Insuring Your Van
Questions surrounding how to insure your DIY build is something that we see in forums and groups around the web. We did a ton of research while going through our DIY build process, and we want to pass what we’ve learned along. It’s important to note that all insurers, states, and countries will have their own regulations, so it’s important to make sure you’re complying with those agents. Since this is the case, there is no one-size-fits-all solution out there, but we hope this article provides some guidance as you navigate your own insurance journey.
BEFORE THE BUILD
Research your vehicle in your state.
Start with your state’s DMV site and work from there. We built our van on the streets of Brooklyn. New York State has 'passenger' and 'commercial' classes for it’s vehicle registration and describes ‘passenger’ as having:
at least one side window behind the driver
AND
at least one seat or set of seat fittings that is installed behind the driver, or
camping equipment behind the driver, defined as a permanent bed, a permanent stove, or a permanent refrigerator in the vehicle
The list and classes differ from state to state, so investigate and determine what best fits your situation. Many states have an RV designation, but this wasn’t the case for us in NY.
Talk to an agent local to your state of residence.
Don’t call the 1-800 number. Look up your local insurer branch. A local agent will be much more acquainted with the state based rules for your rig and they are motivated to insure you as it equals cash in their pocket. We had a State Farm renter’s insurance policy for 7+ years, so it was easy to get the conversation started with our local agent. We also pointed him to the agent recommended by the folks at explorist.life.
If you don’t have your vehicle yet, you will need auto insurance once you’ve purchased it. Try starting the conversation early with your insurer on your long term plans for your rig. That way, they can
a) help clarify the process and what they’ll need from you or
b) you’ll learn early that they won’t be insuring your completed build.
This is what happened with us. We got auto insurance through Geico since it was simple and affordable, but we knew from the start that Geico would not insure our build. We lined up State Farm as our post-build insurer and were in sync throughout the build.
**Since we only had auto insurance during the build, any infrastructure we added to our build was not covered. This was a risk we decided to take since we were not driving the van anywhere, unless you count around the block 100 times to avoid street sweeping.
Be specific with your insurer.
The more specific you are with your insurer, the more comprehensive your plan. If you withhold information, that may mean something isn’t covered in the event of an accident or theft. The choice to pay for your rig build out by a company vs a DYI build can have an impact on your policy. Whether you have another vehicle to act as your “primary vehicle” can be the difference between auto insurance or RV insurance. To be able to accurately speak to the value add our build out was to our van we wanted to be up front so that if the worst were to happen, we would be protected. Since we have a DIY van home, we were not able to report the labor value. This may be different if you pay for your vehicle to be converted.
Keep clear, detailed records.
We kept digital records of all our build out expenses. We also made a log of the items we were bringing into our van. This kind of tracking also good for warranties and registration of any of your build out purchases. They can add up quickly!
Stay on top of your receipts and expenses so they don’t get lost or damaged. This can help you stay on budget for your build too.
Take photos of your build out / additions, especially the high dollar ones. Our agent toured the van and took some additional photos himself.
In the Build Out Cost Tracker, Jess entered all expenses related to the build, every last screw and bolt. This tracker captured the value and detail of what we built for our insurance agent. Feel free to download it/make your own copy and use it to start cataloging your build and personal items that will be accompanying you on your travels.
ADDITIONAL POLICIES TO CONSIDER
Renter’s Insurance
Why renter’s insurance? Because it covers your property even when it is not on your person or not in your home. This is how we have covered our belongings inside the van that are not part of the build-out. If a laptop gets stolen, it is our renter’s insurance that will cover the item. If our van were totaled, we would not be able to buy everything back. This type of insurance is generally very cheap and for us, was totally worth it for the peace of mind it provides. Other forms of this insurance can be a Personal Articles Policy.
Accident Insurance
Through State Farm we have accidental death and dismemberment and loss of earnings coverage regardless of who is at fault in the accident. We have additional personal coverage through our employer health insurance plan. Consider reviewing any insurance plans you have to understand what types of coverage you may already have in place, or is available to you that you may have opted out of in the past. Besides your employer, your bank or credit cards may offer various types of insurance as well.
State Specific Policies
There may be policies specific to your state that you must purchase. When we moved to Montana, we learned that it is a “fault” state. In the event that we are responsible for an accident that injured multiple people or damaged several vehicles, we needed to increase our liability limits to a higher per person and per accident total compared to the insurance we had in NY - even though we are with the same provider. Montana also has an RV designation for vehicles, but our insurer will only offer RV rates if our build was only used for recreation and not as our daily driver.
The long and short of it is that getting insurance for your build is going to require you to do some research. Understand how your state of residence classifies vehicles and check that against insurance companies that you are considering. Is it worth it to get your build’s title swapped to an RV? Maybe! You won’t know until you do the research.
