"Curious if anyone here has experience with storage-only policies or special deployment riders?"
I looked into a storage-only policy when I had to park my car at my parents' place for about 8 months. It was cheaper, but there were some hoops—had to document the garage setup thoroughly and agree not to drive it at all during that time. If you're sure the car won't move, it's worth considering...but read the fine print carefully, because reinstating full coverage later can be tricky depending on the insurer.
"reinstating full coverage later can be tricky depending on the insurer."
Yeah, that's a good point. I had a friend who went the storage-only route during deployment, and when he got back, his insurer made him jump through hoops to get full coverage again. They wanted updated photos, mileage verification, and even asked about maintenance records. It wasn't impossible, just kind of a hassle.
I'm actually curious if anyone's compared these storage-only policies to just dropping down to liability-only coverage temporarily? I mean, if the car's safely parked and not being driven, liability-only might still be cheap enough without all the extra paperwork and hassle of reinstating later. Has anyone tried that route instead?
I actually did exactly that—switched down to liability-only coverage during my last deployment. Honestly, it was way simpler for me. Didn't have to deal with any special documentation or hoops to jump through when I got home. My insurer just asked if I wanted full coverage back on, updated a few details, and it was done.
"if the car's safely parked and not being driven, liability-only might still be cheap enough"
Exactly. Liability-only ended up costing me barely anything, and I felt better knowing my policy stayed active without interruption. The only thing I'd caution is that liability-only won't cover theft or damage while the car's parked, so you'd have to be comfortable with that risk. But if you're storing it somewhere secure (like base storage), it's probably worth considering.
Did something similar when my wife and I went overseas for a few months. Couple things I'd add from experience:
- Definitely double-check your storage situation. Even secure places can have issues (we had mice chew through some wiring... wasn't cheap).
- Call around and ask your insurer about parked-car or storage policies. Some companies offer special coverage that's cheaper than full but better than liability-only.
- And yeah, liability-only is cheap, but if your car's newer or financed, might not be worth the risk.
Just my two cents.
"Definitely double-check your storage situation. Even secure places can have issues (we had mice chew through some wiring... wasn't cheap)."
Yeah, learned that lesson the hard way myself. Thought my buddy's garage was safe enough, but came back to find a family of squirrels had moved in under the hood. Chewed wires, insulation everywhere... total mess and not cheap to fix either.
Also agree on checking with insurers about storage policies. Some companies offer military-specific discounts or special rates if you're deployed or stationed overseas for a while. I found out by accident when calling around—ended up saving quite a bit compared to standard parked-car coverage.
One more thing I'd add: if your car's sitting idle for months, consider disconnecting the battery or using a trickle charger. Batteries don't like sitting unused, and replacing one unexpectedly isn't exactly budget-friendly.
