Why Your Auto Policy Won’t Cover Your Sewer Hose, and Your Home Policy Won’t Cover the Crash.
The Dangerous Gaps of Using the Wrong Insurance.
An RV is a unique hybrid, and trying to protect it with other policies creates dangerous gaps. Your auto insurance is designed for a car. It won’t cover your personal belongings inside the RV, your camping equipment, or the liability risk of a guest getting hurt at your campsite. Your homeowners insurance is designed for a fixed structure. It provides zero coverage for your RV once it leaves your driveway. You need a specialized RV policy that is also a hybrid, blending the two.
An RV is a House and a Car. It Needs Its Own Special Hybrid Policy.
The Only Way to Cover Both Risks.
An RV is a magical machine that is simultaneously a vehicle and a dwelling. Therefore, it needs a special, hybrid insurance policy that is also both. A good RV policy combines the coverages of an auto policy (liability, collision, comprehensive) with the coverages of a homeowners policy (personal property, vacation liability, emergency expenses). It is the only type of policy that is specifically designed to protect you from the full spectrum of risks you face as an RVer.
The Vacation Liability Coverage You Need When a Guest Gets Hurt at Your Campsite.
Your Auto Policy Won’t Help You Here.
Imagine a friend is visiting you at your campsite, trips on your awning stake, and breaks their ankle. Your auto liability insurance will not cover this because it wasn’t a driving accident. This is where the unique “Vacation Liability” coverage in an RV policy comes in. It acts like the liability portion of a homeowners policy, protecting you from lawsuits if someone is injured in or around your RV while it is parked and being used as a temporary residence.
How RV Insurance Covers Your Awning, Satellite Dish, and Personal Belongings.
Protecting the “House” Part of Your Motorhome.
My auto insurance covers my car, but not the laptop in the backseat. A true RV policy is different. It includes “Personal Effects Coverage” to protect all the stuff you carry inside your RV—your clothes, your computers, your kitchen supplies. It also includes specific coverage for your attached accessories, like a valuable satellite dish or a custom awning, which are considered part of the “dwelling” and are not covered by a standard auto policy.
Don’t Make the Rookie Mistake of Just Adding Your RV to Your Auto Policy.
It’s a Cheap Solution That Can Lead to a Catastrophic Loss.
Many new RV owners try to save money by simply adding their new motorhome or trailer as an extra “vehicle” on their existing auto insurance policy. This is a massive mistake. An auto policy is not designed to cover the complex risks of an RV. It will leave you with huge, uninsured gaps in coverage for your personal property, your liability at the campsite, and your specialized equipment. The small amount you save on the premium is not worth the catastrophic risk.
A Total Loss Scenario: How an RV Policy Saved an RVer from Financial Ruin.
“Agreed Value” is the Key.
My friend’s new, $150,000 motorhome was destroyed in a fire. If he had just had it on his auto policy, the company would have paid him the “Actual Cash Value,” which would have included a huge deduction for depreciation. But he had a real RV policy with “Agreed Value” coverage. They had agreed on the $150,000 value when he bought the policy. After the fire, they simply sent him a check for the full, agreed-upon $150,000. It was a simple, hassle-free process that made him whole.
The Full-Timer vs. Recreational Distinction That Auto/Home Policies Don’t Understand.
A Weekend Toy vs. a Permanent Residence.
If you live in your RV full-time, your insurance needs are completely different. You need a “Full-Timer’s” policy, which is an even more robust hybrid of auto and home insurance. It includes higher liability limits (like a home policy), scheduled personal property coverage for valuables, and “Loss of Use” coverage that will pay for you to stay in a hotel if your RV is in the shop. An auto policy has no concept of this, as it assumes you have a primary residence to return to.
This is a House on Wheels. Insure it Like One.
The Simple Mantra for Proper RV Protection.
This is the simple thought process you should have. A modern RV is a complex and valuable machine with plumbing, electrical systems, appliances, and personal belongings—it is a house. But it is also a vehicle that you drive on the highway. Your insurance must be robust enough to protect both of these realities. A specialized RV policy is the only product that is engineered from the ground up to do this correctly.
A Checklist of Coverages Your RV Needs That Your Other Policies Lack.
The Unique Risks of the RV Lifestyle.
A proper RV policy will offer a menu of specialized coverages that your auto or home policy will not. This includes:
- Total Loss Replacement Cost or Agreed Value
- Personal Effects Coverage
- Vacation Liability
- Emergency Expense Coverage
- Full-Timer’s Coverage
- Custom Equipment Coverage
- Roadside Assistance for heavy-duty vehicles
Without these, you are not properly insured.
The Costly Gaps You Create by Not Buying a Standalone RV Policy.
A Patchwork of Policies is a Recipe for Disaster.
Trying to protect your RV by relying on a patchwork of your auto and home insurance is like trying to build a boat with duct tape. There will be leaks. You will be exposed to massive, uninsured gaps in coverage for your property, your liability, and your specialized equipment. A standalone, specialized RV insurance policy is the only way to create a seamless, watertight vessel of protection for your significant investment and your unique lifestyle.