A recreational vehicle or RV is a type of vehicle used for leisure purposes. It combines transportation and accommodation features used during camping expeditions or long road trips. Examples of recreational vehicles are Campers, Motorhomes, Vans, and Travel Trailers, among others.
Although we use them at our happiest moments, recreational vehicles share a lot more with their ordinary counterparts. The unexpected could happen, and we find ourselves involved in an accident. Ordinarily, RVs don’t come cheap, and accident damages could translate to huge losses. Worse still, a third party may sustain injuries from the accident, causing more liabilities. It is for such reasons why we need to learn more about recreational vehicle insurance.
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What Is Recreational Vehicle Insurance?
Recreational vehicle insurance is an agreement between you and an insurance company. As an RV owner, the contract protects you from high out-of-pocket costs in case of theft or an accident that causes physical injury or property damage. It can also provide compensation for your rescue costs if you have a roadside breakdown. Insurance agencies have various options to choose from depending on your vehicle type and personal needs.
What Does Recreational Vehicle Insurance Cover?
What your recreational vehicle insurance covers depends on the type of policy you select. Among the options you may find at your agency may include liability, collision, comprehensive or more. You can buy extra coverage for personal belongings in your mobile home, e.g., electronics, professional equipment, e.t.c. Below are the most common options.
Basic Recreational Insurance Cover
Bodily Injury Liability Cover
This type of insurance cover helps you pay the medical bills and lost wages of a person injured when your RV causes an accident. It is mandatory in most states.
Property Damage Liability Cover
You will need this cover to safeguard you in case of damage to another person’s vehicle or property during an accident. Like bodily damage liability, property damage liability is also mandatory in many states.
Medical Payments Cover
Med pay cover helps you settle your medical bills and your passenger when your recreational vehicle gets in an accident. The medical payment coverage is applicable regardless of whose fault caused the accident.
Collision Cover
Collision policy cover pays for accident damages to your recreational vehicle, regardless of who caused it to happen. It also covers RV rollovers. If you lease or borrow money to buy your RV, your lender will most likely need you to buy recreational vehicle coverage before your financing gets approved.
Comprehensive Cover
Comprehensive insurance cover is also known as “other than collision.” The policy can help you pay for non-accident damages to your recreational vehicle. These damages include but are not limited to theft, falling objects, vandalism, fire, storms, floods, and other certain natural disasters.
Uninsured Motorist Cover
Uninsured motorist policy protects you against motorists who don’t have liability cover or money to pay for the injuries they cause you. It also protects your passenger and recreational vehicle. Uninsured motorist cover may also protect you against covered hit and run accidents. Uninsured motorist laws vary from state to state, while coverage is limited to your policy agreement.
Underinsured Motorist Cover
This type of cover protects you against motorists with insufficient insurance of their own. Under normal circumstances, the motorist at fault’s insurance covers the damages. In specific scenarios, their insurance policy limit may be below the cost needed to compensate you. That is where your underinsured motorist insurance cover helps to cover the extra amount.
Optional Recreational Insurance Coverages
Roadside Assistance Cover
Your RV may come to a halt without notice in the middle of nowhere. You will be stuck on the roadside unless you have a backup plan. As an adventurer, it is good to have roadside insurance coverage. This type of cover will help you get 24-hour emergency help if you need a jumpstart, fuel, a tow, or a tire change.
Safety Glass Replacement Cover
Safety glass replacement is a policy protecting the windscreen of your recreational vehicle. Your insurer will pay for the replacement cost in case it gets damaged.
Vacation Liability Cover
Vacation liability cover protects your RV from damages from an accident while acting as a temporary house.
Do I Need Recreational Vehicle Insurance?
You need a recreational vehicle insurance policy regardless of how much of a risk-taker you are. It is not a must that you cover everything, but you should have the bare minimum for liability. Buying an insurance policy will protect you, your passengers, pedestrians, and the RV.
