Up in smoke

[Salmon River Solutions]

That's crazy it just went up in flames like that. Glad everyone's OK!

I've got a LUXE tipi tent with a carbon pole laying around somewhere. Its yours if you want it.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I'm fairly certain the trailer should fall under your vehicle policy since it was being towed by your vehicle. I had an accident where a vehcile ran into a trailer I was towing and my auto insurance covered the repairs. Hopefully someone else can chime in...

I have a separate policy for my trailer. My auto doesn’t cover it.

 

[Team4LongGun]

I have always understood whatever your towing is covered by auto policy. If you can find your actual policy-the 20+ page one they mail you, it may have it in there.

John I have quite a bit of new gear that is all in bins that never gets used. When you have time and things settle down text me what you lost and I'll see what I can send your way.

 

[rclouse79]

Dang, that sucks big time. I hate the feeling that insurance does everything they can to stiff you after overcharging you every month. Hope you get it all sorted out.

 

[TheCougar]

I have a separate policy for my trailer. My auto doesn’t cover it.

Is it just a regular flat bed trailer?

 

[Ucsdryder]

Is it just a regular flat bed trailer?

Yeah an echo trailer for a side by side. I specifically asked if it was covered while towing under my policy and my local agent told me no. I know you don’t want to hear it, but maybe it’ll help someone else on here, it was super cheap for a year. I want to say 40 bucks to insure.

 

[TheCougar]

Yeah an echo trailer for a side by side. I specifically asked if it was covered while towing under my policy and my local agent told me no. I know you don’t want to hear it, but maybe it’ll help someone else on here, it was super cheap for a year. I want to say 40 bucks to insure.

That sucks. Thank you for the info, and that’s news to me. I hope it helps someone else here. I wonder if it is by-state or by coverage?

 

[ArrowForester]

Well dang, that’s a rough start to the season. Really glad nobody was hurt and that some assistance allowed you to get unhitched. Sorry for your losses.

What tent did you lose?

 

[deltadukman]

Insurance guy here. A trailer being covered just because it's hooked up to your vehicle doesn't necessarily mean you have coverage. In fact that is a very common misconception. Say I have a $15,000 gooseneck, they aren't going to cover that just because it's hooked to my truck. However, you may have "non owned trailer coverage" on either your auto or home policy, possibly your ATV policy. Since it was your friend's trailer, you may have some coverage there.

Also to the guy above me who says "I have always understood whatever your towing is covered by auto policy. If you can find your actual policy-the 20+ page one they mail you, it may have it in there". That is incorrect. The insurance company doesn't know if you've got a $1500 utility trailer or a $250,000 boat behind it. They are not going to pay for anything that isn't on it's own policy. Trust me on this one.

Now, OP, if you have your home, auto, or atv policy with the same common carrier, all 3 or just two, there may be a provision where if you have a claim that derives from the same loss, which you do, they may have a provision where you pay the highest of one deductible. Not all have this provision, but some do. I would ask if they do. Some company adjusters don't even realize this.

Also look to see if your homeowners policy has person property replacement cost. Many do. If so, start a list of what personal property got destroyed and figure out what all it would cost to replace each item, with tax.

 

[TheCougar]

Insurance guy here. A trailer being covered just because it's hooked up to your vehicle doesn't necessarily mean you have coverage. In fact that is a very common misconception. Say I have a $15,000 gooseneck, they aren't going to cover that just because it's hooked to my truck. However, you may have "non owned trailer coverage" on either your auto or home policy, possibly your ATV policy. Since it was your friend's trailer, you may have some coverage there.

Also to the guy above me who says "I have always understood whatever your towing is covered by auto policy. If you can find your actual policy-the 20+ page one they mail you, it may have it in there". That is incorrect. The insurance company doesn't know if you've got a $1500 utility trailer or a $250,000 boat behind it. They are not going to pay for anything that isn't on it's own policy. Trust me on this one.

Now, OP, if you have your home, auto, or atv policy with the same common carrier, all 3 or just two, there may be a provision where if you have a claim that derives from the same loss, which you do, they may have a provision where you pay the highest of one deductible. Not all have this provision, but some do. I would ask if they do. Some company adjusters don't even realize this.

Also look to see if your homeowners policy has person property replacement cost. Many do. If so, start a list of what personal property got destroyed and figure out what all it would cost to replace each item, with tax.

