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RV insurance cost

kwc98

I'm New Here
Hello AF members,

I am looking for a plane that fits my mission and I am thinking that an RV-9A would be perfect. I am getting all of the financials in order and I called to get a quote for insurance. Ballpark 3500-4500 per year, leaning towards the higher end according to the nice person on the phone. I am just completing my training, so I have < 200 hours, so that is part of the puzzle, but she quoted me this price before I mentioned that.

Is this about right for an experimental? Any tips appreciated, since I think that the price/value of RVs is excellent, but that much for insurance yearly would be somewhat prohibitive.

thanks,
Ken
 
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Your quote seems high to me. There is a lot of data in the archives on insurance rates, so don't limit yourself to this one data point. For what it's worth, I pay about $1100 to Nation Air for my RV-4 ($50K hull value, as I recall). Even when I insured it for the first flights (13 years ago) it was only a few hundred more. Having tailwheel time drives the cost down, but I have not heard of such a high quote for a -9 (unless the hull value is very high...)
 
You are stating RV-9 which is a tailwheel. This will usually run much more for a low time pilot. My new RV-9 (tailwheel) with $100k hull was $2200 first year and $1400 second. An RV-9A (nosewheel) would probably be less for a low time pilot.
 
Mark, I edited and changed to RV-9A, sorry about that. No tailwheel for me....yet. I am looking at the 9A.
 
You need to get several quotes. Last year AVEMCO quoted 3500 for a RV6. We stayed with our current company at 1300.00. Same coverage from both.

George
 
You need to get several quotes. Last year AVEMCO quoted 3500 for a RV6. We stayed with our current company at 1300.00. Same coverage from both.

George would you mind telling me the company? That rate is much more in the ballpark of what I was thinking.

thanks,
Ken
 
Call Nationair (877-475-5860) and ask for Jenny or Shanna. They are the RV specialists who will find the best insurer for you and your plane. Nationair is a brokerage, not an insurance company.

You'll find a lot of folks around here who call "Jenny at Nationair" every year for their insurance.
 
Just fyi, my insurance quotes ranged dramatically between companies. The high quote was almost 300% of the low quote, and that was with slightly less coverage. Call around. I never would have thought it was THAT different.
 
I agree that your quote is too high, especially for a "A". Call Jenny at NationAir... you can't go wrong.
 
I use Falcon, the EAA program. They were the lowest quote (by $200) when I first shopped in 2010. and they are always within $20-30 of the lowest quote every time I check now. Can't leave a good company to save a few sheckles.

If your looking....here's my contact:
Heather Miller
Falcon Insurance Agency, Inc
EAA Department
866.647.4322 / Fx 830.895.6176
 
+1 for Nationair

+1 for Nationair. They also have contacted me annually for 6 years and shopped my policy every year then presented me the options on price/coverage instead of just taking the easy route and renewing regardless of the cost.

Andy
 
Hi Ken,

Those prices seem high, however the value of the plane has a lot to do with it. Lets just use $60,000 for the value the quotes should come in around $1700 - $1800 or lower. Once you hit 50-100 hours in the RV-9A these rates will drop even more.

Please give us a call if you are interested in a quote you can ask for Jennifer or Shanna they are our Vans specialists.

Regards,

Jenny Estes - Sales Manager
NationAir Aviation Insurance
877-475-5860
 
Definitely give Shanna or Jennifer a call! I've used them since before my -9 was flying. They are super helpful and really seem to know the market.

It seems like at around 200 hours RV time things really drop. Last year at about 100 RV / 100 Tailwheel hours and 300 hours overall my rate for liability and ground not-in-motion was about $950. This year, with about 200 RV / 200 tailwheel and 400 hours overall, that dropped to about $675. So cheap that I'm thinking about adding $60K hull just because that total premium will only be about $1100.

Thus one lesson from my experience that you might consider, if you're willing to self-insure: just get liability and ground not-in-motion coverage for your first year or two. You'll save a bundle and then you can decide later whether to add hull coverage once it gets much cheaper due to your more extensive time-in-type.
 
Call Nationair (877-475-5860) and ask for Jenny or Shanna. They are the RV specialists who will find the best insurer for you and your plane.

You'll find a lot of folks around here who call "Jenny at Nationair" every year for their insurance.

Absolutely! Cannot say enough good about Jenny and the folks at Nationair. As a 500 hr pilot (330 ib Cessnas; 170+ in RVs) I'm paying under $1100/yr on my 9A.
 
I'm paying $2877 for my RV-8 with $110K hull value. I just went with the broker I've been using for my Mooney for years. However, I called Jennifer just now to get a quote and I'll post what she comes back with.
 
Thus one lesson from my experience that you might consider, if you're willing to self-insure: just get liability and ground not-in-motion coverage for your first year or two. You'll save a bundle and then you can decide later whether to add hull coverage once it gets much cheaper due to your more extensive time-in-type.

I used the inverse option when my RV-6 entered service. Full coverage for the first year assuming this was when it was at greatest risk for landing accident or engine failure, then self-insured with ground-not-in-motion since then. Don't know that this is a path all would be comfortable with but might be worth considering.
 
I'm paying $2877 for my RV-8 with $110K hull value. I just went with the broker I've been using for my Mooney for years. However, I called Jennifer just now to get a quote and I'll post what she comes back with.

Jennifer's best offer so far (there are more coming in tomorrow) is $2,115 for apples-to-apples coverage. Glad I read this thread... gonna save a lot of money come renewal time!
 
Jennifer's best offer so far (there are more coming in tomorrow) is $2,115 for apples-to-apples coverage. Glad I read this thread... gonna save a lot of money come renewal time!

