Farmers RV Insurance Review: All You Need To Know
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An RV is a big purchase, and much like your home or your car, you’re going to want to insure it. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options out there.
However, just because your RV might seem like a home on wheels, an insurance policy for homes won’t do the trick, and neither will one intended for a motor vehicle. You need the best of both worlds to get the job done.
It’s a unique offering that not everyone provides.
You can opt for your current homeowners or auto insurance provider if you want some multiple policy discounts, or you can choose a company that specializes in RV insurance to get some additional benefits you won’t find anywhere else.
Since my family lives in our RV full-time, I’ve done a lot of research into these options and for us, it made the most sense to stick with our current provider, Farmers.
While it may not be the best option for you, I’ve never had anything but good luck with my Farmers agent, for several reasons, so I thought this review could help those who are on the fence.
Here is everything I know.
Farmers RV and Motorhome Insurance
Just like there’s an RV or a motorhome for every budget, there’s also an RV or motorhome policy for every budget. Whether you travel full-time or you only venture out on a weekend getaway a couple of times a year, you’ll want to get it covered.
Farmers RV insurance covers accidental physical damage and direct damage to your motorhome and all permanently installed accessories like antennas, satellite dishes, awnings, and other parts.
It includes a range of incidents like lightning, collision, flooding, wind, hail, landslides, fire, smoke, wild animals, theft, vandalism, overhangs, and trees. You can always check with an agent for a more detailed list of everything covered in your RV insurance policy.
While there are plenty of scenarios that a Farmers policy can protect you from, and there are a lot of add-ons to give you extra protection if you like, there are just some of the things that a standard RV policy without any extras could help you with:
- Low hanging branches causing damage. As you pull through a campground, a low-hanging branch snags your air conditioner, tearing the shroud. Or maybe it damages your satellite dish, tears your roofing, or cracks a skylight.
- Obstacles behind you. Visibility in something like an RV is pretty low most of the time. A backup camera can help, but not every RV is equipped with one. If you’re backing into a parking spot or a campsite and you don’t see the bright yellow poles protecting the hookups, you could end up with a broken spare tire cover or a wrinkled bumper.
- Flood damage. The whole point of an RV is to explore the great outdoors, so parking next to rivers and lakes is pretty common. However, with heavy rain, you could experience high water, and when your motorhome ends up sitting in it, you’ll have a few repairs to make.
Extra options
If you feel like you need more than the standard policy for your traveling needs, you’re not alone. That’s why Farmers offers a variety of add-ons that many customers choose to complete their coverage.
Total Loss Replacement Coverage
If you have a relatively new motorhome, you may want to invest in this coverage. For motorhomes that are five years old or less, this add-on will cover a replacement for your motorhome if it’s declared a complete loss.
The replacement you’ll get will be of a similar kind. It will be comparable in age, quality, and design.
Emergency Expense Coverage
If your RV gets damaged during travel and you’re more than 50 miles from home, Farmers will hook you up with lodging or help with the cost of travel so you have a place to stay while you get your RV fixed.
While this scenario is rare, it does happen, so it’s up to you whether you want to pay for this type of coverage or not. It typically only adds a few dollars a month to your policy and is worth it for some people.
Campsite and Vacation Liability Coverage
While many of these coverages pertain specifically to traveling, this particular add-on helps you out when you’re parked. If your RV gets damaged while you’re parked at a campsite on vacation, you’ll have coverage.
This is more important than a lot of people think. Sometimes accidents happen while you’re not actually in motion, and it’s not your fault. You may want to think hard about adding this one to your policy.
Replacement Cost Coverage
While the standard Farmers policy covers anything attached to your RV, this will cover any of your personal belongings inside the RV. If a branch snags your awning, you’re already covered, but what happens when you get in an accident and your wall art falls or the glasses in your cabinet shatter?
You definitely want this coverage if you travel frequently, but you may not want to invest in it if you haven’t decorated your RV or equipped it with personal belongings that are very valuable.
TraveLine Towing and Roadside Assistance
There’s nothing worse than a tire blowout on your trailer on the highway. Motorhomes and RVs are typically much larger and heavier than a car, so while tire changes follow the same protocol, they can be a bit harder and riskier.
This coverage includes things like tire changes, towing, locksmith services, and fluid delivery. However, there are other alternative services that may be more cost-effective or cover more things. Check out Good Sam roadside coverage or AAA as well.
Full-Timer Coverage
If you park for extended periods of time, this coverage is good for personal liability protection. It’s definitely worth it for people who travel frequently and for long periods of time, but it’s not worth the money if you only go short distances or make quick trips.
Free Quotes
As with just about every insurance provider out there, Farmers offers free, custom quotes. Because they’re so easy to work with, you shouldn’t hesitate to call a local agent to get yours. They’ll take your information and offer the best quote they can while learning more about you and recommending coverages that will help you get the most out of your policy.
However, if you don’t feel comfortable calling, you can also request a quote online. The process is quick and easy. You’ll have a quote in a matter of minutes, and if they have additional questions for you, they’ll call or email to follow up.
Farmers Mobile App
As with almost anything these days, a mobile app makes it so much easier to conduct your business. Farmers offers a mobile app for your convenience and provides you plenty of ways to get in touch and view your policy.
The app gives you access to your ID cards, so you can print them or pull them up when you need to show them to – ahem – law enforcement.
You can view a policy overview as well as detailed policy documents so you’ll always know everything there is to know about your coverage. If you still have questions about them, you can view your agent’s contact information and reach out via phone or email right from the app.
View upcoming bills and payment history to keep track of your finances and due dates. If you’re not already enrolled in autopay, you can pay your bill from the app, too. Enroll and manage your auto-pay, or set up payment reminders.
