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RV Insurance

Insurance for your RV, travel trailer, or camper.

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Make sure you have the right recreational vehicle (RV) insurance policy for your next trip. GEICO offers affordable RV insurance with great coverage for your needs.

We know you love the RV lifestyle – whether it's an RV, camper, motor home, or travel trailer. That's why GEICO's RV specialists are available to help you get the right RV insurance coverage for you.

Specialty RV protection on the open road.

RVers encounter unique situations on the road. With that in mind, GEICO offers these enhanced coverages in most states*:

• Motorized RV insurance
• Towable RV insurance

Learn more about the RV insurance coverages we offer.

Do you need RV insurance?

Most states require RV drivers to carry liability insurance, and the minimum requirements for RV are usually the same as for cars. Make sure you get the right camper insurance by educating yourself on your state's insurance laws and coverage requirements .

Protect your investment with additional coverage for specialty vehicles like RVs and travel trailers. Check out our special coverages to see how GEICO can help.

How much does RV insurance cost?

RV insurance costs depend on factors such as your state's insurance requirements, your driving history, and your needs. The deductibles, liability limits, and RV insurance coverage that you choose may affect the total cost.

The extra protection that comes with higher liability limits may increase the cost of your insurance. On the other hand, a higher deductible may reduce your RV insurance costs.

Unlock potential savings and peace of mind with RV insurance.

Maximize your savings.

• Defensive Driver Discount
• Good Student Discount
• Military Discount
• Multi-Vehicle Discount
• Multi-Line Discount
• Association Discounts
• Commercial Driver's License Discount
• Anti-Theft Discount

Pay Your Way

We offer convenient payment methods and plans :

• Pay online, over the phone, or by mail
• Choose to pay in full or in installments

Check Your RV Policy Anywhere

Take care of your RV insurance with an online account :

• Get an ID card
• View your policy details
• File or track an RV claim

RV Insurance Coverage With GEICO

Motorized rv and towable rv insurance.

Enhanced recreational vehicle insurance coverages include:

• Total loss replacement
• Replacement cost personal effects
• Vacation liability
• Emergency expense coverage
• Special windshield deductible
• Recreational vehicle medical payments coverage
• Medical payment coverage for a recreational vehicle

Travel Trailer Insurance

GEICO provides insurance coverage for these towable RVs and travel trailers:

• Conventional travel trailers
• Fifth-Wheel travel trailers
• Folding camper trailers
• Truck campers

GEICO even covers the toy-hauler you use to transport your motorcycle or ATV .

Need to speak to an RV insurance or motor home insurance agent?

You can reach us at (877) GEICO-RV (434-2678) for sales or service.

• Sales Mon - Sun 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM (ET)
• Service 24 hours 7 Days a Week

RV Insurance: Get the answers you need.

• Do I need RV insurance? Absolutely, RV insurance is a smart move for protecting your home on wheels. Much like a car insurance policy, it provides coverage in case of accidents, theft, or damage. Plus, it often includes liability coverage, which is crucial for your peace of mind while you're out exploring the open road.
• How much does RV insurance cost? The cost of RV insurance can vary widely depending on several factors. It's influenced by the type of RV you own (motorhome, travel trailer, fifth wheel, etc.), its value, how you use it (full-time or occasional trips), and where you're located. It's a small price to pay for the freedom and protection it provides as you travel in your RV.
• What RV insurance coverages are available? GEICO offers a range of coverages such as total loss replacement and vacation liability to protect your RV and provide you with peace of mind while on the road. These coverages are designed to address various risks and potential losses that RV owners may face. For more information on the types of coverage available, check out our RV coverages page .
• How do I get the best RV insurance rates? You can customize your RV insurance policy and find a few ways to possibly lower your insurance rates. You should consider whether you're storing your RV in a safe and secure location, decide how you will use your RV, change your insurance deductible, and more.
• How can I avoid common RV problems? You can't predict when a problem will occur but you can help avoid them with simple maintenance. You should check your tires regularly, keep tires properly inflated, replace the old sealant around all windows, and constantly maintain your RV. To protect yourself financially, you should also have RV insurance. For more info, check out our common RV problems page .
• What RV type is right for me? Deciding which RV is right for you comes down to personal preference and needs. Consider factors like whether you need a self-propelled or towed RV, the amount of weight your vehicle can safely tow, and the amount of RV space you need. For more guidance on selecting the right RV type, be sure to check out our help page .
• Where can I learn more about RV safety? To learn more about RV safety, you can check out our safety tips for RVs . These tips provide valuable information and guidelines to make a safe and enjoyable RV experience more likely. By following these tips, you can enhance your knowledge and take precautions designed to help financially safeguard your trailer itself and also help cover you financially in case of accidents or liability issues. So, even if it's not compulsory, it's a wise choice for protecting your investment and ensuring your peace of mind while you're on the road.
• What's the difference between motorhome and travel trailer insurance? Motorhome insurance is tailored for vehicles you can drive, such as Class A, B, or C motorhomes. It provides coverages for both the RV and liability that might arise while you're on the move. On the other hand, travel trailer insurance is designed for non-motorized trailers towed behind your vehicle. It provides coverage for the trailer itself and may also include liability protection. So, the main distinction lies in whether your RV has its own engine or not, but both types of insurance could help ensure you're well-covered during your adventures.

Please note:

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. The above is meant as general information and as general policy descriptions to help you understand the different types of coverages. These descriptions do not refer to any specific contract of insurance and they do not modify any definitions, exclusions or any other provision expressly stated in any contracts of insurance. We encourage you to speak to your insurance representative and to read your policy contract to fully understand your coverages.

*Enhanced RV coverage is currently available in all states except: HI, MA, MI, and NC.

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6 Best RV Insurance Companies of 2024

Table of Contents

• Best RV Insurance
• Things to Consider When Buying
• How We Chose

RV insurance policies are designed to provide protection for various types of events, including when your vehicle causes damage or injuries to others and when your vehicle incurs damage or loss.

Like other types of vehicle insurance, there are different levels of coverage available. This includes full-time RV insurance for those who live in an RV as their permanent residence and part-time insurance for RV owners who use the vehicle on a part-time or occasional basis.

No matter how often you use your vehicle, nearly every state requires liability coverage of some sort when you operate an RV. Additional coverage available for RVs includes collision insurance , which addresses the cost of repairs in the event of an accident involving another vehicle and comprehensive coverage , which is designed to cover such incidents as vandalism and theft, among other things. There are also many different types of add-ons and discounts available when selecting RV insurance.

Below we identify the best RV insurance providers, based on extensive research and taking into consideration such factors as policy offerings, extras, information availability and transparency on company websites, and more.

• Best Overall: Progressive »
• Best for Full-Time RVers: Good Sam Insurance Agency »
• Best for Part-Time RVers: National General »
• Best for Diversity of Coverage Options: Allstate »
• Best for Policy Discounts: Nationwide »
• Best Customer Service: Geico »

Best Overall:  Progressive

Insures all types of motorhomes

Extensive variety of discounts available

Offers full-time RV coverage

Total loss replacement not available in all states

Progressive is our top choice for RV insurance based on analysis of its offerings and the competition. Progressive insures a wide range of RVs including Class A, Class B, and Class C motorhomes. It also ensures conventional trailers and fifth-wheel trailers. Not all insurers offer coverage for such a diverse range of RVs.

Progressive also makes it very easy to identify any discounts that may be available. When requesting a policy quote, the Progressive platform shows users multiple ways to save on policy costs. There’s also a significant number of discounts offered, including original owner, multi-policy, pay in full, responsible driver, prompt payment, claim-free renewal, homeowners, continuous coverage, and paperless discounts. Disappearing deductibles, which represent another option, are also offered by Progressive. As part of this discount, for every claim-free period on your policy, Progressive says it will subtract 25%and will keep doing so until you reach $0.

Progressive’s policy options include coverage for those who use their RV full-time or as a residence. Policies for these customers provide coverage similar to homeowner’s insurance, including personal liability and loss assessment. Another feature we liked, in contrast to some other RV insurance providers, Progressive’s website is detailed and very informative, making it easy to learn about the various policies available, as well as add-ons, and discounts.

One significant drawback for some: Progressive does not offer total loss replacement in all states. If you own a newer RV or a particularly expensive RV, not being able to access total loss coverage can be a dealbreaker. You will need to check with your Progressive agent or speak to an agent on the phone to determine what coverage is available in your state.

Coverage Types:

• Comprehensive and collision
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist
• Medical payments

Discounts and Benefits :

• Original owner
• Multi-policy
• Pay in full
• Responsible driver
• Prompt payment
• Claim-free renewal
• Continuous coverage
• Paperless 

Add-Ons and customization :

• Roadside assistance
• Total loss replacement
• Replacement cost/personal effects
• Vacation liability
• Full-timer’s liability
• Loss assessment
• Emergency expense coverage
• Pet injury coverage
• Roof protection plus
• Pest damage protection

AM Best financial strength rating :

• A+ (Superior)

Best for Full-Time RVers:  Good Sam Insurance Agency

Covers all types of RVs

Provides coverage in Mexico

Insurance agency, not a direct insurer

Poor customer reviews of roadside assistance

Not all RV insurance providers offer policies for full-timers, but Good Sam does. It also offers customizable coverage options designed specifically with full-time RVers in mind. For those who use their RV six months or more annually, the full-timer’s plan offers personal liability loss coverage beyond that tied to a vehicle accident. Additional options available for full-time RVers include medical payments to others, personal belongings coverage, and emergency expense allowance. And because Good Sam utilizes a network of specialty RV insurance carriers to provide coverage – unlike other firms in this article, Good Sam is an insurance agency, not an insurance company – most RVers should be able to find coverage for any lifestyles and budgets.

It’s also worth noting that Good Sam can connect you with insurers that offer coverage for travel in Mexico, which is not something all companies offer. Good Sam discounts include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and paid-in-full. There’s also a storage discount that allows policyholders to suspend most coverage options during non-travel seasons when your RV is in storage. The company says this discount can save users an average of 53%off insurance premiums when not using your motorhome, fifth-wheel, or travel trailer.

There are some drawbacks to consider when considering Good Sam as well. Most importantly, it is not a direct insurer. It is an insurance agency. The coverage itself is provided by such companies as Progressive, Safeco, National General, and others. As a result, coverage options may vary. In addition, there have been some customer complaints lodged with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) about Good Sam’s roadside assistance, which reviewers say has failed to meet the expectations of policyholders.

