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Old 07-07-2017, 13:52   #1
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Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

We're liveaboards, and we're trying to arrange a trip home. The rental car insurance is crazy expensive, is there any way of cutting that cost?

What I've looked into:

1. Credit card companies only provide insurance if your trip is less than 15 days, ours will be 37 days so it won't apply.

2. Insurance companies (State Farm) will only provide collision, no liability thru a policy called "Non-Owners Insurance". Our past agent recommended we buy from the rental car company.

3. The Rental Car Company has the insurance at $1,100 for the 37 days which covers everything, but WOW!

4. I looked for specialty insurance companies but no dice for FL residents.

Any thoughts?
Duane
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Old 07-07-2017, 14:00   #2
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

I might rent a car from enterprise for 15 days and then rent another for 15 days on the 15th day and then one for 7 days. Enterprise gives unlimited mileage and you can drop it off elsewhere. That way you avoid the over 15 day limit.
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Old 07-07-2017, 14:02   #3
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

Some US insurers will provide "liability only" and even allow you to keep that policy if you have no car. So it may pay to bother your past agent, see if you can get a liability only policy, and perhaps buy a junker or buy (and prearrange to sell it back in 48 hours, unused) some other car, just to get yourself a liability policy.

Presuming you want liability coverage for when you are back in the US.

$1100 would buy a lot of Uber and Lyft rides.
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Old 07-07-2017, 14:32   #4
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

I would consider doing it with multiple different car rental agencies to stay within the time limits. Drive to your destination and chill out for a few days, use taxis or uber and then do a different rental company.

It's worth having more than one credit card to use on the different rentals.
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Old 07-07-2017, 14:36   #5
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

I checked the credit card companies insurance and they only provide insurance for damage to the rental car. There's no property damage insurance, liability insurance, etc. So I don't see how one can rely on the credit card insurance for coverage.
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Old 07-07-2017, 16:32   #6
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

The first place I'd go is the insurance broker that underwrites the boat policy. Have a safe trip.
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Old 07-07-2017, 20:17   #7
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

I don't know if this would work for you, but could you use trains for part of the travel? We used Amtrak for the Olympia to Portland leg of one of our Stateside trips, and it was quite pleasant, and way cheaper and faster (when you include all the waiting time at airports) than flying.

It all depends on where and how far you're going. But the SailorChic34 and maxingout methods could work fine, possibly modified by destinations.

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Old 07-07-2017, 21:58   #8
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

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Originally Posted by carlylelk View Post
I checked the credit card companies insurance and they only provide insurance for damage to the rental car. There's no property damage insurance, liability insurance, etc. So I don't see how one can rely on the credit card insurance for coverage.
Yeah, by itself, the credit card leaves you with very limited coverage. They are basically set up around the typical guy who already has full coverage on their personal car which includes rental car coverage and they just need to close the gaps.

Basically, there isn't a cheap way to do it. We have a truck that we leave on storage when we are away but we can call and turn it on if we will be renting for more than a few days.

Also, for those suggesting doing multiple rentals, make sure to check on the one way drop off charges. Those can often be pretty steep and you would need at least 2 drop offs. That could quickly kill the savings.

Sorry but you are outside the industry standard and there isn't a good solution. If you don't need to take a lot of stuff, air travel is probably your best bet.
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Old 08-07-2017, 08:12   #9
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

Try Rentalcargroup . They are brokers for car hire and they always get me a good deal on insurance and CDW.
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Old 08-07-2017, 08:19   #10
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

I would think your car insurer could fix you up with what you need. Or try a different one! Ask if a personal Umbrella policy will cover what's not covered.
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Old 08-07-2017, 10:08   #11
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

Quote:
Originally Posted by carlylelk View Post
We're liveaboards, and we're trying to arrange a trip home. The rental car insurance is crazy expensive, is there any way of cutting that cost?

What I've looked into:

1. Credit card companies only provide insurance if your trip is less than 15 days, ours will be 37 days so it won't apply.

2. Insurance companies (State Farm) will only provide collision, no liability thru a policy called "Non-Owners Insurance". Our past agent recommended we buy from the rental car company.

3. The Rental Car Company has the insurance at $1,100 for the 37 days which covers everything, but WOW!

4. I looked for specialty insurance companies but no dice for FL residents.

Any thoughts?
Duane
If you have time buy a clunker title and insure it. The insurance normally covers rentals for your insured amounts, sell or give away the clunker.
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Old 08-07-2017, 10:15   #12
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Cool Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

I had to leave the boat in North Carolinia on the way north up the intracoastal waterway because of a too-tall tall mast. I checked the bulletin board at the marina and found an ad soliciting for someone to drive a vehicle to Connecticut. Since my wife and I live in NH I asked if it would be to OK drive home with it first then the two of us would take it and our pickup back to the owners' home the next day. My insurance covered me driving their car, the loaners put a little extra wear and tear on theirs and all it cost us out of pocket was the fuel. They are also boaters who trusted us completely and we had never met before, which says a lot for the sailing community.
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Old 08-07-2017, 10:56   #13
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

In 2012, we needed to drive to/from Florida from Virginia, and then drive across the country to Washington St. We bought an older SUV, insured it, did the two drives, and then sold the car for what we paid for it in WA. So the only cost was the one-year insurance policy, way cheaper than renting and paying rental car insurance rates. This was not a clunker strategy as someone else suggested - we laid out enough to get a decent vehicle and we than had no trouble selling it on the other side of the country.
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Old 08-07-2017, 11:22   #14
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadence View Post
If you have time buy a clunker title and insure it. The insurance normally covers rentals for your insured amounts, sell or give away the clunker.
Smart idea! That's exactly what I would do. It's money in the bank! Lots of older cars available with good life in them yet.
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Old 08-07-2017, 11:30   #15
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Re: Rental Car for trip home - what to do?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadence View Post
If you have time buy a clunker title and insure it. The insurance normally covers rentals for your insured amounts, sell or give away the clunker.
Good advice but a 37 day trip is a short time to amortize the cost of buying and registering a junker including sales tax. When you add the cost of private insurance (you will pay for 2 months) it could easily add up to more than $30/day. It might work if collision is mostly covered by your credit card, you buy minimum legal liability coverage and you buy something you can resell for a limited loss and have a place to keep it. See if you could work something out with a used car dealer. It could work if you plan well but is savings worth the trouble? For example dealer sells you car for 1500, agrees to repurchase for 1300 and store. Minimum insurance 80/month and you rent on credit card. Sales tax 7%, registration 100. Total cost under 600 so you save 500. However, you do not have a car so that is a lot of running around to set everything up.
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