B190 Enthusiasts

Hey there,

I'm fixin to <---getting ready to for y'all up north, purchase a 1993 b-190. Picking it up Saturday if all goes well. My question is... what is the recommended insurance coverage?

rig has 85k miles and purchase price is $12k.

Plan to use it at least 1 weekend a month, and 5-10 times over the course of the year for travelling, festivals, etc...

any guidance would be great...

Thanks

Ricky

First, welcome to the site.

There are two trains of thought.

You can get it through your normal auto carrier, and it'll be treated essentially as another vehicle - with the appropriate book value, of course. Since you won't be driving it much, it won't be that expensive to insure - I think I pay like $450/year for mine, full coverage, and it's only that high because this ZIP code apparently has a higher-than-average auto theft rate.

The other option is to get it through an organization like Good Sam or Camping World's insurance or one of probably dozens of other RV insurers. They claim to have coverage options that fit better for RVs including replacement coverage options, but I've never really looked into it. There is some justification for considering it - a motorhome ISN'T a car; it's subject to the same risks as both a car and a house, so presumably they do take some of that into account.

You'll learn quickly is that there are times when you want your B190 to be a van, and there are times you want it to be a camper. Vehicle registration is usually one of the former times; but insurance is most definitely one of the latter times. Do not let your insurance company insure it as a van only, because if you get into an accident you'll get the book value on a 1993 Ford van, which I think is like $1000 or something. (I mention this because the VIN will show up as a Ford van. Two states now have billed my taxes based on the value of a Ford van, not a B190 motorhome, to which I said, "Sure! No problem!" )

If you like your auto insurer, call them first and get a quote. It wouldn't hurt to call the insurers that specialize in RV insurance, though, and see what they cover and how much it would cost. And there's nothing preventing you from getting basic auto insurance now so you can get your van, then switching to RV-specific coverage later if you find you want that.

Thanks Skater! I have been browsing this site for sometime now, while doing my homework on B190's ... I was hoping you or "Alaskan" would chime in.. I've learned alot from y'all posts..

I'll let y'all know how it goes !!

Ricky

Ricky....

Our rigs actually have 2 separate VIN numbers, one is the Ford VIN and the other is the Airstream Vin

Give your Insurance company the Ford VIN....

ok yall. I got my insurance.... no problemo.. and i have my 1993 b-190 parked in my driveway...wooo hooooo I'll be taking it out to Luckenbach (yes just like the willie and waylon song) this weekend...so i'll take pics then.

i have a ton of questions but for right now... my biggest concern is getting a cover for it. I dont have a garage and I don't want to pay for storage unless it's really necessary...but i dont' just want to let it sit uncovered either..

ideas?? I've been surfing a bit ..camperworld etc...but there's so much out there....figure maybe i could narrow my choices down a bit

Ricky

Congratulations TrainWreck....

You'll have lots of fun with that rig...

Fire away with the questions....might scan the forums to see if they've been covered previously

I have a cover...its huge and a pain to install and remove. I did have it altered slightly for access to the side entry door

30 Aug 10 8:35

Hi, there! One particular insurance issue comes to mind when you insure your Airstream 190 coach. Ask about switching coverages on and off for the times you are driving or storing your coach. I have that option with my policy from Allstate.

"Happy Cybercamping!"
Michael Canode