HOLY HIGH INSURANCE / Class 4 & 5 Cab Chassis Trucks

[@luvyesmusici4886]

Great, informative video. Yes, some folks don’t think ahead, or worse, think that things in the insurance industry will remain the same. Obviously, we have seen several changes as of late. People with this kind of money are certainly in different situations. However, even for personal use, and with a truck camper out of sight, or stored, many HOA communities are not going to allow a “commercial vehicle/work truck” to be stored/parked or seen within that community.

[@heatherstephenson4371]

We are wading through this insurance confusion right now in hopes of getting a Ram 4500 or 5500. We have yet to find anyone who will insure it on a personal policy. The best we have found so far is a commercial policy for private use, and even those rates are pretty jaw-dropping. Interestingly, we did call SafeCo, both directly and through an agent, and they won't touch it. So strange that different people have such different experiences with the same company!

[@charlescoushaine]

I did do as you suggested and checked for insurance in advance, and it made a HUGE difference! I found out that living in Florida, insuring a Ford F550 to haul my truck camper, they said if it had a traditional truck bed, it would be charged at a personal rate, not commercial. The hard part was having a custom traditional bed made since the cab-to-axel distance is longer. I was however able to find a company in Denver (Elevation Off Grid) that specialized in these custom beds so it worked out perfect for me!

[@RunawayRoses]

Hey Charles, I've seen your video on your setup and it looks great. Your F550 with the pickup bed looks cool together. They did a nice job making the bed longer. For us we really wanted the extra storage the flatbed setup has to offer. That's great news you were able to get lower cost insurance because of the pickup bed. That would be a good option for some people I'm sure. Safe travels and thanks for watching!

[@CharlesAnsman]

I know that's been a few years ago, Could you give an approximate cost you paid at the time for the Bed addition ?

[@freedomisntfree5573]

​@@RunawayRoses Did you look up the price of Charles truck? $600,000. Ya , no

[@PhilP-b1y]

It depends entirely on the insurance company and ‘their’ Underwriter Dept…Our company understood that even though it considered a commercial rated truck (and with a aftermarket flat bed…), that doesn’t mean it’s in Commercial service, in fact it’s a safer vehicle due to higher capacity wheels, tires and better braking ability…The key is to correspond with the underwriting dept, rather than the commission based agent…

[@boondockingamerica]

Great video Todd. Another insurance company to check with is American Family Insurance. I was able to get insurance thru them for our 2023 4500 and our northern lite for $102.93 a month.

[@RunawayRoses]

Thanks I'll have to check with them. Sounds like you got a good deal. Thanks for watching!

[@mjmohn]

Hi Todd, We feel your pain with the insurance dilemma. We went through the same process. We built our rig as an overland expedition rig. It is also a Ford Cab and Chassis 4x4. We built a custom bed form fitted for the Truck Camper (TC). Our local insurance agent examined our setup and confirmed it was a recreational vehicle. The insurance company also insured the rig as such. Somewhere along the line, a insurance bureaucrat determined it was NOT a recreational vehicle (RV) and raised the insurance rate exponentially. It was a shock to us as well as to our agent. We then brought our rig to the State Police and they examined the rig and certified it as an RV. You would think that would be good enough ... not so. Fast forward to today and insurance raters are not people, but are now artificial intelligence (AI). Since the rigs VIN number is built as a cab and chassis, it is a commercial vehicle .... period (As per AI). The rig was then rated as such and you already know how high those insurance rates can get. Manufacturers such as Global Expedition Vehicles who build on F550 and F600 Chassis may be in an insurance pickle for their clients. We again had the State Police inspect our rig and certified it as an RV, but the insurance AI didn't care. We are dealing with machines now, not people. We are now looking at just doing a Surety Bond since it is a part-time use recreational vehicle. Long winded, we know. Hope is is well with you both. Happy Camping. Cheers.

[@RunawayRoses]

Hi Mjmohn, Wow what a hassle you went through to get your insurance. That really awful you had to have been really frustrated. I know I sure would have been. You're right though everything is going automated in one way or the other. Either the right box is checked or it's not. Safe travels and Thanks for watching!

[@RickFluck]

Great information. Thank you for this video Todd. Insurance seems to be the last thing that people think about when deciding on a truck, me included.

