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Cast your mind back to 2006. Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” is topping the charts; people still care about My Chemical Romance and watching Lost; and in theatres across the country, the film RV has just had its debut. With an all-star cast featuring Robin Williams, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, and Jojo (yes, that Jojo), it remains a shock that the film has an approval rating of 24% on Rotten Tomatoes.
For those who never had the pleasure of watching the film, a quick summary (no spoilers, of course!): Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is a successful beverage company exec who struggles to connect with his family. Despite his professional successes, his spiteful boss forces Bob to cancel his family vacation in Hawaii so that he can attend a meeting in Colorado. Afraid of disappointing his wife and kids, Bob rents a dodgy, neon green RV and rebrands their vacation as a family road trip. Chaos ensues in various forms, including, but not limited to, a raccoon infestation and a very clogged sewage system. The RV barely survives. So here’s hoping Bob purchased an insurance policy!
To take an RV (aka a recreational vehicle) from California to Colorado (or any other route), you’ll most likely need insurance — though what kind depends upon several factors, including the type of vehicle you’ve got. But while RV insurance requirements vary by state, there is one overarching consideration: is your RV driven or towed? Because RVs are regulated by the same laws as all other cars on the road, if you drive your RV, you need insurance. If it’s towed, coverage is often optional, though you may still need liability insurance.
Keep in mind, however, that even if your state doesn’t require insurance, other parties might. If you’ve taken out a loan to help with the purchase of an RV, your lender may require insurance. These coverage requirements attached to your loan would allow the lender to recoup their money in case of damages or a total loss.
If, like Bob, you’re just renting, you may be covered by your automobile insurance (or your credit card!), but you’ll need to check with your provider to see if your policy extends to a rental RV. (Again, if you’re renting a towable RV, then this all might be moot.)
Don’t forget that certain RV parks have their own insurance stipulations, so you’ll also want to make sure you’re covered before flashing that National Parks Pass.
Thus far, we’ve been talking about RVs like they’re vacation vehicles, but if yours functions as your primary residence (#vanlife), you’ll have different insurance needs. In this case, the RV is both a home and a car, so you’ll need policies to cover both use cases. It’s best to talk to your provider to determine what kind of homeowners-meets-automobile coverage will work best for you.
In case you find your RV stuck atop a boulder like Bob Munro and family, we can only hope you have insurance! To breathe more easily, we encourage you to look at the options that fit your specific RV needs. And once you’ve figured out which policy works best for you, you can always add it to your Marble wallet, where you can keep your coverage cleanly organized while also earning rewards on your insurance.
