Adding supercharger to insurance?

Curious if anyone who has the supercharger got it added in to the value of your vehicle through your insurance. If so, how much did your premiums go up per month. I really don't want my truck to get totaled in an accident, and me not get anything extra on the added value of the supercharger.

 

I've actually considered doing that as well. I believe it gets added as a covered accessory for the dollar value you purchase. Of course if your SC wasn't damaged in an accident, but your truck totaled, you could buy it back and strip it off to put on your next truck.

 

I would propably take the insurance money over the time and effort to swap everything over. Have you called your carrier to get a quote?

 

Not much experience dealing with claims adjusters huh? Your swap over work might look pretty good by comparison to pennies on the dollar.

On my modified vehicles I keep all the serviceable OE parts in the attic. Even if I allow a total to be drug off, it will be drug off with what they paid me for (OE parts), not undamaged aftermarket bits.

The only way to get an accurate answer to your question is to call your agent and ask 'what if'. Premiums vary too much by vendor, individual, region and vehicle for internet guessing to do much good.

 

Also doesn't do much good if you can't buy the SC anymore, or you paid $4k and they are now going for nearly $9k.

OP just call and ask for a quote. "If I got an SC installed, what would it cost to add to my coverage?"

 

But don't you know, forums are for others to do all the work for you right? I suppose I'm asking if it would be worthwhile. As Clearwater said I don't have much experience with claims adjusters, so the insight helps. So both of you say it would be better to hang on to my stock parts (which I do anyway) and swap over rather than insure? I would imagine if I insured the supercharger then I couldn't remove it if my truck were to be totaled.

 

When the vehicle is totaled, the insurance company usually has possession. It is unlikely you can total it AND remove the SC. You can however, insure the SC (in case it is damaged or the truck gets stolen), then if your truck gets totaled you can buy the totaled truck back for a greatly reduced value after they pay you out, remove your desired parts and then part out or resell the truck for parts. You can do this without insuring the SC as well, but if it damaged or stolen you are SOL. Yes this is a headache, I have done it before on modified vehicles I wanted the aftermarket parts off of.

Edit: I take that back. I just remembered I did that on my very first car. If you have the totaled vehicle towed to your home so it is not in the insurance companies or auto shops possession, you can strip all your mods off of it without issue as long as it is still functional. Then turn it in for the claim. Obviously you cannot claim the SC and then strip the SC before turning it over.

When I did it, I came out way ahead. But it was on an older VW, I took all the aftermarket goodies off, resold them, parted the car for a month or two and then sold it to a scrap metal recycler. A more expensive modern vehicle would be more difficult.

 

As the TRD SC (in my case) is a factory part & dealer installed,shouldn't that be on their option list?

 

Pretty much. For that specific part.

Correct, unless you go the buyback route and salvage out everything yourself. Can work pretty well on popular things like the Tacoma, if you have space, time, tools, a local market for bigger pieces or experience shipping bulky items.

Still. Call your agent and give them a hypothetical. You may find your premium would rise more than you expect, based on their tables and this 'performance' feature, your age, etc. You can not tell them of the modification, but you can't claim it either. For example, if the vehicle were stolen, burnt up, etc. There are other ways than 'totaled in an accident' that create loss. Even someone jacking your truck for a few hours, swiping your SC and gear, and leaving it beside the road to be found. You have no claim for those parts, only the damage sustained, if any, in the theft.

Once you know YOUR premium change, YOU have to weigh the risk/reward.

 

No, it is not a factory option. It is a dealer installed accessory, so it isn't in the option list. You have to cover it separately as an accessory.

 

So how it it not a Toyota "optional" factory part installed by the dealer?

 

Because you can't get it from the factory.

Only buy it OTC as an accessory.

You can have the dealer install it if you are under warranty and want keep everything buttoned up. Or you can install it yourself..........