dwellers should get a renter's policy to cover the contents of a van. I'm not sure what you would tell the insurance agent though since you're not really living in an apartment.

 

[ganchan]

Yeesh. It sounds like it's almost worth renting a spare room in somebody's house for a few hundred a month just to a have a "real" physical address that the insurer will accept. The more I look at the various complexities and confusions involved, the more I'm leaning in that direction.....

At the very least, it would make a lot of the necessary interactions with the "unenlightened ones" a heckuva lot simpler.

 

[Canine]

"Don't go to a lawyer until AFTER you've contacted your State Insurance Commission (SIC) and see what they do.  They license the individual companies in that state -- too many complaints and screwups, the company loses their license in that state and all of their business there, too."

+1 to the above.  I worked for a large insurance company for 9 years as an adjuster. Even though they are not crooked, IMHO, they do have their faults. The advice to contact the state IC was sound. Follow the steps outlined.

Next step, if not satisfied, is to contact an attorney who specializes in insurance claims, as opposed to real estate, workers comp or water law...  

Your state bar association can give you recommendations.  You can ask the attorney about filing a 1st party lawsuit, meaning you are suing your own company. They (insurance co.) don't like that because of the possible "excess verdict" or "bad faith" possibilities. Your attorney will understand that language.

First and foremost contact the insurance commissioner. Let that process work.  You mentioned that you were already represented (by an attorney) so you can either fire them if they are not aggressive enough or meet with them and ask them to step it up a notch.  Find out if you have binding arbitration clauses in your policy as well.

Good luck.

 

[DannyB1954]

 Do you think being on the road 1000's of miles a year is an exposure?  For sure!  Van Dwellers unfortunately can also be targets for theft.  Another exposure.  

I know this is an old thread, but it is the first time I read it. Many van dwellers put on less miles than people who commute from suburbs every day. 
Who isn't exposed to theft? A vehicle parked in the same place every day seems a higher risk to me. If they are watching they know what time you leave ever day, and what time you come back. They may even know you keep valuables like tools in the vehicle.

 

[masterplumber]

I know this is an old thread, but it is the first time I read it. Many van dwellers put on less miles than people who commute from suburbs every day. 
Who isn't exposed to theft? A vehicle parked in the same place every day seems a higher risk to me. If they are watching they know what time you leave ever day, and what time you come back. They may even know you keep valuables like tools in the vehicle.

This made me laugh, not in a funny, but more in a knowing way. My Brother in Law had the same truck stolen twice from the same parking spot. In a fenced employee parking area at a Costco where he works. The first time they found it right away and it was only missing the wheels. The next time it was 6 months later, in Mexico, and almost nothing was left of it. It was a nice looking crew cab diesel with nice wheels and tires - they knew exactly what they were stealing and also exactly when the best time was to steal it.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I just talked to Liberty Mutual, I said we were going for an extended trip and camping. The woman with whom I spoke said that any modifications and additions that I've added need to be covered by a special rider. I specifically asked about the solar panels, the battery bank, electronics, et cetera. She said that I need to send to Liberty Mutual, via fax or PDF to them, copies of the receipts for what we purchased (that's easy for me as most of what I bought was from Amazon). Then they would send the info to underwriting to determine the additional cost of the rider. Ain't nothing for free, eh?

But, I didn't ask about living in it full time since we do have a home base with our son and plan to tent wherever we can. And we will have renter's insurance to cover our personal belongings.

 

[cortttt]

For those of you who have had a claim (or claims), how much did  your premiums go up at the next renewal?  

For those of you who have older vehicles, do you still pay for collision?  Have you asked how much the company will actually PAY if the vehicle is totalled?  Are you paying a lot for very little?

Have you asked if any of the contents of your van are covered?  Did they laugh their heads off?

This article has some information that might be useful.  RV insurance is different from regular car insurance:
"Fulltime RVers Need An Official RV Insurance Policy"
https://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.co...online.php

I was in a serious accident several years ago that totalled both vehicles. I was 60% at fault and my insurance more than doubled. It should go down this year.