hello again,
After perusing several sites yesterday, I'd really appreciate recommendations for RV insurance and what in particular I need to know to get the best coverage I can for a 33 yr old vehicle.
I haven't owned another vehicle in months...so will be getting insurance from scratch this time.

thanks for all the information/goodwill

For me, Progressive offered a lower stand-alone premium for the Barth than combining coverage with my other vehicles.....

Simple, on-line purchase, w/ an #800 number answered by a real person....

Having said that, I've never had a claim, so I don't really know if I've got a good deal or not.......

Thanks Lee,
I used progressive for years, but had a rollover wreck in '03 and discovered I'd not read my policy closely enough. although I had comprehensive, they'd sold me a policy WITHOUT collision coverage despite my insistence/request I be covered under any circumstances...AFTER the wreck they explained that 'comprehensive" is specialized insurance language with a different meaning than one might expect. It does NOT mean it covers everything...and even though I'd requested 'complete coverage', since I didn't specify I wanted collision, it hadn't been included. some expensive lessons for me - along with the PTSD associated with driving on the highway or at night which continues to interfere with my life.

Additonally, progressive conveniently had 'lost' the recording made of the phone call with the sales rep.- so I only had medical coverage for the wreck, and the car was totaled.

they were excellent with claims response before that, but that entire experience left me with a huge distaste for them and residual distrust of national firms without local offices. Progressive is on my black list indefinitely now.

I do expect to have at least one other vehicle added this year for errands, etc. so a stand alone policy may not be best for me.

What stimulated this topic was reading on the FMCA website about getting insurance for an RV from a company that does a lot of RV insuring- an idea I hadn't considered and prefer advice on from actual Barth owners.

Gulp.......Thanks for the head's-up regarding Progressive. Guess I better do a little homework and make sure I have the coverage that the nice sweet voice on the phone said I had.......

In my favor is the fact that I knowingly don't carry collision....At 28 years vintage, there's a law of diminishing returns involved here. Should my pride-n-joy get bent up, I guess it'll just hasten my search for the perfect Breakaway

Lee, it was my fault I didn't have the coverage since they always tell you to read the policy for errors...but I was in healing school and working full time, with a lot on my plate... so I put it off and forgot about it for about 3 years... I was driving an 81 mercedes 300TD wagon that had been restored with a new engine a few years before I acquired it- so it really hurt to lose it.
Acccording to the specialized language used by insurance people, collision insurance covers anything that happens to your car in a wreck, while comprehensive insurance covers things such as vandalism and non-wreck occurences, but they do NOT overlap. (as I now understand it, 'comprehensive' translates 'limited to non-wreck damage' the way they use it.) My single car wreck was considered a collision even though I never hit anything while rolling over... I've learned to ask what terms mean rather than assume that just because it is an English word that I understand how it is being used. It was a hard but valuable lesson.

Lee, sounds like you're in the same boat as me. Progressive is by far the cheapest for stand alone, get you legal, RV liability insurance, and when we have 25 + year old gassers, they aren't gonna give us much anyway, so for me it's the way to go. A more valuable coach would of course need much more coverage and I can't vouch for any one over the other in this respect. I will put in a good word for AAA RV Plus towing service. Needed it once and they were great.

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Dan & Suzy Z
'81 Euro 28

"Good Sam" is actually GMAC. Good Sam's selling point is: they know RVs and the value thereof. This may be good or bad, depending; I tend to think a coach claim will be fairer with the "Good Sam" reputation. No claims with the (2) coaches in 17 years but the few auto bumps and dings have been handled perfectly.
PS: I'm leery of GEICO, down here in San Antone - they have a local reputation for playing hardball on claims.
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"You are what you drive" - Clint Eastwood

[This message has been edited by Gunner (edited January 31, 2006).]

I'm a recovering insurance peddler, and have or still (as a consultant) represent/ed Progressive, GMAC, AIG, Foremost, and Auto-Owners.

Progressive has the swiftest, and close to the best claims service; Auto-Owners is about the best, but they don't do the 24/7 thing. GMAC and AIG are new to the game, and claims service has at times been spotty, although both are improving. Foremost used to have the broadest coverage, at a price, but mediocre speed on claims.

While Auto-Owners policy is somewhat skimpy on the fringe coverages; however, if one has an Auto-Owners homeowners, Personal Property (a/k/a "Contents" - Coverage C) is available 100% off-premises (most policies provide 10%).

