Insurance, etc. - Page 3 - Montana Owners Club

dsprik · 08-20-2006, 04:44 PM

Robbie, each state is different. Foremost in Michigan can be much different with the same coverage than in another state.

Steve, I am anxious to hear when you pick up your new "home".

Dave and Cheryl Sprik
Bellaire, MI
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2002 GMC 2500HD
4x4, Ext Cab, LB, SLE
2007 3400RL
Venetian Gold Interior
WE'RE HOME!

*** Don't EVER give up on your Dream. ***

simonsrf · 08-20-2006, 05:09 PM

David,
That MUST be the difference.

Thanks,

Robbie

Peace!
Robbie & Alice Simons
Seattle

2006 Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 SWB Laramie (LNRNGR)
2006 2980RL (TONTOW)
Line-X bed liner
Jacobs Exhaust Brake
Prodigy Brake Controller
Hijacker 24-UMS-21 Hitch
Start Fulltiming 10/2006

Driftwoodgal · 08-20-2006, 05:36 PM

Simonsrf,

Most companies that write coverages in more than one state use a loss ratio when determining their rates. When they increase rates they have to approach the insurance board of that paticular state and show that their rate increase is justified.

Rates can change on a house, boat, RV, car from state to state depending on their, the insurance companies, claim experience.

Rates in Florida and Louisiana will be going up if they haven't already from the losses that have been paid out for all of the hurricanes.

It is just like a health group health insurance policy. If you are in a plan that has lots of healthy people that don't make claims against the policy then your rates won't increase that much. If you are in a pool of people that health issues your coverage will cost you more.

It would be very hard to compare rates from state to state on an RV because coverages are not all the same in each state. If you are trying to be come a fulltimer I would look at lots of facts about insurance, state income tax, personal property tax etc before I chose a state to call my home state. After choosing the home state then you could compare quotes from different companies. Saying that make sure you compare the exact same coverages when asking for a quote.

Colleen

simonsrf · 08-21-2006, 11:11 AM

Driftwoodgal,
I get it now, thank you for explainng this very confusing subject about insurance in very simple terms. I am sure there are many people who will benefit from your post.

I did do my homework about picking a state of residence; Washington state where I now live is going to satisfy the criteria for me quite well. The quote I got from an insurance broker in Oregon surprised me that it was so low...go figure. After trying various insurance and finally being able to compare apples-to-apples, I am very satisfied.

Thanks again, Colleen.

Robbie

Peace!
Robbie & Alice Simons
Seattle

2006 Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 SWB Laramie (LNRNGR)
2006 2980RL (TONTOW)
Line-X bed liner
Jacobs Exhaust Brake
Prodigy Brake Controller
Hijacker 24-UMS-21 Hitch
Start Fulltiming 10/2006

Driftwoodgal · 08-21-2006, 04:58 PM

Robbie,

Glad I could help out a little bit. Insurance is wonderful if you understand your coverages and what you are paying for. If you think a policy covers everything then you might be disappointed when you make a claim.

You can pay premiums for years and never use it. When you have a claim you expect the insurance company to get you back to better than before because you haven't made a claim for all of these years. It doesn't work that way sometimes, that is why it is important to read your policy.

I had to tell a man that his house had no coverage because of rising water in his 500K house. He had water back up and enter his house because of an outside drain that was blocked by leaves. If the drain had been cleared he wouldn't have had any damage to his home. I tried to explain about the part of his policy that excluded the rising water. He didn't want to hear about it and said he would contact an attorney. He didn't win against the insurance company as it clearly states about rising water. So the moral to the story..... read all of your poicies life, auto, RV, health, property. Lots us good information out there if you read it.

Colleen

ols1932 · 08-21-2006, 11:18 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by simonsrf

Orv,
Are you a Texas resident, because that might be the discrepency? I live in Washington and will use it as my resident state, and comparing apples-to-apples Explorer RV was considerably higher for me than Miller...I am not sure if the state of residency makes a difference or not, I never checked that part out....and I thought I had spent enough time to cover all the bases, dumb me.

I hate insurance companies!!

Robbie

Peace!
Robbie & Alice Simons
Seattle

Yes, when we sold our house in Iowa we needed an address where we could vote. So we selected Texas (that's where the Escapees RV Club has their Headquarters and Mail Service). When we did that, State Farm dropped us because we were full time and had a Texas address. We then went with RV Alliance (now AON) and after two years the underwriter in Texas decided not to write any more policies in Texas. RV Alliance (AON) then switched us to Progressive and they wanted way, way too much for their insurance in Texas. We then learned about Explorer RV after checking with several other agencies, Miller included, and Explorer was the most reasonable. All the insurance companies tell me, that you MUST insure your vehicles in the state in which they are registered. Since we did not have a valid address in Iowa, we could not retain our Iowa insurance. If you'll note when you fill out any vehicle insurance application, it asks you where are the vehicles registered. If you register them in one state while obtaining insurance with an address from another state, you are filling out the forms fraudently. State Farm told me that insurance companies are not liable for any damages if you do this. That's why we had to register in Texas. I just checked with registering them in South Dakota and New Mexico, but the rates in those two states are comparable to Texas rates, for us for some reason. So, we'll stay with our present insurance.
Sorry this reply is so long but I wanted to get it out there as to why we insured the way we did.