With that kind of savings I would be making the Goodbye call today. :D
 
Call Jenny Estes

I'm betting that you won't find a better quote than what Jenny will give you. If you find another I bet she will match it. Nationair is ALWAYS in your corner if you have a claim. None better. Tell Jenny I sent you! (Her call sign is VEGAS. Ask her why?)
 
Jennifer's best offer so far (there are more coming in tomorrow) is $2,115 for apples-to-apples coverage. Glad I read this thread... gonna save a lot of money come renewal time!

Sounds like you're buying the beverages at Oshkosh next year! :p
 
RV7
avemco last yr $50000 coverage 9hrs in type 250 hrs tail dragger citabria $1485. 2nd yr NATIONS 150 hrs on RV $945 AND for $60000!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I just renewed my policy this week... $1151/yr on an RV-7 with $70,000 insured value.

Breakdown as follows:

Liability Premium : $154
Medical Premium: included
Hull Premium: $997

Liability: $1,000,000 Each Occurrence
$100,000 Each Passenger

Medical $10,000 Each Passenger

Deductible: zero in motion
zero not in motion

PIC: myself (or) any licensed pilot with 5 hrs training in same make/model.

My experience: 1000 hrs TT, 950 hrs TW, Private Pilot (not IFR, not Commercial)

Policy underwritten by Global Aerospace by Travis Ross, Airpower Insurance. Tell him I sent you. :)
 
I need an education.....

Every time I buy insurance, I find out something I wish I'd known last time!
....so for some of you, it may be worth inquiring about 'combined limits' where the $1 million liability you carry, can be transferred to protect your passenger for more than the typically quoted $100 k. ( apparently available only in Canada????? :)
May be more attractive to 2 place than 4-place owners?

there's some fancy Insurance talk to cover what I just related more accurately I'm sure.

just FYI.
 
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Every time I buy insurance, I find out something I wish I'd known last time!
....so for some of you, it may be worth inquiring about 'combined limits' where the $1 million liability you carry, can be transferred to protect your passenger for more than the typically quoted $100 k.
May be more attractive to 2 place than 4-place owners?

there's some fancy Insurance talk to cover what I just related more accurately I'm sure.

just FYI.

This great advice NationAir always recommends combined single limits when available. However for Experimental aircraft this combined single limit is NOT available. Vans owners may be able to get a higher passenger limit of $200,000 or $250,000 per passenger if they qualify. This is something that NationAir worked on and we were able to get accomplished earlier this year. We now have two insurance companies offering these higher passenger limits on qualifying pilots. I am still actively pursuing insurance companies to start offering these smooth limits. Once they are available I will post my findings on VAF .

Be sure to ask about these higher passenger limits at your next renewal.
 
Please give us a call if you are interested in a quote you can ask for Jennifer or Shanna they are our Vans specialists.
Regards,
Jenny Estes - Sales Manager
NationAir Aviation Insurance
877-475-5860

Ken, you're new to RV's, so you're probably not yet familiar with certain fringe benefits of RV ownership.

One of them is a little get-together we've been having at OSH each year. Some say it is a lot of fun. The nice folks at Nationair provide the venue, which is fabulous and much appreciated by the fraternity. Please give them every consideration.

And now, heeeere's Shanna!

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=902478&postcount=114
 
Ken, you're new to RV's, so you're probably not yet familiar with certain fringe benefits of RV ownership.

One of them is a little get-together we've been having at OSH each year.

D9340DB3_91EB_EF5F_162737FB93CAFC37.jpg
 
You are stating RV-9 which is a tailwheel. This will usually run much more for a low time pilot. My new RV-9 (tailwheel) with $100k hull was $2200 first year and $1400 second. An RV-9A (nosewheel) would probably be less for a low time pilot.

My rates on my -6 were no where near this, with 60k hull value I think it was $1,100 2.5 years ago

I had 1,800pic 15 in the prior 8 years and about 25 tw including about 8 in type
 
George would you mind telling me the company? That rate is much more in the ballpark of what I was thinking.

thanks,
Ken

Ladd Gardener is the company. They are a broker and usually quote us 4 underwriters. Just got the quote today and it dropped to 1120.00 for next year. The owner has a Rocket so is very familiar with experimental aircraft. Number is 800 851 2997.
George
 
I see the usual confusion in some of these posts. Most of the names mentioned are insurance BROKERS. Their job is provide you with service: to obtain quotes on your behalf from all possible insurance companies; to advise you if, in their opinion, a low-ball quote is from a company lacking in claims-paying ability; or to advise you if a certain company is more difficult than others, should you need to deal with a claim; to steer you in the right direction if you have unusual needs; to explain your policy to you (sometimes it seems these things were written only for lawyers); and to help you, should you file a claim. It is often difficult to judge how well they do their job, unless it becomes obvious that they didn't bother getting quotes from all available companies, or you have the misfortune of having a claim. Word of mouth (and VAF posts) are very useful in finding out who is satisfied with their service, and who isn't. For the record, I use NationAir and am very satisfied.

The one exception is AVEMCO, which sells direct, not thru brokers. I have gotten quotes from them in the past, and they were not competitive. But your results may be different.

Important note: most insurance COMPANIES do not like dealing with multiple quotes for the same pilot from multiple brokers. So if you ask broker X for quotes, and he gets them from companies A, B, and C; and then you ask broker Y for quotes, he may be unable to get A, B, and C to re-quote, so the best he can do is get company D (expensive quote). I'm just trying to say that asking multiple brokers for quotes usually does not work, as a way of judging which broker is getting the lowest cost policy. (In principle all brokers should get the same quote from the same company.)
 
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