Need advice - Insurance while trailer in storage at Escape Industries - NJ Resident

[kstock11]

I had a loan on my trailer. When the trailer was fully paid for, the company holding the loan wanted insurance information. I insured the trailer (Allied Insurance) and gave them the location of the trailer. The insurance was not that much considering the overall value of the trailer. I had no problem paying insurance for the 5 months that it was on ETI's lot.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

...Insurance companies will try to deny any and all claims...I wonder if that is carried over into other forms of insurance? Sorry, your husband died while you were in Canada so his life insurance policy is not valid.

Your husbands life insurance would be invalid only if he was in storage at the time of his death.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by ice-breaker

Your husbands life insurance would be invalid only if he was in storage at the time of his death.

[56farmerjohn]

Do not Insure your trailer, while in storage at ETI... You are giving these insurance companies something for nothing... What's going to happen?? If damaged at ETI, they will repair it... You would be better off buying a case of good California wine.. My 17A was done in January 2015, picked up in June 2015, no insurance while in storage atETI, no need for if it is parked at ETI....

[thoer]

I've heard Reace and Tammy's dogs count as pretty good insurance.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

One question that to me is of tantamount importance which hasn't been asked pertains to those who have had their trailers stored at ETI for a few months prior to pickup. How many completed/stored trailers have been stolen, damaged, or destroyed while in ETI's possession awaiting owner pickup? And if obtaining valid insurance for a US resident's property in Canada IS NOT POSSIBLE, perhaps ETI could obtain coverage as a "storage facility" and pass the cost along to those who use it. I do not believe Reace and Tammy are the type of people who would "throw their customers under a bus" or "hang them out to dry."
Another question that would come into play here. If I were to go to Canada with my trailer, set up in a legitimate campground, and then take a 3 day cruise or visit friends overnight, is the trailer technically "in storage." Insurance companies will try to deny any and all claims. To borrow one company's current ad campaign: If you're an insurance company, that's what you do." I wonder if that is carried over into other forms of insurance? Sorry, your husband died while you were in Canada so his life insurance policy is not valid.

I saw that Escape could keep your trailer until you could pick it up . It never entered my mind that could be a problem . I am sure Escape has insurance on their whole property for fire , theft. If you haven't even taken possession of your trailer I would believe Escape would still have your trailer covered . I also don't believe Tammy and Reace would just say "sorry " . Pat

[yardsale]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

Maybe things have changed? Either that or we didn't understand liability in 2014. Our Escape was finished in February 2014 and we didn't pick it up until June. Final payment was made before February. We didn't insure it until June, when we took possession. I thought at the time that Tammy said we didn't need to.

Our trailer was built in August, we picked up in January. We were able to secure "storage" insurance from our automobile insurance carrier for a nominal fee.

[LeonW]

Long long long ago I spent a few years being an insurance underwriter, including personal homeowners and automobile insurance. One of the things I learned is that many people in the insurance industry don't know much about the products they sell. Agents were continually asking me if a policy covered xxx in such and such a situation.

40 years ago, Insurance policies were written in legalese, but it was understandable if you only took the time to read the policy and parse the language. Today policies are written in relatively plain english, and pretty accessible to anyone with a high school reading level.

This discussion provided an impetus for me to go back and read my own auto policy. Here's what I found:

POLICY PERIOD AND TERRITORY
A. This policy applies only to accidents and losses which occur:
1. During the policy period as shown in the Declarations; and
2. Within the policy territory.
B. The policy territory is:
1. The United States of America, its territories or possessions;
2. Puerto Rico; or
3. Canada.
This policy also applies to loss to, or accidents involving, your covered auto while being transported between their ports.

There is no exclusion for when a vehicle (including a trailer) is stored at a facility other than the addresses listed on the policy.

So my conclusion is that MY insurance company would have had a hard time denying coverage if something happened during the time between the trailer was completed and the time I picked it up. That of course assumes that I had notified the company that I had a new trailer. Trailers are treated differently than "new or replacement vehicles" (cars/pick up trucks) where you have 30 days automatic coverage for a vehicle.

This is not to say that the insurance company might not try to recover any loss from ETI (or ETI's insurance company), especially if some negligence on ETI's part was involved.

In any event, my real point here is to encourage you to read your policy, and see what the actual terms are. Don't rely on what someone in a call center tells you.