Orv

Glenn and Lorraine · 08-22-2006, 12:32 AM

Hopefully within the next year or so we will also be changing our state of residence to Texas. We picked Florida as this is where Lorraine's father, niece and sister live but the Florida insurance rates are killing us. In Florida the rates are also based on the county you reside in and Pinellas County, where we located, is the highest.

Driftwoodgal, You stated "Rates in Florida and Louisiana will be going up if they haven't already from the losses that have been paid out for all of the hurricanes." The rates in Florida were already up and are continuing to climb even higher.

Glenn
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Glenn and Lorraine

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Driftwoodgal · 08-22-2006, 03:00 AM

Glen,

I have a brother that lives in Florida who owns a 28' boat, 4 restaurants, I have no clue how many vehicles, and a house on the a canal 10 minutes from the Gulf. I know how high the rates are as I hear him talk about them. Rates have been going up in Florida for years now not only because of the hurricanes but more people are moving to Florida so more claims.

Orv,

Have you tried Foremost Insurance in Texas? They write coverage in Texas and dsprik got his full time insurance with them.

If you would like for me to do some phone calling for you to local agents in Texas send me a PM and I will try to hook you up with a agent.

Colleen

simonsrf · 08-22-2006, 04:51 AM

Orv, and Colleen,

I appreciate your replies. We have already moved our address to a UPS mail forwarding address here in Washington. Our insurance is written by Miller in Oregon with the WA rates, so I (think) we are doing everything right....but we are subject to change and will continue to investigate ways to slim our negative flow of money.

BTW, before picking Miller, I had tried Progressive, The Hartford (AARP), Foremost, and several others, their names escape me. I was so surprised by the final quote I got from Miller, they were about 2/3 the price of the others with the same coverage (apples-to-apples).

Thanks again everyone.

Robbie

Peace!
Robbie & Alice Simons
Seattle

2006 Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 SWB Laramie (LNRNGR)
2006 2980RL (TONTOW)
Line-X bed liner
Jacobs Exhaust Brake
Prodigy Brake Controller
Hijacker 24-UMS-21 Hitch
Start Fulltiming 10/2006

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sreigle · 08-22-2006, 06:17 AM

Glenn, if you want better insurance rates, consider South Dakota. They have either the 3rd or 4th lowest rates in the nation. That's from the alternative resources site at www.alternativeresources.net .

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

ols1932 · 08-23-2006, 03:51 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Driftwoodgal

Orv,

Have you tried Foremost Insurance in Texas? They write coverage in Texas and dsprik got his full time insurance with them.

If you would like for me to do some phone calling for you to local agents in Texas send me a PM and I will try to hook you up with a agent.

Colleen

Yes Colleen, I checked out Foremost and they were even higher than Progressive. It's interesting that my rates seem to be higher than what others have said, even though a perfect driving record (no moving accidents, claims, etc.). I do know that some are registering in Texas and getting insurance in other states--a definite no, no. I've talked to some of them and all they'll say is, "I haven't been caught, yet."

Orv

Driftwoodgal · 08-23-2006, 04:44 PM

Orv,

When push comes to shove the insured has to come up with the documents proving their loss. I would think those that aren't legal will possibly pay more in the end IF they have a loss. Insurance is a gamble, if you don't need it then you have paid someone money for nothing. If you have a loss then you have a big smile on your face when you get paid.

Now if you pay a premium and you don't feel that the insurance company is giving you a fair shake then you best check out the wording of your policy and then call the insurance board. I would call the attorney as a last resort as they take a percentage if they win most of the time. A complaint letter to the insurance board costs you 39 cents.

The best insurance is knowing what is covered and what isn't and then adding additional coverage if needed.

For those of you that full time and carry all sorts of tools have you checked if you have coverage for them? I am learning about the RV coverage at the present time but know that there are restrictions in home coverages for certain things like tools, satillite dishes etc.

Colleen

virgil47 · 08-26-2006, 05:57 AM

Please do not confuse National Interstate ins co with Interstate National. We are currently dealing with Interstate National in Uniondale, NY on an extended warranty claim. So far, it is not the most pleasant experience. I will report more when the situation is resolved.

