Additional security blanket?

[gladnewb]

I'm being lazy and not looking for the answer myself as I need to read my auto insurance policy. Till then I'll throw this out to the forum. Over the past two years I've been venturing more and more off-road. As I venture out more and more, learning the Gladiator's off-road tendencies along with my own. It hit me. If I was to get in trouble that left the Gladiator with significant damage, would my insurance cover it. Again I know I need to read my policy, but for the masses. Do you have or pay for additional insurance for potential off-road accidents?

Now let me state I'm not planning on any extreme rock climbing or pushing the Gladiator to its limits, but sometimes shit happens. At the end of the day I guess knowing how much "piece of mind" one has is very subjective.

Thoughts or recommendations?

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[Gvsukids]

I'm being lazy and not looking for the answer myself as I need to read my auto insurance policy. Till then I'll throw this out to the forum. Over the past two years I've been venturing more and more off-road. As I venture out more and more, learning the Gladiator's off-road tendencies along with my own. It hit me. If I was to get in trouble that left the Gladiator with significant damage, would my insurance cover it. Again I know I need to read my policy, but for the masses. Do you have or pay for additional insurance for potential off-road accidents?

Now let me state I'm not planning on any extreme rock climbing or pushing the Gladiator to its limits, but sometimes shit happens. At the end of the day I guess knowing how much "piece of mind" one has is very subjective.

Thoughts or recommendations?

Calling your insurance company will help answer your question.

 

[ZoMojave]

I'm being lazy and not looking for the answer myself as I need to read my auto insurance policy. Till then I'll throw this out to the forum. Over the past two years I've been venturing more and more off-road. As I venture out more and more, learning the Gladiator's off-road tendencies along with my own. It hit me. If I was to get in trouble that left the Gladiator with significant damage, would my insurance cover it. Again I know I need to read my policy, but for the masses. Do you have or pay for additional insurance for potential off-road accidents?

Now let me state I'm not planning on any extreme rock climbing or pushing the Gladiator to its limits, but sometimes shit happens. At the end of the day I guess knowing how much "piece of mind" one has is very subjective.

Thoughts or recommendations?

I agree with @Gvsukids. Give your insurance agent a shout out for accurate answers to your questions. Otherwise, be prepared for many forum opinions that may not be in your best interest.

 

[THEmailman]

I went and looked in mine to check as a proxy:

Further down, they have specific exclusions for racing/HPDE-type events, which obviously off-roading is not. Yes calling would be a good idea. The short answer though, is probably not covered. Even though my policy doesn't specifically exclude it, I am sure there is something in there that states" we assume you are driving down roads where there are not giant boulders that could damage your vehicle" or something to that effect. Which is reasonable...if there were known hazards to a given area for drivers, that area would have higher premiums, no doubt. We're not talking about random occurrences...the argument would be that you specifically chose to drive in an area with an increased danger and foreseeable obstacles and hazards that could reasonably lead to an increase in risk and damage, and that these areas are outside the scope of normal driving.

Likewise, in my experience with insurance and just putting your vehicle at risk overall, it is in your best interests to be ready to self-insure. I have damaged my vehicle and I have paid for it myself, and I have totaled a vehicle during HPDE and had to walk away with far less than its value before that day. Furthermore, we know what making claims does to your coverage...it is also possible that even if it somehow is covered, after learning the facts of your case, they might just drop you. If you are not prepared for that, then you:
1) need to find additional coverage (similar to HPDE events where they offer day-of coverage)
2) you need to financially be able to shoulder any damage and accidents caused
3) you need to moderate what you want to do based on the possible damage to your vehicle.

Definitely read your policy, call someone too, but keep in mind, someone on the phone saying something is not going to hold up in court...needs to be in writing.

 

[Gvsukids]

Yes calling would be a good idea. The short answer though, is probably not covered

In contrast, when I asked about damage off-roading they claimed it was going to be the same as an on-road accident. Until the OP calls their agent, we are just spitting in the wind and padding our post count.

