Date:         Wed, 04 Jun 97 12:33:10 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      it is a puzzlement ... :)

well, i got my update from the insurance company, for adding the 87 camper
... and an interesting quirk appeared. it seems that i get an $10.22
discount/six-months on my 88 non-camper for vehicle safety reasons (i.e.,
it's a "safe" bus to them because of low injuries), but the 87 camper does
NOT rate the same discount. go figure.

the only reasons i can come up with are:
- bumpers? nah. both have wimpy bumpers.
- camper stuff?? extra weight means longer stopping distances and more
  tendency to fall over in parking lots?? :) hmmmm. maybe.
- more 87's sold (see the Weakly Statz) and therefore more risk to the
  insurance company?  hmmmmm. probably. they do everything based on their
  own little statistics.
- most Syncros were 87's and that inflates the numbers of 87's out there
  in Insurance-Land, and we all know how reckless and wild those Syncro
  driver's are!! smashing and crashing into trees and rocks ... then
  claiming it musta been a hit-and-run shopping cart at Wal-Mart. ;)

that's all i could think of ... as far as i can tell, there are NOT enough
differences in the model years to warrant such prejudice by the insurance
company ... but they do make the difference.

anybody else have a camper and a non-camper, and have a difference in the
insurance rates (except for the miles-driven stuff)???

joel