I just got off the phone with my agent.
The trailer doesn’t need to have its own separate policy, but it needs to be listed on the policy as one of the covered vehicles/etc.
A rented trailer, etc IS covered by my auto policy, but a “borrowed” trailer is not and is covered by the owners policy, which in this case it is not. So now I have to buy my friend a new trailer out of pocket. Awesome.

 

[CorbLand]

I just got off the phone with my agent.
The trailer doesn’t need to have its own separate policy, but it needs to be listed on the policy as one of the covered vehicles/etc.
A rented trailer, etc IS covered by my auto policy, but a “borrowed” trailer is not and is covered by the owners policy, which in this case it is not. So now I have to buy my friend a new trailer out of pocket. Awesome.

Good to know that every trailer I borrow from here out was rented.

 

[RMM]

I just got off the phone with my agent.
The trailer doesn’t need to have its own separate policy, but it needs to be listed on the policy as one of the covered vehicles/etc.
A rented trailer, etc IS covered by my auto policy, but a “borrowed” trailer is not and is covered by the owners policy, which in this case it is not. So now I have to buy my friend a new trailer out of pocket. Awesome.

Did they specify that it has to be rented from an actual business? I wonder if you could potentially find a way to say you rented it from your friend

 

[deltadukman]

I would tell your agent you rented the trailer from your friend for $20. Ask him if he needs to see the agreement and write that up. He is correct in that you can schedule the trailer on the auto policy for physical damage. I would look at your home policy as well. Mine has non-owned trailers(doesnt specify if rented or borrowed) coverage for $1500-2000. If you want to email me full copies of your home and auto policies, I can look through them and let you know what is and isn't covered and possibly ways to have it covered. There are a lot of agents out there that don't know what they are doing as well.

 

[Jeremyskousen]

If there are any insurance guys here: my HO and ATV is not covering the trailer, which was my friends trailer and didn’t have a separate policy. Not only is it not covered, but I’ll probably have to pay the tow fee, etc for it now.

Agent here, your policies won't cover someone else's stuff. If he didn't have the trailer insured, most Homeowner's policies have a little coverage for trailers built in. If the trailer owner has a homeowner's policy, he should check that but depending on the deductible and the value of the trailer, plus the impact it will have on the future policy renewals it may not be advisable. Also generally, the towing vehicle would extend liability but not physical damage to the trailer itself.

 

[Huntindog45]

was the bike hot when you tied it down? we had a strap touch the exhaust once and it started to melt the strap and was smoking heavily to the point it almost ignited. so anything in there touching the exhaust could have done the same thing i would imagine.

 

[TheCougar]

Tha would

I would tell your agent you rented the trailer from your friend for $20. Ask him if he needs to see the agreement and write that up. He is correct in that you can schedule the trailer on the auto policy for physical damage. I would look at your home policy as well. Mine has non-owned trailers(doesnt specify if rented or borrowed) coverage for $1500-2000. If you want to email me full copies of your home and auto policies, I can look through them and let you know what is and isn't covered and possibly ways to have it covered. There are a lot of agents out there that don't know what they are doing as

I think that would be insurance fraud, to post date a contract after the fact to get coverage.

 

[weekender7]

I think that would be insurance fraud, to post date a contract after the fact to get coverage.

You are correct. It's disheartening to hear posters suggesting to make up a lie to defraud an insurance company. There seems to be a lack of morals among some of us.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I hate that for you...stuff can be replaced glad no one got hurt...Did you have any tool batteries in cargo box on the quad. I had a chain saw battery rolling around in my tool box and it acred on some bailing wire and set a rag on fire in my cargo box...Luckily I was on it at the time and got it out before it did any damge...I cover the contacts on all my lithium tool batteries when storing/transporting them them now.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

You are correct. It's disheartening to hear posters suggesting to make up a lie to defraud an insurance company. There seems to be a lack of morals among some of us.

Morals and insurance companies there is an oxymoron...

I would try not to file a claim...it will be cheaper in the long run just to pay out a pocket...they will jacket up your deductible and your premiums with one claim...I haven't filed an auto insurance claim in 15yrs they just raised my premiums by 25% for no reason...My agent told me I was lucky some folks are seeing 30-35% jumps. Insurance is just legalized ponzi scheme.

 

[Crowmangler]

I know a guy who flipped a cigarette out of his truck on the way to fish & turned his fiberglass bass boat into a piece of charcoal. Had a camper top on his truck so he couldn't see it. Crazy stuff happens all the time just thankful no one was injured.