Virgil & Jo Allmond

1998 Volvo 610, 425hp, 14 Speed tranny

STICK HOUSE IS IN Suches, GA

TODAY WE ARE IN A 3555RL IN Whitehorse, YT, Canada

See Our blog at...
Virgil47's Blog

dsprik · 08-26-2006, 06:57 AM

This looks like as good as spot as any to ask this. Don't think I need a new thread...

What is everyone insuring their "CONTENTS" for ($$$) on their policy? I know furiture and appliances are all warranty issues, then extended warranty issues. However, if something catastropic happens to the Montana (storm damage, accident on the road, vandalisn, etc), how do we get an accurate figure for the insurance company for this figure?

Are items like the desk part of the "structure" of the Montana, or what? And how about the bed? Fireplace? Built in chest of drawers? Mirrors?

It's Saturday, otherwise I ask my insurance co, but I really would want input from the MOC anyway on this.

I guess I have never seen a topic on this - how do you figure this?

Dave and Cheryl Sprik
Bellaire, MI
[img]http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/gizmotimetemp/language/www/US/MI/Bellaire.gif"border=0
alt="Click for Bellaire, Michigan Forecast" height=41 width=127[/img] [img]http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/sunandmoon150/language/www/US/MI/Bellaire.gif" border=0
alt="Click for Bellaire, Michigan Forecast" height=41 width=147[/img]

2002 GMC 2500HD
4x4, Ext Cab, LB, SLE
2007 3400RL
Venetian Gold Interior
WE'RE HOME!

*** Don't EVER give up on your Dream. ***

ols1932 · 08-26-2006, 07:13 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Driftwoodgal

Orv,

When push comes to shove the insured has to come up with the documents proving their loss. I would think those that aren't legal will possibly pay more in the end IF they have a loss. Insurance is a gamble, if you don't need it then you have paid someone money for nothing. If you have a loss then you have a big smile on your face when you get paid.

Now if you pay a premium and you don't feel that the insurance company is giving you a fair shake then you best check out the wording of your policy and then call the insurance board. I would call the attorney as a last resort as they take a percentage if they win most of the time. A complaint letter to the insurance board costs you 39 cents.

The best insurance is knowing what is covered and what isn't and then adding additional coverage if needed.

For those of you that full time and carry all sorts of tools have you checked if you have coverage for them? I am learning about the RV coverage at the present time but know that there are restrictions in home coverages for certain things like tools, satillite dishes etc.

Colleen

Colleen, I have no problem with National Interstate that I get through Explorer RV. They were the best rates for me and their claim service has been great. We are fully insured with an umbrella policy to cover us in the event of a catastrophe. Contents, tools, etc., have coverage up to $10,000.

Orv

sreigle · 08-26-2006, 05:40 PM

Dave, you want contents coverage for those things you would not receive if you got a new rig. In other words, it would have a refrigerator, so that's not part of contents coverage. But it won't have Cheryl's necklace that is stashed away in the rig somewhere. I have forgotten just how much contents coverage we have and that is all tucked away behind what we've accumulated for the new rig.

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

dsprik · 08-28-2006, 02:55 AM

Now this is as confusing as I thought it might be...

How about the TVs? So table /chairs, recliners, couch is NOT "contents"? That would leave only our clothes, tools, dishes, computer?

Sounds like only about $3K would handle this... We don't have a lot of money tied up in tools - probably only $200-$300 worth on board...

Dave and Cheryl Sprik
Bellaire, MI
[img]http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/gizmotimetemp/language/www/US/MI/Bellaire.gif"border=0
alt="Click for Bellaire, Michigan Forecast" height=41 width=127[/img] [img]http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/sunandmoon150/language/www/US/MI/Bellaire.gif" border=0
alt="Click for Bellaire, Michigan Forecast" height=41 width=147[/img]

2002 GMC 2500HD
4x4, Ext Cab, LB, SLE
2007 3400RL
Venetian Gold Interior
WE'RE HOME!

*** Don't EVER give up on your Dream. ***

jsrang · 08-28-2006, 03:12 AM

Dave, The contents are as Steve described. I think our coverage is also $10K for contents, like clothes, etc which is more then enough coverage for our purpose. The $10K figure I believe is standard for National Interstate (My policy is tucked away in Monty that I don't have access to for another couple days, so I can't confirm until then). Hope this helps.

Jim

Jim & Marilyn Rang
2004 2500 CC Silverado SRW Duramax/Allison
2005 3650 Montana RK

FulltimeFollies · 08-28-2006, 03:15 AM

When we figure our value of contents, we use the following assumption:

What would you take to walk away from your unit and never come back? The only thing you get to take is the dirty shorts and tshirt on your back.

Driftwoodgal · 08-28-2006, 03:25 AM

Dave,

Contents would be anything that you have added to your Montana after your PDI. All of the things that you exchange from the original purchase list would also become contents. Ex..if you added a more expensive couch from you original purchase of the Montana then you would need to figure something like that in to your contents.

Colleen

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