Is Your Truck Camper Really Insured?

Insuring any kind of an RV can be a challenge. If not done right, you can find out at claims time that what you thought was covered--wasn't covered in the mind of the insurance company. And truck campers, of all the RVs are quite possibly the most misunderstood by insurance company agents.

Consider the different types of insurance. Perhaps the most important to your financial future is liability insurance. Most insurance companies do agree on this point: If you're in an accident and your truck camper is mounted on your truck and the accident is your fault, you should be covered. And that coverage should come from your truck's liability coverage--not something that you had to purchase separately for your t.c. From there it gets a wee bit stickier.

What if you're motoring down the road with your t.c. on the back of your pickup, and hey, Woopsie! You slide off the road and into a tree. Will your insurance company fix the damage to your t.c.? Not very likely--unless you're carrying collision coverage--specifically on the camper. What about the tree that falls on your t.c., while it's mounted on the truck? Same story.

When the camper is "off the truck," you can probably see that if the camper isn't separately insured, all bets are off. Of course, you still shouldn't need "liability" coverage--unless someone falls out the door of your t.c. and decides they want to sue. In that case, your homeowner's insurance might stand up and fight for you. While homeowner's insurance might or might not cover your loss should someone steal your camper, they very well might cover loss of contents should some grievous campground thief break in and steal your goodies.

But how do you know? You need to ask your insurer, or potential insurer, questions--lots of questions. Spell out various scenarios, and find out what's covered, and what's not. And be prepared to ask for a more experienced agent or manager to help out--a lot of newer agents probably don't have a clue what a truck camper is, and may envision a motorhome and give you incorrect answers.

When you get done asking questions, and you feel you want to insure with a particular company, have them put it all down in writing. And sign it. That way, should the undesirable happen and the company begin to waffle, you'll have your coverage nailed down in print.

photo: Is your RV in good hands?