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Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:01 am

Anybody have any recommendations for reasonable insurance for Westy? Hagerty wont insure if bus used for camping....wth? Its a campmobile!

any suggestions appreciated...I am in Ga

Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:39 am

If you plan on actually USING your bus.... Don't even bother with the collector car insurance companies. My bus should be road worthy again by may or june so i'm interested to hear what people have to say. I think insurance is one of those things that varies greatly with your area, your agent, and your driving record.

Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:39 am

we are with USAA. They have a company they are using for our Bus that allows daily driver use up to what we consider a reasonable mileage a year on AGREED value as long as the value one is trying to insure for is reasonable. Our 1977 is set at $25,000 but it was a recent full restoration and we have receipts to prove the cost. The only drawback is it is a $1000 deductible but that was Ok with us because none of the other policies we talked to would allow us to sleep in it even in KOA or National Parks. I want to say it is American Collectors Ins.

Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:43 am

About a year ago, after all of the collector insurance companies that I contacted refused to insure a Westfalia if used for camping (in our case, staying in RV parks), I stumbled upon State Farm who provides collector vehicle insurance for the agreed value, as long I Kept the car garaged. I have in writing that we can stay in RV parks for, I seem to recall, up to two weeks at a time. Also, I had to resgieter the vehicle as an historic vehicle, and I have to provide updated appraisals annually.

Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:56 am

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=446660&highlight=insurance
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=399978&highlight=insurance
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=427366&highlight=insurance
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=437826&highlight=insurance

Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:58 pm

Like SGKent I used American Collectors Insurance through USAA for my 1971 bus. I don't have the bus any more but the insurance was cheap, like $80 year for zero deductable, $6000 coverage, full coverage. Drawbacks were it had to be garaged, 3,000 miles max per year, only to be driven to maintenance and car shows, etc. We cheated and my wife got in an accident (not her fault) They paid us $3,000 to cover the damage which was fair. Times change and policies change. This was back in about 2000-2003

Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:21 pm

I have a friend that use's Grundys its a collectors type of Insurance. I use AARP as of this year for all my cars sense Iam officially old now and it is ALOT cheeper then my Insurance was before. I also register many of bus's as an historic vehicles its only a one time cost of 10.00 there are some stipulations like primary use is for parades and going to car shows but like it said "primary use" :D I haven't been busted for it yet.

Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:28 pm

I'm with USAA but have no garage so I just have a regular policy.

Hoping I never find out how good the coverage is. I have a bunch of receipts and they say that would help..

Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:56 pm

Dont know if they are still around,in the 90's I used Good Sam for my Vanagon Westy

Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:47 am

Using AAA for agreed value (bus) $15,000. Both my bus and wifes Highlander run about $160.00 per month.

Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:41 am

I have had Hagerty insurance on my 76 Bay Westy for two years and had no problem at only $78 per year. It may help that I have 6 cars with then, but they do cover Westy's. We do not drive it everyday however, just events and vacation.

Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:35 am

I have all my vehicles and home insured threw American Family. Declared value of 28k full coverage.

Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:52 am

This is a rehash but I will share it again because some of you have made statements that tell me it is a matter of time until you get burned. If your policy is a collector's policy without a daily driver clause the insurance company can deny the claim if you are other than a parade, short Sunday drive, club event or at a show. Haggerty for example accepted our money and offered a policy then 48 hours later cancelled it because we indicated we might use it on vacation sometime. If I was willing to withdraw that requirement they would have left the policy. They stated that any show or distance more than 150 miles they could require the car be trailered and if they wanted they could deny the claim. I asked what do you do about all the people who use their cars that way anyway. The answer is "we deny the claims unless they are really small." One person here a year or two ago was denied his claim because he got hit during commute hour in the commute traffic and the insurance company found out he took it to work that day. I used to sell insurance and simply put, if you violate the terms of the policy you still have coverage for listed uses but not for the violation. So if you use it on vacation and it is listed as an excluded use, you aren't covered while you are on vacation. A vacation is considered as DAILY USE which most collector policies do not cover. I've had this discussion with at least 10 companies and they are all like that. I found only one that put a daily driver clause in it for up to 7,000 - 10,000 miles a year daily type use. I suggest you get your insurance company to add to the policy the things you plan to do with your bus so you don't get caught with your pants down.

Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:26 pm

SGKent wrote: we are with USAA. They have a company they are using for our Bus that allows daily driver use up to what we consider a reasonable mileage a year on AGREED value as long as the value one is trying to insure for is reasonable. Our 1977 is set at $25,000 but it was a recent full restoration and we have receipts to prove the cost. The only drawback is it is a $1000 deductible but that was Ok with us because none of the other policies we talked to would allow us to sleep in it even in KOA or National Parks. I want to say it is American Collectors Ins.

