Community Forums

danes-on-tour · 09-09-2013, 07:38 AM

Here is an idea:

Insurance seems to be one of the big money spending headaches for many people, and we all seem to be paying very different prices for the same product. I do appreciate that there are a whole number of variables that will determine a given insurance price, but I keep seeing so many RVers complain about a 20%, 40% or in our case a 100% increase without having made a claim or made changes that would warrant such increases. I get this feeling that the insurance companies just keep adding to their prices until you "scream", and then they try to "reel you in again".

As I see it there are close to 120,000 members of IRV2. Some do not own an RV but I am sure the majority do. Are we not "strong enough" to get decent rates collectively? Businesses with say 250 or more employees can get good company rates because of volume and bargaining power, but we are all fighting our own individual battles.

Wouldn't there be a number of retired vehicle insurance specialists with time on their hands among the IRV2 members, who could kick-start something like that, for the benefit of everybody?

Am I just dreaming here ???

AlanHD · 09-09-2013, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danes-on-tour

Here is an idea:

Insurance seems to be one of the big money spending headaches for many people, and we all seem to be paying very different prices for the same product. I do appreciate that there are a whole number of variables that will determine a given insurance price, but I keep seeing so many RVers complain about a 20%, 40% or in our case a 100% increase without having made a claim or made changes that would warrant such increases. I get this feeling that the insurance companies just keep adding to their prices until you "scream", and then they try to "reel you in again".

As I see it there are close to 120,000 members of IRV2. Some do not own an RV but I am sure the majority do. Are we not "strong enough" to get decent rates collectively? Businesses with say 250 or more employees can get good company rates because of volume and bargaining power, but we are all fighting our own individual battles.

Wouldn't there be a number of retired vehicle insurance specialists with time on their hands among the IRV2 members, who could kick-start something like that, for the benefit of everybody?

Am I just dreaming here ???

Count me in. I have two RV's.

Chillbilly · 09-09-2013, 08:13 AM

You could count on me to participate.

becks · 09-09-2013, 08:17 AM

I'm in.

MSHappyCampers · 09-09-2013, 08:25 AM

I would certainly be interested!

rlawson · 09-09-2013, 08:26 AM

Surely there is an insurance agent among us who can set up a group plan of some kind....

Gary RVRoamer · 09-09-2013, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Surely there is an insurance agent among us who can set up a group plan of some kind....

I think maybe his name is Sam.

CampDaven · 09-09-2013, 03:58 PM

Neat idea.

A perspective:
Insurance underwriting takes huge piles of serious cash and infrastructure.
Good Sam and AARP and such orgs are simply vehicles/brokers for real insurance companies. I'm thinking they must have staffing dedicated to this, aye?
Is iRV2 big enough to get enough leverage to undersell these orgs and staff accordingly?

Just sayin....

slickest1 · 09-09-2013, 08:11 PM

If it includes Canadians I,m in. I just today forked out $3700 on coach, toad and pickup for licence and ins. I,m having to stand while I type.

**NLOVNIT** · 09-09-2013, 09:11 PM

We may have 120,000+ registered members, but 10's of thousands of those are most likely not even RV'rs. Just people who like to register on social networking sites for the heck of it. I rather doubt we'd have any clout with the insurance companies. More likely larger organizations like FMCA or Good Sam might.

Lori-

danes-on-tour · 09-10-2013, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT

We may have 120,000+ registered members, but 10's of thousands of those are most likely not even RV'rs. Just people who like to register on social networking sites for the heck of it. I rather doubt we'd have any clout with the insurance companies. More likely larger organizations like FMCA or Good Sam might.

Lori-

I agree that both FMCA and Good Sam potentially should be more "powerful" but for some reason, cheap insurance for their members is not a priority on their list.

I am a member of both these organizations, and I have tried them both. Both come up with rates that are far worse than my own useless Lazy Days insurance agent. I get the destinct impression that both organizations really - and I mean really - don't care, if it means that they have to spend any time at all looking into your insurance. I thing both these organisations are too big to provide personal service.

floridasnow · 09-10-2013, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

I think maybe his name is Sam.

Sam is a money-making origination. I could be wrong but I think danes is thinking more of a cooperative set up for the benefit of the members not the corporation.

danes-on-tour · 09-10-2013, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floridasnow

Sam is a money-making origination. I could be wrong but I think danes is thinking more of a cooperative set up for the benefit of the members not the corporation.

You are correct

Gary RVRoamer · 09-10-2013, 10:57 AM

I was mostly kidding about "Sam", but FMCA is a similar sized organization (FMCA is about 120,000) and haven't been able to get much in the way of preferential treatment from insurers. And they have a paid, full time staff to seek out deals. FMCA is member-owned and desperate to find benefits to attract and hold members, yet unable to come up with anything better than a custom front end to a regular rv insurer (currently National General).