This also applies to the admonitions I occasionally see saying that if you do such and such stupid thing (e.g towing a trailer that weighs more than the towing capacity of your vehicle) you won't have coverage. It is still stupid, but especially with regard to liability coverage, it is difficult to deny coverage to 3rd party victims based upon an insured's stupidity. I have seen many claims paid that were the result of DWI, speeding, and other just plain reckless behavior

[thoer]

Good information Leon - thanks!

[escape artist]

Hi: LeonW... As my pal Bugs Bunny once said. "Scientists say the Universe is made up of Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons. They forgot to include Morons". Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[ichrisdr]

Thank you everyone for your input. Waiting to speak to Tammy. I will report back next week.

[Viajante]

Ichrisdr, I bought a used trailer in BC to bring back to US. BC has a combined provincial title/insurance department. The previous owner and I went there to change the title to my name (even though I didn't register the trailer in BC). I ended up buying insurance through the provincial agency for two days while the trailer was in Canada.

I don't know if this would apply to you, but it might be an option. The name of the provincial agency was something like Insurance Commission of British Columbia ICBC, but I don't remember exactly.

[gbaglo]

ICBC

Contact us

[float5]

Do you mean insurance for two days after you took the trailer or two days while sitting before you took it?

Originally Posted by Viajante

Ichrisdr, I bought a used trailer in BC to bring back to US. BC has a combined provincial title/insurance department. The previous owner and I went there to change the title to my name (even though I didn't register the trailer in BC). I ended up buying insurance through the provincial agency for two days while the trailer was in Canada.

I don't know if this would apply to you, but it might be an option. The name of the provincial agency was something like Insurance Commission of British Columbia ICBC, but I don't remember exactly.

[Viajante]

The day I took possession and the day after when I crossed the border. There are so many variables here with taking title, taking possession, crossing the border, etc. , all I can say is it is worth a call to ICBC.

Personally, I would not leave a trailer sitting anywhere for 5 months uninsured. ETI might be reliable, but it is their insurance company that makes the call on any loss, not ETI. Two different entities.

[float5]

Our trailer insurance from our U.S. company covered us while traveling in Canada (We would need to pay additional to be covered in Mexico.) Our U.S. roadside assistance covered us in Canada also.

The question here is for storage when the trailer is in Canada and not in the owner's possession, not while traveling in Canada. Very different things to the insurance companies.

In your case, you still had not crossed the border whereas Escapes are delivered across the border first (we went back into Canada) so I guess that is why you needed ICBC insurance for those two days, perhaps until you actually imported the trailer.

We were told that we needed ICBC insurance which was not correct that I know of. We had our own.

Storage in Canada, however, that the OP is asking about is another matter. By the way, the ICBC insurance that I looked at was expensive.

Originally Posted by Viajante

The day I took possession and the day after when I crossed the border. There are so many variables here with taking title, taking possession, crossing the border, etc. , all I can say is it is worth a call to ICBC.

Personally, I would not leave a trailer sitting anywhere for 5 months uninsured. ETI might be reliable, but it is their insurance company that makes the call on any loss, not ETI. Two different entities.

[gbaglo]

We also don't know what insurance. Collision, comprehensive, liability? All of the above?
My trailer license I get at ICBC. My car insurance I get from ICBC. My trailer insurance, collision, comprehensive, liability, I get from another insurance company.
And, they wanted to know where the trailer would be stored.

[float5]

Yes, they all want to know where the trailer will be stored and that is the problem for the OP. U.S. companies apparently do not cover storage in Canada.

[Donna D.]

Legally, the trailer doesn't belong to you until it's 100% paid for and you have the title in hand. Might be one of those things it's worth not paying the last $100 or so. That's easily handled with cash at time of pickup. Then it falls to what you need to get the license plate and insurance. I was able to get both before pickup and still owned a very small amount of money because I knew the VIN. The insurance took affect the moment the trailer crossed the border into the US. Before that, the trailer still belong to ETI and covered by their insurance. YMMV

[GRINGOandTICA]

Escape will not be issuing you a title. If you plan to title and register this in NJ, you can't until it has been imported through customs.

Feel free to PM me your name & number and I will tell you what I did, and share an option that I didn't, but could have.

-Vinny