Are your insurance rates going up like mine?

[djb75]

We have coverage with Progressive through an arrangement they have with USAA. I put in a claim several years ago and my annual premium went up by about 50% as a result. At the time, I was told the increase would come off if I went three years without another claim. I just got my annual renewal notice and our premium did not go down; instead it went up about $17. Progressive is telling me that they did remove the claim from my record, but other costs have gone up so much that it is offsetting the amount our rates should have come down.

Are the rest of you seeing your rates going up dramatically (e.g., about $1000/yr) as well - or am I getting a song and dance here and need to start shopping around again?

[djb75]

I went to Progressive's website and filled in information like I was a new customer requesting a quote. The amount came out pretty close to what I'm now paying, so apparently that is the newer rate. So it goes!

[skucera]

My trailer's insurance is surprisingly expensive too. There are lots of factors we can't control, like where we live and how often other people with trailers like ours file for claims on average. There are some factors we can control, like our credit rating, which also affects insurance rates.

Remember, you can always shop around, and use the other quotes to haggle better prices... or just change to another insurance company if it really saves you money. Insurance is a business in the end, even in states with regulated rates. Just saying... I feel your pain.

Good luck,
Scott

[djb75]

Interestingly, when I used their website to get a new quote, the ACV of my trailer went up $10.5k and they added in pest and roof coverage - with a quoted price of $4/yr more than what I pay now. So it looks like my best bet for them is to cancel my policy and get a new one. Will be calling them tomorrow to see if we can't negotiate something a little less silly!

[uraljohn]

Owned a home in Naples, Florida for 24 years. (1990/2014). I learned very early on, way before the insurance crisis now happening in Florida, to shop all insurance every year. Car, home, boat, RV, Motorcycle, everything. I still do that even though I now live in a fairly stable insurance market of Western North Carolina. Be surprised how much can be saved by annual review/shopping policies. Happy hunting.

[Andy543]

One thing I found out about trailer insurance is that the premiums will vary depending on where you park the trailer, rather than where it's registered. At least that's the case with my insurance company. In this respect, trailer insurance is more like homeowners' insurance than car insurance. So, if you park it in Florida where hurricanes are common, expect to pay very high premiums, but if you park it up North most of the time, it will less than half the price.

Another point about Airstream insurance: you better have it. The cost to repair these aluminum trailers is comparable to repairing an airplane.

[coasttocoast]

Years ago, my first job out of college was an auto underwriter for a non-standard insurance company, meaning that we covered people who were not preferred. Progressive was a competitor. Most customers had multiple tickets or accidents and paid a higher premium for the coverage. Try to get as many discounts as possible and definitely look into switching. I’m currently under the Farmers group with Foremost.

[swat2]

Our premiums went up this year too on all policies. A lot. No claims on any policies. I called Good Sam for a quote, and the agent I talked to, who is licensed in most of the lower 48 states, told me that she has never seen anything like there rate increases we're currently experiencing. Texas, Florida and a couple of other states I don't recall had the biggest jumps. We are currently insured through Germania, but I'll probably switch to Good Sam soon because they discount premiums by 50% each 30-day period you have your trailer parked. The are a few times each year that we park for 30 days, so that works for us.

[mefly2]

Yes, went up considerably with Safeco ...

[Tyler2you]

Originally Posted by djb75

Are the rest of you seeing your rates going up dramatically (e.g., about $1000/yr) as well - or am I getting a song and dance here and need to start shopping around again?

The thread below may be of interest:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f35...-a-243687.html

Just make sure you know what you're getting if you choose to switch to a direct policy with USAA. Your Progressive policy is probably a Replacement Cost Policy that will cover the cost of replacing a totaled trailer with a new one (for trailers 5 model years old or less).

USAA only offers Actual Cash Value Policies that will pay out at market value (depreciated value). You'll have to decide if Replacement Cost applies and if the expense is worth the premium.

[uraljohn]

My senior citizen sister, 71, Has USAA Insurance. She is a U.S. Navy Veteran (1970-1974). She has had USAA for many, many years. Never had a claim. Until 2 weeks ago. Her car was stolen. 2018 Hyundia Elantra. Car was recovered 2 days later wreck and steering column damaged. It has been a NIGHTMARE dealing with USAA. I had to step in to help her as she was on the verge of tears trying to get somewhere with them. Terrible experience. Our older sister, also a U.S Navy Veteran (1970-1976) worked for USAA for 30 years and never carried USAA as her insurer. Now we know why.

[Andy543]

Originally Posted by uraljohn

My senior citizen sister, 71, Has USAA Insurance. She is a U.S. Navy Veteran (1970-1974). She has had USAA for many, many years. Never had a claim. Until 2 weeks ago. Her car was stolen. 2018 Hyundia Elantra. Car was recovered 2 days later wreck and steering column damaged. It has been a NIGHTMARE dealing with USAA. I had to step in to help her as she was on the verge of tears trying to get somewhere with them. Terrible experience. Our older sister, also a U.S Navy Veteran (1970-1976) worked for USAA for 30 years and never carried USAA as her insurer. Now we know why.

