Insurance Headache

[the7exp]

Hello all,

I have a headache with all these insurance companies. I've been trying to get a insurance conversion for my bus through progressive since my friend has had the same policy with them for a while now.

So first I try doing it online, everything is all fine until I go to put in the VIN number. It says "this insurance can not be a converted bus". My friend tells me he has never had that option pop up before. So I call progressive, the lady representative clearly didnt know what she was doing, so she spoke with her supervisor and told me to give them the name of the company that did the professional bus conversion, so I said I'll call back with the info. I call back and now they suddenly change their minds, "we can not insure it due to it being a non-acceptable risk".

So is progressive being selective now in RV conversions? This is ridiculous.

[JDSquared]

Progressive not insuring skoolie conversions is a common theme here now. Search for Kelly Newsome on here. Call her and she will find an Allstate agent that's near you and walk them through writing the policy for you.

People seem to have good luck with State farm also. But I think the conversion needs to be finished first

[Danjo]

National General

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by Danjo

National General

They don't cover full-time.

[john61ct]

HowTo find insurance for your state

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f18/h...ate-28907.html

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

They don't cover full-time.

Does anyone? It’s just stupid that they will
Insure class A motor homes full time, but nothing else.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Does anyone? It’s just stupid that they will
Insure class A motor homes full time, but nothing else.

Wondering who does....

[john61ct]

It is entirely possible to live "most of the time" and get the same insurance coverage as s&b dwellers.

Of course you should not be flaunting the fact that you have no fixed address to **any** officials or bureaucrats, as far as the mainstream is concerned that means you are homeless, likely dangerous or mentally ill, and certainly suspect.

Rarely is it necessary to outright lie either, just make sure the fields in their databases paint a picture of a normally productive and stable taxpaying wage-slave citizen.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by john61ct

It is entirely possible to live "most of the time" and get the same insurance coverage as s&b dwellers.

Of course you should not be flaunting the fact that you have no fixed address to **any** officials or bureaucrats, as far as the mainstream is concerned that means you are homeless, likely dangerous or mentally ill, and certainly suspect.

Rarely is it necessary to outright lie either, just make sure the fields in their databases paint a picture of a normally productive and stable taxpaying wage-slave citizen.

Having had time to think about this, I'm not really going to be "full timing". I don't plan to be without an address and the bus is going to be parked all but 2 weeks a year. I'm going to go back to NG and try to explain my use case again...

[john61ct]

Find a supportive experienced **agent**

[Danjo]

NG asked me if I intended to live in my bus more than six months per year. I assume this is their maximum.

[sutphinins]

Full timers in RVs are acceptable by some carriers, others won't do them. National General won't do full timers in a conversion, that may be country-wide or it may vary by state. VA is a state where they will not.

Personally I think the thing a lot of people here forget is that these are DIY conversions. They aren't standardized and well documented constructions from an RV manufacturer. The carriers can't access a database and get information about your vehicles, only the chassis. When I do a quote I can't choose a year, make, and model and one of the customization options that was available for that particular combination.

Some of the policies you've been able to get were probably exceptions. The National General policies I've been able to do all required an underwriter to personally review the quote and the photos.

I agree with the suggestion of finding an agent, but I'm a little biased since I am one. Just remember, garbage in-garbage out. If you aren't truthful when trying to get your insurance, you may not have insurance when you try to use it.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by Danjo

NG asked me if I intended to live in my bus more than six months per year. I assume this is their maximum.

I opened the conversation back up with them and can confirm this. 6 months is waaaaay more than enough for my use case.

Originally Posted by sutphinins

Personally I think the thing a lot of people here forget is that these are DIY conversions. They aren't standardized and well documented constructions from an RV manufacturer. The carriers can't access a database and get information about your vehicles, only the chassis. When I do a quote I can't choose a year, make, and model and one of the customization options that was available for that particular combination.

This makes me think what we really need is the establishment of a standard.

