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The Washington RV Insurance Specialists at Charlotte Insurance are Ready to Help You Protect Your Rig!

Where will you go first (or next!) in your RV? To an RV Park in Shelton, Burlington, or Seattle? Maybe you’ll head to Spokane instead? Or will you hop in and hit the road south to Oregon or north to Canada?

Wherever your RV takes you – in and out of Washington state – you’re going to need RV insurance to protect you and your family from everything that could go wrong out on the road. We know it’s more fun to focus on the places you’ll see and adventure you’ll have. But it’s always best to plan for what could go wrong. When you do, it’ll be easier to get back on the road.

That’s why you need a Washington RV insurance policy before you pull out onto the road. Certain coverage is required by law but other policies will take care of you after an accident and get you on the road much faster. The right policy protects you, your family, and your RV.

SPEAK TO A WASHINGTON RV INSURANCE SPECIALIST

CALL THE WASHINGTON RV INSURANCE HOTLINE: (704) 887-5513 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Here at Charlotte Insurance, we’ll work with you to help you find the right Washington RV insurance policy for your recreational vehicle and how you want to use it.

Contact us today to get a free Washington RV quote for your first RV policy or your next one.

Common Washington RV Insurance Misconceptions

Can’t I use my homeowners insurance for my RV?

For part-time RV users, while it’s parked at your home, your homeowners policy might provide some level of coverage. But only based on any specific provisions included in your coverage. Once you travel, whether you’re driving or parked at a campsite, and especially if you live in your RV full-time, your homeowners insurance will no longer be applicable.

Will the personal belongings in my RV be covered by my home insurance?

Your homeowners insurance might offer some protection, but only as long as your RV is located at your primary residence. Any coverage available under that policy will be held to very strict limits that won’t cover everything inside your RV. Additional accessories you’ve added to your RV – such as awnings or antennas – won’t be covered at all.

Washington RV insurance offers specific types of policies to cover all of your belongings inside the vehicle plus policies for additions you make to your RV.

Doesn’t Washington RV insurance cost a lot of money?

Premiums for Washington RV insurance depend on a lot of things. One part is how you use your RV – whether you use it occasionally or if you live in it full-time. Another part of the cost is the type, age, and condition of your RV. In addition, previous claims you’ve filed, how you drive, and the deductible and policy limit you select will all impact the cost.

What matters most is comparing options to find an RV insurance policy that fits your budget while also providing the most protection.

Washington RV Insurance Requirements

The state of Washington requires you to purchase a minimum amount of liability coverage for any RV motorhome:

  • $25,000 for bodily injury per person
  • $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
  • $10,000 for property damage per accident

The state minimum generally won’t be enough for accidents with multiple injuries or involving multiple vehicles, if you’re at fault. Now consider the amount of damage your RV could do in an accident, and even a “minor” accident may not be fully covered. Always purchase as much liability coverage as you can afford to better protect yourself when you’re liable for an accident or injuries.

Campers, trailers, fifth wheels, and anything that can be towed aren’t required to be covered under a separate RV insurance policy in the state of Washington. These types of RVs will be covered by your vehicle’s liability insurance as long as they’re named in the policy. However, you can always purchase additional liability protection for your camper or trailer to add extra protection.

Types of Coverages for Washington RV Insurance

Liability

Liability insurance is required in the state of Washington, as previously mentioned. Two types of coverage are included in liability insurance:

  • Bodily injury
  • Property damage

Liability pays for injuries and property damage that occur when you cause an accident out on the road. It also pays the costs for injuries and property damage when someone visits your RV or campsite and gets hurt. This is a third-party who doesn’t live in the RV with you. Most importantly, liability coverage helps pay your legal fees and any settlements when an injured party decides to sue you later.

If this sounds similar to your auto insurance or homeowners policy, you’re correct. Liability coverage for your RV, however, is designed for the unique experience of driving and living in an RV. A deductible will apply to any claim you file.

Comprehensive and Collision

An RV isn't just a place to sleep; it’s a motor vehicle. Whether you hit a deer on the highway or your RV is broken into, comprehensive and collision coverage takes care of the cost to repair or replace your RV. Deductibles apply.

Don’t be surprised if you finance the purchase of your RV and your lender requires comprehensive and collision insurance as part of your agreement.

Physical Damage

In any accident or other covered peril, there’s a real chance your RV will be declared a total loss – with the cost of repairs totalling more than the value of the vehicle. When this happens, physical damage coverage pays you for the loss of your RV. There are three ways this coverage is applied, depending on the type of policy you purchase:

  • Actual Cash Value (ACV): If your RV is totaled, you receive an amount equal to the stated value of your RV at the time of the loss. ACV uses the age and condition of your RV to determine the value. What you receive will likely not be enough to replace your RV with a new one.
  • Agreed Value (AV): If your RV is totaled, agreed value coverage means you’ll be paid an amount that was agreed upon when you purchased your policy – without considering the depreciation of your RV, for up to 10 years. The amount you’re able to receive in a total loss will be listed on the Declaration page of your policy.
  • Replacement Cost (RC): If new or nearly new RVs declared a total loss, replacement cost coverage is ideal. It pays you enough to purchase a new RV or one comparable to what you had – for up to the first five model years. After five model years, you’ll receive an agreed upon amount list on the Declaration page. When you select this coverage, your Washington RV must be the current model year or only one model year old at the time it’s insured. It can have no previous owners and never have been titled or insured.