Inurance companies will always try to low-ball you on an estimate, hoping you'll accept it and go away. Usually, though, they will allow you, by contract, to get an estimate from any reputable repair shop or a car dealer, and they will pay it. Try to get the repair shop to deal directly with the insurance company.

Insurance companies are hard to deal with. They won't talk to anyone except a lawyer. File a claim in small claims court (without a lawyer - it's easy). They will then settle because it costs more money for them to send their lawyer to court, where they will most likely lose anyway.

[redthies]

Wow. You guys are paying a LOT for insurance! My trailer is older (1963) but as it’s older and yet brand new, I’m using a “declared value” policy with $100,000 CAD value on the trailer (+/- $70,000 USD) and it costs me around $250 USD per year.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by redthies

Wow. You guys are paying a LOT for insurance! My trailer is older (1963) but as it’s older and yet brand new, I’m using a “declared value” policy with $100,000 CAD value on the trailer (+/- $70,000 USD) and it costs me around $250 USD per year.

It has been my understanding that "declared value" and "agreed value are different". I understood that the declared value was a basis for rating the policy but was not a guaranteed payout. I have an agreed value policy. In case of a total loss declaration, the policy pays out the agreed amount.


IDK about Canadian policies, however.


Al

[Northsite]

My experience with Progressive/USAA is the same djb75. I've been with USAA for 55 years. You used to be a member of USAA, now you are a customer. The CEO of USAA has never been in the military. I'm told that George Soros owns Progressive.

[WestieHouse]

Originally Posted by uraljohn

My senior citizen sister, 71, Has USAA Insurance. She is a U.S. Navy Veteran (1970-1974). She has had USAA for many, many years. Never had a claim. Until 2 weeks ago. Her car was stolen. 2018 Hyundia Elantra. Car was recovered 2 days later wreck and steering column damaged. It has been a NIGHTMARE dealing with USAA. I had to step in to help her as she was on the verge of tears trying to get somewhere with them. Terrible experience. Our older sister, also a U.S Navy Veteran (1970-1976) worked for USAA for 30 years and never carried USAA as her insurer. Now we know why.

I am a Navy vet (active duty 1971-74) and insured with USAA for 51 years for homeowners & auto, and through them with Progressive for motorcycle & 2 Airstreams.

I had 2 claims within 3 years on my first Airstream (the first on my 2nd day of purchase). Both were resolved quickly and fairly. My 3 daughters also have USAA insurance and each has filed significant claims on home damage. All had very fair, timely, and respectful experiences.

We all have excellent credit scores. We live in 4 different states (NC, IN, CA, WA).

My premiums have not dramatically increased at any time in 51 years with USAA or Progressive.

Many factors affect insurance rates.

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by djb75

We have coverage with Progressive through an arrangement they have with USAA. I put in a claim several years ago and my annual premium went up by about 50% as a result. At the time, I was told the increase would come off if I went three years without another claim. I just got my annual renewal notice and our premium did not go down; instead it went up about $17. Progressive is telling me that they did remove the claim from my record, but other costs have gone up so much that it is offsetting the amount our rates should have come down.

Are the rest of you seeing your rates going up dramatically (e.g., about $1000/yr) as well - or am I getting a song and dance here and need to start shopping around again?

I am surprised at your rate. My insurance premium recently went down. That’s because my Airstream is a 2017, and they will now only pay book value on a total loss instead of replacement.

And I recently had a claim when I had a good size dent on the roof. It added up to about $4500, but I’ve had no other claim for nearly 6 years. Not sure if that makes a difference.

Also I believe it depends upon where your live and how much you use your Airstream. People that travel more will have higher premiums based upon what I saw in the application for premiums.

I live in Wisconsin (very rural), so maybe that makes a difference. I can only camp about 6 mos. a year, and only pull the airstream about 4 or 5 times a year. That’s about all the time I have considering everything else.

Hopefully, I won’t be surprised like you though. And I do know that insurance companies are increasing their rates to make up for losses. For example, in Wisconsin we had some heavy hail north of where we live. It destroyed lot of roofs, cars, glass, etc. And this wasn’t the only place.

[Overstreet]

I cannot compare insurance rates with anybody else without comparing "apples and oranges". With no discussion of amount of coverage, garage location, history and current value of the unit it is inaccurate to compare.

Insurance is costing me more than ever before on all three companies used.

USAA, I've never had problems with claims in the six diverse claims I've had in the last 53 years.

[JRF0st3r]

I have all of our insurance through Arkansas Farm Bureau and they only insure the 1967 Safari for ACV, meaning the appraised value 1 second before the damage. Yes that would probably lead to some negotiation with no known recovery but the rebirth and condition of our little trailer is well documented including our thread on Air Forums and a Powerpoint. I did have the trailer appraised by James Polk and my AFB guy said they would put that in our file in case we had a claim. Our annual cost is $170 with $500 deductible. I had a quote from another company for over $1000. No thank you!
At our age major damage to our trailer would likely mean an end to Airstreaming. That would be sad but tolerable since we have duties, interests and activities piled higher than our remaining years.
Jim

[brick1]

My rate with State Farm has gone up considerably. Pretty much like everything else. This economy is killing me.