[@colestone-eb8br]

I've got a 16 f450 cabin chassis and am 22 years old... granted after high school and even in my senior year I wasn't too smart and have some hits on my driving record for the 5 years or whatever till it falls off, however my insurance for the truck for my own personal vehicle is out of this world!!!! I do use it daily as a work truck however, I have a contract with a mine supply and a mining company... so I do haul things all over the county with either the flat bed it has on it or one of my goosenecks.... regardless I'll tell y'all what my monthly bill is, now I do have 3/4 of a million-dollar coverage or a million-dollar coverage, but my monthly payment is 1,817.84 a month...... now if you do the math and think about the whole year... it's over 20,000 dollars a year... Luckly all the issues that are on my record fall off the end of next year! so, when that happens I'm goanna assume till go down or I'll be buying a f350 and putting a flatbed on it really quick

[@johneskrich362]

As always thanks for sharing the journey..

[@bob_frazier]

Well Buddy, it all averages out ok IF you use it a ton. We just got home today after 47 days out, that makes everything cheaper per day. Now come to Oregon dang it!

[@sherryarcher4832]

I have a f450 with a truck Camper. SafeCo is awesome they insure both and camper.

[@SteveH98264]

When Ford introduced the F450 pickup in 2008 it had a GVWR over 14,000 lbs (14,500 I think) and was considered a class 4 truck. I remember people having a hard time getting them insured for that reason. This is why the current F450 pickup has a 14,000 lb GVWR.

[@tikolamb2718]

We just signed with Progressive for our a Ram 5500. They are much cheaper than Nationwide.

[@Defyant67]

Never considered the insurance hit on a privately owned and used HD truck. Thanks for heads up!

[@JensenAdventuresaz]

We have State Farm. We insured the Kodiak 4500 as an rv with the truck camper on it. $1600 per year insured at $100k value.

[@RunawayRoses]

Sounds like a reasonable price. Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@kgrafton4582]

We have Texas Farm Bureau and written as personal. $600 for 6 months. Maybe check Farm Bureau. 22 Ram 5500.

[@RunawayRoses]

I checked with the Farm Bureau here it they wanted just over $2,000 a year with a clean driving record. Sounds like you got a good deal. Thanks for watching!

[@hi9580]

Get a class 3 or class 4 cab-over/flat face truck

[@paultripp1156]

Hi Todd, I have a Ram 5500 cm flatbed with Stablecamper bins on it Progressive wrote me a policy for personal use 1250 a year, my camper I had to insure somewhere else, my registration that’s another story 1100 a year where I live, in the process of registering it a different way.

[@WhiskeyHunterVAT69]

I don't think a truck that size in in my future, but the info is good to know. Ty.

[@skoffco]

Same thing here with my 2022 F450. Was able to get a friend of mine who is an insurance agent write a policy for my truck as a personal vehicle and as a commercial truck through progressive for a tad over 2,000 a year. I’m considering eventually getting a Super C. No big issues with insurance that I’m aware of and you have basically more room more storage and larger living area.

[@sarahann530]

How is your truck insured as both private and commercial?

[@skoffco]

@@sarahann530 it was written under a commercial policy and the truck can only be used as personal use. In other words I could not use the truck for hire. My insurance agent is a good friend and had way around keeping my insurance at a reasonable rate by doing this. Being that the truck is an F450 it requires a commercial policy. If it was not written in the above mentioned matter, my yearly insurance would’ve been over $5000 instead of 2400.

[@sarahann530]

@@skoffco Your truck is either insured as a commercial vehicle or private . You don't get a discount on commercial insurance by promising to only drive it privately . Prove me wrong by telling g us how your "friend " fooled the underwriters?

[@darrells1806]

I have no idea nor do I care at this point. I traded the truck and my fifth wheel in on a class A motorhome. @@sarahann530

[@horsetrader1991]

Another great video! Good information, thanks!

[@paulhudson8321]

I got my truck camper insured through wayfarer insurance up in Canada. My truck is insured through a different company.

[@kenkaplan4413]

I have my ins through National general. I just lemon lawed my 2022 f450 pickup due to erratic steering but I was paying about the same as my 3500 Ram. I also have a class 8 Freightliner which I have liability only for about 125 a month. They really ding you for not having a bed. I researched cab chassis but for hauling my NL 10.2 towing a 10k lb trailer I didn't want the reinforced frame and stiffer suspension, or the detuned engine. I hope you can grow your channel to do the experimenting I wish I could afford. After reading the comments I am going to check out the farm bureau.

[@jasonlovell3934]

You could just setup an LLC especially since you have the channel. You might also try registering it as a rv.

[@scottg9208]

Todd, did not know you sold your F350 with the 7.3 Godzilla. I thought it was the perfect truck for your Northern Lite. Why the change and did you consider just putting a flatbed with storage boxes on the F350?

[@TFader61]

Good question why change?

[@ArtBotello]

Awesome information! You guys got me interested in Ram 4500 (w flatbed) & lance 1172 (perfect setup) and one curiosity I’ve always had is how much higher insurance would go or how hard it would be to get it insured. Thanks for info. Keep up the great videos.