• Comprehensive
• Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Protections
• Personal Liability
• Property Damage Liability
• Bodily Injury Liability
• Personal Injury Protection
• Multi-vehicle discount
• Paid in full discount
• Multi-policy discount
• Storage option discount
• Full replacement cost coverage
• Full-time RVer coverage
• Personal effects coverage

Best for Part-Time RVers: National General

Ability to pause coverage when RV is not in use

Purchase price guarantee coverage

Website lacks detailed information about policies

Does not cover all RV types; only Class A, Class C and toterhomes

One of the most notable features of National General’s offerings is the ability to pause coverage when you’re not using your RV. This is a potentially valuable money-saving feature for those who do not intend to drive or live in their RV full-time. For months when your RV is in storage or not being used, the pause option suspends collision and liability coverage, which the company says saves policyholders as much as 53%on premium costs.

The purchase price protection add-on offered by National General is another feature worth considering, especially if you’re driving an expensive new RV. This coverage can be added to your policy within an RV's first 9 model years and it pays up to the original purchase price of an RV, in the event your vehicle is totaled and needs to be replaced.

Some customers may be frustrated by National General’s website, which isn’t as user-friendly as those of some competitors. The publicly available information about policy offerings is limited, making it difficult to get all your questions answered if you’re policy-shopping online. In addition, the company does not cover all RV types. It only covers Class A, Class C, and Toterhomes. But the only way to find this out is to go through the steps of obtaining a quote on the company’s website.

Also you need to be aware that coverages and discounts as well as features, benefits, and pay plans may vary by states. You will need to verify what is available for your state with an agent.

• Multi-vehicle discounts
• Diminishing deductibles
• Storage savings option
• Purchase price guarantee
• Emergency expense allowance
• Specialized equipment coverage

Best for Diversity of Coverage Options: Allstate

Long list of coverage options

Offers full-time RV insurance

• RV safety course discount

Fewer discounts listed then some other insurers

Website lacks specifics about policies

The RV coverage options available through Allstate are extensive. In addition to the basics, such as bodily injury liability, property damage liability, collision coverage, and comprehensive, Allstate offers such options as vacation liability, pet coverages, tow bar coverages, and emergency expense coverage. Allstate’s policy options also include full-timer’s liability coverage. This coverage is available to those who use an RV as a permanent residence for more than six months annually. Allstate also offers a policy discount to those who take an RV safety course, something that is not offered by all insurers.

Still, the discount options listed on the Allstate website are limited compared to the competition. Beyond the safety course discount, the potential price cuts include homeowner discount , married discount, pay in full discount, and paperless discount. Other companies offer a wider variety of ways to reduce policy costs.

Coverages and discounts may vary by state. Speak with an agent to see what is available for you.

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage Liability
• Collision coverage
• Comprehensive 
• Medical payments coverage
• Uninsured and underinsured coverage
• Personal injury protection coverage
• Homeowner discount
• Married discount
• Pay in full discount
• Paperless discount
• Personal effective coverage
• Emergency expenses
• Full timers liability coverage
• Pet coverage
• Tow bar coverage

Best for Policy Discounts: Nationwide

Variety of discounts available

Towing coverage includes lodging and meals

Limited optional coverages

No online quote option

Nationwide offers a variety of discounts in association with its RV policies including multi-policy and multi-vehicle discounts, RV safety course, paid-in-full, good driver, prior insurance, and claims-free renewal. It also offers a discount for RV association membership, which is not offered by many competitors. Those who are members of an RV club, such as the National RV Association, may be eligible for a policy discount.

Nationwide offers comprehensive roadside assistance. Using its mobile app when roadside assistance is needed, you can track service in real time, get status updates on a driver’s arrival, and read Google reviews of area repair facilities. The emergency assistance program is available 24-hours a day and includes towing, jump start, gas delivery, flat tire changes, and winching. When you add the optional towing coverage to your policy, you’ll also get coverage for trip interruption expenses including lodging, transportation and meals.

Nationwide’s optional coverages, however, are limited compared to the competition. It offers less than a half dozen choices: roadside assistance, towing and labor, vacation liability, safety glass replacement, and replacement cost and scheduled personal effects. This can be challenging for RVers seeking coverage for such things as pets, or other unique needs. The company also does not provide the option to obtain a quick policy quote via its website. Instead, you must call and speak with an agent. The agent will be able to share what coverages are available in your state.

• Property damage liability 
• Uninsured motorist
• Underinsured motorist
• Multi-vehicle
• RV safety course
• RV association
• Paid in full
• Good driver
• Prior insurance
• Claims-free renewal
• Towing and labor
• Safety glass replacement
• Replacement cost and scheduled personal effects

Best for Customer Service:  Geico

Coverage for motorized and towable RVs

Widely available across U.S.

Enhanced RV coverage is not available in all states

RV policy discounts not listed on Geico website

Geico is well-known for its admirable customer service and this holds true for its RV insurance. Customer service representatives are available around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customer service can also be reached through the Geico app or online via live chat on the company’s website. The variety of ways to communicate is not something offered by all providers and can be especially reassuring in an emergency situation.

Geico also provides coverage for a variety of motorized and towable RVs. The motorized RVs covered include Type A motorhomes, Type B motorhomes (van campers) and Type C motorhomes (mini motor homes). Their travel traveler insurance encompasses conventional travel trailers, fifth-wheel travel trailers, travel trailers with expandable ends and even folding camper trailers and truck campers. And unlike many other insurers, Geico also covers toy haulers used to transport motorcycles and ATVs.

There are some limitations to Geico’s coverage, however. For instance, it does not provide “enhanced”RV coverage in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, or North Carolina. There’s also no information made available on the Geico website about RV policy discounts that may be available, which can make it challenging to quickly obtain a full comparison of Geico policies and options against the competition.

• Defensive driver course completion
• Having a commercial drivers license
• Replacement cost personal effects
• Special windshield deductible
• A++ (Superior)

The Bottom Line

There’s a variety of RV insurance policy providers and options on the market, making it important to do your homework and understand the different choices and whether they suit your lifestyle, goals, and budget. If you’re a first-time RVer, be sure to ask a lot of questions so you know what you’re signing on for and what your policy will and won’t include. For sheer user-friendliness, Progressive can be a good place to start as its website provides a great deal of information up front.

Things to Consider When Buying RV Insurance

Coverage options: The coverage available for RVs varies widely. The standard coverages include comprehensive and collision, liability, uninsured/underinsured, and medical payments. Most states require liability coverage.

Policy exclusions: Most insurers have policy exclusions and items or incidents that they won’t cover. Some RV insurers, for instance, do not provide liability coverage for towable vehicles. It’s important to read the fine print and understand what is excluded before selecting a particular policy or insurance company.

Discounts and benefits: The best insurance companies offer a diverse range of discounts including multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe driver, prior insurance, paid-in-full, and claims-free renewal. Some companies also offer more unique discounts such as RV association membership discounts.

How We Chose the Best RV Insurance

A number of expert sources were used to conduct this review. The selection was narrowed down with additional research, paying particular attention to policy add-ons, discounts, user-friendliness of websites and the transparency of available information. We also took the company’s AM Best financial strength rating into account, as well as consumer feedback from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Overall, we found that the best policy is one that combines a variety of coverage options, as well as a diversity of discounts and the ability to customize policies to meet your needs and RV usage styles.

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

Our contributors and editors have years of experience researching, testing, and reviewing products. Mia Taylor , the author of this piece, has nearly two decades of consumer news experience in insurance, personal finance, loans, debt, credit cards, real estate, and travel. She has worked for Fortune, Bankrate, Policygenius, TheStreet, Cheapism, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes & Gardens

Progressive offers the most depth and breadth of coverage along with an easy-to-use website and an abundance of transparent information about its offerings. However, the best RV insurance will really vary based on your unique needs as an RVer, as well as your budget and coverage goals.

Full-time RVers will need a policy that’s specifically designed for their lifestyle. These policies are similar to home insurance policies and often include such features as personal liability and loss assessment coverage. Part-time RVs or occasional travelers will need less comprehensive coverage and may want to seek a policy that provides discounts for those times when the RV is in storage or not in use.

Some policies do cover belongings inside your RV, but you will typically need to add this type of coverage to a standard policy, which will increase your policy costs.

Some companies may provide rental reimbursement while an RV is being repaired. This would be an add-on feature, so be sure to ask about the availability of this option when shopping around.

Because trailers are not motorized, a separate policy is typically not required. In most cases, the liability insurance you have for the vehicle that’s towing the trailer will cover your trailer.

When renting out an RV that you own, you will need insurance that covers yourself during the rental period while other people are driving the vehicle. You will also need a separate insurance policy that allows you to rent your RV.

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How to Find the Best RV Insurance

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Table of Contents

What basic RV insurance covers

Other rv insurance options, what’s excluded from rv insurance, who needs rv insurance, where to buy rv insurance.

Whether you plan on using your RV as a full-time home or for occasional road trips, insurance is a must. Adding your RV to an existing car insurance policy may be an option, but RVs are much more than just cars. For better financial protection, consider RV insurance. This coverage combines elements of auto and home insurance to account for the unique potential problems with a recreational vehicle.

See what you could save on car insurance

Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.

A basic RV insurance policy may include slightly different coverage types depending on the insurer, but you can expect the following to be required or added automatically when you get a quote:

Liability insurance : To legally operate your RV, you’ll need at least the same amount of liability coverage that your state requires for car insurance. If you ever cause a crash, liability covers others’ injury and property damage costs, up to your limit.

» MORE : Minimum car insurance requirements by state

Collision and comprehensive coverage : Collision coverage helps pay for repairs to your RV if you cause a crash or run into objects such as a tree or street sign.

Comprehensive covers a variety of issues, including theft of your RV, animal collisions, falling objects, vandalism and more.

Note that collision and comprehensive come with a deductible, which is the amount your insurer subtracts from claim payments. If you file a claim for $2,000 to repair damage from a fallen tree branch, for instance, and you have a $500 deductible, your settlement would be $1,500.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage : Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage helps cover your and your passengers’ injury treatment if you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance, or who has some insurance but not enough to cover your bills.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage kicks in at the same time but goes toward repairing your damaged RV.

Medical payments coverage : If you crash your RV, this coverage pays for injury treatment for you and your passengers, no matter who was at fault in the incident.

If you want only the basics, such as liability insurance, comprehensive and collision, consider adding your RV to your auto policy, which offers those same benefits.

However, RV insurance includes several additional options that car insurance can’t.

Full replacement cost : If your RV is stolen or totaled, comprehensive coverage through car insurance typically pays a depreciated replacement amount. This means you only get back what your RV was worth at the time of the loss. With RV insurance, on the other hand, you can choose full replacement cost and get back what you paid for your vehicle.

