Allstate Insurance- Offroad/Mod Coverage

[ChattVol]

Six months ago, I researched insurance for the jeep when I started modding and offroading. I'm currently with Nationwide and have a clean record but dont have coverage off public roads. My broker reached out to several of the bigger insurers and said none of them covered vehicles when off designated public roads. I decided to take the risk and try to drive responsibly and take calculated risks. My mods are covered up to $3k. I was quoted $10k in additional mod coverage and that was going to almost double my premium and had exclusions for powertrain mods...wasnt worth it.

Fast forward to last week, a friend said Allstate will cover offroad use...so I called a local agent and they verbally said it would cover offroading as long as it's not in a competition/race. Sounded great....I then got a quote with $5k & $10k mod rider bundled with homeowners insurance that was competitive and asked to read the policy before signing up. They said they could only show me a "binder" when I came in to sign up and it wouldn't have all the fine print provisions/exclusions and the full policy would be mailed to me 1-2 weeks after signing. I asked if they could email me the verbiage in the policy that addresses offroad use and mod coverage. The lady called her "legal dept" and said they couldn't send anything in writing...it felt very sketchy, so I backed out.

Anybody else encountered this or know if Allstate actually covers offroad use?

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[Watchthis]

I just talked to my State Farm agent about this because we’re heading to Moab in a couple of weeks.He stated as long as it was a designated trail that I would be covered. If your trying to blaze a new trail up the side of the mountain or in a racing, speed type event your not covered.i thought our premiums were high at 636. a year but I guess not.

 

[ChattVol]

I just talked to my State Farm agent about this because we’re heading to Moab in a couple of weeks.He stated as long as it was a designated trail that I would be covered. If your trying to blaze a new trail up the side of the mountain or in a racing, speed type event your not covered.i thought our premiums were high at 636. a year but I guess not.

Will they put that in writing? Verbally being told something isnt binding unless both parties agree to a recorded conversation.

The auto premium seems high, but homeowners premiums are very low to offset it.

 

[Watchthis]

I’ve read thru the policy we got last September and it doesn’t explicitly say it doesn’t cover off road use but also doesn’t say it does cover it. I’ve got another issue I need to talk to him Monday about I’ll pursue that put it in Writing about the off roading.

 

[azfun]

Policies vary by insurance carrier. Some insurance carriers will not insure a vehicle with "ANY" suspension modification including the Mopar 2" lift. Others will limit the lift height eligible for coverage. If you modify the vehicle beyond what the insurance company allows, you run the risk of an accident claim denial even if it happens on the street. Common mod limits are 3k - 5k and the majority of companies limit off road coverage to designated trails.

 

[BobBarker]

State Farm covers non off road use on farm pickups so very well might in the Jeep as well.

 

[Shenanigans]

I actually just got my new insurance cards and policy with it yesterday. Allstate does not cover racing, competitions, or damage sustained during high performance driving.

But if on a named forest service road heading back to a campsite and flip it, it may be how you articulate it.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

Lite Brite did a video on insurance for off reading or other performance vehicle insurance. They recommended these guys:
https://www.thephoenixinsurance.com

I can’t make a recommendation since I haven’t used them yet but they cover off road use and mods. Britney and Kevin used to be in insurance so they would know. Just check out their AM Best rating and maybe look into who their reinsurer is.

 

[ChattVol]

I’ve read thru the policy we got last September and it doesn’t explicitly say it doesn’t cover off road use but also doesn’t say it does cover it. I’ve got another issue I need to talk to him Monday about I’ll pursue that put it in Writing about the off roading.

I'm referring to the insurer putting in writing relating to "as long as it was a designated trail that I would be covered. If your trying to blaze a new trail up the side of the mountain or in a racing, speed type event your not covered."

 

[ChattVol]

Policies vary by insurance carrier. Some insurance carriers will not insure a vehicle with "ANY" suspension modification including the Mopar 2" lift. Others will limit the lift height eligible for coverage. If you modify the vehicle beyond what the insurance company allows, you run the risk of an accident claim denial even if it happens on the street. Common mod limits are 3k - 5k and the majority of companies limit off road coverage to designated trails.

I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of folks on here with lifted jeeps don't know if there policy covers lifted jeeps. I'm going to check with Nationwide next week.

 

[ChattVol]

Lite Brite did a video on insurance for off reading or other performance vehicle insurance. They recommended these guys:
https://www.thephoenixinsurance.com

I can’t make a recommendation since I haven’t used them yet but they cover off road use and mods. Britney and Kevin used to be in insurance so they would know. Just check out their AM Best rating and maybe look into who their reinsurer is.

I called this company a few months ago and they are only in certain states...TN isnt covered.

 

[D60]

I called this company a few months ago and they are only in certain states...TN isnt covered.

I was wondering about that, I didn't see how they could be nationwide. Insurance laws vary SOOO much by state (I don't understand why) it's really kind of a jungle out there

 

[ChattVol]

I was wondering about that, I didn't see how they could be nationwide. Insurance laws vary SOOO much by state (I don't understand why) it's really kind of a jungle out there

Yeah...in reality, I would prob only file a claim for expensive repairs related to body damage, broke an axle...etc. I'm sure premiums would increase after the claim, so that added cost prob needs to be factored when considering to file a claim vs. pay out of pocket.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

I called this company a few months ago and they are only in certain states...TN isnt covered.

I was wondering about that, I didn't see how they could be nationwide. Insurance laws vary SOOO much by state (I don't understand why) it's really kind of a jungle out there

That's correct and I forgot to mention it. Lite Brite's notes say they cover these states:
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
California
Iowa
Kansas
Missouri
Montana
New Mexico
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Texas

Also, you might want to check Geico and Progressive. They've advertised recreational vehicles like boats, ATVs, and such. They may cover off road and modded vehicles too.

Yeah...in reality, I would prob only file a claim for expensive repairs related to body damage, broke an axle...etc. I'm sure premiums would increase after the claim, so that added cost prob needs to be factored when considering to file a claim vs. pay out of pocket.

Absolutely agree. Things like broken drive shafts, or other parts, need to be covered out of pocket. Many parts are fixable/replaceable for less than the deductible. Save insurance for the big stuff.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

So I finally got around to contacting Phoenix Insurance that @Kevin8086 and Britney had described in their Youtube vid. As some of you might suspect, they aren't an insurance company but rather a broker. I worked with Jared Rains who was able to price insurance from SafeCo for me. The policy has no off road driving exemption so I'm covered if there is damage to my JLU when taking the trails. My mods are also covered up to a value of $5000. The cost of insurance was initially significantly higher but not horribly so. However, by paying 6mo coverage up front, I was able to get to cost down closer to about $6 over my current premium.

I also priced my home owners insurance and ended up saving money while more than doubling my coverage. One of the things that made me look into this insurance was the low replacement cost coverage from my current policy. Now I feel my ass is properly covered for my Jeeps and my home.

Jared did a great job of answering my questions. I was a licensed agent at one time so I'm at least a little informed on the subject. I also got a quote from USAA which didn't come close.

Of note, SafeCo has a driving habit app for my phone. I'm getting a 10% discount for using it for 90 days. My rate doesn't go up if I'm an unsafe driver but instead goes down if I'm a good diver over the next 90 days. Of course, I drive a Jeep. It's not exactly a fast vehicle to begin with.

So it's worth checking out if you're in state that they are licensed for. Thanks for the heads up Kevin..

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