 

[Rusty PW]

I do trackdays and HPDE. I get one or two say coverage for the event Because my insurance does not over it.

I know of two times that someone crashed at the track. Had their friends tow the car from the track and stage a crash on the road going to the track. So that their insurance would cover it.

As for off roading. I have two friends that hydrolocked their motors two years ago at Rausch Creek. Their insurance companies covered the motors. One got a complete motor. The other got a long block.

So check with your insurance to see what they will cover.

 

[rubicon4wheeler]

I know of two times that someone crashed at the track. Had their friends tow the car from the track and stage a crash on the road going to the track. So that their insurance would cover it.

I don't recommend insurance fraud.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Insurance coverage varies depending on the state, and with the company. They usually cover stupidity, but not willful negligence.

 

[gladnewb]

In these times I feel so much better missiles are covered!

 

[Gvsukids]

In these times I feel so much better missiles are covered!

Who says we have any? ?

 

[WILDHOBO]

I asked my carrier directly. Any damage off road is covered, as long as it’s not while participating in a race event.

I’m addition, I pay a tiny bit extra to cover my aftermarket parts, up to a value of 75k. In the event of a loss, I just need to provide receipts. It’s around $200 more annually.

 

[drewcnit]

I asked my carrier directly. Any damage off road is covered, as long as it’s not while participating in a race event.

I’m addition, I pay a tiny bit extra to cover my aftermarket parts, up to a value of 75k. In the event of a loss, I just need to provide receipts. It’s around $200 more annually.

This.
Long story short, according to my insurance agent who recently paid out a little over $6K on a new transmission for my truck. "A collision is a collision, offroad or interstate, you hit something, it's covered."
What's not covered is the aftermarket parts, most of the time the policies will cover a limit of around $1-1.5K. That goes quick if say you damaged your aftermarket suspension and didn't want an OEM stock replacement.
My agent had me do something similar to Dan, I compiled a list of my addons and sent receipts to show the additional 'value'. Similar cost, but she kept calling mine a rider on my policy that allowed up to $15K for aftermarket accessories.

 

[WILDHOBO]

This.
Long story short, according to my insurance agent who recently paid out a little over $6K on a new transmission for my truck. "A collision is a collision, offroad or interstate, you hit something, it's covered."
What's not covered is the aftermarket parts, most of the time the policies will cover a limit of around $1-1.5K. That goes quick if say you damaged your aftermarket suspension and didn't want an OEM stock replacement.
My agent had me do something similar to Dan, I compiled a list of my addons and sent receipts to show the additional 'value'. Similar cost, but she kept calling mine a rider on my policy that allowed up to $15K for aftermarket accessories.

Exactly. Mine stickered for 56, and they cover it and aftermarket parts up to 75. I bought it for 52, so that’s lots of covered parts.

 

[THEmailman]

I actually just re-read my whole policy and take back my statement and say that it seems like (at least in the case of Geico) most owners should likely be covered. So while anyone should call and get any official statement from an agent, and have it in an email as well (to be safe and have a fallback), it doesn't seem like there are any exclusions, specific or general, I could find that would exclude off-road damage.

Now all of this begs the question, will insurance companies at some point decide that certain off-road areas will no longer be covered and called-out just like the racing exclusions? Hard to say....but given that you are putting your vehicle at extra risk just like taking a car on track...speed is the main differentiator where it clearly increase the chance of totaling the car, which is different from most offroading (not all).

I still stand by my statements about self-insuring as much as possible...are you willing to have an accident and claim on-record for your vehicle and yourself, incurring the devaluing of the vehicle and increase in premiums you will pay for years to come, not just for the JT but for your other cars, house, etc? Remember, all that data feeds into everything insurance companies look at for risk... Personal decision for everyone and based on financial resources, but my opinion is its better to eat all but the most catastrophic (see post about Gladiator rollover) myself.

 

[DLAW]

If you do call your insurance company and actually get the answer you want to hear, I also suggest getting it in writing. I've had that conversation way too many times in my life. "but they other guy said....."

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