Personal property and attachments coverage : RVs are made to be loaded with items and attachments that a traditional auto policy won’t cover, such as cooking appliances, sporting and camping supplies, satellite dishes, awnings and furniture. If your stuff is stolen or damaged, you’d need separate RV insurance to repair or replace it.

Vacation liability coverage : When your RV is in a park or campsite, it’s considered a temporary vacation residence. It’s wise to have liability insurance to cover the damages in case, say, someone is injured inside your RV or you accidentally throw a football through a neighboring camper’s window.

Roadside assistance : RV insurance can provide high-limit coverage to account for the steep prices associated with towing and servicing mammoth RVs.

Travel expenses coverage : If you have an accident or your RV breaks down, this coverage helps pay for lodging and transportation while your vehicle is fixed. It typically applies only when you’re a certain distance from home, usually at least 50 or 100 miles, depending on your insurer.

Full-time RV coverage : This coverage is required if you’re using your RV as your primary residence. Among other benefits, it can provide high-limit personal liability insurance similar to what you’d find in a home insurance policy, medical payments for injured visitors and coverage for belongings you keep in storage while you’re on the road.

Depending on your insurer, travel trailers, campers and other non-motorized units may not fall under RV insurance; they would need their own separate policies.

Also, even though RVs are ideal for traveling far and wide, most companies won’t cover you in Mexico; talk to your insurer about finding Mexican RV insurance if you’re planning on heading south of the border.

You are, however, typically covered in Canada, but ask your insurer to make sure. They may issue a non-resident insurance card that you can show to Canadian authorities.

If you live in your RV full time, separate RV insurance is a necessity. If you use your RV sporadically for vacations and road trips, you’ll need liability insurance at the very least. If you got an RV loan, your lender may require insurance.

Adding your RV to your car insurance may work if your vehicle is older and lacks frills such as attachments, electronics and appliances.

An RV insurance policy is the better choice if you want these perks:

Full replacement cost for your RV and its contents.

Coverage for lodging if your RV breaks down.

Personal liability insurance in case guests are injured in your vehicle.

Coverage for RV attachments such as awnings and satellite dishes.

RV insurance is available through several well-known companies that offer a wide range of insurance products, including:

Progressive

You can also get insurance from smaller companies that specialize in RVs, such as:

Good Sam Club

RV insurance rates are hard to estimate given all the ways you can customize and use your vehicle. It’s worthwhile to explore companies both big and small, as shopping around and comparing a variety of quotes is the best way to learn who has the coverage options you’re looking for at the most competitive prices.

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The Best RV Insurance: Everything You Need to Know

What makes one insurance policy better than another? Whether it's a fifth-wheel toy hauler or a Class C motorhome, purchasing an RV is a thrilling experience. Answer the call of the road well protected with reliable insurance. Stick with us as we reveal the carrier that offers the best RV insurance for you.

What Is RV Insurance?

RV insurance helps protect your rig in the event of loss or damage, just like your auto policy protects your vehicle. However, similar to homeowners insurance, it may cover your personal belongings as well. Its purpose is to protect your property in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as:

• Automobile accident
• Severe weather damage
• Pest infestation
• Theft or vandalism
• Equipment damage

Most insurance policies cover the following types of campers:

• Travel coaches
• Truck campers
• Teardrop trailers
• Fifth-wheel trailers
• Pop-up campers

When shopping companies for the best RV insurance, consider these factors:

• Your class of RV
• How often you'll use it (seasonal or full-time)
• Your state's minimum coverage requirements

Best RV Insurance Companies

National General is the best because it:

• Offers many customizable options
• Insures almost every type of RV
• Provides a myriad of discounts
• Delivers easy initial quotes online

National General's typical RV coverages include:

• General liability
• Comprehensive and collision
• Personal effects
• Vacation liability
• RV emergency expenses
• Specialized equipment
• Full replacement cost
• Personalized belongings (often as an add-on)

If you're still not convinced, National General offers a long list of perks, too, including:

• Coverage suspension when your RV is in storage
• Safe driver allowances when you complete an RV driving course
• Low mileage discounts
• Search assistance if your RV gets stolen
• Free RV inspections after repairs
• Emergency coverage for food and lodging expenses

Other RV Insurance Providers

Who secured the runner-up spot for the best RV insurance provider? Progressive did, according to Reviews.com . Founded in 1937, this company is another one of the biggest insurance providers in the U.S. It offers a variety of products such as auto, home, and RV insurance and touts a superior A+ rating from AM Best and AA from S&P Global Ratings as well as reasonable annual prices that cover all classes of RVs. Progressive offers many of the same benefits as National General, such as:

• Online quotes
• Various discounts, like pay-in-full credits
• Bundling options for multiple policies
• Customized coverage plan
• Basic liability (motorhomes)
• Uninsured or underinsured motorists
• Medical payments

The company's standard plan doesn't include:

• Replacing personal effects
• Emergency expense coverage

You can also add extras, like:

• Total loss replacement
• Roadside assistance
• Full-timer liability
• Loss assessment
• Pet injury coverage

We round out our picks for the top three best RV insurance providers with Nationwide, according to ValuePenguin . Launched in 1926, it's a Fortune 100 company with an A+ rating from the BBB. This provider offers a range of products and insures all classes and ages of RVs. Nationwide boasts some of the industry's best discounts, like:

• Home and auto
• Safety training
• Claim-free discounts
• Multipolicy discounts
• Continuous coverage
• RV club, alumni, and professional group membership benefits

How to Choose the Right RV Insurance Policies

Every RV must be covered by liability insurance while driving. Look for at least the minimum liability coverage requirements for the state where your RV is registered, recommends Investopedia . For example:

If your state requires 20/40/10 in liability coverage, you must purchase $20,000 per individual of bodily insurance, $40,000 of protection for each accident, and $40,000 for property damage, per accident.

Depending on how much coverage you want, your premiums will vary. Consider coverage options such as:

• Comprehensive (theft, damage, acts of nature, or an impact with an animal)
• Personal belongings coverage

RV insurance also rarely covers your tow vehicle , so plan to purchase a separate auto insurance policy. Check your carrier's fine print as some policies won't cover losses or damages caused by rodents or insects when the vehicle is parked. Most types of water damage are also not covered.

RV Insurance Coverage Features for Full-Timers

Good Sam provides some of the best RV insurance benefits for full-timers and a variety of towable homes. This BBB A+ rated company offers customized quotes online and membership discounts at participating gas stations and camping sites. The more time you spend on the road, the more your membership privileges improve.

RV Insurance Coverage Add-ons for Part-Timers

The purpose of vacation liability coverage is to protect you from the legal liability that results from injuries in and around your RV. If you plan to use your trailer seasonally, compare quotes to see what the agent did — and didn't include in the policy.

Some providers may have lower premiums for part-time RVers that don't carry as much personal property protection. These policies may include some useful features, like vacation liability coverage. This policy type provides campers with similar protection to a personal liability policy, just temporarily.

Expected Costs of RV Insurance

Per The Wandering RV , many factors affect the price of your RV's insurance. A large, luxurious Class A motorhome will cost more to insure than a small, pop-up trailer for example. Other elements include:

• Class of vehicle
• How often you use it
• Prior claims
• Your driving history

If you're in the market for insurance for your towable house, take advantage of this guide of the best RV insurance carriers for your specific needs.

Check this out if you need additional information, resources, or guidance on car insurance.

The 7 Best RV Insurance Companies of 2021 | thebalance.com

The Best RV Insurance Companies | reviews.com

The Best RV Insurance Companies in 2021 | valuepenguin.com

The Ultimate Guide to RV Insurance in 2021 (Best RV Insurance Companies) | thewanderingrv.com

Best RV Insurance Companies | investopedia.com

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7 Best RV Insurance Companies of 2024

S ince 2016, Money’s editorial team has been evaluating companies that offer RV insurance. Our research and analysis takes into account customer satisfaction, financial stability, coverage options, availability and more. We strive to provide accurate and informative recommendations customized to our readers’ needs.

Money’s Main Takeaways

• Insuring your RV is essential, whether you plan to live in your RV full-time or use it for occasional trips.
• The type, age and condition of your RV, where you live, and your own personal driving record are all factors that will influence the price of your policy.
• We settled on six companies including Good Sam as the best RV insurance broker, National General as the best for full replacement cost coverage and Auto-Owners Insurance as the best for customer service.

Why Trust Us?

Our editors and writers evaluate RV insurance companies independently, ensuring our content is precise and guided by editorial integrity. Read the full methodology to learn more.

• Reviewed 15+ companies
• More than 1,000 hours of research
• We prioritized coverage, discounts, customer sentiment, the NAIC complaint index and financial stability

Our Top Picks for the Best RV Insurance Companies

• Good Sam – Best RV Insurance Agency
• RVInsurance.com – Runner-Up
• Nationwide – Best for Multiple Discounts
• National General – Best for Full Replacement Cost Coverage
• Progressive – Best for Disappearing Deductibles
• Roamly – Best for Renting Out Your RV
• Auto-Owners Insurance – Best for Customer Service

Best RV Insurance Reviews

• Offers full-timer coverage
• Manage your policy online without having to contact an agent
• Membership gets you discounts on campsites, gear stores, fuel and more
• Not a direct insurer

Why we chose this company: Good Sam Insurance Agency is the best option for those who need help choosing coverage. It connects you with some of the best RV insurance companies and helps you get a comprehensive policy that fits your needs.

Good Sam works with well-known insurance companies like Progressive, Foremost, Safeco and National General. Some standard insurance options you can get through Good Sam include comprehensive, collision, liability, property damage and personal injury protection.

Good Sam is also an excellent option for people who drive their RV across the border to Mexico. The company partners with MexicoInsuranceOnline.com, which can pair you with one of three Mexico-based insurers. Agents can recommend add-ons for your cross-border travels based on your specific needs, and you can purchase policies for a single-day trip or longer.

The company also offers a storage discount, which lets you pause collision and liability coverage when your motorhome or trailer is stored for more than 30 consecutive days. This can help you save on monthly insurance premiums if you only use your RV for occasional road trips.

Lastly, the agency can help you customize a full-time RV insurance policy if you use it as a permanent residence.

Learn more: Good Sam RV insurance review

See rates on Good Sam’s Secure Website >>

Why we chose this company: RVInsurance.com can help you find a suitable policy, whether you use your RV for vacationing or as your residence.

• Specialists can help you find a policy
• Policies available for all types of RVs

RVInsurance.com works with Foremost, National General and Safeco. These companies cover all RV types, from motorhomes to campers. They offer several policy add-ons, such as full replacement cost, full-timers liability coverage and roadside assistance.

You can get an insurance quote online, but an insurance specialist can help you compare policies if you call.

