What to do with insurance? Storing a car during winter

[greenwar]

Hey guys, I am planning to store a rear drive car this winter. I currently have liability insurance on it as its all paid for. However, I would like to know if there is a way to further save some money while I am paying for the storage as well.

I am thinking about reducing the liability coverages to state minimum. That would probably save me some money. I wanted to find out what you guys do with insurance when you store your vehicle during the winter.

Please post away.. Thnx in advance.

 

[KLin]

I don't store my vehicle away for the winter.

 

[greenwar]

That's good to know man. Perhaps somebody else does.

 

[getbush]

Talk to an agent. You may want to throw comprehensive on it in case the garage burns down or a tree falls on it etc. The comp. would be pretty cheap I think.

 

[greenwar]

Well, its an underground garage with heat - I do plan on driving it occassionaly possibly total of 500miles for the next 7 months. I live in MN which has a 5-7 month winter.

 

[jagec]

driving it "occasionally" during the winter will be MUCH more of a headache, insurance-wise, than just storing it. More expensive, too. Either lock it up and don't touch it for months, or drive it every day.

 

[greenwar]

So it seems, I should just talk to my insurance agent. I will keep the suggestions in mind.

 

[homestarmy]

Originally posted by: KLin
I don't store my vehicle away for the winter.

I just wanted to point out that you are an idiot for posting in this thread.

Thanks idiot.

-Homestarmy

 

[fitzov]

NM

 

[Aimster]

does it snow a lot over there like every other day?

 

[smack Down]

The best way is to become a used car delear so that you can just take your plates, registation, insurance and move them between cars when ever you want.

 

[Lola]

I know with Allstate, we have a "storage" rate where you are just putting comprehensive coverage on the car, so if it gets solen, vandalized, a tree falls on it, etc it is still covered. It is VERY cheap ( ~ $50) for 6 months... or pro-rated for the time that it is in storage.

 

[mugs]

You could increase your deductible.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: greenwar
So it seems, I should just talk to my insurance agent. I will keep the suggestions in mind.

Your agent is really the only one who would really have anything that resembles an actual answer for this. No way for us to know what options you may have with your company. HOWEVER, storing the car in an underground garage...will it be covered in case of flood from some unknown cause? What if someone runs into it while it's parked? Stolen? IF you manage to get some kind of storage rate on it, will it cover the vehicle if you take it out of storage and drive it? ("I do plan on driving it occassionaly possibly total of 500miles for the next 7 months.")

Alll these questiona can be answered with a much lower probablility of bullsh!t by your agent...that IS what he/she gets paid for afterall...

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: greenwar
So it seems, I should just talk to my insurance agent. I will keep the suggestions in mind.

Your agent is really the only one who would really have anything that resembles an actual answer for this. No way for us to know what options you may have with your company. HOWEVER, storing the car in an underground garage...will it be covered in case of flood from some unknown cause? What if someone runs into it while it's parked? Stolen? IF you manage to get some kind of storage rate on it, will it cover the vehicle if you take it out of storage and drive it? ("I do plan on driving it occassionaly possibly total of 500miles for the next 7 months.")

Alll these questiona can be answered with a much lower probablility of bullsh!t by your agent...that IS what he/she gets paid for afterall...

Don't fool yourself the agent gets paid to sell insurance. If you ask your insurance agent if you need insurance the answer is always yes.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: greenwar
So it seems, I should just talk to my insurance agent. I will keep the suggestions in mind.

Your agent is really the only one who would really have anything that resembles an actual answer for this. No way for us to know what options you may have with your company. HOWEVER, storing the car in an underground garage...will it be covered in case of flood from some unknown cause? What if someone runs into it while it's parked? Stolen? IF you manage to get some kind of storage rate on it, will it cover the vehicle if you take it out of storage and drive it? ("I do plan on driving it occassionaly possibly total of 500miles for the next 7 months.")

Alll these questiona can be answered with a much lower probablility of bullsh!t by your agent...that IS what he/she gets paid for afterall...

Don't fool yourself the agent gets paid to sell insurance. If you ask your insurance agent if you need insurance the answer is always yes.

Well DUH!, but then again, if you want coverage, then you HAVE to deal with an insurance agent of SOME KIND, (even if it's the Geico Gecko) and while it IS his job to sell insurance, it's also his job to give you the right answers to your questions, and get you the right kinds of coverage. If you have an agent who gives you BS answers and only tries to sell you MORE, change agents...

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: greenwar
So it seems, I should just talk to my insurance agent. I will keep the suggestions in mind.

Yup, explain the situation to the agent, they should be able to help.
My sister's got State Farm, and her driving habits have changed over the past few years since she's at college. One year, the car stayed home, and was only driven on occasion I guess to keep the oil distributed and the bearings worked out, or something like that. The insurance agent gave a good discount then. I don't know if my parents had to provide odometer readings or what in order to get it. Another year she had the car with her, but used public transportation most of the time, so she gets a low mileage discount. State Farm has been pretty good about tailoring an insurance plan to fit usage.

 

[freeway]

I have Erie Insurance and my agent told me that if I would park my car 3 months over the winter and not drive it at all, I would get a ~$300 discount on my insurance. It would bring my yearly rate of about $1200 down to $900.

 

[Jeff7]

Erie? Hey, I'm near there.
@ Penn State's Erie campus

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
I know with Allstate, we have a "storage" rate where you are just putting comprehensive coverage on the car, so if it gets solen, vandalized, a tree falls on it, etc it is still covered. It is VERY cheap ( ~ $50) for 6 months... or pro-rated for the time that it is in storage.

Bingo. So does State Farm.

But beware: if you plan on driving the ~500 miles, I hope for your sake that you'd be driving somewhere where there's a 0% chance of you getting in an accident.

And where there's no police.

If I were you, I'd just get comp coverage, and leave it stored over the winter without driving it.

 

[waggy]

you can get storage insurance. i had a onld mustang that i only drove in the summer. in the winter i had it stored. I paid something like $10 a month vs $25 a month for reguler coverage.

ask your insurance agent and he can fill you in.,

 

[greenwar]

Wow. So many great answers. Thanks guys. I have insurance on my vehicles from American family Insurance (plus Home insurance). I will see what kind of option they will have for me and will post an update.

 

[greenwar]

Talked to my insurance agent. They offered a $53 dollar fee for 6 months with $500 deductible. Fantastic deal. Thanks for the ideas guys