Should I Insure My Recreational Vehicle During Off-Season?

Every year it happens; Winter comes blowing in after Fall and bringing with it an end to vacations for at least another few months. Skis replace rollerblades, raincoats replace short-sleeved tee-shirts, and snow tires replace the family recreational vehicle. For some people, winter also means moving to a different, warmer climate for six months, leaving their RV stored away on their property near their Winter home. Is the vehicle safe there? Is there any requirement at all to provide insurance coverage for it while it “hibernates” through the cold, dark months?

No Need For Driving Insurance

No matter which sate you live in or drive through in your recreational vehicle, you are required to carry at least some minimal levels of liability insurance coverage on it or be in possession of a bond of insurance on file with your home state. This insurance coverage is mandated across the U.S. at different levels and is intended to protect drivers from the misfortune of getting into an accident and not being able to afford basic medical care or to get their vehicle repaired. In compliance with the laws of your state, you have been maintaining this liability insurance on your Recreational vehicle as you drove it, but now that Winter is here and you have no plans to go anywhere, is that insurance still required?

Depending upon the laws of your state, you can get out of that insurance coverage by simply calling your insurance company and suspending the policy until you need it again or by notifying the state itself that the vehicle has been placed in storage and is no longer being driven. Check with your local department of motor vehicles for state specific requirements for canceling or changing auto insurance policies.

How’s your Homeowner’s Insurance?

If you own a home and plan on storing your recreational vehicle on the property during the off-season, your homeowner’s insurance policy likely provides protection for the other needs and “what if’s” for your RV. If for example it is damaged in a storm, it may be protected or if it is burglarized or vandalized during this time when you are not using it.

Get Comprehensive with your Insurance

If other situations apply such as your being a renter or if the RV will not be stored on your home’s property during the off-season, consider speaking with your auto insurer about a comprehensive insurance policy. Comprehensive insurance policies protect a vehicle from life’s foibles. This could protect your FV from damage to the solar panels on the roof from a falling branch, for example, or if lightning should strike it and cause serious damage or fire.

Your recreational vehicle represents a large investment second only to your home and should be protected at all times, even when it is not in use. When in doubt, speak with your auto insurance company about the options for making sure coverage is always active one way or the other, and if nothing else, you may want to consider a low-cost umbrella policy, which provides protection for you and your family and your belongings above and beyond other insurance coverage or if you have no appropriate insurance coverage in certain situations.