RV Insurance: How to Protect Yourself Against Theft

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Nobody wants to talk about it—especially not those who live and travel in their RVs full-time—but cases of RV theft and burglary do occasionally happen. And when these things happen, they can be absolutely devastating to the victim. This is particularly true if they happened to live in their RV, storing most of their belongings in their little home-on-wheels. 

Fortunately, there are ways to protect against this. Obviously, you will want to lock your doors, and you might even consider a lock upgrade to something like the RV Lock in order to make it extra difficult for someone to open your RV door. A coupler lock is a must-have for those with bumper-pull trailers, and those with fifth wheels will want a king pin lock. Some people even choose to install motion sensor lights to deter criminals, and of course, dogs are always good burglar alarms. 

All that said, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself against theft and burglary is invest in quality RV insurance, making sure to do your research before deciding on a policy. 

Here are our top tips for doing just that. 

Look for a Full-Time RV Policy

First, it’s important that you look for a policy that is designed specifically for full-time RVers. This will ensure you’re fully protected no matter where you are or how long you’ve been staying in your RV. It’ll also include a number of coverages that aren’t always included on part-time RV insurance policies.

Yes, it can be tempting to save a few bucks by purchasing the cheaper part-timers plan, but the full-time RV insurance plan is what you really need in order to be protected. 

Get Comprehensive Coverage

When shopping for the perfect RV insurance policy, make sure you pick one with comprehensive coverage. This is sure to be more expensive than those policies without comprehensive coverage, but that’s because a comprehensive policy will cover you in case of vandalism or theft. Additionally, comprehensive coverage should cover damage caused by falling objects, fire, and natural disasters. 

Invest in Total Loss Replacement

Total loss replacement RV insurance will cover you in case your RV is stolen and not recovered, or is recovered but completely totaled. Of course, it also covers your RV should it be lost in a traffic accident.

In either case, it provides complete replacement of an RV after a total loss. This means that if your RV is deemed a total loss within 5 years of the date of manufacture, the insurance company will provide you with the money needed to replace the RV with a brand new unit, giving you a home to start fresh in. 

Make Sure Your Personal Belongings are Covered

In addition to covering the RV itself, you will also want to make absolutely sure your belongings are covered as well. This will be referred to as “personal property and belongings” coverage and will replace any items taken from the inside of your RV in the event of theft or burglary.

You might also want to consider getting “personal attachments” coverage, which will cover anything you attach to the outside of the RV such as satellite dishes, antennae, and upgraded awnings. 

Check that Your Coverage is Enough

Oddly enough, simply making sure you have personal property and belongings coverage isn’t enough. You also have to make sure the coverage limits are enough.

To do this, ask to confirm your policy with the receptionist, as these individuals often know the policies being sold better than the agents themselves. When talking to the receptionist, let them know your situation and ask them to confirm the total amount covered should your belongings be stolen.

You might be surprised to find that you need to add additional coverage. 

Keep Your Policy Up to Date

Things change over time, and it’s easy to forget to keep your RV insurance policy up to date. Therefore, we recommend adding a reminder to your calendar every 6 months or so to check your policies and ensure they are up to date with correct dollar amounts attached to each category.

If you purchase a new expensive item, call your insurance company and update your policy right away to reflect that item. This will ensure you get everything back if it’s all taken.

Take Photos, Keep Receipts, Store Them Wisely

Finally, you will need to take photos of everything you own, especially the more valuable items. Additionally, make sure you keep receipts so you have paper trails proving you purchased these items and how much you paid. Store all of these things digitally in a couple of different places, making sure you are able to access them online from a device other than your own in case even your devices are stolen.

This paper trail will help you tremendously when it comes to making insurance claims should you be the victim of an RV theft or burglary.

Taking all of these steps to protect yourself and your belongings can seem super overwhelming. That said, it’s better to deal with these tasks now than it is to regret not doing it later. Besides, if you ask your insurance agent and their receptionist to help out, they should be glad to do so, making the whole process a lot smoother and less overwhelming.

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