While there are a few potential modifications to the chassis (adding a hitch, extending the rear for a deck, etc), most conversions occur against the cabin so this shouldn't be impossible. The cabin needs to be suitable for the chassis in terms of size and weight and the infrastructure in the cabin needs to meet standards modeled after building code, but modified where applicable.

If I had an obvious standard to build to when I started, I would have targeted it in all infrastructure decisions.

[sutphinins]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

This makes me think what we really need is the establishment of a standard.

While there are a few potential modifications to the chassis (adding a hitch, extending the rear for a deck, etc), most conversions occur against the cabin so this shouldn't be impossible. The cabin needs to be suitable for the chassis in terms of size and weight and the infrastructure in the cabin needs to meet standards modeled after building code, but modified where applicable.

If I had an obvious standard to build to when I started, I would have targeted it in all infrastructure decisions.

A construction standard would probably make more carriers comfortable with insuring a skoolie. As it is most of the buses I've been able to insure conform to the standard underwriting guide I've been told by an underwriter. No frame modifications, no rooftop stuff except solar panels, no wood stoves, no full timers and no double deckers.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by sutphinins

A construction standard would probably make more carriers comfortable with insuring a skoolie. As it is most of the buses I've been able to insure conform to the standard underwriting guide I've been told by an underwriter. No frame modifications, no rooftop stuff except solar panels, no wood stoves, no full timers and no double deckers.

I do have a little wood stove, which is of limited utility to me as-is. Is removing it and covering the hole typically enough to satisfy the insurers who don't like them?

[john61ct]

Plenty of times, a good detailed written journal and/or build thread, lots of pics & details on materials used, best practice techniques especially on the safety aspects

keep all your receipts etc

will greatly help your supportive DIY-experienced agent go to bat for you

The company underwriters don't know you, but they have been working with the agent for decades

and have his payout vs premium ratios on tap, really that's the bottom line they're just bookies and need historical numbers to feel OK playing the odds.

[john61ct]

It is **possible** that documenting your knowledge of and compliance with applicable regulatory standards

NFPA & ANSI

National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) & Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)

and those of self-regulation bodies like RVIA

will help your case.

But IMO only marginally worth all the extra effort for a once off build.

Especially since it is so much easier to just "virtually garage" the vehicle in a completely different jurisdiction.

[john61ct]

Another issue is the negotiated top-line value being insured.

Trying to get your labor time in there is taking the piss IMO, best to get a sampling of market value data and basically shoot for a reasonable point using that and supported by your components / materials receipts.

And be aware that negotiated value will be depreciated each year, that needs to be renegotiated periodically or start over shopping it around.

A rider on a renter's policy can also cover specific high-value contents like AV and computers.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by sutphinins

No frame modifications

Does "frame modifications" mean mods to the truck part (like the chassis rails) or to the bus body? I've had to do a substantial rebuild of the floor of my bus around the wheel wells, and I wonder if that will affect the possibility of my getting full RV coverage (I currently have RV coverage with Allstate but it's liability-only).

[sutphinins]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

I do have a little wood stove, which is of limited utility to me as-is. Is removing it and covering the hole typically enough to satisfy the insurers who don't like them?

I see it the same way as the carriers that won't allow woodstoves in outbuildings. You have to get rid of the stove itself and remove all the connections and fix any holes. If you take it out and cover the flue to get insurance then have smoke damage or a fire from a woodstove, it will not be covered. You'll also most likely get cancelled for misrepresentation if you tried to file a claim. Getting cancelled for misrep. nulls your entire policy and you get refunded back to the original effective date of the policy. So in essence you never had the policy.

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Does "frame modifications" mean mods to the truck part (like the chassis rails) or to the bus body? I've had to do a substantial rebuild of the floor of my bus around the wheel wells, and I wonder if that will affect the possibility of my getting full RV coverage (I currently have RV coverage with Allstate but it's liability-only).

I only asked about roof raising with my underwriter and they came back with no frame modifications. You'd need to go over specifics with the agent you're working with so they can find out.