Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
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We are selling our S & B and going full-time for about a year. After that we plan to buy a small house. We are keeping some furniture, etc. and plan to put it in public storage facility. It is very secure place, but anything could happen. We will no longer have a homeowners policy and we are now looking into full-time RV insurance so the contents of our camper will be insured (again, no extension of a homeowners policy). I asked about insurance for our stuff in storage and am not having much luck. Also read some not-so-good things about companies specializing in just storage insurance--like it's a rip-off. Does anyone know of reputable insurance company who will insurance stuff in storage? Any advice appreciated. Thanks
Once you have a full time RV policy, you can attach contents of a storage room to the same policy. We worked with Millers Insurance based our Portland OR. I know Howard and Linda also have a link off their site to another insurance broker who should be able to help with this.
We did just that. Sold our S&B and lived in our coach for 2 years. Bought a smaller house in a retirement community and sold the coach.
We put the furniture and other items we wanted to keep in a climate controlled 10x20 room. One thing we did was first to put down a line of boric acid type insect powder around the inside perimeter and some mouse traps just in case. Covered all of the furniture with sheets, etc. The cost was $180/month so we paid over $4000 to store our stuff for 2 years.
Our full-time insurance was with Blue Sky and they did offer storage rental insurance for our stuff. Like Dale said other insurance companies who offer full-time insurance should also offer storage unit riders.
There's a lot of what ifs in play with a decision to store things. As Folivier just pointed out they paid 4K to store theirs for 2 years, if you want to pay for insurance (if not covered under an existing policy) then add that expense. When you take your stuff out of storage... how far will you have to move it to its new home? How will it get there? Add that cost into the equation. Even DIY moves cost money in fuel, vehicle wear&tear and moving supplies, tolls, misc other expenses etc. Don't ignore these things when figuring the cost of a move or storage expense.
Having put stuff in storage in the past, unless it's really valuable (emotionally or monetarily), it's not worth it for storage longer than 1-2 years. IMHO. Sell/donate it all, put the proceeds into an account, along with the anticipated storage fees and estimated costs to move it into and out of storage and buy all new stuff when you need it. Again, just my opinion FWIW, based on experience.
One other thought... you say you're planning on a year FTing... You might find you like it more than just as a one year jaunt, Just sayin'
Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Tuesday 14th of April 2015 08:07:27 AM
We have a storage (shipping) container on my bro-in-laws property that cost us under $3000 to put there. We have probably about $20,000 worth of stuff between furniture and tools in it. Thankfully we aren't paying rent as that would change the whole "is it worth it" question, but for us - knowing we have some stuff for a possible plan B start-up for now gives me peace of mind. Who knows? Maybe in a year or two we will have a HUGE garage sale, maybe in 5 years we will repack it into a moving truck and take it to a new S&B. For today I just like having options.
We've talked about what we are going to do with things at our present place and at the storage area in Panama City Fla. Our solution so far is going to be to buy a 18' to 22' utility trailer line the sides with cabinets and if we can't make it fit or use it right now it goes away!. That way we can get away from the storage area charges and worrying about seeing our stuff go up on storage wars tv program!. plus if we really need to go somewhere in a hurry all we do is hitch up everything and we're outta there. Our 2 to 5 year plan is to get a half acre of land and put a couple of pads on it plus covers for our coach, trailer, and cars with electricity and sewer or septic..... then that will be our life from then on no house to worry about nor mortgages nor home owners associations telling us what we can and can't do with our home n property.