See rates on RVInsurance.com’s Secure Website >>

• Free yearly insurance review to evaluate your coverage options and possible discounts
• Optional towing coverage includes lodging, transportation and meals
• Multiple policies available, making it easy to bundle and save
• Many customer complaints about the claims process

Why we chose this company: Nationwide Insurance offers over 10 different discounts, including discounts for staying claim-free during the previous policy period or installing safety devices, like smoke detectors.

Most RV insurers offer discounts that can help you save on premiums. Nationwide’s discount list, however, is particularly extensive. You can save money if you bundle your RV policy with your existing home insurance, take safety courses, belong to an RV organization (such as the National RV Association), pay your annual policy upfront or purchase the company’s full-time RV insurance package.

Note that not all discounts are listed on Nationwide’s website, and some only come up during the quoting process. For example, according to a customer service representative, the company also offers discounts to customers whose vehicles have safety features such as tire-pressure monitoring systems or fiberglass bodies.

Learn more: Nationwide RV insurance review

See rates on Nationwide’s Secure Website >>

• Coverage for specialized equipment such as solar panels
• Pause your coverage when your RV is in storage
• Experts help you find a new RV in the event of total loss
• Low mileage discount
• Eligibility, benefits, coverage and discounts vary per state
• Limited information about policies on its website

Why we chose this company: Full replacement cost coverage can usually only be bought during an RV’s first model year. National General, on the other hand, lets you get the rider within an RV’s first five model years.

With full replacement cost coverage, also known as total loss replacement, your RV gets replaced with a new or similar one if it’s totaled or stolen. You may also get reimbursed for the original purchase price of the vehicle.

This type of coverage is typically only available for newly purchased motorhomes or travel trailers up to one or two model years old. For example, a 2024 model would probably be eligible until 2026. So if you buy a used RV or don’t insure your new one as soon as possible, you risk your vehicle being considered ineligible.

With National General, on the other hand, RVs are eligible during their first five model years. The company can also insure your RV whether you’re the first owner or not — some companies limit this type of coverage to original owners.

The company lets you pause your coverage when your RV is in storage, an option that’s not available with many other providers. You can save money by suspending collision and personal injury riders, for example. However, your RV would still be covered against theft, fires, harsh weather and other non-collision accidents.

Learn more: National General RV insurance review

See rates on National General’s Secure Website >>

• Accident forgiveness for claims under $500
• Horse trailer coverage up to $50k
• Pet injury coverage available
• Add-on coverage available for roof malfunction
• Standard plan doesn't cover personal property replacement or emergency expenses
• Insurance rates can vary if you buy online or through an agent
• Discounts are not available in all states

Why we chose this company: Progressive offers disappearing deductibles, accident forgiveness and an extensive array of discounts.

With Progressive, you can save on premiums if you’re the RV’s original owner or if you pay your policy in advance, among other discounts. However, what makes Progressive’s discount list stand out are disappearing deductibles and accident forgiveness.

Not many companies provide these discounts, and if they do, they only offer one or the other. With disappearing deductibles, the longer you go without filing a claim, the lower your insurance deductibles get.

Progressive deducts 25% from your total deductible amount for every claim-free policy period. After four consecutive claim-free periods, your deductible will be $0. Other insurance companies that offer disappearing deductibles cap the discount to a maximum of $500 — if your deductible exceeds $500, you’d still have to pay the remaining amount.

Disappearing deductibles, also known as vanishing deductibles, have an additional cost.

However, the feature is included if your vehicle is valued at $25,000 or more and you purchase the comprehensive and collision coverage package. Both riders are recommended since they ensure the vehicle is covered for car accidents and non-collision events, like a fire.

Accident forgiveness — which keeps your premium rates from increasing if claims are for $500 or less — is included at no additional cost.

See rates on Progressive’s Secure Website >>

• Specializes in RV insurance
• Coverage even when renting out your RV
• Policies for full-time RVers are available
• Covers Canada rentals
• Only offers RV policies

Why we chose this company: Insurers typically decline coverage if you rent your RV to someone else. With Roamly, you can rent out your RV and still be covered for liability and damage to the vehicle.

Rented RVs require comprehensive commercial insurance because they’re exposed to more risk than personal vehicles. Renting out your motorhome or camper without insuring it can result in denied claims, especially if the renter doesn’t have coverage either.

With Roamly, your RV is always covered when listed in rental platforms like Outdoorsy (which owns Roamly). When someone books your RV through Outdoorsy, they can purchase a renters protection package. These policies can include trip protection, interior damage and travel medical insurance.

Roamly covers rented RVs for actual cash value during a rental period. Also, policies include $1 million in liability insurance protection during each trip.

Learn more: Roamly RV insurance review

See rates on Roamly’s Secure Website >>

• Premium reduction if RV is equipped with certain safety features
• Towing and roadside assistance in all 50 states and Canada
• Mobile app for Apple and Android
• No online quotes

Why we chose this company: Auto-Owners is our pick for personalized customer service because of its network of independent agents, online customer center and mobile app. Customers can access claims, billing and other important policy documents on their phone, tablet or computer.

Auto-Owners has an impressive customer service record, with fewer complaints on record with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) than most competitors. It also ranked above average in the southeast region in J.D. Power’s 2022 Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction study.

Unlike other companies, Auto-Owners only sells its insurance products through independent agents. Instead of contacting the company online, you work directly with local agencies which can better advise you regarding specific insurance requirements in your area. For example, bodily injury and property damage liability limits set by law vary by state.

Learn more: Auto-Owners RV insurance review

See rates on Auto-Owners’s Secure Website >>

Other RV Insurance companies we considered

During our research for the best recreational vehicle insurance providers, we narrowed down our initial list to 7 companies. The following didn’t make our final cut, not because they were lacking, but because other competitors had more standout features.

• Covers motorhomes, travel trailers and campers
• Membership plan includes roadside assistance, hotel discounts and more
• Extra coverage for lodging and transportation if your RV is damaged
• Coverage options are not standard across regions (southwest, northeast, etc.)
• RV policy not available nationwide
• Limited information available online

AAA offers coverage for different types of RVs and some of its policies also cover personal effects such as electronics. However, it didn’t make our list because their coverage is not available in all 50 states.

See rates on AAA’s Secure Website >>

• Discount if you transfer from another insurance company
• Discounts for drivers 55 years or older
• Gas price locator to help you find the cheapest gas
• Limited information on company website
• Online quotes not available

Allstate’s policies include emergency travel expenses if you’re over 50 miles from home when your RV breaks down and the issue is covered under the policy. Allstate is not on our main list because it only provides quotes through its sales agents and the information on its website is limited.

See rates on Allstate’s Secure Website >>

• Windshield deductible is only $50 for total replacements
• Personal effects replacement limits up to $100,000
• Free accident forgiveness for those who have been accident-free for 5+ years
• Limited information available on the company's website
• Enhanced RV coverage is not available in HI, MA, MI and NC
• Availability of total loss replacement coverage varies by state and vehicle value

While Geico offers coverage options comparable to those of other companies on our list (such as total loss replacement, emergency expenses coverage and vacation liability), its policies aren’t available nationwide. Its website also lacks crucial details, such as available discounts.

See rates on Geico’s Secure Website >>

• Loan or lease protection coverage available
• Deductibles diminish $100 per year up to $500
• Insures motorhomes valued at up to $1 million
• Coverage available for custom equipment
• Only covers vehicles used 250 days or less per year
• Limited information available on website
• No online quotes available

Safeco offers coverage for class A, B, and C motorhomes valued at up to $1 million, but it only insures these vehicles if you use them recreationally. Safeco didn’t make our list because its website doesn’t offer a lot of information and coverage is limited to vehicles used less than 250 days a year.

See rates on Safeco’s Secure Website >>

• Coverage for emergency expenses if camper is damaged or destroyed
• Pays for transportation of damaged RV to storage, repair shop or home
• Full-timer coverage for travel trailers, motor homes, luxury motorcoaches and more
• Special policies for USAA members
• Not available in DC or Hawaii
• Limited information on website

Foremost, a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance, has policies for full-timers as well as stationary travel trailers. It also covers personal-use motor homes that you occasionally rent, lease or loan. Unfortunately, this policy doesn’t cover the vehicle while it’s rented, leased or loaned.

See rates on Foremost’s Secure Website >>

• Part-time users can opt for storage-only insurance during the off-season
• Policy extends to travel anywhere in Canada
• Insures equipment permanently attached to your RV
• No information regarding discounts

Despite offering coverage in Canada, Farmers Insurance fell short of our list due to limited information on their website regarding specific coverages and discounts. This lack of transparency makes it challenging for consumers to assess the scope and value of its policies.

See rates on Farmers’ Secure Website >>

• Discounts for safe driving and original ownership
• Multi-vehicle discount
• Coverage for all RV classes, including slide-on campers
• Members get a 5% discount on policies
• Policies only available to military families
• 5% members-only discount not available in all states

USAA offers RV insurance through an alliance with Progressive, which covers almost all types of RVs. The drawback to USAA’s policies is that they’re only available to military families.

See rates on USAA’s Secure Website >>

Country Financial

• Multi-policy discount
• Mobile app for Apple and Android devices
• Only available through agents
• Operates in only 19 states

Country Financial’s RV insurance policies fall under home or auto insurance. That can be a drawback for consumers who already have a preferred auto or home insurer. Another notable snag in its coverage is that it’s available in only 19 states.

See rates on Country Financial’s Secure Website >>

National Interstate

• Options for RV full-timers
• 25% deductible discount for each consecutive claim-free year
• Windshield replacement coverage
• Coverage for commercial RVs
• Website lacks information about terms and discounts

National Interstate has policy options for RV full-timers and covers commercial RVs. This insurer is not featured on our main list because its website doesn’t provide details regarding policies or discounts.

See rates on National Interstate’s Secure Website >>

The Hartford

• Lifetime guarantee for repairs done in authorized repair shops
• 24/7 claims submission
• RV replacement if it's totaled in the first 15 months
• Only available to AARP members
• Not available in U.S. territories

The Hartford allows policyholders to customize their RV insurance coverage, and its lifetime guarantee for repairs in authorized shops is a highlight of its policies. However, coverage is only available to AARP members, which is a considerable drawback.

See rates on The Hartford’s Secure Website >>

RV Insurance Guide

Like auto insurance, an RV insurance policy provides financial protection in the event of accidents, injuries and other unfortunate scenarios. This means it can reimburse you for repairs, medical bills and liability expenses in the event you injure someone or damage their property.

Most RV insurance providers offer comprehensive policies covering everything from collisions, theft and loss of personal belongings to medical expenses and more. However, not everyone needs an all-inclusive policy, especially those who use their RVs occasionally.