You can also get a new quote, file a claim, submit a photo to get a repair estimate or get in contact with roadside assistance.
On your app’s home page, you’ll also find relevant articles to help you learn from other customer experiences regarding damage, claims, coverages, and more.
Customer Service
Farmers is well-known for its strong customer relationships. They’ve been in business for almost a century, and they’ve always strived to put their customers first. It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for new coverage or you have a question about your existing policy. They’re there to help you.
Agents are accessible by phone, email, and text. Everyone is always friendly and in a good mood. I’ve never had a bad experience with my Farmers agent or his office. If they don’t know the answer, they find it.
My Farmers agent even customized a storage unit policy for me because it’s not something they normally offer. They went above and beyond to get me a great deal on only $10,000 worth of coverage so I wouldn’t have to pay triple elsewhere.
They call on birthdays and random Tuesdays just to see how you’re doing. The representatives are knowledgeable, and they make filing a claim much easier than any of the other insurance companies I’ve dealt with in the past.
Alternatives
Maybe you don’t currently have Farmers. Maybe you’re curious about the RV coverage with your current provider. Or maybe you want to go with a company that specializes in RV coverage instead.
No matter what your situation or your preferences, there are plenty of other options out there to consider.
Good Sam Club
Good Sam Club is an RV membership club that offers all kinds of benefits. Because they specialize in RVs and motorhomes, you may find that you like their custom coverage better, but they offer much more than just insurance.
They offer discounts on fuel, camping, outdoor retailers, propane, and dump services. They’ll also help you find campsites or specific amenities, and you can use their trip planner to make your vacation go more smoothly.
They also offer roadside assistance policies and other perks like discounted admission to local RV shows.
And, like Farmers, they have an app giving you access to all of these benefits while you’re traveling.
Good Sam Club memberships are relatively affordable, but you may find that their insurance policies are pricier than most. However, one cool thing Good Sam offers that you may benefit from is an all-in-one policy.
These policies are for your trailer and your tow vehicle. Rather than purchasing an auto policy for your truck and an RV policy for your RV, you can get one policy for both. The benefit to this is that you only pay one deductible for the unit if you’re in an accident.
National General
You’ve likely never heard of National General, but believe it or not, they’ve been in business since 1960. They have a lot of variety when it comes to coverage options and they’ll even cover full-timers, which many companies won’t do.
They offer coverage for personal belongings, specialized equipment, full replacement cost, and lots of add-ons. As a bonus, if you take an RV driving class, they’ll give you a discount.
They offer something called search assistance, which will help you find your RV if it’s been stolen.
One of the coolest features they offer is a suspension of your RV coverage while it’s in storage. There’s no penalty, and you can reactivate your policy at any time. This helps you save money when you’re not traveling and there’s less risk of damage.
However, keep in mind that if there is damage to your RV while it’s in storage, it wouldn’t be covered and you can’t file a claim.
Progressive
While they offer pretty standard plans without a lot of variation, Progressive is surprisingly good at RV insurance. You can even opt for the basic or full coverage car insurance policies to cover your RV if it offers the coverage you need.
Progressive’s RV coverage offers options like comprehensive, collision, and liability. They also have extra coverage options tailored to you. They’ll help protect the exterior, passengers, and property on the inside.
They offer total loss replacement, roadside assistance, vacation liability, personal belongings coverage, and pet injury coverage for when you’re traveling with Fido.
While Progressive likely offers all of the coverage you need, they don’t offer it all standard, like Good Sam Club or Farmers, might.
While their coverage might be good, it can also get pricey. Not to mention, their customer service really isn’t up to snuff.
FAQ
If you’re struggling with the all-important decision of who to trust when covering your motorhome, here are some frequently asked questions that may help you decide.
Is my RV covered in Mexico or Canada?
Part of the joy of traveling is that you can go almost anywhere. If you plan to travel outside of the United States, you want to make sure you’re covered. Luckily, traveling in Canada with Farmers insurance is not a problem. You’ll enjoy the same coverage anywhere in Canada as you do in the U.S.
Unfortunately, coverage in Mexico is a bit different. If you’re traveling within 25 miles of the border for less than 10 days, you’re covered like normal, but if you need extended coverage, you’ll have to call your Farmers agent to arrange special coverage.
This is something to look for when shopping for RV insurance. Make sure you get the coverage you need if you plan to travel to foreign countries.
Does RV insurance cover attachments and accessories?
Yes! With Farmers, you can get coverage for all of your extra equipment, even if you attach it or install it yourself. Just make sure you list these items individually on your policy. You can also get coverage for your personal belongings if needed.
However, every company and their coverages are different, so make sure you get what you need with the company you choose to use.
Why should I pay for full RV coverage even during months I don’t use my RV?
Farmers does offer storage-only RV insurance for the times when you’re not traveling. It will cover your RV for theft, vandalism, fire, and other acts of nature. However, it will not cover collision damage, so you do take a greater risk of not having full coverage all the time.
There are a lot of other companies who offer this, but they may not advertise that they do, simply because they want to make more money.
Final Thoughts
Making a decision about RV insurance isn’t an easy one for many reasons. Chances are, it’s not something you shop for every day and it may not even be something you’ve ever had to shop for before.
That adds to the complexity of understanding your options and what may or may not be a good deal. However, it’s most important to ensure that you get all of the coverage you need, even if it costs a little extra.
Also, be sure to get great customer service and all the extras you need like a mobile app. It will make things so much easier if the worst were to happen.
While there are a lot of companies out there offering RV insurance, Farmers is certainly one of the best. Make sure you include them if you’re shopping around for quotes.
