5 ton insurance

[TedG]

HI 5 tonners!,

I am searching for another truck and I have not had a 5 ton...yet. I am in Michigan and I would like to know what insurance and carriers do people have and an approx yearly cost? Also, no cdl?... even though for private fun use! What about driving by weigh stations or weigh masters? Any input will be appreciated.

Regards,

 

[Knucklehead]

I am in Massachusetts and I have Grundy on my 5Ton. I have the truck insured for actual cash value, $7500, and it costs $134 a year. No milage restrictions, but it can not be used commerically and must be kept in a locked garage. I have a CDL but have never been through a weigh station with any of my trucks.

 

[loslobos11]

TedG, in Maine as long as its tagged historic/special interest or antique there is no cdl needed....still checking into insurance. Not sure about the weigh stations, I try to stay away from em......

 

[gmayor]

I had State Farm for my 5 ton tractor and lowbed. Libility only was $300 or so every six months, and they covered whatever trailer I had hooked, as I have two M313s also. Was personal use only. I went ahead and got cdl, haven't been where any weight stations are. Brakes are out now and working on a deuce so suspended it for 6 months.

 

[m.walker]

Continental Western covers mine for $56 a year full coverage ($3000) must be garaged , covers trailer too ! 2500 miles a year . I have a CDL but I never stop at weigh stations as mine is plated historic . When I drive by weigh stations they dont give me a second look .

 

[texas-5-ton]

Hey Ted. I am not shure about Michigan, here in Texas, anything over 26,001 lbs GVW has to have Class B and a Class A if combination with trailer. But I am like most guys on here. I don't think most law enforcement will give you any flak. In Texas, the only people that might give you a second look would be the Texas Highway Patrol, license and weight fellers. Theres not much much that gets by them, but they are stretched pretty thin. As far as insurance, I had Farm Bureau several years ago on a 71 deuce that I owned and it was like $100 year??? to the best of my reccollection. Hope this helps bud..

Chad

 

[ida34]

No cdl in Michigan unless you use it for any type of commerce. This would mean anything that you use it for that makes money.

 

[TedG]

Thanks everyone for the great responses. I went and looked at an M813 today that is for sale and it's good to know the approximate after purchase costs and paper work...Again, thanks.

 

[BillIdaho]

I got a "special/parade" policy from my State Farm agent. They wanted a pic, as it had to be restored to close to what it is supposed to look like originally, no mention of miles driven, but they did want a reading of mileage, no business or commercial use. No mention of garage, anything pulled is covered. I think it is $75.00 a year. I have my 5 ton, MUTT, and Gama Goat covered with the same type of policy. I shopped all around. I actually had Progressive, but learned that they were shafting me!!!

 

[derby]

According to MDOT- Any resident who intends to operate a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more needs a CDL.pg 4 of the Michigan Commercial Driver License Manual.But on pg.7 under CDL exemptions it states- Individuals operating motor homes or other vehicles used exclusively to transport possessions or family members,for non-business purposses are exempt.I would go to your local Sec.of State and talk to the most informed employee there.You might need to get one.as for the Insurance ? have not crossed that bridge yet.good luck

 

[ida34]

Derby,
Any resident does not really mean any resident. That is out of the CDL manual so they wrote it considering a CDL holder or propective holder would be reading it. Any resident in this case means any resident operating for commercial purposes. If you are not engaged in a commercial venture you would not need a commercial driver's license. If he is not making money by operating the truck in any way he would fall under the CDL exemption. Don't talk to the secretary of state office. If you are unclear talk to the local commercial enforcement officer at your local police agency. They are the ones that write the ticket and they are the ones you want to know from. I was kind of unsure if you were agreeing or disagreeing with me but I can assure you I am right on this one. Most holders of CDL's will tell you different because they are not exposed to the legal requirements for non- commercial purposes.

Chuck

 

[chevy43]

State Farm insures all my personal vehicles the same way. I just give them the VIN year and licence #. They don't know what they are other than truck, car, or motorcycl,and they never ask for more details.

Of couse they have been making almost 100% profit of of me my whole liife......

 

[BillIdaho]

Chevy43, I would be very careful with that. If you have a claim, you will probably discover that the fine print has just "exempted" you and your vehicles. I went through some major hassles a few years ago, and due to the problems I had, I learned a bunch of little known things about insurance companies. Things like subrogation , subrogation rights, exclusion, exemptions, etc. I am NOT a dues-paying fan of insurance companies--99% of the things people worry about never happen AND INSURANCE COMPANIES KNOW IT. Anyway, you should be VERY specific with the descriptions of your MV's. It is to your benefit. If you have a claim with your MV, you might find out, after your have been denied coverage, that had you described the vehicle accuately at first, they could have had you with a proper policy.
There are several insurance companies out there that provide special insurance for our needs, no one company has the corner on the market. Take all of your MV information, including current value (market value), photos, describe when and how much it will be driven, even a copy of the local events your club attends, and miles on the odometer to several insurance agents. Lay the cards on the table up front. Shop around.

 

[TedG]

Again thanks for help everyone...Regarding MI S.O.S., I am gun shy of them since the licensing of my 2-hmmwv's. The people were very nice but not well trained. It took 40 minutes with them on the phone with a specialist somewhere in State Secondondary Complex to figure the number for them (classification number? I don't recall now). In the end I got them licensed and the line behind me was really, really long! Anyway, thanks for the help and perhaps this informative thread will help others out!

Regarding insurance companies...agreed upon value works best for my and on my mv's I use Haggerty. When in doubt talk to a claims person with your insurance company to get more correct answers. The people writing the policy might not know the details.

