CMUpike

i was told today, that anything that is not "secured" to your vehicle will not be covered by auto insurance in the case of a break-in.

meaning: if you have a sub enclosure, and it's not "mounted" or "secured" to your vehicle, and someone breaks into your car and steals it, auto insurance will not cover it. However since amplifiers, speakers, and head units are generally "mounted" onto your vehicle, they will be covered by insurance if they get stolen.

so if this is true, who will cover your sub enclosure? home owners insurance? or are you just screwed?

does anyone know if this is true? or if this is only a rule set by specific car insurance agencies?

loosehead

I'd say you need to call your agent or read your policy to see how it is worded. If that is the case, then we better all figure out how to "bolt" are subs down. Interesting...

CMUpike

yeah... my car wasn't broken into (knock on wood) but someone mentioned it, and it just got my mind joggin'. they sell little plastic "L-brackets" that you can throw on your sub box.... so you can mount them to the floor with screws. i guess the idea is that if they're gonna get stolen, they're gonna get stolen... and as long as they're "mounted" (i don't think it says anywhere how WELL they have to be mounted) you should be able to get money back.

theyr'e a couple of dollars... it may be worth it just in case....

again, i'm still not 100% sure if that was a true statement... i was just wondering if anyone on the site knows... or has had their sub box get stolen and recieved payment for it.

tomus1000

Most insurance companies offer extra coverage (for a fee) for additions to the vehicle. Contact your agent and find out what can be covered and how much it will cost you. You probably have to declare what is in the vehicle for audio gear.

metal22lica

we had an insurance man come into school and talk to us. he told us the same thing..if it wasnt bolted..they wouldnt cover it. like they said..call your insurance company and find out.

Blue Train

it varies with carriers..but most have the "if its not mounted, it aint covered" policy...but, build an enclosure that is mounted to the truck, and you should have no problems..when mine was broken into a couple years back, i used my renters insurance as it was parked in front of my apartment, and the renters insurance covers all possessions in home and vehicle if parked at residence. and with the deductible being 200 vs 500 on my rig, it was a no brainer...
additionally, most important thing to consider is the agent selling you the insurance..they are the ones who will be speaking to the insurance company on your behalf if your rig is broken into.
cheers
kyle

Churnd

weird. when my car was broken into, they got my cd player, all my cd's, my nice jacket, and a few other things. my insurance paid for all of it, even though most of it wasn't "secured". if it was in the car, it should have been covered in my opinion.

Bob K

I am in the regional claims manager for an insurance company, you are better off checking with your own carrier and reviewing the policy you have. Coverages for stereo equipment vary greatly from company to company. Many auto policies have limitations that basically state "not stock equipment, not covered". The in dash mounted stereo and speakers would be covered under most policies, however, amp, and other external equipment could be excluded. There would also not be any coverage under your home owners policy for these items either. Most companies offer coverage for these items at an additional premium, so I would call your agent.

Hope that helps.

mt_goat

I worry about all the off-road mods, I just put another couple thousand into lockers, rear springs, gears, winch bumper, etc. Is my truck covered for all the extra stuff? If it gets totaled or stolen are they just going to take the blue book value and say here you go, even though it will be worth 2-3 times that with all the mods.

Bob K

I would suggest talking to your agent and letting him know what you have done to your vehicle and how best to cover this. Some carriers have coverage for this stuff.

In the event of a total loss or total theft, I can assure you that the insurance company will look at the straight value of the vehilce with additions or subtractions for mileage. Most mods made to the vehicle do not increase the value as far as the insurance company is concerned, unless you show that you just had a new motor or transmission installed, or soemthing like that.

These are issues that I have to deal with daily and it is not easy to explain this to people.

mt_goat

Thanks Bob K, that was what I was afraid of. I'll go see him soon.