Full timer Insurance getting hard to come by, especially if you have an MDT or HDT tow vehicle.

jperry29 · February 9, 2022

I’ve been a fulltimer for ten years and getting proper insurance for the 5th wheel and my HDT has always been a more difficult process than insuring a sticks and bricks and “normal” vehicles. But recently the places you can go to have dwindled to a scarce few and even those are expressing great reluctance at taking any new policies.

I have been in the market for a new MDT (Ford F-550) for twenty months and I finally snagged one last week. In anticipation of eventually getting a new truck last summer I started applying with my current insurer, National General, through a broker. Up until the point I had a VIN to give them, this week, they, National General, would not agree to insure me and said I needed to find somebody else to insure my existing MDT because they were not going to renew at the expiration of my current policy.

My broker was a great advocate for me and eventually negotiated a policy for the new truck. I’m essentially being grandfathered in as an existing multi-year policy holder. But what a journey to get here. If I had been coming as a new applicant I don’t think I would have had a chance at getting coverage. And I’m only good for a year. They may not renew.

My broker said that she is experiencing this situation everywhere she turns. This is second hand information but there are unofficial communications from Progessive that they are looking into exiting fulltimers policies all together. The driving force behind this reassessment is that it seems a great number of us fulltimers got hammered by storms (tornados and hail being the worst) last year to the point where thousands of rigs that had to be totaled. No insurance company is a fan of loosing money on a market segment they service.

So, not looking for solutions, this is just kind of a heads-up/rant. The only thing for sure is that it will be different come this time next year. Hoping for improvement but doubting it.

Edited February 13, 2022 by jperry29

Blues · February 19, 2022

On 2/8/2022 at 7:48 PM, jperry29 said:

The driving force behind this reassessment is that it seems a great number of us fulltimers got hammered by storms (tornados and hail being the worst) last year to the point where thousands of rigs that had to be totaled. No insurance company is a fan of loosing money on a market segment they service.

I've always been curious about the "garaging location" on fulltimer policies. It's obviously a (necessary) fiction that the insurance companies not only allow but require, but nevertheless, the premiums are based on that location even though almost by definition, a fulltimer's RV will not actually be there and subject to the perils common in that location, which is what the premium for comprehensive insurance is based on.

But I do have some doubts about the driving force behind the reassessment. Unless it was a tornado or massive hailstorm in February in Phoenix or the Rio Grande Valley, where lots of fulltime rigs are concentrated at the same time in just a few zip codes, I don't see how there could have been such a remarkable number of them being damaged. Fulltimers are almost always scattered across the country, and if an unusual number of them happened to be hit by hail or tornadoes, I assume an insurance company would understand that it's more likely a statistical anomaly rather than a situation unique to fulltimers before deciding to stop insuring that whole segment.

Also, aren't losses made up for with increased premiums? I remember my comprehensive premium almost doubling once, and I asked my agent because I hadn't made any claims, and she said they were adjusting premiums for everybody to account for comprehensive claims they'd had to pay out in "my" area (even though my RV isn't actually in that area).

I'm sure there are reasons for insurance companies to exit a market, but this just doesn't seem like one that would inevitably lead to the insurance companies making more money, which is the only reason they do anything.

GlennWest · February 20, 2022

I don't have any problems with insurance. We use Miller Insurance Agency and we change companies some times due to cost increases but stay with Miller.

Edited February 20, 2022 by GlennWest

jperry29 · February 20, 2022

My understanding is that Miller is the broker, somebody else is the actual underwriter. Who is it you/Miller are getting to do the underwriting so easily?

And are you buying true full timers insurance with an MDT tow vehicle?

GlennWest · February 20, 2022

Go to the HDT section or just do a search for Miller. Several links to them.

jperry29 · February 21, 2022

Glenn, sorry man but YOU said you didn’t have any problems with insurance and YOU said you use Miller. So my questions were specifically to you. I have long researched the source you suggested and many more with the results I outlined in my OP. I want to know what company you had no problem in getting full timers insurance and MDT insurance.

rickeieio · February 21, 2022

While in the process of switching trucks, I reached out to Miller and was told none of the companies they brokered for would insure our rig unless it was hitched up. That means no bob-tailing for groceries, fuel, repairs, etc. They were adamant about that requirement. So, I tried again with my old broker (Lazy Days RV in Tampa), and got hold of a person who was familiar with our type truck. In just a few minutes, I had my policy for the newer truck.