Read on to find out how much RV insurance costs, learn about the different coverage options available and get tips on choosing the right coverage for your needs while saving on premiums.

Table of contents

How much is rv insurance, types of rvs, what type of insurance does an rv need, what does rv insurance not cover.

• How to buy RV insurance

Renting out your RV

According to Progressive, an RV insurance policy for a travel trailer (an RV that you tow behind your own vehicle) costs an average of $573 per year, while coverage for a motorhome costs an average of $958 per year.

The cost of an RV insurance policy is influenced by the following factors:

• The type of RV: Motorhomes are more expensive to insure than trailers (especially motorhomes with state-of-the-art components).
• Age and condition: Older trailers and motorhomes cost less to insure than their modern counterparts due to their reduced resale value.
• Type of RV insurance: A policy with just liability coverage is more affordable than a comprehensive policy that includes collision and personal property coverage.
• Where you live: As with most other types of insurance, your state and zip code affect your insurance rates. RVs in areas prone to extreme weather will be more expensive to insure.
• Driving experience and driving record: A first-time RV owner poses a higher risk than someone who’s been living the van life for years. Insurers will also look at your general driving record to determine an appropriate rate.
• Claims history: Just as with auto insurance, a lengthy claims history is a red flag to insurers. A driver who has never filed an insurance claim will get a much better rate than one who has cashed in on their policy in the past.
• Additional coverage: Purchasing add-ons that augment your standard coverage can substantially increase your premium. Additional coverage options may include roadside assistance, total loss replacement, vacation liability and full-timers coverage.

Recreational vehicles, more commonly known as RVs, can be classified into one of four categories: Class A, Class B, Class C and towable RVs. The first three are motorhomes, which means they’re drivable units equipped with living quarters and appliances. Towable RVs, also called campers or trailers, can have home amenities too. However, some are designed to transport animals or cargo.

Here’s the rundown of the different types of RVs available:

Class A motorhomes

Class A motorhomes are the most luxurious and spacious. They are similar to commercial buses, measuring anywhere between 24 to 45 feet in length and fitting as many as 12 passengers. However, their size can make them difficult to drive and limits their mileage to around 10 miles per gallon or less.

Class B motorhomes

Class B motorhomes, also known as “camper vans,” are the smallest and least expensive type, with a length of 17 to 19 feet. These are standard-sized vans usually packed with a compact kitchen, bathroom and foldable or fixed bed. Their limited living space makes them suitable for four passengers or less who enjoy minimalist traveling.

Class B+ or B Plus motorhomes

Class B+ or B Plus motorhomes are the big siblings of Class B camper vans. These vehicles measure between 17 and 30 feet, fitting bigger beds and more spacious bathroom and kitchen areas.

Class C motorhomes

Class C motorhomes are the middle ground between Class A and B RVs. They measure between 21 to 41 feet in length and are easily recognized by their over-cab sleeping or storage area.

Although smaller than Class A RVs, Class Cs are suitable for full-time occupancy, delivering better gas mileage and easier maneuverability. These vehicles can fit up to eight passengers and include a fully equipped kitchen and spacious dining, bathroom and living room areas.

Towable RVs

Towable RVs are pulled by hitches on SUVs, pickup trucks or any vehicle that can tow the RVs weight. Towable RVs that feature living quarters include fifth wheels, toy haulers, travel trailers and pop-up campers. These range from under 10 feet for pop-ups to 30 feet for fifth-wheel trailers.

Truck campers are also considered towable RVs, but you don’t pull them with a hitch. Instead, they sit on the bed of a pickup truck. Other types of towable RVs include utility, cargo and horse trailers.

Since RVs can be both a vehicle and a primary residence, there are special considerations when insuring them. Some policies only offer basic liability protection while others offer broader coverage for things like personal effects and emergency expenses.

Keep in mind that if your RV is self-propelled, your coverage should meet your state’s minimum liability insurance requirements. This applies whether you use the vehicle occasionally or as a residence.

If your RV is towable, the insurance policy on the vehicle used to tow it may extend to the RV. However, note that the towing vehicle’s policy usually only covers liability and not physical damage to the RV or attached accessories.

Best RV insurance features for part-time RVers

People who use their motorhomes for weekend getaways should at least have basic liability coverage that meets their state’s minimum requirements.

Other types of RV insurance for part-time RVers include:

• Property-damage liability coverage: Pays for damages that you cause to another person’s property or vehicle.
• Bodily injury liability coverage: Helps pay the medical expenses of those you injure in an at-fault accident.
• Collision coverage: Covers repairs to your RV after an accident with another vehicle, whether you’re at fault or not.
• Comprehensive coverage: Pays for damages caused by theft, vandalism, natural disasters, fire and other non-collision accidents.
• Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage: Covers the cost of repairs to your RV and your medical payments if you’re in an accident caused by a driver that doesn’t have insurance or has insufficient coverage to pay your claim.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Covers medical expenses for both you and your passenger in the event of an accident, no matter who was at fault. It may also cover lost wages.
• Campsite/vacation liability coverage: Helps pay for legal expenses if you’re found at fault for injuries or losses suffered by a non-family member while in your campsite area or inside your RV.
• Roadside Assistance: Offers around-the-clock repairs, towing and emergency assistance should your RV experience a flat tire, battery discharge or other malfunction.

Best RV insurance features for full-time RVers

For added peace of mind, full-time RVers should consider having a more comprehensive policy that includes some of the above-mentioned add-ons as well as any of the following:

• Personal property coverage: Covers the cost of replacing any damaged or stolen personal effects. This includes clothing, furniture, jewelry and computers, for example.
• Total loss replacement: Replaces your RV with an equal or similar model if your vehicle is ever stolen or totaled in an accident. In other cases, the insurer may reimburse you for the original purchase price. Note that lenders may require this coverage if you finance your RV.
• Full-time RV liability coverage: Adds additional coverage for liability and medical expenses if you live in your RV for six months or more each year.
• Emergency expense allowance: Covers up to a specified amount of living and travel expenses like car rentals, lodging and food if your RV leaves you stranded, usually more than 100 miles away.
• Specialized coverage: Can replace appliances like awnings, satellite dishes, and solar panels and can even provide coverage for any pet injuries that happen in the vehicle.
• Loss assessment: Helps cover fees charged by RV associations for damage to common areas in a campsite, for example.

RV insurance won’t cover the following:

• Normal wear and tear: RV insurance protects your vehicle against unexpected events, not routine maintenance or deterioration.
• Mold damage, fungi or rot: Insurers consider mold a sign of neglect and won’t cover damages unless it’s directly linked to water damage caused by a covered event.
• Certain types of water damage: RV insurance doesn’t cover water damage that’s caused by regular wear and tear, freezing temperatures or manufacturer defects.

Comprehensive RV insurance covers most natural disasters, including flash floods, storm surges and fire. Earthquake coverage varies by insurer — it may be covered under a comprehensive RV policy or you may need to purchase earthquake coverage separately.

How to Buy RV Insurance

Here are some tips on how to find and purchase the right RV insurance coverage for you.

Take time to shop around for insurance quotes

The cost of RV insurance will depend on your driving history, where you live, the type of vehicle you own and whether you intend to live in the RV full-time or use it for vacations. Adding optional riders like pet and accessories coverage will hike up your premium.

Requesting multiple RV insurance quotes can work out to your advantage. Those who compare estimates and coverage options before choosing often find the best rates.

If you don’t have the time to shop around, you can consult an independent insurance agent. They can help you choose the right coverage and guide you to companies with attractive rates and policy features that meet your needs.

Consider bundling multiple policies

Most insurance providers offer a multi-policy discount when you combine your RV insurance with other qualified policies.

You can save on premiums by combining your RV policy with your current auto, home or boat insurance . Some insurers also let you bundle your policy with renters or life insurance policies . Bundling multiple policies under one provider can also help you avoid the hassle of dealing with different companies come time to file a claim.

If you don’t want to pay two premiums, you can consider adding your RV to your existing auto insurance policy . Just know that the insurance you have on your car usually only extends to towable campers or trailers, not motorhomes. Also, keep in mind that car insurance may cover you against liability and damages to the RV, but not belongings or appliances inside the vehicle.

Homeowners insurance may also offer some coverage for RVs, but only when the vehicle is parked on the insured property’s premises.

Another option is getting umbrella insurance to cover your RV. This type of policy covers liability claims that exceed the limits of your primary auto, home or RV policy. However, this coverage only kicks in if your RV is covered by an underlying policy that meets the liability requirements of the umbrella policy.

Check for available discounts

While these may vary by company, most insurers offer rate discounts for:

• Paying the total annual policy upfront
• Making monthly payments on time
• Staying claim-free during the previous policy period
• Being the vehicle’s original owner
• Installing safety features in your RV (a tire pressure monitoring system, for example)
• Having a favorable loss history (the record of insurance losses associated with the vehicle)
• Being a safe driver (staying accident-free for at least three years)
• Taking safety courses
• Being a member of an RV association

Drivers aged 50 and up can snag a lower rate, as can parents or guardians who opt not to insure drivers under 25 on their policy.

Insurance when renting an RV

If you plan on renting an RV for a vacation, you should consider getting RV rental insurance. This type of policy is similar to car rental insurance since both usually provide liability, collision damage waiver, personal accident or personal effects coverage.

Policies can be purchased through the rental company or your own insurance provider — if it offers such coverage. However, keep in mind that your current car or RV insurance policy may already extend some coverage to the rented RV. Coverage may not be available in all states or for trips longer than 30 days, so you should call your insurer to verify before heading out.

Some insurance companies also offer RV coverage for trips to Mexico. While this type of policy can be useful for someone planning a vacation, it is more commonly recommended for RV owners who frequently cross the border.

If you rent your RV to others, it’s considered a commercial-use vehicle, and your insurance policy won’t cover the renter. The person must obtain their own rental insurance for the trip. If you’re merely lending your RV to a friend or family member, your existing coverage may extend to them, depending on the details of your policy.

However, note that some states — including Arkansas and Wisconsin — require drivers to get special licenses to drive RVs. If you live in one of these states and you lend your RV to someone, that person must have the required license if you want your insurance policy to cover them.

What kind of insurance do I need to rent out my RV?

To rent out an RV, you’ll need at least liability coverage, which pays for damages or injury you may cause to other people and their property in an at-fault accident.

With the exception of New Hampshire, all states and the District of Columbia, require that vehicles, including RVs, have some form of liability coverage.

Insurance for towable RVs is another matter. When you’re towing your RV behind another vehicle instead of driving it, you only have to worry about having enough coverage to protect your belongings, not about additional liability insurance.

