Insurance for the large truck
 

I'm looking at a 96 freightliner FLD 120 and am going to use it to haul around my camper, is the simple explanation.

Got all my ducks lined up except insurance. My god what a bunch of vultures.

What state registration has the cheapest insurance. I'm going to tittle it RV but everyone I've talked to so far says I have to get commercial insurance on it. My favorite part is they insist I insure the camper separate. But the trailer is insured by the truck. Not visa versa. I think they are just trying to weasel more money.

I'll be driving this thing from Denver to Cooke City Montana once a year. Means about 4days road time and they are talking $500~$600 a month.

So what states have the cheapest insurance and how do I finagle RV insurance on a 48,000lb truck.

My first question is why? Thats a lot of truck to haul a camper even full time living in the RV.
You will need a CDL with air brake endorsement and if you do ever get this thing rolling down the road you can expect to get pulled over just about every time you go by a scale house. Even if you legally don't have to stop they won't know that. Permits (IFTA, HUTect)may be another big problem area. Do yourself a favor and just buy a one ton dually and you can use it more than 4 days a year and for more than just pulling a camper. I've also heard that the big truck suspension is very hard on campers.

Its a big camper.

With an RV tittle I don't need the CDL

Nor do I need to stop for the weigh stations.

Its really just a question of Insurance

What state is the cheapest. What company is willing to work with an RV tittle. Who's paying what and how idd you get that rate ?

Does the truck have air brakes? I believe it does, if so I'm pretty sure you will need a cdl and air brake endorsement and because its a combination vehicle it will be a class A. Without a couple years of OTR driving experience most companies won't touch you.
Don't just take my word for it CALL the insurance companies and your state motor vehicle office and ASK THEM.
BTW it's title not tittle :)

Yeah I can't spell for beans

Titled RV I don't need a CDL and at one point or another I've driven just about everything.

but your right in that I've spent all day on the phone and run into every insurance scam out there. I haven't bought the truck yet but wow, talk about a run around trying to find insurance. What a pile of vultures.

So what states have the easiest rates and what companies offer the RV driver a break ?

Question, why not just sell the camper and forget the truck? Take the camper money as a down payment and go with a straight up bus size RV that is 1 unit! Get some info on one of those then call insurance and tell them it's an RV then go thru the motions of the details. See if their rates come down some then.

I'm thinking that insurance is fearful your going to scam them back by listing it as an RV then go run around hauling loads. That is prolly why they are so insistent on selling you more. It's not a scam on their part, just covering themselves from being screwed over. You may be honest and never do that but they don't know that and have had others in the past pull that on them.

Nope. its actually going to be used as an RV and actually needed to haul the camper. So what is the cheapest state to find insurance in and whats the best company

Uh, I'm explaining why the insurance companies are doing you the way they are. They will all be the same.

Tried to help you with an idea........for naught I guess. Yes you do not need a CDL for being in Colorado but as repete mentioned, the scale houses are going to be an issue for you. Some WILL come after you and hassle you with a traffic stop even though your legal to keep going past them. That is why I mentioned about selling the camper and foregoing the truck purchase and just do a Class A RV if you can. Insurance companies won't be as much a hassle.

I didn't get where I am in life by simply giving up on a plan simply because someone else suggests its difficult.

There's either a company out there that provides what I need or there is a way around it. There always is. Maybe an overseas company will provide international insurance at a cheaper rate and I only need to alter where I register the vehicle.

I don't care about getting pulled over, I'll work out the details before hand and have all my ducks lined up. Which is why I'm doing my homework now rather than later.

which brings me right back to where I started.

I was able to look up the states with the lowest insurance rates, so I'll start over with the assumption I can register the vehicle there which should help. From there its just a matter of finding how to obtain the best rates. If that is still unacceptable then I'll look into international insurance policies.

The law doesn't dictate how I meet the requirement, it only insists I do, and all I need is some cheap insurance for only driving every once in a blue moon. I just figured one of you folks had worked this problem before and might have some answers.

Cheers

You will need to get insurance in the state where the vehicle is garaged. I would check around with different insurance companies. Your auto insurance company may be able to write the insurance. There are motor homes that are built on the chassis of a class 8 truck. I don't believe that you need a CDL for the vehicle if it is classified as an RV. You might try McGriff, Siebels in Portland, OR. They write different types of insurance, mostly commercial insurance. But, if they cannot help you they might be able to refer you to a different insurance company. Another option would be to check with OOIDA.

I can garage the vehicle in the most advantageous state. I don't need a CDL if the vehicle is titled as an RV so yeah. The class 8 truck thing is irrelevant, once its titled as an RV. Its purely a matter of finding a reasonable insurance carrier

I'm sure you didn't, but, if the plan is not working out I'm giving you an idea that could end up being better in the long run AND cheaper. Just trying to offer an alternative but I can see your so heck bent on having your cake and eating it too.......I see a lot of trucking companies that register/tag their trucks in Oklahoma or Maine. I believe the reason for that is tax purposes though and not insurance purposes.........so..........sounds like your answering your own question(s) though.

I wonder how that BIG camper got from IN. to the dealer that sold it. Think one of those camper haulers did it with a one ton truck? Maybe something a little bigger like a F550?
Some people get an idea in their head and it's literally a one track mind.
I wonder how much it would cost to just have someone with a truck and insurance haul the thing 2X a year. Probably a LOT less than buying a truck paying for ins. even when the truck sits for 350 or so days out of the year and we all know that maintenance doesn't cost much, right?

The camper is being built, it hasn't gotten anywhere yet. ;--) I haven't bought the truck yet, I'm just lining up some ducks, which is going fine except for insurance, which is ridiculously expensive. Problem / solution, its just a matter of finding the solution.

I just thought you guys might have solved/answered some of these questions already.

It seems to me that your current auto insurance agent should be able to write insurance on an RV. What type of insurance are you wanting? Liability? Comprehensive? Both? Motor carriers require a $750,000 minimum auto liability insurance. Some states only require as little as $25,000 for auto liability on cars or personal vehicles. Have you checked your state to find out the minimum coverage required for an RV? It is probably the same as for a 4 wheeler. If your auto insurance agent cannot help you, then I would look for an agent that represents several insurance companies, such as Travelers that write different types of insurance.