Car insurance for large altered vehicles

jacksoncrew · Post by **jacksoncrew** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:22 pm

Hello I am from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A group of us are trying to renovate a school bus we bought back in high school. Before we put in a lot of effort to transform this bus into a burning man worthly vehicle, we need to know the feasibility of getting insurance for a week and a half so we can drive it down and back to/from burning man. If anyone has any experience with this I would greatly appreciate advice. Any recommendations for insurance companies? Any other advice will be greatly appreciated. See you all there!!!![/b]

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:48 pm

What kind of insurance do you want?

jacksoncrew · Post by **jacksoncrew** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:13 pm

We are just looking for insurance that is just liability...so if somehow it gets in a wreck on the way down/back the other person will be covered and/or if a cop pulled us over there would not be a problem.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:20 pm

Call your insurance agent and tell him what you want and to get it for you. If he can, he will. If he can't, he'll tell you and you can then work out an alternative.

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:24 pm

Progressive.com lets you get insurance for a monthly rate. You can get a policy and then cancel it with no penalties.

later

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:55 pm

Progressive will also let you carry only comprehensive in certain circumstances.
You may be better off insuring it as an rv.
If you are not trying to insure special modifications, you probably won't have a problem.
There is a way to do even that.
It would be considered a modified or custom vehicle for those purposes.
With my form at progressive (drive), you would be better paying for six months and getting a refund.
It would then be prorated.
I don't know if it would work the same for one payment.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:03 am

You might want to get it insured before you alter it.

BottomFeeder · Post by **BottomFeeder** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:23 pm

I just insured the vehicle like any other. AAA didn't ask about any modifications on the vehicle, just the usual stuff like airbags, etc. So, I didn't tell them. I added it onto my policy and can take it off at any time. They told me that they'll pay me back the pro-rated amount at that time. Of course, I also read the relevant laws (not going on hear-say) and made sure my vehicle was legal. Barely legal, but I like it that way.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:53 pm

While I'm sure all insurance companies will honor the policies we buy without full and honest disclosure, I'd sure want to know that if I cause an accident my policy will cover whatever damage and injuries result, that I won't be personally on the hook for all the damages, and that if someone needs acute or long-term medical care they'll get it from my carrier.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:38 pm

jacksoncrew wrote:Hello I am from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A group of us are trying to renovate a school bus we bought back in high school. Before we put in a lot of effort to transform this bus into a burning man worthly vehicle, we need to know the feasibility of getting insurance for a week and a half so we can drive it down and back to/from burning man. If anyone has any experience with this I would greatly appreciate advice. Any recommendations for insurance companies? Any other advice will be greatly appreciated. See you all there!!!![/b]

The insurance you are looking for does not exist. First problem is most insurance companies will not insure a converted school bus. Second a company will not insure for only a couple weeks on a risk like that. Even if you lie about what the bus is to get the insurance ID cards. If you have a claim it would be most likely be denied due to it being an unacceptable risk.

If I cause an accident my policy will cover whatever damage and injuries result

Only to your limits of liability if you have 15/25/10

Policy would only pay $15,000 per person and a max of $25,000 for all the people hurt not in your car and $10,000 for any damage to any property not owned by you.

If 3 people where hurt at $75,000 each insurance would pay $25,000 and you would pay $200,000

If the people where in your car depending what state you live in you would need pip or med pay type coverageâ€™s to cover riders.

Bottom line any underwriter reviewing the risk would most likely deny coverage.

Coverageâ€™s are specific to the types of clams you canâ€™t get one coverage to cover everything. Insurance companys knows the risk and insure for it. You just exclude the high risk in the contract.

.

For 8 years I was an Insurance underwriter and lic Agent in 48 states. Donâ€™t take my word for it check your states insurance web site for how coverageâ€™s work in your state.

Good luck and know what the contract says.
Know your risk itâ€™s comes out of your pocket.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:45 pm

Try Geico, they insure cavemen, so Im sure they be down wit your school bus!

Also look at Titan, they have that traffic cop who does cartwheels in the middle of the street, they seem pretty cool to me.

Seriously, what has been said above is pretty good advice. Phil's irony made me spew coffee onto my screen, but I often do that when Im just staring out the window.

Lie on the insurance app and you'll get a claim denied quicker than you can get a quote from Regressive. Im sure you were interested only in liability insurance. Try a specialty insurer...there's some out there who specialize in collectible cars, boats, motorcycles, RVs, etc. I htink you are in for a tough time getting insurance even for the drive to and from BM

Keep us posted though, this is interesting

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:50 pm

mdmf007 wrote:Progressive.com lets you get insurance for a monthly rate. You can get a policy and then cancel it with no penalties.

later

School bus is an unacceptable risk for Progressive It would be underwriting cancled in risk review

Some states do have cancel penalties. 90% prorate or just a flat fee

I can't remember the state but one will not let you cancel unless you show duplicate coverage or a bill of sale or proof of total loss. Check you state

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:41 pm

Drive has changed cars at will for me.
I asked them about insuring a semi as an rv, and they will once converted.
They may not care about an art car if they relate to it as a bus base and you don't want collision.
(provided you don't compromise braking, etc.)

I did a test for a heavily modified car and because it was based on a car they like, my quotes were standard quotes for all companies except one that exempted the radical engine-standard rate otherwise.
I didn't have one company turn me down, quoting for 450 hp.
Some companies specialize in customs.
One told me they have a very low claim rate due to owner's care of the cars.
Another option if your driving record is clean is the high risk pool.
It can be a bargain, if your record is clean.
It is based on the driver, the way they claim it works but doesn't the rest of the time.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:47 am

Might as well get a pet license for your fish.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:13 am

You know I was thinking about it. You may want to try RV America.
They do coverage for bus conversions. And I think they can even offer coverage on an incomplete bus conversion so you can move the bus around when you are doing the conversion.

http://www.rvamerica.com/

Good luck

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:20 am

...pretty sure BRC is considered "off road" also, not sure if that would matter for a given policy. You might try looking for "parade insurance", that is what my agent (farmers) told me when I asked him about it. As soon as I told him I was looking for liability insurance for a modified vehicle for off road use with passengers, he stopped me right there. I never did find a parade insurance policy, but I didn't try too hard either (just did without). YMMV.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:42 am

You could check with Trailer Life and the good sam club.
They should know.
If you have some coverage, a blanket insurance policy might do the rest.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:47 am

Thinking about most contracts I have read the only thing that might be denied for being on the playa could be towing. Most have a (within100 feet of a road way for towing coverage to kick in) in the contract.

Other than that all those RVs out there should have coverage on playa.

If you license RV for road use donâ€™t say it is an off road Vehicle unless it is built for off road use only. An art car that can not be license for the street is a off road use only Vehicle.

Hope this helps

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:54 am

gyre wrote:You could check with Trailer Life and the good sam club.
They should know.
If you have some coverage, a blanket insurance policy might do the rest.

blanket insurance ?

Are you referring to an excess liability police?
If you are most require you to carry at least Â½ mil to 250,000 in under line coverage before the excess kicks in.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:02 am

Trailer Life and the good sam club are good resources also good call.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:10 am

They have some good books on rv operation and maintenance.
A couple are more travelogue than others.
I think I have all of them.

Car insurance for large altered vehicles

Car insurance for large altered vehicles

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