RV Insurance FAQs

What states require trailer insurance.

Trailer insurance requirements vary by state and by type of trailer. Most local governments require liability insurance, while others also require uninsured motorist coverage.

There are currently only two states that don't require any type of trailer insurance. You can drive an uninsured vehicle in Virginia as long as you pay an uninsured motorist fee. In New Hampshire, you can drive uninsured if you prove you have enough money to cover liability expenses in an at-fault accident.

Do you need trailer insurance?

You don't need insurance for a non-motorized trailer that's hooked up to a towing vehicle. The vehicle's insurance coverage extends to the trailer attached to it. However, this coverage is typically limited to liability.

Talk to your auto insurance provider if you want to add property damage coverage for the trailer or purchase a separate RV insurance so that the trailer itself is insured against damage.

Who has the best RV insurance?

Does rv insurance cover water damage, what is vacation liability rv insurance, how we chose the best rv insurance.

• Coverage options and discounts. We picked companies that offer a comprehensive selection of coverage options and premium discounts.
• Customer satisfaction. We favored companies that had above-average scores in J.D. Power’s U.S. Auto Insurance Study. We also considered customer feedback from review sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
• Financial strength. We considered the financial strength of each insurer as evidenced by their A.M. Best rating. A.M Best is a credit rating agency that assesses the creditworthiness of insurance companies.
• Complaint index. We looked up every insurer’s complaint trend report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and favored those with few complaints.

Summary of Money’s Best RV Insurance of 2024

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Car insurance rates are nuts right now. Here's how to lower your bill when cash is tight.

Car insurance costs are pretty brutal at the moment — they’re up more than 22% since this time last year. There’s plenty you can do to lower your bill, but some of the best advice out there still requires a certain amount of upfront cash.

For example, paying your annual premium all in one go could eliminate the extra fees some insurers charge customers for paying month by month. But that may not be an option if your budget is tight and your premium has surged.

Insurers have been playing catch-up since the pandemic, said Stephen Crewdson, senior director of insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. They were late to raise rates when auto prices were ticking up, and now their hikes are setting in even as vehicle prices cool. Nearly 14% of consumers reported shopping for new insurance last month, a recent J.D. Power survey found — the highest monthly rate since it started tracking the figure in 2020.

“We should hopefully see these premium increases taper off as time goes by,” Crewdson said.

In the meantime, there are still some ways to lower your bill this year. Here’s where to start.

Shop widely for discounts

Auto insurance customers this year are “gonna have to be more aggressive” to find savings, said Lee Baker, an Atlanta-based financial planner and founder of Apex Financial. “You might need to cast a wider net.”

That means checking all the discounts on offer, starting with your current carrier. From military discounts to bundling opportunities, policyholders often leave money on the table simply by not picking up the phone. When J.D. Power surveys consumers, it finds many aren’t fully aware what savings are out there, Crewdson said.

Your benefits package, at least for large employers — there’s a lot of little nuggets in there that people gloss over.

Preston Cherry, founder of Concurrent Financial Planning

“Ask somebody at your insurer. If you have an agent, ask your agent,” he said. “If you don’t have an agent, call in to the insurer, visit the website, look at the app and look at what discounts they offer.”

Experts also suggest considering the organizations in your orbit. Many professional and trade associations, alumni groups and even fraternity and sorority associations often negotiate discounts with insurers.

But your employer may be the best place to start hunting for perks. 

“Your benefits package, at least for large employers — there’s a lot of little nuggets in there that people gloss over,” said Preston Cherry, founder of Concurrent Financial Planning in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

While employers typically work with only a single insurer and any discounts probably won’t be drastic, experts said, they can help you start chipping away at your monthly costs.

Take that defensive driving course

Financial experts say this is one of the easiest strategies. Many insurance companies offer considerable savings when policyholders complete defensive driving courses — most of which are online — from organizations such as the National Safety Council or Defensive Driving by IMPROV .

“I always recommend taking defensive driving every year,” said Cherry. “The discount is worth it.”

Carriers in at least 34 states and Washington, D.C., typically offer discounts of up to 10% for course completion, according to I Drive Safely , a defensive driving course proctor.

Many carriers also offer their own programs for good driving behavior — though some require agreeing to a measure of surveillance. Progressive’s Snapshot, for example, offers policyholders a mobile app or a plug-in device for their vehicles that track, among other things, your braking patterns and the times of day you get behind the wheel, then use that information to determine your discount eligibility.

One caveat: Risky behavior can trigger a higher rate when it’s time to renew your policy, said Jude Boudreaux, a certified financial planner and partner at the Planning Center in New Orleans. But “if you’re trying to drive pretty conservatively and around town, using those can be a way to save some additional costs,” he said.

For those who work remotely or don’t drive much, Boudreaux also suggests pay-per-mile plans. These also rely on mileage- and behavior-tracking devices that may entail privacy trade-offs but could be a boon for some. Nationwide’s SmartMiles program, for example, offers a low base rate plus a variable one that depends on mileage. And for periodic longer road trips, it counts only the first 250 miles per day.

Check for family-friendly fine print

For consumers with kids who drive or are about to start, there’s a lot to consider that can affect your bill.

While it’s generally cheaper to add a teen driver to an existing policy or bundle than it is to buy a new one, repeated infractions (tickets, fender benders) can drive up your household’s costs, so weigh the trade-offs carefully.

“Sometimes bringing them inside the bundled package works, sometimes not,” said Cherry. “That’s always a tricky one.”

He advises starting any young drivers in your family on an inexpensive or mostly paid-off car. Since it has become more expensive to repair vehicles lately, consider how much cash you’re willing to risk on your kid’s behalf.

“It’s really trying to save costs by placing them in a vehicle that’s not much to insure and counterbalances their inexperience risk level to insure,” Cherry said.

Baker said academic achievements can also help trim your insurance costs. Many carriers offer “good student” discounts, typically for high-school or college students under age 25. Maintaining a B average or performing well on the SAT or ACT could net substantial savings. State Farm, for example, offers up to 30% off for high marks.

“There’s no guarantee that a student with good grades won’t get behind the wheel and do something crazy,” Baker conceded, but insurers are betting — for better or worse — that “if they’re doing right in school, they’re probably less risky.”

Trim the fat from your policy

Sometimes savings are staring up at you from your current insurance plan, experts said. 

Check your policy for redundancies and areas of overlap, said Cherry. For example, if you pay for AAA roadside assistance, you may be able to shave similar coverage off your auto insurance policy. Some newer cars already include some form of roadside assistance, he added.

A common tactic for lowering monthly premiums is to choose a policy with a higher deductible. Marcus Miller, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based financial planner at Mainstay Capital, urged caution here. Some clients, he said, “go in and just start slashing” line items from their policies and end up underinsured.

Instead, it’s smart to first build up an emergency fund for a potentially high deductible — and then make the switch, he advised.

Customers “could reasonably increase their deductible, as long as they have that cash set aside,” Miller said. “That will reduce their premium.”

J.J. McCorvey is a business and economy reporter for NBC News.

Why Did Cars Get So Expensive?

The cost of insurance is up 40 percent over the past two years.

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Inflation, finally, has cooled off. Prices have increased 2.5 percent over the past year , down from increases as high as 7 percent during the early pandemic. Rents are high but stabilizing. The cost of groceries is ticking up, not surging, and some goods, such as eggs, are actually getting cheaper. But American consumers are still stretching to afford one big-ticket item: their cars.

The painful cost of vehicle ownership doesn’t just reflect strong demand driven by low unemployment, pandemic-related supply-chain weirdness, and high interest rates. It reflects how awful cars are for American households and American society as a whole.

Buying a new car is expensive. Prices are actually falling for many makes and models , with plenty of inventory sitting on lots. But that’s only after a huge run-up in sticker prices resulting from semiconductor shortages and other supply-chain snarls earlier in the pandemic. New vehicles remain so expensive that many middle-class families cannot afford them. It’s pretty much only rich families picking them up.

Buying a used car isn’t much better. Costs are declining for many pre-owned vehicles, whether late-model Dodge Rams or ancient Toyota Priuses. Yet prices are still roughly 34 percent higher than they were before the pandemic , having increased 48 percent faster than the overall pace of inflation.

About 80 percent of new-car buyers take out a loan , as do about half of people buying used cars, and financing a car is brutal with interest rates so high . Folks with pristine credit might get a 5.5 percent rate on a new car. Buyers with an average credit score can expect to pay more like 9.7 percent for a pre-owned vehicle. People with bad credit are paying interest rates well into the double digits. Those high rates trap vehicles that might otherwise have hit the resale market in people’s garages—sure, you might get a lot selling your old Kia, but could you afford the payments on a new one? The limited supply, in turn, keeps even pre-owned sticker prices up.

Christopher Beam: Welcome to pricing hell

Even if you can afford to buy a car, keeping it maintained is more expensive than ever. Getting a car serviced has gotten pricier and pricier , as today’s highly computerized vehicles have such fussy, complicated parts to check and replace, and as labor shortages and wage pressure hit garages. Finally, there’s auto insurance: The monthly cost of protecting a vehicle has jumped 22 percent over the past year . Insurance costs are up 40 percent over the past two years.

Why are insurance rates so high and climbing so fast? In part due to interest rates: Premiums rise when borrowing costs go up. In part because cars just cost so much right now: Pricey vehicles are pricey to replace in the event of a crash. In part thanks to climate change, which floods and burns people’s garages along with their homes. In part because Americans are driving such enormous, heavy vehicles—four out of five new-car buyers pick an SUV or a truck —that do a lot of damage. Finally, in part because Americans are such awful drivers—episodes of road-raging behavior have increased since the pandemic began, and have become all the more deadly because the cars are so freaking big.

Indeed, the number of traffic fatalities jumped 19 percent from 2019 to 2022, and the fatality rate per mile traveled climbed 22 percent—something Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has described as a “ national crisis .” Americans are three times as likely to die in a car crash as citizens of our peer countries . Decades of policy choices prioritizing big, fast roads and car-commuter convenience got us to this point. But why have things gotten so much worse recently? The best working theory I have seen is that the kind of Americans who were out on the roads a lot during the pandemic were the kind of Americans more likely to engage in risky behaviors. With fewer cops and cars out there, they did. And when the cops and cars came back, these Americans kept on driving like maniacs .

As a result of the increased rate of traffic fatalities, some localities have increased fines and fees related to speeding, running red lights, and so on. (Expect that kind of thing to really ramp up if cities and towns begin running into fiscal trouble.) That’s an additional expense for drivers, though arguably one that should go up given the social cost of traffic violence.