What's the cost?

Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:26 pm

I have Kemper and its only $250 a year for full coverage, 500 ded and value at $5000. Towing is $10 a year and I can add rental car, but they didn't know if that worked, since it would be an rv unit. They said maybe they would give me hotel for the car rental instead, but she didn't know the extra cost. No restrictions as far as I know. Might need to up the value as these things keep increasing in value!

Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:51 pm

Bodon68 wrote: Anybody have any recommendations for reasonable insurance for Westy? Hagerty wont insure if bus used for camping....wth? Its a campmobile!

any suggestions appreciated...I am in Ga

well, either things have changed or you just had someone who didn't know anything. i just spent an hour and a half on the phone with them, and i can use my westy for camping no problems. i can drive to cali, put the thing on a boat for hawaii attend a show and drive back to connecticut no problems. what i CAN'T do is just random weekend camping without going to a show or club event.

using it as a run of the mill camper isn't an option, but i can camp cross country if i am heading to a automotive event. they are sending me some info to go over. to insure my westy for 23K and my single for 17K it is 340 per year. for 8.00 more a month i can get 5K worth of spare parts insurance too. i will have to go through the info for sure

Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:30 pm

I tried doing an online quote recently and it said it's too old and they won't insure it. That one's new to me.

Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:36 pm

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: Bodon68 wrote: Anybody have any recommendations for reasonable insurance for Westy? Hagerty wont insure if bus used for camping....wth? Its a campmobile!

any suggestions appreciated...I am in Ga

well, either things have changed or you just had someone who didn't know anything. i just spent an hour and a half on the phone with them, and i can use my westy for camping no problems. i can drive to cali, put the thing on a boat for hawaii attend a show and drive back to connecticut no problems. what i CAN'T do is just random weekend camping without going to a show or club event.

using it as a run of the mill camper isn't an option, but i can camp cross country if i am heading to a automotive event. they are sending me some info to go over. to insure my westy for 23K and my single for 17K it is 340 per year. for 8.00 more a month i can get 5K worth of spare parts insurance too. i will have to go through the info for sure

Skills - get it in writing. They told me the same thing a year ago, sent me a policy and asked for a signature and money. Camping in the bus was an exclusion so I wrote an addendum that we planned to use it for camping occasionally per the conversation, included payment in full and they called a day or two later and cancelled the policy unless I would withdraw my statement that we would use if for overnight camping in Nat'l Parks a couple of times a year. Verbally they said it was included but the fine print said NO. Just warning you. Now that the economy and insurance companies are doing better they may be willing to take the risk. I really reamed them in a letter afterwards basically telling them if you know the risk is there because people are doing it behind your back, include it and price accordingly. The policy we have now includes camping up to 7,000 - 10,000 miles a year.

Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:41 pm

I have an appointment this Thursday with AAA to come out to photograph my Bus in its garage for underwriting. I'll let you all know how it goes down. From our initial discussions over the phone, AAA issues an agreed value policy with little restriction (normal stuff like miles driven, drivers over 25, must be garaged...etc.), but I'm going to take some notes from this thread (and previous threads) to bring up and see what is in the fine print.

Brook

Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:59 am

SGKent wrote:

Skills - get it in writing. They told me the same thing a year ago, sent me a policy and asked for a signature and money. Camping in the bus was an exclusion so I wrote an addendum that we planned to use it for camping occasionally per the conversation, included payment in full and they called a day or two later and cancelled the policy unless I would withdraw my statement that we would use if for overnight camping in Nat'l Parks a couple of times a year. Verbally they said it was included but the fine print said NO. Just warning you. Now that the economy and insurance companies are doing better they may be willing to take the risk. I really reamed them in a letter afterwards basically telling them if you know the risk is there because people are doing it behind your back, include it and price accordingly. The policy we have now includes camping up to 7,000 - 10,000 miles a year.

SG...you have posted in about every insurance thread I have read and I asked a lot of questions you brought up. Again I need to review the info, but they don't want you using the camper as a RV.....you have to go to a automotive event. only then will they allow you to camp in it. They were concerned about the late campers with stove set ups. Because I have a early bus it seems that it isn't a problem. I need to send them a bunch of pictures back of the bus and the single. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I also have to prove I have a daily driver which isn't an issue seeing we have 6 cars registered and insured. Will keep you posted......