[@toddrose1418]

At that time I got a good deal and paid $5,800 to have that bed installed on my Ram. The CM beds are slightly higher priced than the PJ bed I had before. However, they are both made by the same company, and basically the same bed. The skirted flatbeds with the built-in boxes obviously cost a good bit more than just a regular flatbed. I’ve priced them out here locally, and they’re quite a bit more than what I paid last time.

[@malcolmmeade6737]

Thank you, excellent information.

[@timwalpus7019]

Safeco is awesome

[@E6fireman237]

Don't know if it is an option where you live or if you tried them, But a couple of years ago I bought a class 8 sleeper truck to pull our 5th wheel. Same as you didn't check insurance first. Got my insurance through Farm Bureau insurance, it was on a commercial policy, but I was only paying 60 bucks a month for full coverage with higher limits. It might be an option if they are in your state, like the new truck.

[@RunawayRoses]

Thanks for your comment! I actually did check with Farm Bureau Insurance and looking back at my notes they wanted $2,070 a year. I think they were the second lowest quote I got. I almost went with them. Thanks for watching!

[@joz_tec]

You should verify with your agent that personal cargo (your truck camper) is covered for liability when on the truck. I had to add separate coverage under my F550 policy for my camper and enclosed utility trailer. Oh, a personal umbrella policy may not cover your commercial policy even a 'commercial for private use policy'. Be sure you're adequately covered.

[@edwardthomaswalker]

What Mark said. Your commercial policy will NOT cover your personal camper for LIABILITY specifically - and even if you have your camper "fully insured" - that insurance does not usually include liability (a truck camper doesn't have wheels), so you need to add your camper as a defined item on your commercial policy (at an extra cost) or you'll have a liability exposure.

[@CharlesAnsman]

This is one of many reasons why contractors have to charge what they do to perform the work you need on your home or business.

[@bryaninnc5511]

Great information Todd. We’re thinking of switching to a truck camper. Was it difficult to get RV insurance because of the cab chassis or is it more difficult in general to insure a truck camper over a travel trailer?

[@RunawayRoses]

Our RV is insured separately from our truck so they type of truck to haul our truck camper didn't make a difference for our coverage on our camper. It's just that insuring a class 4 & 5 truck typically is much higher than insuring a regular class 3 one ton truck. Thanks for watching!

[@21psd]

Another option might be to get an F450 as a pickup configuration, and then remove the pickup bed and install a flatbed. The truck would not be titled as a cab-chassis in this situation.

[@RunawayRoses]

I could have but the pickup version and the chassis cab version are different. The CC trucks have a higher GVWR that I needed. Thanks for watching!

[@estrouse123]

Do you have a separate insurance policy for the truck camper? If so, who did you use and how much is the monthly premium? Thanks.

[@RunawayRoses]

We have our camper insured through Allstate with our other vehicles and I believe it's around $50 a month. Thanks for watching!

[@tylerklevann5840]

If you buy the f450 that has the bed and swap it with the flatbed it's a private policy

[@jeffhardman8293]

Since you have the 16,500 GVW, are you going to pull a 9999 Gvw trailer. Will that cause you problems in some states. Did you consider ordering the reduced 16,000 GVW option to have the ability to pull under 26,000.

[@RunawayRoses]

Good question! In Georgia if it’s a private truck and trailer the 26,000 lb limit doesn’t apply. But it would if it was a commercial setup. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffhardman8293]

@@RunawayRoses Always watch your videos. I believe out West it can change.

[@timwalpus7019]

I bought a international 4300 to pull my camper and ran into this

[@ctw203]

Do you have a road side service provider you've used with the truck camper? I had my truck camper in my f350 with a utility body, when they fuel pump went, 2 hours from home. I called up AAA who i've been a member of since i got my license. They gave me a run around trying to find me a tow truck, only to tell me after sitting on the side of the highway for 3 hours, the told me they can not provide service for me, and i had to locate my own tow company. I was just wondering if there is a better company to use for roadside assistance.

[@patriot8087]

Just yet another rip off scam with insurance companies. Greedy buggers.

[@toddramsay977]

Did you try Progressive Insurance? They understand and you need to go to your license plate folks and get it qualified as an RV not commercial truck, class 5 truck.

[@935frank]

I love truck camper but the wife is not a fan we had one a few years back it was almost OK but the bathroom was way too small and when the grandkids it was to small

[@jmwintenn]

insurance broker my guy,save yourself the hassle.

[@freedomisntfree5573]

Find yourself a private insurance broker. We had one who actually insured a few flatbead chassis cabs for tow 5th wheels as a personal vehicle.