Put everything together, and owning a new car is about as expensive as renting a starter studio apartment in a lower-cost city: $12,000 a year . The expense has come to reflect the miserable social cost of America’s obsession with and reliance on private-vehicle ownership. We’re a nation of bad drivers in huge cars traversing roads constructed for volume and speed, our long commutes into our oversubscribed cities making us miserable, our trucks getting damaged by the climate change they helped create. If there’s any upside to the surging prices, maybe it’s that they will force more of us to think that a little investment in public transportation could be a good thing.

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Surging car insurance rates are squeezing drivers — and fueling inflation.

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Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation .

Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago.

Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year.

Consumers have had some relief as the rate of cost increases for food and energy, two key components of most budgets, has eased greatly.

But auto insurance and car ownership costs have become a sticking point for consumers and the Federal Reserve in its battle to rein inflation back to its goal of 2% .

Typically, individuals would see a noticeable increase in their premiums because of speeding tickets and other moving violations.

Adding new drivers or a general increase in claims in the area were other reasons.

But the persistent rise in rates over the last two years has been far more sweeping.

New vehicle prices starting spiking during the pandemic, mainly because of a worldwide shortage of computer chips amid production cuts and supply chain bottlenecks.

Dealers spent much of 2021 with few or no cars in stock.

Car price increases eased heading into 2024, with the average at $47,338 in January, down from a peak of $48,516 in late 2022, according to Edmunds.com.

Higher value for cars, along with more advanced technology and intricate parts, has raised the overall cost of repairs.

Overall maintenance and repair costs jumped 8.2% in March from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That’s eased a bit over the last year.

The rate of increase was as high as 14.2% in early 2023.

“The severity is really the thing that has influenced rates more over the last two years than anything,” said Greg Smolan, vice president of insurance operations at AAA Northeast. “A fender bender in the past didn’t have all the sensors and cameras.”

Higher overall auto prices and auto repair costs prompted insurers to start raising premiums as overall car values jumped.

Price increases for insurance rates, like many other increases from food to clothing, have been sticky and are less likely to drop at the same rate as broader inflation, if at all.

That has been beneficial for insurers who have seen profits surge.

Wall Street is expecting bigger leaps in 2024.

“Our sole concentration last year was to get the right rate,” said Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith, during a fourth-quarter earnings conference call. “We feel like we’re in a really great position now.”

Progressive’s profit jumped 50% and its revenue surged nearly 18% to $62.1 billion in 2023.

Wall Street expects its profit to skyrocket nearly 80% in 2024 on a 14% jump in revenue.

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Allstate reported a modest profit in 2023 after reporting a loss a year earlier.

Wall Street expects its profit to surge 13-fold as revenue rises 10% to $62.9 billion in 2024.

“Companies are getting a lot closer to rate adequacy now,” Smolan said. “I think you’ll see some flattening out of the real large increases.”

The process of obtaining auto insurance can be confusing and overwhelming, considering the differing mix of requirements in each state, extra options and the confusing industry and legal jargon used by insurers.

The first step for many should be gaining a better  understanding about auto insurance , according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Consumers should shop around by getting at least three different quotes and from different types of insurance companies.

Also, comparing costs before buying a car could help give consumers a better sense of the true cost of owning a specific car.

Premiums are based in part on a car’s price, along with prospective repair costs and safety data.

Deductibles  could be a major factor in determining monthly premium costs.

That’s the amount of money that a driver is responsible for paying toward a claim.

Higher deductibles usually mean lower premiums.

Bundling multiple policies under one insurer could come with a discount.

This is common for homeowners using the same company for their home and auto policies.

There may also be discounts for insuring more than one vehicle under the same company.

Defensive driving courses also help give drivers discounts on insurance.

The timing and standards vary by state, but courses are usually offered in-person and online.

Companies including Progressive and Geico often offer multi-year discounts for taking such a course.

They can usually steer policy holders toward reputable companies offering the course and certificate.

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Nationally, auto insurance rates have risen due to several factors, such as higher costs for labor and parts, vehicles containing more high cost technology, and the increased frequency of natural catastrophes. When it is more expensive to repair vehicles, insurance companies may increase their rates to ensure that they are accounting for those increased costs and collect enough premium to cover policyholder claims.

Although you may not have had any claims or changes to your specific circumstances (same vehicle, no new drivers), the amount that you pay for your auto insurance is impacted by these factors. We’ve previously shared the importance of shopping around to help find the best price , but another way consumers can save money on their auto insurance is by asking about discounts offered by their insurer.

In Massachusetts, auto insurers are allowed by the Division of Insurance to offer various discounts. Keep in mind that insurers can choose to offer or not offer discounts and just because one company does not offer a particular discount, does not mean that another won’t. We have compiled a list of the most common discounts offered. You can contact your insurance company at any time and ask about discounts, and if you find a company that is offering you a better price, you change your auto insurance carrier whenever you want. You do not need to wait until it is time to renew the policy.

• Accident/violation free discount or good driver discount
• Bundling with Homeowners Insurance /Multi-line /Companion discount (HO, umbrella, life)
• Multi-car discount
• Low-mileage discount/annual mileage factor
• Usage-based factors/Telematics factors
• Paid in full discount
• Early Quote/Advanced Shopper discount
• Anti-theft discount/Vehicle Safety discount
• Online purchase discount
• Senior discount
• Defensive/advanced driving course discount
• Paperless/eDocument discount
• Good student discount
• Student away at school/from home discount

The above list is not comprehensive but can be used as a start to discuss with your agent or insurance company. For more information about auto insurance, visit our website Automobile Insurance | Mass.gov .

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Surging auto insurance rates squeeze drivers, fuel inflation

The Associated Press

April 24, 2024, 7:41 AM

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NEW YORK (AP) — Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation.

Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year. Consumers have had some relief as the rate of cost increases for food and energy, two key components of most budgets, has eased greatly.

But auto insurance and car ownership costs have become a sticking point for consumers and the Federal Reserve in its battle to rein inflation back to its goal of 2%.

Typically, individuals would see a noticeable increase in their premiums because of speeding tickets and other moving violations. Adding new drivers or a general increase in claims in the area were other reasons.

But the persistent rise in rates over the last two years has been far more sweeping. New vehicle prices starting spiking during the pandemic, mainly because of a worldwide shortage of computer chips amid production cuts and supply chain bottlenecks. Dealers spent much of 2021 with few or no cars in stock.

Car price increases eased heading into 2024, with the average at $47,338 in January, down from a peak of $48,516 in late 2022, according to Edmunds.com.

Higher value for cars, along with more advanced technology and intricate parts, has raised the overall cost of repairs. Overall maintenance and repair costs jumped 8.2% in March from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s eased a bit over the last year. The rate of increase was as high as 14.2% in early 2023.

“The severity is really the thing that has influenced rates more over the last two years than anything,” said Greg Smolan, vice president of insurance operations at AAA Northeast. “A fender bender in the past didn’t have all the sensors and cameras.”

Higher overall auto prices and auto repair costs prompted insurers to start raising premiums as overall car values jumped. Price increases for insurance rates, like many other increases from food to clothing, have been sticky and are less likely to drop at the same rate as broader inflation, if at all.

That has been beneficial for insurers who have seen profits surge. Wall Street is expecting bigger leaps in 2024.

“Our sole concentration last year was to get the right rate,” said Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith, during a fourth-quarter earnings conference call. “We feel like we’re in a really great position now.”

Progressive’s profit jumped 50% and its revenue surged nearly 18% to $62.1 billion in 2023. Wall Street expects its profit to skyrocket nearly 80% in 2024 on a 14% jump in revenue.

Allstate reported a modest profit in 2023 after reporting a loss a year earlier. Wall Street expects its profit to surge 13-fold as revenue rises 10% to $62.9 billion in 2024.

“Companies are getting a lot closer to rate adequacy now,” Smolan said. “I think you’ll see some flattening out of the real large increases.”

The process of obtaining auto insurance can be confusing and overwhelming, considering the differing mix of requirements in each state, extra options and the confusing industry and legal jargon used by insurers. The first step for many should be gaining a better understanding about auto insurance , according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Consumers should shop around by getting at least three different quotes and from different types of insurance companies. Also, comparing costs before buying a car could help give consumers a better sense of the true cost of owning a specific car. Premiums are based in part on a car’s price, along with prospective repair costs and safety data.

Deductibles could be a major factor in determining monthly premium costs. That’s the amount of money that a driver is responsible for paying toward a claim. Higher deductibles usually mean lower premiums.

Bundling multiple policies under one insurer could come with a discount. This is common for homeowners using the same company for their home and auto policies. There may also be discounts for insuring more than one vehicle under the same company.

Defensive driving courses also help give drivers discounts on insurance. The timing and standards vary by state, but courses are usually offered in-person and online. Companies including Progressive and Geico often offer multi-year discounts for taking such a course. They can usually steer policy holders toward reputable companies offering the course and certificate.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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The 10 car brands cheapest to maintain over 10 years

Consumer reports ranked cars with lowest repair costs — no. 2 is a bit of a surprise.

Buying a car can be fun and bring a lot of freedom, but things can go sideways when it comes time for repairs . Some car brands are better than others, however, and Consumer Reports recently ranked the least- and most-expensive brands for owners to repair. There are few surprises on this list, but the cheapest new car and the runner-up might come as a shock. Tesla and Buick were the cheapest new car brands to maintain and repair over 10 years, followed by Toyota , Lincoln , and Ford .

10 car brands cheapest to maintain over the next 10 years:

• Tesla: $4,035
• Buick: $4,900
• Toyota: $4,900
• Lincoln: $5,040
• Ford: $5,400
• Chevrolet : $5,550
• Hyundai : $5,640
• Nissan : $5,700
• Mazda : $5,800
• Honda : $5,850

Consumer Reports noted that maintenance costs for some brands can look deceiving, as many offer free maintenance for a period after the purchase. New-car warranties also play a role, with the powertrain coverage spanning four or five years and 50,000 or 60,000 miles, depending on the company. It's also worth noting that Tesla only sells EVs, which don't require engine air filters, oil changes , and some other routine maintenance , lowering their average costs.

• Cheapest electric cars
• Cheapest SUVs

The most expensive brands to maintain might not come as a surprise, but the costs associated with owning them might. Land Rover was the worst, at $19,250 over 10 years, while Porsche came in second at $14,090. Mercedes-Benz ’s average costs were $10,525 and Audi’s $9,890. While this suggests that these brands need more frequent repairs over the 10-year period, it also points to higher labor and parts costs for the European automakers.

