Do you have them insured? And if so, for what?
If your state has weird/ strict laws on car trailers, I recommend a Maine title and registration/ plate. I did my trailer for 10 years for $100, no inspection. Online places will get you set up, with a POA. No insurance- truck insurance covers it.
Yes, I have my 16' open trailer insured. It's not required when in use, it's just to cover theft/damage when parked. It's ~$7 every 6-months, so it seems worth it to me.
Truck insurance covers anything I hit while towing, but not the trailer itself. My trailer insurance covers comprehensive and collision, i.e. theft and damage I do to the trailer. It's $21 every 6 months, for a 28ft enclosed trailer. It's not required in GA, but I prefer the piece of mind. This is for Georgia of course, your state is probably different.
Cripes, I don't even know if I'd be able to find the registration for mine..... No, I don't have separate insurance. As far as I know (I suppose I should check), it's covered by the tow vehicle's insurance.
We select the size of the cheque we'd like to get when it goes missing (within reason) and pay $X/hundred.
Mine is not insured. I assumed that if I hit something with it while underway my auto policy would cover, at least until I read this post.
My auto insurance combined with my umbrella policy protect me from a liability standpoint assuming the damage is caused while the trailer is connected to the van. Theft or damage that I cause to the trailer, however, are covered by my own bank account with a rider of scornful looks and scolding from my wife.
KY doesn't require plates or registration of trailers used for transport of personal goods (including personal boats and cars) nor do they require any special insurance or ad valorem taxes. As far as anyone down in Frankfort is concerned, the trailer doesn't even exist.
This trailer is an open deck steel and wood job that spends 340+ days a year stored inside a locked garage inside a gated storage lot with fairly heavy police presence, though, so the risk is pretty low all around.
My open 18 foot car trailer is insured against theft etc... through State Farm. Its like $15.00 every 6 months. I am in Florida.
I have both my race car and trailer insured through Hagerty. You pick the amount, within reason naturally.
according to my agent, my trailers are covered under my comprehensive vehicle coverage when hooked to my truck and covered by my business insurance when they are not hooked up.
Here in CA, the liability on the truck carries over to the trailer while towing. I didn't bother with collision or comprehensive on a $2K steel+wood open car trailer. If/when I upgrade to an enclosed trailer that may well change.
In reply to bravenrace:
I think the varies state to state. In Mass you must have the state minimum coverage for liability and comprehensive in order to register it - annually. However the overage should cost nothing if it is listed on on the primary tow vehicle's policy.
wae wrote: KY doesn't require plates or registration of trailers used for transport of personal goods (including personal boats and cars) nor do they require any special insurance or ad valorem taxes. As far as anyone down in Frankfort is concerned, the trailer doesn't even exist.
Okay, that explains things then. I thought that the plate had just fallen off.
Meanwhile, I was low-level flipping out because the trailer that I borrowed didn't have a current sticker on its license plate.
In reply to bravenrace:
Hang on...
You might not be asking enough of a question.
Auto insurance? As many have stated, most states have no issue with Collission. Comprehensive may vary (you might need a rider from your insurance co).
Theft is different. Just as your car is probably not covered for theft by your auto insurance, neither is your trailer.
But nobody has said anything about contents. If this is an enclosed car trailer, your contents could easily exceed the value of the trailer by a long shot.
In the event of an accident, your insurance provider is not going to be happy about paying for 3 vehicles (tow vehicle, trailer, and car inside) when you are only paying premiums for 1. I will bet there is a loophole in your comp that would not cover.
If the car is a classic, it MIGHT be covered by a classic policy, but I don't think so. Classic policy usually covers it while driving, or stored in a garage.
If the car is a race car, you might be screwed.
If the contents are tools, I am pretty sure auto insurance would not cover them for damage, and I seriously doubt for theft.
My tools are not covered well in most circumstances. If they are in my shop, they are partially covered by a rider on my homeowner's policy (fire loss, etc). If they are in transit or at a job (or race track, etc), they are not covered, but the policy I would need is an odd one (I think it was called a Marine policy, IIRC).
The short answer is no, I don't carry separate insurance (and I know I am not covered well).
If you want to be covered, you'd better talk to an insurance agent, because there are a lot of loopholes that would prevent coverage for tools, etc.
SVreX wrote: Auto insurance? As many have stated, most states have no issue with Collission. Comprehensive may vary (you might need a rider from your insurance co). Theft is different. Just as your car is probably not covered for theft by your auto insurance, neither is your trailer.
In most states, comprehensive includes theft coverage. Basically, liability is for damage you cause to other people, collision is for damage to your car caused by it colliding with something else, and comprehensive is "everything else", including theft.
As for the car inside the trailer -- that's presumably covered by whatever policy you have on that car. If it's a street-licensed car, it's got normal insurance. If it's a race car, then you can get insurance to cover damage/theft during storage, transport, or motoring around the paddock. I'm told this insurance is pretty cheap, although I haven't priced it for myself.
And yes, if you have a ton of expensive contents (tools, spared, etc) in the trailer, it's probably worth getting a specific rider to cover them as well.
Mine isn't independently insured. If I'm towing it with my vehicle and an accident happens, its included in my vehicle policy (I checked). Not insured for theft, but then again I live in a safe area, and the trailer is locked in my backyard, not visible to passers-by, and difficult to get to. Stealing it from my house would be very difficult. When it's out and about, it usually has a highly noticeable e30 on it and is hooked to my tow rig so I don't really worry too much about theft away from home.
I'm not sure what my policy covers with respect to damage to the trailer other than liability, but the car that I tow on it (e30) is insured for street use on its own, and the trailer is a 16-foot open deck so unless it's totally destroyed somehow there's not much damage that wouldn't be somewhat fixable (and the trailer isn't so valuable that I couldn't just replace it).
codrus wrote:SVreX wrote: Auto insurance? As many have stated, most states have no issue with Collission. Comprehensive may vary (you might need a rider from your insurance co). Theft is different. Just as your car is probably not covered for theft by your auto insurance, neither is your trailer.In most states, comprehensive includes theft coverage.
I don't see how that can be true as it relates to trailers.
Most states don't have additional premiums for trailers.
So, according to your statement, I could have 15 trailers lined up in my backyard, and if someone came and stole them they'd be covered under my comprehensive, even though I paid no additional premium?
I doubt it.
SVreX wrote: I don't see how that can be true as it relates to trailers. Most states don't have additional premiums for trailers. So, according to your statement, I could have 15 trailers lined up in my backyard, and if someone came and stole them they'd be covered under my comprehensive, even though I paid no additional premium? I doubt it.
According to my agent (State Farm, here in California), there is no additional premium for liability on a trailer. There is an additional premium for collision or comprehensive on a trailer.
So if you're towing and cause an accident in which your trailer damages someone else's vehicle, your standard liability policy covers the repairs to his vehicle. OTOH, the damage to your trailer is not covered unless you pay extra for collision on it, and similarly theft is not covered unless you pay extra for comprehensive.
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