"Off-Road" Auto Insurance?

[Trails]

Hi all. We are kind of new here, and trying to learn as much as possible. One thing we could not find in the forums was any discussions about "off-road" insurance. From what we understand, DEPENDING ON YOUR PARTICULAR POLICY regular auto insurance MIGHT not cover "off-road" accidents / incidents, etc.
How many of you have a separate off-road policy? Where did you get it from? What does it cost compared to your regular on-road policy? Did you just get a rider added to your regular policy?
We figure it is good to figure this stuff out before diving in to this head first. It's one thing to have to pay out of pocket to fix some uninsured sheet metal and tie rods. It's a whole different game if you roll over onto someone, and they end up with 6 figure hospital bills, ... or worse.
Much thanks for your input!

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[Radioman]

Hi all. We are kind of new here, and trying to learn as much as possible. One thing we could not find in the forums was any discussions about "off-road" insurance. From what we understand, regular auto insurance does not cover "off-road" accidents / incidents, etc.
How many of you have a separate off-road policy? Where did you get it from? What does it cost compared to your regular on-road policy? Did you just get a rider added to your regular policy?
We figure it is good to figure this stuff out before diving in to this head first. It's one thing to have to pay out of pocket to fix some uninsured sheet metal and tie rods. It's a whole different game if you roll over onto someone, and they end up with 6 figure hospital bills, ... or worse.
Much thanks for your input!

There was some discussion regarding this in:
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...ing-over-jeep-fire.131787/page-7#post-2748920

 

[Trails]

Thanks Radioman. That thread addressed whether or not insurance will pay for his off-road upgrades. It does not address insurance for wheeling off road. His fire occurred ON road. If you have a claim from riding OFF road, DEPENDING ON YOUR PARTICULAR POLICY it might not be covered at all if you don't have insurance to ride off road. You're S.O.L. if you roll / have a fire, etc. on a trail and you don't have OFF-road insurance coverage, depending on coverage.

Edit. I read further into that thread, and it looks like there is debate about if there is coverage for off-road. Love to hear some rough $$$$ costs here for specific coverge, if anyone has it. Thanks.

 

[C.Sco]

Following this because I'm also curious. My insurance does cover all my off-road upgrades (paying extra for that), but I'm pretty sure it doesn't cover off-road incidents.

Up to this point, all I've ever heard as a strategy is "get a tow to the nearest public road, then call insurance and say something about a deer" or something like that, which doesn't really sound like a great answer to me. If there's some sort of coverage I could get specifically to add off-road coverage I'd definitely be interested.

 

[Trails]

I swear, officer. It was a deer. I backed into him at high speed!

 

[JP52]

Ask your insurance company since it probably varies company to company and state to state. I asked my company and they said I was covered off road with no extra charges. Regarding covering my mods, I was told they would cover up to 5K with an extra $300/yr premium. I passed on that and will just take the loss if something bad happens.

 

[Trails]

Ask your insurance company since it probably varies company to company and state to state. I asked my company and they said I was covered off road with no extra charges. Regarding covering my mods, I was told they would cover up to 5K with an extra $300/yr premium. I passed on that and will just take the loss if something bad happens.

Great to hear that they will cover off-roading! Which company?

 

[2nd 392]

I swear, officer. It was a deer. I backed into him at high speed!

Deer ? Nah, but perhaps an upgrade

 

[JP52]

Great to hear that they will cover off-roading! Which company?

Safeco

 

[Trails]

Safeco

Thanks!

 

[SoK66]

Your insurance is good so long as you are on a marked public road, Federal, State, County, etc. Where you get into issues is when you're at private off road parks.

 

[Tpom]

I have been watching a new company that is starting called Tredder. So far I am liking what I see. Going to give it a little time before possibly adding it as a supplement. I maxed my current policy for accessories already but still many 10's of thousands stort. Having a supplement is the best option really.

 

[Dirtflirt]

I do not have personal experience, but I have known a few people that have had a claim while off-roading on their regular insurance and it paid out.

From my understanding, as long as you are not in a competition, you're fine.

If you are in a competition, your life insurance will not pay out nor will your auto policy.

 

[AFD]

Considering my driveway is "off-road" and I'm still covered, they *should* cover me anywhere.

On the other hand, most any accident that I would have while off-road would likely be written up as an at-fault collision and my rates would eventually skyrocket (like they're not already insane for no reason).

In my last vehicle, I was coming out of a blind corner/crest and ran over a relatively small, roughly 6 x 6" rock that must've fallen from the hillside, that caused a large bubble in my tire's low-profile sidewall. Thinking it might've been covered in the same manner as a deer strike or other natural/act-of-God accident (was impossible to see and identify as "not a leaf" until I was already on top of it), I called my insurance and they insisted that because the object was stationary they would consider it a collision, which would require my $500 deductible and "may or may not" cause my rates to increase during subsequent renewals. Obviously not worth it for a $200 tire.

Just a wild guess, but if I was having fun climbing up and over far larger "stationary" rocks and rolled my JL onto its side, that would likely count as a collision as well, though the out-of-pocket expense would likely be large enough that filing a claim might be worth the deductible and some future rate increases. Maybe. $2,000/year for insurance is already nuts.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Thanks Radioman. That thread addressed whether or not insurance will pay for his off-road upgrades. It does not address insurance for wheeling off road. His fire occurred ON road. If you have a claim from riding OFF road, it is not covered at all if you don't have insurance to ride off road. You're S.O.L. if you roll / have a fire, etc. on a trail and you don't have OFF-road insurance coverage.

Edit. I read further into that thread, and it looks like there is debate about if there is coverage for off-road. Love to hear some rough $$$$ costs here for specific coverge, if anyone has it. Thanks.

There's a huge misunderstanding here though. Most of the west, where there are thousands upon thousands of miles of trails, off roading is illegal. Nearly every publicly accessible off road trail is in fact a forest road, county road, or fire road. You aren't off roading at all if you stay on the trail. Your policy doesn't specify paved road. The rubicon trail for instance is still a country "road". Even if you roll your Jeep off a mountain on the side of a forest road you're covered just the same as if you roll off the side of a highway, an overpass, etc. It's accident insurance and it covers accidents even if they involve you leaving the road unintentionally. If you're an asshole cutting new trails illegally, well you deserve your totaled and Un insured situation.

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