Stacker trailor insurance?

[lbriant]

Hey everyone,
any opinions on coach or stacker trailor insurance???
I use Gilbert for my Bus but I called them to see about the stacker trailor I am in the process of buying and they said they didnt know what one was?
at first then they said they didnt insure them?
They write through National Interstate so I called them they didnt know what one was either?
Any opinions or help would be appreciated !!!
I am trying to get out of here before winter but things keep popping up .(
I can use any advice ASAP,,,,
Have a nice day !!!!!!!:confused:

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Larry,

If they don't know what one is they sure cannot insure it. One thought that jumped out at me was when you get insurance either make sure you are legal to drive the coach and trailer, or that the policy remains in effect even if you are not licensed.

I don't know the laws in your state, but in mine, TN, I don't need any more to drive my bus than I do my car. A regular license to drive a car is all needed to drive 46,000 pounds of bus with air brakes down the highway. But the minute I hitch a trailer whose gross weight exceeds 10,000 pounds I must have a Class A license.

My point is simple. You either need the correct license or the insurance policy has to be written so an unlicensed driver or a driver driving out of class is not sufficient cause for them to deny a claim. I seriously doubt if any of us are targets for the cops unless we are doing something stupid such as speeding or tailgating, but the minute we are involved in an accident, even if it was not our fault all of our credentials will be checked and if we are not properly licensed we likely get a ticket and will find it difficult to collect on a claim.

[lbriant]

Thanks Jon,
Good advice,,
I think the same way?
maybe I will just pull my car south this year and worry about everything next year,
I already ordered the 20,000lb hitch for $2,300 dollars then I would need to get it installed,
even if I didnt buy the stacker I think it would still be better to have if I put a motorcycle lift on the back of the bus, to beef up the engine cradle!!
the trailor thing has really been bothering me, Only the fact if there were some kind of accident I would be hung out to dry probably, 76 ft long and 13' 8" tall ??? overall around 50,000 lbs on the coach and another 17,000 lbs on the trailor ????

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Just a guess because I don't know what the data plate on your coach says but if you are planning on weighing 67,000 gross weight and 75 feet long you are about to become fodder for an attorney if you are involved in an accident. Drive careful.

I have seen several Prevost owners tow their pickup trucks with their Harleys in the back on a carrier in the bed. The carrier extends and then lowers to form a ramp. That seems like a much safer way to tow, but then again I don't own a Harley.

[lbriant]

Ok all great info, I been twisted up over this since I started getting my 20,000 hitch built,
Today I am officially canceling the Stacker trailer and just a few weeks before we leave !!!
Glad I didn't finish the deal,
You are all right about the trailers to long to heavy and to tall ?
I am buying a new pickup this week :)
Thanks to all the POG members on all the other forums I posted on for the good info!!!!
I almost made a big mistake I think? That was very close too I was just pulling the trigger
Thanks Again :)

[BoaterAl]

Hi Larry,
Here is the national all information site on towing....

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/towinglaws.htm

FWIW.... Pulling a stacker trailer with displayed commercial business logo will get you a round robin conversation with state patrol in Tenn.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I heard, but cannot confirm the law was changed in TN regarding buses towing trailers. Until recently a bus use in commercial service such as an entertainer coach was illegal if it was towing a trailer of any size. In addition, if a bus towing a trailer was stopped because of a viloation of the law, if the driver did not have a Class A liciense he was cited for that also. That is no longer the case. The law has been changed allowing buses to tow trailers. That does not mean the combination can violate other laws such as weights, lengths, driver license class, etc.

The problem was accentuated when a State Police cop in Cookeville TN seemed to focus on buses and was almost singlehandedly giving a lot of grief to the enertainer coaches, most of which cam out of Nashville a few miles to the west.

[Mark3101]

Thanks Jon,
Good advice, 76 ft long and 13' 8" tall ??? overall around 50,000 lbs on the coach and another 17,000 lbs on the trailor ????

13'6" is the max height allowed in most states without permits. Better rethink that one. Also, you should check out the length for where you are going. There are limits on that too....

[lbriant]

yea, I have canceled the 20.000 hitch
to much liability issues from state to state is what really changed my mind,,,,,
Probably couldnt have came any closer to pulling the trigger on that one, glad I read up on some of the POG forums,
Thanks to everyone !!!

[michaeldterry]

That seems like a much safer way to tow, but then again I don't own a Harley.

jon - I have a beautiful Harley trike I'd be happy to sell you! :p

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Michael,

Di and I have a deal. She won't dye her beautiful silver hair Lucy Red and I won't buy a motorcycle. Trikes are just as bad. I had one of the original 3 wheeled honda ATVs and I broke my wrist. Then I went out the next day and broke the cast. She was a little pissed.

[michaeldterry]

Michael,

Di and I have a deal. She won't dye her beautiful silver hair Lucy Red and I won't buy a motorcycle. Trikes are just as bad. I had one of the original 3 wheeled honda ATVs and I broke my wrist. Then I went out the next day and broke the cast. She was a little pissed.

Sounds like a righteous deal to me! You'd think I'd have learned my lesson after suffering a permanently disabiling traumatic brain injury in a Harley accident that left me in a coma for 32 days back in 2004! But a couple of years ago, Vita recognized that I still loved Harleys and missed my bike - so she thought it might be fun to get another one and learn to ride herself. Since I can no longer ride big two wheelers due to balance and strength issues, we bought a custom trike. Vita took the Harley Riders Edge training course, learned to ride and got her license. We enjoy the trike, but actually rarely ride it because, frankly, I'm just not comfortable on a bike anymore since my close call. So - the trike is currently up for sale locally. If anyone is interested - it's a 2001 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom with a Voyager Trike kit, custom Jade Sunglow paint job, lots of chrome accessories and only 5,600 miles on it.