The amount you’ll receive for the loss will be minus your deductible.

Emergency Expense

When you’re traveling in your RV, an emergency often means you don’t have anywhere to go or another vehicle to drive. Emergency expense help pay those unplanned expenses that you’ll incur if you can’t drive or live in your RV due to a covered claim. To qualify, the covered peril needs to occur more than 50 miles away from your primary residence or storage facility.

This coverage pays up to a specified amount for:

  • Temporary living accommodations like a hotel
  • Costs to get back home.
  • Costs to bring your RV home, as long as it hasn’t been totaled.
  • Rental charges to use a vehicle while your RV is repaired.

If you live in your RV full-time, emergency expense coverage likely won’t require you to be 50-plus miles away from another location – as long as your RV is considered your primary residence in Washington. Talk to your independent insurance agent about how this will work in your situation.

Personal Effects

Your RV isn’t like your car. It’s a home, no matter how temporary. That means its filled with personal belongings and things you need to live comfortably in it. Personal effects coverage pays to replace your personal belongings used in your RV. This includes clothing, electronic devices, and other belongings.

Your personal effects will be covered up to a specified limit, based on what you choose for your policy. If you own high-value items, like jewelry or collectibles, and transport them in your RV, ask about coverage specifically for those items.

A deductible will apply to any claims you file.

Full-Timers Coverage

Living in your RV full time means you need slightly different insurance than someone using it for weekend trips and part-time living. Full time RV living insurance gives you extra liability coverage and offers other protection if your RV is your primary residence in Washington. And you’re still covered when you travel around the US and beyond. You can also purchase full-time coverage if you live in an RV while during home renovations, repairs, or new construction. The primary vehicle use must also be your primary residence.

You can select from a variety of coverage including: Medical Payments, Loss Assessment, Attached Accessories, Adjacent Structures, and more. If you’re not sure whether your RV use qualifies as part-time or full-time, talk to your agent.

Medical Payments

Injuries in an accident involving an RV can be expensive, especially when those injuries aren’t covered under liability coverage. That’s why medical payments insurance is so important. It pays for injuries to anyone riding in your RV regardless of who’s at fault for the accident. The same coverage limits will apply to all vehicles on your policy. This can take a huge weight off of your shoulders when there are injuries associated with an accident.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage protects you, the people who live with you, and other passengers in your RV when another driver is at-fault for an accident but they don’t have any or enough liability insurance coverage to pay for the damage or injuries. UIM pays the rest, up to your policy limits, so you don’t have to suffer financially for someone else’s errors.

If you, as the named insured, request Stacked Uninsured Motorist coverage, then the policy limits for each vehicle listed on your insurance policy can be added together. This will determine the total amount that may be recovered (stacked) for all covered injuries to you and your resident relatives.

If you request Non-stacked Uninsured Motorist, then the injured person may not add or combine the coverage provided as two or more motor vehicles together to determine the limits of uninsured motorists available, except in very limited instances.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP), also known as No-Fault coverage, pays you regardless if you cause the accident or not, up to your policy limit.

PIP covers multiple situations, in and out of your RV:

  • Any children who live in your household, who suffer an injury while riding on a school bus.
  • You and any relatives living in your home
  • Some passengers who lack PIP coverage
  • Certain licensed drivers who have your permission to drive your RV.
  • When you’re in someone else’s vehicle.
  • When you’re a pedestrian or bicyclist and are injured in an accident involving a motor vehicle.

Standard PIP insurance pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses, 60% of lost wages and all reasonable expenses for replacement services such as child care, housekeeping, or yard work, as well as $5,000 for death benefits.

Extended Personal Injury Protection can be added for a higher premium. It pays 100% of your reasonable medical expenses and 80% of lost wages.

Personal Injury Protection Deductible allows you to select a PIP deductible of $250, $500 or $1,000. Your deductible is then subtracted from the available PIP benefit or the total amount you can collect based on the type of coverage you select:

  • PIP with a deductible for the named insured only means the deductible will only apply to the named insured and your spouse but not any other relatives that live with you.
  • PIP with a deductible for “Named Insured & Resident Relatives” means the deductible will apply to the named insured, your spouse, and all dependent relatives living with you.

Work Loss Exclusion allows you, as the policyholder, to exclude benefits received for loss of gross income and earning capacity from PIP coverage.

Roadside Assistance

Roadside assistance will come in handy when you need it most. It helps get you back on the road when your RV is out of commission because of a covered emergency or situation. You have access to this coverage 24/7 as long as you’re in the United States and Canada.

Here’s what’s included in the roadside assistance for your Washington RV:

  • Jump starting your battery when it dies
  • Delivering fuel to your RV if you run out of gas. You have to pay for the gas.
  • Towing to the nearest qualified repair facility.
  • Changing a flat tire
  • Getting pulled out of mud, snow, water, or sand with a motor-powered cable or chain. Your RV must be within 100 feet of road or highway to qualify in most cases.
  • Being let back into your RV when your keys are lost, stolen or accidentally locked inside your RV. You have to pay to replace your keys.
  • On-scene labor for up to an hour if your RV breaks down.

Before you jump behind the wheel and get out on a Washington highway, make sure your RV is well-protected with the best RV insurance you can afford. Contact Charlotte Insurance for a free quote today!