Camping season is here!
Ah that first breath of fresh air at the lake is always one to take in! The crisp smell of the northern pine as you stage your site is always one that can get a person in the mood to pull out that lawn chair, crack a cold beverage, and ponder the next few days of much earned R&R.
Something that is important to talk about as the season opens is the need to ensure that your trailer, and all of the contents stored within it/on it are properly covered. You might be one of those lucky people that have the fifth-wheel trailer and a boat/ATV towed behind that as well. In that case, it is important to touch on that situation as well.
First off, as we all know, a valid plate is needed for any trailer that is going down the road. This means that a plate is needed for the camper trailer, and boat trailer. Its a pretty hefty fine if you get caught without a valid registration, so make sure that you check this before you find yourself with a fine and your steak budget at the campsite turns into a hot dog budget as a result!
Something very important to note about your trailer plate coverage is that it only covers the trailer itself. The plate will not respond to things that are not permanently mounted or structurally part of the trailer. For instance, contents of the cabin trailer, bikes strapped to the back, ATV’s, watercraft, or portable generators are NOT INSURED with your license plate- these are insured elsewhere.
This brings us to those extra items that you pack along, the ATV’s or that boat you haul out to the lake. How are these items insured? Well, there are two main sources of insurance for these types of items- either your home policy, or a separate insurance carrier for the boat/ATV. For the extra items such as contents of the cabin trailer, life jackets, wet suits, dishes, generators, etc., these are included under the contents coverage of your home insurance policy. One important thing to note on these items is that if your cabin trailer stays at the lake year round, and these contents stay in the trailer with it, you will need to add these items as a second location to your policy, as your automatically included contents coverage only covers items that are temporarily removed from the premises. The boat/ATV coverage can also be found on your home policy, but these items must be scheduled on your policy to ensure that adequate limits of insurance are provided. If you prefer to insure them elsewhere, there are different insurance carriers that provide this coverage.
As you set out this season for another summer of fun at your favorite destination, please keep these things in mind before you head out. Be safe, drink responsibly, and keep the environment clean for the next generations to enjoy!