Essentials to Pack for Your Road Trip This Summer

Roadside Assistance Insurance Policy Gilbert, AZOh, the great American road trip. Whether you are driving across the country, making a trip to visit our beautiful National Parks or simply just exploring different areas in your state, it is important to pack the right items on your road trip.

Basic safety and materials to have:

While you should always store papers like a copy of your car insurance and license and registration in your vehicle, you should also carry a first aid kit and a roadside emergency kit.

Other items:

  • Flashlight
  • Spare tire with useful tools+ make sure someone in the car knows how to change it
  • Owner’s Manual

Personal Items to pack:

It’s really nice and sometimes imperative to have the following items packed.

  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Water bottle
  • Car Phone Charger
  • Hand sanitizer or wipes
  • Car cooler with snacks
  • Popular road trip snacks: sunflower seeds, trail mix, jerky, hard candy or suckers or granola bars. Mints and gum are great too.
  • Anti-inflammatory medication
  • UV window shade
  • Thermos
  • Blanket or pillow
  • Cash
  • Lip Balm/ChapStick
  • Notebook, pen or pencil
  • Napkins or a roll of paper towels. A roll of toilet paper doesn’t hurt either!

 Consider a Roadside Assistance Policy

Roadside Assistance can be added to your car insurance policy and is available from most insurance companies. It can also act as a standalone insurance policy. Roadside assistance can help you if you become stranded from a variety of things including but not limited to:

  1. Flat Tires
  2. Dead Battery
  3. Run Out of Gas
  4. Lock Yourself Out or Lose Your Keys
  5. Disabled Vehicle
  6. Towing if Vehicle Can’t Be Repaired Quickly
  7. Winching if stuck in mud, snow or sand

We hope your summer road trip is a blast and that this article helps you prepare for your trip as well as stay safe on the road. If you have questions about your insurance, contact us before you leave!

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I’m planning on doing an AirBnB at my home. What do I need to know?

Insurance for my AirBnB Gilbert, AZMore and more people are taking advantage of the extra income they can make by doing an AirBnB, VRBO or other rental out of their homes. This is a great way to save money for college, pay off your mortgage, pay for a remodel or just make extra money for your savings. But, before you commit and jump into it, consider the risks associated with being a landlord.

Short-term vacation rental properties such as AirBnB, VRBO, HomeAway and others require special insurance. Regardless of whether it is just a room in your house, a trailer or even a separate house, be sure you match your insurance policy to the risk you’re taking on. Believe it or not, you’re a landlord!

What does Landlord Protection insurance include?

As a short-term vacation rental owner, it is possible that your tenants will have access to additional items or toys such as kayaks, hot tubs, bikes etc.

A Landlord Protection insurance policy can include:

  • Commercial Package Policy: coverage for building(s), contents, liability, and income
  • Building(s): special cause of loss with replacement cost valuation
  • Contents: special cause of loss with replacement cost valuation
  • General liability insurance coverage: Coverage for injuries and other liabilities while people stay with you.
  • Income Coverage: actual loss sustained business income coverage with no time limit
  • Liability coverage continued to amenities: swimming pools, hot tubs, watercraft, bicycles, docks, rec areas, + much more
  • Enhancement coverage: theft, damage to your rental caused by a guest, animal/pet liability + more
  • No standard occupancy restrictions: designed for short-term rentals

Doesn’t AirBnb or VRBO Provide Insurance?

Yes, they do provide liability and property damage protection for third-party claims when they are booked through the AirBnB website. However, you are only protected up to their liability limits. Like many types of insurance policies, there can be gaps that are created.

Example 1: You become chummy with a previous house guest that booked through AirBnB. You exchange numbers and they text you to book a stay instead of booking through the AirBnB website. During the stay, they’re injured. Because they didn’t book through the website, you’re on the hook for the liability.

Example 2: You use Craigslist to get renters into your short-term rental because there is a big local music festival and it will be easy to rent it out for more money during this time. The renter trashes your property and because of repairs, you can’t rent out the property for months. You lose out on income.

Example 3: An excessively bad bodily injury occurs on your property. The medical bills exceed what the short term vacation rental company provides in insurance coverage. You are stuck with the remaining balance of the medical bills.

It’s common to want to make some extra cash from your short-term vacation rental, but we want it to be a safe endeavor for you. By calling an agent in our office, we can help you eliminate the gaps that exist with insurance that may be provided and get you a policy that is the perfect match for you and your family.

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Don’t Settle For Cheap Boat Insurance – 3 Coverage Options to Consider

Boat Insurance Gilbert, AZWith summer upon us, many of you will be getting your boats out or maybe even buying a new one. When it comes to insuring your boat, you don’t want a policy that is the least expensive – you want the right coverage. Boating season is so much fun and being on the water carries a certain risk. When you’re shopping for boat insurance, be sure that your policy includes three specific, and sometimes optional coverages:

  1. On-Water Towing: If you’re out on the water and you boat breaks down or runs out of gas, this coverage will cover the cost of: getting you gas, soft un-groundings, towing your boat back into shore, jump starts and more. Don’t go without this coverage. Getting your boat towed on the water can be expensive.
  2. Wreckage Removal: If your boat sinks, and it is required by law to remove it, this coverage pays up to the liability limits of your policy to bring your boat to the surface and remove it from the water.
  3. Fuel Spill Cleanup: If you boat sinks or simply leaks fuel into the water, this coverage pays to clean up the fuel. The amount paid depends on your liability limits on your policy. Be sure you get enough liability insurance.

Owning a boat is a great adventure and the memories built on them are second to none! Give yourself the peace of mind by purchasing a boat insurance policy that not only protects you, but also protects those around you and your passengers. Many optional coverages exist and we can assist you in understanding what each of them means and find the right insurance policy for you.

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