As to "Collision" and "Comprehensive". The policy insuring agreement calls them "Collision or Upset" (The vehicle hits another, a fixed object, or overturns), and (I'm not making this up), "Other than Collision".

Since Progressive deals both directly and through agents, their policies are widely available. Years ago, one could call Pprogressive, then go to an agent to write the policy. We found significant errors on the part of the Progressive rep in over 80% of those quotes. Some were serious. I recommend using an agent whenever possible, so at least you have someone to grab by the throat.

Alternatively, use the website, so a printout can be had.

And if there are questions, PM me or post here.

Are you sure about the Good Sam GMAC connection? Perhaps GMAC underwrites GS insurance however Good Sam is a division of the Affinity Group of Ventura, CA.

They own,

RV.net
Good Sams
Motorhome Magazine
Trailer Life Magazine
Camping World
Woodalls
Coast to Coast
RV Today TV show
Affinity Insurance

I think they own Lazy Days RV in FL but I could be wrong about that and there is a rumor that they are going after Escapees

not to mention

American Rider
Archery Business
ATV Magazine
ATV Sport
Black's Archery/Bowhunting Directory
Black's Flyfishing Directory
Black's Wing & Clay Directory
Boating Industry
Bow Hunting World
Cruising Rider
Powersports Business
Rev
Rider
SnowGoer
Snowmobile
Snow Week
Thunder Press
Watercraft World
Woman Rider




------------------

I WAS sure; now that I actually think on it, perhaps not. Years ago, I had Good Sam Ins. on the coach and car; over the years it has somehow morphed into GMAC. Perhaps I, too, should pay attention to my policy!!!

quote:

Originally posted by davebowers:
Are you sure about the Good Sam GMAC connection? Perhaps GMAC underwrites GS insurance however Good Sam is a division of the Affinity Group of Ventura, CA.

They own,

RV.net
Good Sams
Motorhome Magazine
Trailer Life Magazine
Camping World
Woodalls
Coast to Coast
RV Today TV show
Affinity Insurance

[b]I think they own Lazy Days RV in FL but I could be wrong about that and there is a rumor that they are going after Escapees

not to mention

American Rider
Archery Business
ATV Magazine
ATV Sport
Black's Archery/Bowhunting Directory
Black's Flyfishing Directory
Black's Wing & Clay Directory
Boating Industry
Bow Hunting World
Cruising Rider
Powersports Business
Rev
Rider
SnowGoer
Snowmobile
Snow Week
Thunder Press
Watercraft World
Woman Rider


[/B]

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"You are what you drive" - Clint Eastwood

GMAC is Good Sam's official, endorsed, carrier; I doubt there's ownership, as most state insurance commissioners would forbid it.

GMAC Insurance, which at one time insured only GM dealers, bought Integon, which had just bought Burlington (of NC), thus entering the personal auto, commercial auto, and motorcycle market.

At one time Integon was the largest non-standard (read: drivers-with-tickets) insurer in our agency. Integon/Burlington did a terrific job in all respects until the GMAC acquisition. Since then, performance in all areas has steadily deteriorated.

I have my every day drivers insured by GMAC and saved a significant amount by adding our Barth to my regular auto policy. I had gone to Good Sam/GMAC for their quote and once I had it the gal suggested I check to see if it would be cheaper to add it to my automotive policy. She was right! My experience with GMAC has been very good with prompt service, changes and claims. GMAC is still owned by General Motors and I don't believe anybody has bought them (yet).

This falls into the "who cares" category...

Many of the comapnies that originally started by insuring non-standard drivers (in insurance lingo, youthful drivers, drivers with more than one ticket, or hit-list cars (Corvette, Boss 302, Z-28) have expanded into the standard, preferred and ultra-preferred markets. Progressive was the first, but now AIG, GMAC, and Mercury have followed suit.

I first represented Progressive in 1981, and the name suits them - they are truly forward-thinking, unafraid to try new things (some of which have bombed at great expense to P), but they sincerely are working to improve the way they do business. My experience has been that they are extremely customer-oriented.

I've had Progressive for the last 6 years. Although I've never had an accident till yesterday, I've used their road service a number of times with great results.

I'll let everyone know how thier collision coverage is.

Eric,

Was this accident with your Barth?

I have my insurance with my car insurance carrier (Commerce). Here in Massachusetts, GEICO, Progressive etc. cannot write policy as we are a no-fault state. That bad for us. There is some political effort now to change that, I hope it happens.

Bill G