 

[No.2Diesel]

Hi,

I tried getting historical insurance from hagerty. (I might have already posted this already?)

-I am not old enough at 23. (25 years old minimum)
-My primary vehicle Is too old. (35 years old) I refuse to own a vehicle newer than 1972
-It needed to be in a locked garage since I am considered to be in the NY Metro area. (My Duece's stack is 4" taller than my barn door) I was going to make a doggy door flap just for the stack.
-Its not in show truck condition and I was interrogated on the phone over the use of the vehicle.

-I called GEICO and within LESS than 15 minutes over the phone I had a policy, no questions asked. It is registered commercial and My coverage is $100,000 liability and costs $550 a year just for the Deuce. I don't mind paying more because I don't think about any restrictions and was no hassle getting the policy.

As far as CDL... The only time you might be scrutinized is when you start towing big yellow trailers with equipment. Avoid DOT checkpoints during the morning rush hour if it looks like your doing something buisness related. Otherwise I wouldn't worry, especially if your in a rural area.

 

[chevy43]

I'm not going to say anything to state farm. I provide the info that they asked for. I am legal. I'm going to continue to stay out of accidents. I don't rely on insurence anyway.

If I run over a family with kids and kill them all insurence isn't going to help them and I'm screwed anyway.

I have the minimun liabilty on my vehicles which I think is 35K here in ca. It is just enought to be legal but not enought to solve any real accident problems. It might fix someones BMW but it really isn't enogh to cover any serious injurys.


If the law would allow the driver to be insured instead of the vehicle then I could afford some good coverage. When you have to buy insurence on every vehicle even if you use it a couple of times a year then it is prohibitively ( to me ) expensive to get decent coverage. I think that insureing the vehicle instead of the driver must be some kind of insurece loby scam becase it doesn't make sence. Vehicles don't drive by themselves!

I have had very little luck with the antiqe vehicle insuresence. Many of them don't even cover Ca. When they do they want the vehicle to be restored and finished and stored inside. My vehicles are in good working order but not restored and some of them live outside.

 

[BillIdaho]

As a deputy, I have stopped a million people and looked a 600,000 proofs of insurance, (that's about the percentage of people that can provide any type of proof of insurance- 6 out of 10). Anyway, I have seen peope with certificates that insure them instead of their vehicles, so it looks like it can be done. I never asked about the cost difference, but I have seen it.
I really don't mean any disrespect, but NO ONE plans on having an accident, that's why they're called " ACCIDENT's". I don't remember anyone ever saying they just had an "on-purpose". And Chevy43, you might be legal, but not covered. Big difference. By no means do I want to stir up any hard feelings, but I have personally seen (me) and watched a bunch of other people get the shaft when they thought they were covered and found out too late they weren't. Signing over your house to someone you accidentily hit isn't cool, even if you live alone. Wife and kids? I see that happen. It is very hard to accept the " it'll never happen to me" logic. There are too many variables on the road. I think it would be way-better to advise the agent of what's up from the beginning, rather than find out later you weren't covered.

 

[TedG]

BTW, look at my ex-humvee (thread: humvee before and after) and remember accidents DO happen to mv's!

Again, this has been really helpful to me and I believe others that have read this thread...Thanks.

 

[DDoyle]

I was in an accident earlier this year. My out of pocket medical expenses have exceeded $10,000.00 and climbing, and my insurance carrier has paid out over $40,000.00 - and they trying every way they can to find someone else to hang there share onto. As most of you know, I'm self employed, so there is no "lost wages" payout being made - but it would have been about 10 weeks worth. One can see how the minimum coverages required are really not adequate - and I have first hand-experience with the insurers trying any way they can to exclude things - and often succeeding.

When my son bought his first car I told him the rules he had to live by were he had to have enough coverage that should he kill, or permanently disable someone in an accident, that person's family would be taken care of - that the parent's earning power for 18 years would be offset by his insurance, and that any hospital bills would be paid entirely by insurance - that the injured would not be out one nickel as a result of his mistake. What the law says is one thing - what is right is something much larger and that he did not have enough assets to make things right in an accident, so he had to make things right through insurance.

(keep in mind, diplomacy is not my strong point) I told him failure to maintain coverage at levels I consider satisfactory would result in a M123 being driven over his car. I never had to do that - and my son is an adult now. As he has seen how much I've had to come out of pocket, and the things that have been sold and purchases postponed as a result of my accident - he has told me he now understands why I was so emphatic to him those years ago.

Best wishes,
David Doyle

 

[chevy43]

Bill with all diue respct I believe I am insured to the best of my knowledge. Accidents are in many casses are possible to avoid. Sometimes that can be seen only in retrospect I guess. I try to keep that in mind and avoid them beforehand. I have avoided 100's of accidents that someone else would have gotten into. I'm not saying it won't happen to me but I do have a good ability to see or predict bad situations ahead of time.

I believe I am insured. I have answered all questions that have been asked about my vehicles honestly. You are right that an insurence company will do anthing they can to avoid paying.

The only claim I have ever made to State Farm was for one of my historical vehicles ( WW2 1 1/2 ton Chevy ) when I put a dent in a car's hood that I didn't see ( parked very close behind after I did ) when leaving a paralell parking spot. They paid that claim no questions.

I have only insured my 5 ton with state farm for one 6 month period. I could go in and tell them it is a truck. They wouldn't care. I could insist to them it is a huge truck and can crush most others on the road. They might not care about that either. Then I could tell them that it is an old military truck painted with toxic paint and uglly to boot. I don't know that they have a place on their forms for that information. Maybe when I got to the GVW they would wake up but I don't know.

25 years of accident free driving an I hope many more to come - please please!