Hello all, I have a cargo van which is rarely drive, used for runs to home depot or when I need to tow a car or a small enclosed trailer etc. A lot of insurance companies (AF,for example - my main ins company) won't insure it because they say people lie and use it commercially. So I am limited to companies and pay like 1100ish a year while putting less than 500 miles on it a year. I don't think anyone offers basic coverage either. I keep it under a metal cover too. Anyone know how I could get a better rate? Do you think a classic car insurance company would cover it for stated value? It is a 2014 Ford E150 and I do have other vehicles.

No classic car insurer is likely to insure it. It's not the type of vehicle they insure. They also don't offer stated value, only agreed value.

It's odd that you were told "people lie and use it commercially." That's true, but here's the thing...if you have a personal auto policy, and you use your vehicle commercially, NOTHING that happens during commercial use is covered, which means the insurance company pays nothing for anything. It's true that some people lie and get away with it, of course, but plenty do not. It's absurd that they won't just allow you to add this to your personal auto policy. That's poor service.

I don't know what you mean by "basic coverage." That's not a thing (neither is "full coverage," but I digress). If you mean liability only, any standard auto insurer will write you a liability only policy. Carrying liability only is cheaper than carrying comp, collision, rental car, medical payments (though this is very cheap and you should always carry it if it's an option. The same is true of UM/UIM or PIP). Your liability insurance is going to be higher than say, a Honda Civic, because your van is bigger, heavier, and is more likely to inflict more damage than that Civic is.

The problem you are facing right now is also due to the fact that exactly 3 of the large/medium auto insurers are turning a profit at all. Geico, Progressive, and Sentry. Geico raised rates significantly. State Farm is about to raise rates because they spent $1.18 for every $1.00 they made on auto insurance last year. Most other insurers are not making money on their insurance right now either, which forces them to raise rates.

My suggestion, spend some time getting quotes online from several companies for the EXACT SAME coverage, and then go to an independent agent and have them quote you multiple additional companies. That's truly the only way to find the best rate for you.

Hi Not a Charger - yes, I meant just liability as "basic". I've talked to my agent a few times and he said AF will not cover a cargo van - no matter what (he is the one that told me why they won't). It is on Progressive right now. I will have to c if a "liability only" option is possible. Will try your plan and go from there. Thanks for the input.

Unless a vehicle has a loan on it or is leased, you're not required to carry comp or collision.

First off, Thanks to Not_A_Charger for the many explanations of insurance coverage in the past. He typically makes complex issues easy to understand.

This time, I do not understand the above quote. What does it mean to use a vehicle with a personal policy commercially?

In the past, I used my personal truck to haul stuff for my employer. Would this mean I was NOT covered when doing that?

Does a business owner need to have commercial coverage on their personal vehicle?

Meaning for example, I have a pickup truck insured with a personal auto policy, but I use it for my contracting business. That's a no-no. Gotta have a commercial policy in that situation.

In your example, there's a good chance you would not be covered, but regardless, your employer's insurance would likely be primary in that situation and if your personal policy did cover you in that situation, their coverage would be excess to your employer's. It's never a good idea to use your personal vehicle to do work for your employer. Using it for business travel is one thing, but moving product, equipment, transporting people, etc. is never a great idea.

As to your last question, yes, most business policies will allow you to use certain business/company/commercial vehicles for personal use.

It sounds like one of those situations that it might be cheaper to rent one for the few occasions you need it then deal with insurance. Then again then you've got the aggrivation of driving around to pick it up, hope it's been maintained properly bla bla bla

When you say "cargo van" is that a van or a "box van"? This is my Ford E350 1-ton 6.9L diesel that I've owned for decades driven since new in 1985. 375,000 miles on it and currently using it as my daily driver for over a year. Have it insured on our auto policy with Grange since '95 and no issues. I do not use it for commercial use, just to haul our boat, me to haul dirt bikes with or without a trailer or lumber and hardware stuff for projects around the house. It was built locally and I get notes under the wipers or stuffed in the side windows asking if it's for sale all the time. The comments around here are usually something like "hey I probably put the door handles on that, nice van". No problems with Grange, don't know it they are only in Ohio but no problems or issues, knock on wood.

A12- just like yours, no windows on the sides of the "cargo" area. It also only has the 2 front seats and a partition from the cab and the cargo area. It does have windows in the back doors and in the side doors.

Do they require pictures? Just tell them it is a conversion van you use rarely to take vacations in...

If something happens, do you think the insurance company won't notice?

They run the vin to see what it is. They have all the angles covered.

Hey Not A Charger - do insurance companies have history reports of vehicles at their disposal, like CARFAX reports? I wonder before I get my next vehicle, I can contact my company and they can tell me everything about the vehicle before buying.

They won’t do that.

I've had my '74 Dodge B200 cargo van covered by my personal vehicle ins. company since I bought it in Nov. '82, always liability only. No problems, get a better ins. company. also it's my daily driver.

I don't understand what the difference would be in a conversion van and a cargo van? The VIN doesn't change when it gets converted...

There's no difference unless you're using one of them commercially...or if you lie about what kind of vehicle you actually have. It's really not worth doing the latter because if something happens, they're going to deny coverage and now you're screwed because you're on the hook for any damages you caused to anyone's stuff.

Still better than not being able to get coverage for it at all!

He can get coverage though. He has coverage right now. He just wants to pay less, which is understandable, but people who do what your suggesting get caught all of the time, and when they do, they don't have any coverage at all because the insurance company denies coverage due to material misrepresentation. That's usually accompanied by having your policy canceled back to the date of loss and your premium refunded, which means you will show as uninsured for that time period. Try getting insurance after being uninsured and see what that costs you.

the DOT cops around here are vicious, according to my one cousin that operates a logging business.
he is on a first name basis with all of them............

Commercial use always seemed to be regarded as "higher risk" (exposure) by the underwriters I used to know.
Besides the assumption of more use/mileage/hazard exposure, the legal climate may play into that as well.
I've had my Dually insured with Hagerty for several years - it only tows (trailers) my cars - and it has all the coverage the (other) toys do.
No problems or concerns on their part.

Though not really the OP's question, I wonder about all the folks using their personal cars for their Doordash gigs...