So, while we're not full timers, this illustrates that some people within a brokerage may give you different answers.

BTW, I had the old truck insured with Progressive, one of the companies Miller quoted was Progressive, and in the end, we still have Progressive. The only difference was the person on the other end of the phone.

GlennWest · February 21, 2022

With progressive now. Thur Miller

ChaseTheRide · May 4, 2022

I use to work for Progressive and know claims and underwriters for the company still. Progressive will only write a HDT as commercial. If your agent went around this and wrote the policy in most smaller claims they will cover then cancel you. I also have head of people having to get lawyers because the writing in the policy state it did not cover the vehicle type the policy was written for. I always suggest reading your policy in full with one off rigs like our HDTs. Progressive only insures class 8’s as commercial. They will insure you as an individual on the truck under commercial but it’s costly.

Currently in South Dakota written by an agent under Nation wide and have in writing we are a Volvo class 8 registered as a motorhome. Have read the policy and am comfortable with it. They required us to insure both Volvo and 5ther in order to do the policy.

Sculptor · May 4, 2022

16 hours ago, ChaseTheRide said:

Currently in South Dakota written by an agent under Nation wide and have in writing we are a Volvo class 8 registered as a motorhome. Have read the policy and am comfortable with it. They required us to insure both Volvo and 5ther in order to do the policy.

I am in SD also, with a Nationwide RV policy, and after the Herrmann agency rep/agent called around, was told yesterday the VIN in the Nationwide database is class 8. She says there seems to be no recourse. Nationwide will not renew. I have not heard the final word on a commercial policy yet.

I would be interested to hear more details about your agency since I am searching again.

GlennWest · May 4, 2022

22 hours ago, ChaseTheRide said:

I use to work for Progressive and know claims and underwriters for the company still. Progressive will only write a HDT as commercial. If your agent went around this and wrote the policy in most smaller claims they will cover then cancel you. I also have head of people having to get lawyers because the writing in the policy state it did not cover the vehicle type the policy was written for. I always suggest reading your policy in full with one off rigs like our HDTs. Progressive only insures class 8’s as commercial. They will insure you as an individual on the truck under commercial but it’s costly.

Currently in South Dakota written by an agent under Nation wide and have in writing we are a Volvo class 8 registered as a motorhome. Have read the policy and am comfortable with it. They required us to insure both Volvo and 5ther in order to do the policy.

Mine is. Progressive knows actually what it is too. But they required it and my Teton on same policy. Also mine is registered as a MH in Texas

jperry29 · May 5, 2022

I think there is a fine point that is being missed in my OP. My lament about insurance was in regard to getting a new policy.

I too have had insurance from multiple companies over the ten years of full timing. It was only on the advent of a new truck in March of this year that I bumped into the difficulties I outlined.

So my original heads-up still stands, getting new insurance is getting to be a real problem.

Sculptor · May 5, 2022

I just got a quote from a SD based agency with Progressive and the dollar amount seems about average, but the hitch requirement is part of the deal, so I will continue to look.
Much harder when we don’t have any cell signal at all, and Wi-Fi is mostly not available. Our temporary situation this month.

ChaseTheRide · May 7, 2022

On 5/4/2022 at 12:10 PM, Sculptor said:

I am in SD also, with a Nationwide RV policy, and after the Herrmann agency rep/agent called around, was told yesterday the VIN in the Nationwide database is class 8. She says there seems to be no recourse. Nationwide will not renew. I have not heard the final word on a commercial policy yet.

I would be interested to hear more details about your agency since I am searching again.

Well not what I wanted to hear. We are with Herrmann also. Insurance companies do change underwriting. We had to send in pics when our policy was originally written think they wanted registration, and interior pics showing sleeping and cooking area. I might be shopping in November when renewal comes up also.

Sculptor · May 15, 2022

So far I got zero satisfaction from Herrmann. Just a mistake was made somewhere, and my truck is getting the boot. It doesn’t matter they have insured others with HDT RV’s.

Edited May 15, 2022 by Sculptor