If you own one of the more expensive brands to maintain and you’re worrying as you read this, there are a few things you can do to prolong your vehicle’s life and minimize unnecessary maintenance costs. The first is to follow the automaker’s suggested maintenance periods, changing your oil , rotating tires, and doing all the “boring” stuff before it becomes a problem. It’s also a good idea to take care with the way you drive, avoiding potholes, accelerating gently, and trying not to abuse your brakes . Finally, don’t modify your vehicle. Car companies spend billions on research and development, and most know better about how a vehicle is meant to operate than you do in your garage with third-party parts.

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How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On (Including Me)

This privacy reporter and her husband bought a Chevrolet Bolt in December. Two risk-profiling companies had been getting detailed data about their driving ever since.

By Kashmir Hill

Kashmir Hill is a technology reporter who has been covering the privacy implications of connected cars, including her own.

Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led insurance companies to charge some of them more for premiums. I’m the reporter who broke the story . I recently discovered that I’m among the drivers who was spied on.

My husband and I bought a G.M.-manufactured 2023 Chevrolet Bolt in December. This month, my husband received his “consumer disclosure files” from LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk, two data brokers that work with the insurance industry and that G.M. had been providing with data. (He requested the files after my article came out in March, heeding the advice I had given to readers.)

My husband’s LexisNexis report had a breakdown of the 203 trips we had taken in the car since January, including the distance, the start and end times, and how often we hard-braked or accelerated rapidly. The Verisk report, which dated back to mid-December and recounted 297 trips, had a high-level summary at the top: 1,890.89 miles driven; 4,251 driving minutes; 170 hard-brake events; 24 rapid accelerations, and, on a positive note, zero speeding events.

I had requested my own LexisNexis file while reporting, but it didn’t have driving data on it. Though both of our names are on the car’s title, the data from our Bolt accrued to my husband alone because the G.M. dealership listed him as the primary owner.

G.M.’s spokeswoman had told me that this data collection happened only to people who turned on OnStar, its connected services plan, and enrolled in Smart Driver, a gamified program that offers feedback and digital badges for good driving, either at the time of purchase or via their vehicle’s mobile app.

That wasn’t us — and I had checked to be sure. In mid-January, again while reporting, I had connected our car to the MyChevrolet app to see if we were enrolled in Smart Driver. The app said we weren’t, and thus we had no access to any information about how we drove.

But in April, when we found out our driving had been tracked, my husband signed into a browser-based version of his account page, on GM.com, which said our car was enrolled in “OnStar Smart Driver+.” G.M. says this discrepancy between the app and the website was the result of “a bug” that affected a “small population” of customers. That group got the worst possible version of Smart Driver: We couldn’t get insights into our driving, but insurance companies could.

Many G.M. owners have reached out with similar accounts since my article appeared. Jenn Archer of Illinois bought a Chevy Trailblazer in April 2022. She didn’t subscribe to OnStar and had never heard of Smart Driver, but last month discovered that LexisNexis had her driving data.

“I was furious,” she said. In the last two years, her insurance rate has increased by 50 percent.

In 10 federal lawsuits filed in the last month, drivers from across the country say they did not knowingly sign up for Smart Driver but recently learned that G.M. had provided their driving data to LexisNexis. According to one of the complaints, a Florida owner of a 2019 Cadillac CTS-V who drove it around a racetrack for events saw his insurance premium nearly double, an increase of more than $5,000 per year.

At no point had these drivers been explicitly informed that this would happen, not even in the fine print, they said. New reporting reveals the cause: a misleading screen that these people would have briefly seen when they bought their cars — if their salesperson showed it to them.

“G.M. established the Smart Driver program to promote safer driving for the benefit of customers who choose to participate,” said a company spokeswoman, Brandee Barker. “Based on customer feedback, we’ve decided to discontinue the Smart Driver product across all G.M. vehicles and unenroll all customers. This process will begin over the next few months.”

Last month, G.M. stopped sharing data with LexisNexis and Verisk — giving up annual revenue in the low millions, an employee familiar with the contracts said. The company also hired a new chief trust and privacy officer.

“Customer trust is a priority for us, and we are showing that in our actions,” Ms. Barker said.

How It Happened to Me

According to G.M., our car was enrolled in Smart Driver when we bought it at a Chevrolet dealership in New York, during the flurry of document-signing that accompanies the purchase of a new vehicle. That this happened to me, the rare consumer who reads privacy policies and is constantly on the lookout for creepy data collection, demonstrates what little hope there was for the typical car buyer.

To find out how it happened, I called our dealership, a franchise of General Motors, and talked to the salesman who had sold us the car. He confirmed that he had enrolled us for OnStar, noting that his pay is docked if he fails to do so. He said that was a mandate from G.M., which sends the dealership a report card each month tracking the percentage of sign-ups.

G.M. doesn’t just want dealers selling cars; it wants them selling connected cars.

Our Bolt automatically came with eight years of Connected Access, a feature we didn’t know about until recently. It allows G.M. to send software updates to our car but also to collect data from it — actions consented to during OnStar enrollment.

Our salesman described the enrollment as a three-stage process that he does every day. He selects yes to enroll a customer in OnStar, then yes for the customer to receive text messages and then no to an insurance product that G.M. offers and that monitors how you drive your car. (This sounds similar to Smart Driver, but it is different.)

He does this so often, he said, that it has become automatic — yes, yes, no — and that he always chooses no for the last one because that monitoring would be a nuisance for customers.

Ms. Barker, the G.M. spokeswoman, said that dealers are not permitted to sign customers up and that the customer must be the one to accept the terms. At my request, she provided the series of screens that dealers are instructed to show customers during the enrollment for OnStar and Smart Driver. There is a message at the top of each screen: “The customer must personally review and accept (or decline) the terms below. This action is legally binding and cannot be done by dealer personnel.”

The flow of screens was almost exactly as my salesman described, except for the second one about receiving messages, which he said he always hits “yes” on. That screen wasn’t just about accepting messages from G.M.; it also opted us into OnStar Smart Driver.

It’s a screen that my husband and I do not recall seeing — presumably because our salesman filled it out for us as part of his standard procedure.

The Forgettable Screen That Enrolled Millions

I drove to the dealership — in my Bolt, appropriately — to ask about this, and a more senior salesman said they always have the customers accept the terms themselves.

Maybe our salesman misspoke on the phone and my husband and I have forgotten a moment during our car purchase when we were asked to tap “yes” on this screen. I can’t say with certainty.

What I can say is that, regardless of who pushed the consent button, this screen about enrolling in notifications and Smart Driver doesn’t say anything about risk-profiling or insurance companies. It doesn’t even hint at the possibility that anyone but G.M. and the driver gets the data collected about how and where the vehicle is operated, which it says will be used to “improve your ownership experience” and help with “driving improvement.”

I showed the screen, used to enroll millions of people in Smart Driver, to a series of information design experts.

“What you showed me does not at all disclose clearly how G.M. or OnStar benefits from the use and sale of your info,” said Jen King, an information privacy expert at Stanford University. “Including it during the purchase process appears to be a conscious decision to get high conversion rates.”

Harry Brignull, author of “Deceptive Patterns: Exposing the Tricks Tech Companies Use to Control You,” said: “In these sorts of agreements, they need to be very clear about the true function of it. Otherwise, users won’t understand what it is they’re opting into.”

Ms. Barker said G.M.’s terms and privacy statement allowed the company to share information with “third parties” — legalese that people agree to on the first screen the salesman was instructed to show us. That wouldn’t seem, however, to meet G.M.’s own bar for such sensitive information.

A decade ago, G.M. and other major automakers made a commitment to the Federal Trade Commission to provide “clear, meaningful and prominent” notice about the collection of driver behavior information, including why it is collected and “the types of entities with which the information may be shared.”

Moreover, this innocuous-sounding data-collection program appears alongside a request to send important-seeming notifications about, among other things, “issues with your car’s key operating systems.” To get them, you have to accept the other.

Kate Aishton, a lawyer who advises companies on data and privacy practices, deemed the process poorly designed for obtaining actual user consent, particularly since it takes place in a high-pressure sales environment. She was sympathetic to salespeople who were given an incentive to sign G.M. customers up for this without realizing the consequences.

“Their job is to sell cars. It’s not to understand the details of privacy products,” she said. “Passing the buck on to that blind person, if there hasn’t been a really specific education on it, would be pretty unfair.”

Smart Driver 2.0

A former G.M. employee who worked on the company’s data engineering team said he was not surprised that drivers did not understand what data was being collected from their cars and where it was going.

G.M., he said, gets data from all of its internet-connected cars. Some of that data collection benefits drivers, such as monitoring of vehicle health. For example, if a particular model has a transmission issue, he said, G.M. can see from vehicle data which specific cars are experiencing the problem and send their owners a targeted recall.

In recent years, he said, G.M. began analyzing other driving behavior besides speeding, braking and acceleration. An internal G.M. document from 2021, which was reviewed by The New York Times and which said more than eight million vehicles were “opted in” to Smart Driver at that time, described a new version of the program called “Smart Driver 2.0.” This version tracked hard cornering, forward collision alerts, lane-departure warnings and seatbelt reminders; these metrics were being used to price policies for drivers using G.M.’s own insurance plan, then called OnStar Insurance, but don’t seem to have been shared with LexisNexis and Verisk.

Still, these in-vehicle alerts, intended to help people drive more safely, became a measuring stick for how risky they were as drivers.

A new car, like mine, has hundreds of sensors, the former employee said, so even just a 15-minute trip creates millions of data points, including GPS location — all of which is broadcast in near real time to G.M. He expressed concerns about the insurance industry’s use of this data because it lacked context about the situation that might have led a driver to slam on the brakes or swerve out of a lane.

Turning It Off

Asked how consumers can turn off G.M.’s digital access to their cars, a spokeswoman said customers could “disable all data collection” by contacting an OnStar adviser through the blue button in their vehicle or by calling the OnStar customer service line .

Some drivers have said on online forums that they don’t trust G.M. to stop remotely tracking their cars, and instead offer D.I.Y. advice for opening up the car’s electrical guts to remove the OnStar module.

Andrea Amico , founder of Privacy4Cars, a company that makes a tool to erase personal data from vehicle infotainment systems, said a line needed to be drawn between technical data from a vehicle — like that used to trigger recall notices — and personal data about drivers, such as how and where they drive, which should belong to them, not the automaker.

Beyond privacy issues, Mr. Amico pointed out that the driver behavior reports that LexisNexis and Verisk were creating were inaccurate — tracking my driving, for example, on my husband’s report.

“The fact that they cannot reconcile who gave consent and whose data it is,” he said, “is very problematic .”

Kitty Bennett and Jack Begg contributed research.

Kashmir Hill writes about technology and how it is changing people’s everyday lives with a particular focus on privacy. She has been covering technology for more than a decade. More about Kashmir Hill