A renter's guide to camper trailer insurance

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If you’re planning to rent a camper trailer, understanding whether you need to insure it can be a bit confusing. We’ll break down the most common questions related to insuring a camper trailer, whether you’re renting a trailer or renting one out. 

I’m renting or borrowing a camper trailer. Do I need to insure it? 

As a general rule, no. Non-motorized vehicles are not commonly required to have separate insurance from the towing vehicle. The rules on this vary by state, so make sure to check the requirements of all of the states you may be driving through— you may pass from a state where you’re not required to have coverage into one where you are. 

Keep in mind, however, that different rental companies may have their own requirements. Some peer-to-peer rental sites, such as Outdoorsy, include insurance policies for the designated rental period.

I’m loaning or renting out my camper trailer. Do I need to insure it? 

Yes— it’s a very good idea to insure a trailer you’re loaning or renting out. Since renters and/or borrowers of a trailer are not required to have separate coverage for a camper trailer, you may find yourself in a bind if they have an accident and damage your rig.

You’ll also have to insure your trailer if you’re still financing it. Lenders often want to see that you have some kind of coverage for physical damages before they'll loan you money, so be sure to check what they require. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that many RV insurance companies will not insure your RV if you are renting it out. Roamly is an exception. Designed for the RV owner who wants to generate extra income with their rig, Roamly offers personal and commercial RV insurance that allows you to rent your RV out to others.


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Types of camper trailer insurance

There are several different levels of coverage that you can get for your camper trailer, and it’s important to know what’s covered under the policy you choose. Here are the most important types of camper trailer insurance:

Liability coverage

This is the most basic form of coverage. It ensures that you’ll be covered for any damages caused by your trailer to another person (under bodily injury liability) or another person’s property (under property damage liability) if you are at fault for the accident. Note that this does NOT cover damages to your property or injuries to you or you passengers.

In most cases, the auto insurance that you’re legally required to have for your tow vehicle should also cover your trailer, but always check with your insurance company to ensure this is the case for your specific policy.

Collision coverage

In the event that your trailer is damaged due to a collision, this will take care of your trailer repair costs, regardless of who is at fault.

Comprehensive coverage

As the sister to collision coverage, this policy will pay for any damages to your trailer that were from an accident that wasn’t a collision. Typical examples include fire, theft, vandalism, or stormy weather. Having both collision and comprehensive coverage means that your trailer’s repair costs will be covered regardless of the nature of the incident that caused the damage.


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Scheduled/unscheduled personal effects coverage

There are two types of coverage that will pay for damage to personal items stored in your trailer in the event of an accident: scheduled personal effects coverage and unscheduled personal effects coverage. 

Scheduled personal effects coverage essentially covers those expensive, big-ticket items like jewelry, prized art, or any other high value item you own. 

Unscheduled personal effects coverage, on the other hand, takes care of the less expensive items you own that might be damaged or lost in an incident. Included in this category is everything that isn’t quite expensive enough to qualify as a scheduled personal effect such as clothing, your favorite book, or furniture. 

Having both forms of coverage ensures that no matter the price of the item in your trailer that was damaged, it will be covered by your insurance policy. 

Camper trailer insurance pricing

There are multiple factors that will influence how much you wind up paying for your camper trailer insurance. Here are some points to consider.

Your trailer’s value

This is a huge one. The more expensive your trailer, the more it will cost to repair or replace in an accident, which means the insurance company will want to charge you more to cover it. It’s important to have a solid estimate of your trailer’s value when you’re evaluating how much insurance to get.


GET A PERSONALIZED QUOTE

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Credit score

Insurance companies look at your credit score and adjust your rates accordingly. If you have bad credit, insurance companies may be skeptical that you will pay your bills on time, causing them to hike up prices. Having a good credit score is a great way to lower your premiums.

How you drive and take care of your trailer

The safer you are with your camper trailer, the lower your insurance costs will likely be. Insurance companies may look at your driving history to see if you get into a lot of accidents, and they might ask you some questions about what you do to take care of your trailer. If you store it somewhere safe and take care to do the proper maintenance when it’s needed, they just might lower their costs for you.

Your insurance company

The company you choose to buy insurance from is a major factor in how much you’ll wind up paying, and it can be daunting to choose with so many options out there.

Going with Roamly will save you money and ensure that you’re in good hands. Roamly offers a full suite of camper trailer insurance policies and is known for saving RV lovers up to 25%. 

Furthermore, Roamly offers what’s known as a disappearing deductible. The longer you take your camper trailer out on the road without an accident, the lower your deductible payment will be. This usually isn’t expensive upfront, and if you’re a safe driver, it can mean that you wind up paying nothing for your deductible if you get in an accident in the future. 

Savings like this and more are a few of the reasons why Roamly is the end-all, be-all of camper trailer insurance. 

What Roamly can offer RV owners

Did you know you could save an average of 35% compared to other insurance companies by getting a comprehensive plan with Roamly? This insurance company was created by passionate RV owners,so they know exactly the type of coverage you need for your RV. No more paying for expensive features you don’t need.

Additionally, Roamly doesn’t stop covering your RV if you decide you want to rent it out on peer-to-peer networks like Outdoorsy. That means you can make extra money when you’re not using your RV.

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