The Dodge RAM almost always enters the country as an import and is often registered as a commercial vehicle. Those two facts determine which insurer takes it and on what form of policy.
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In brief
Most Dodge RAMs in the Netherlands are parallel imports and have no Dutch list price. Insurers therefore cannot take the car from a price guide and often ask for a valuation report before they accept own-damage cover. A fixed value agreed in advance is binding when you claim under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code. Without a valuation the assessor only establishes the value after the loss, and then argument about the amount is the rule rather than the exception.
The second fact that drives everything is the registration category. If the RAM is registered as a commercial vehicle, it belongs with a van insurance and different acceptance rules apply from those for a passenger car. If it is also used to tow a trailer, boat or horsebox, the claims picture shifts further still: coupling, manoeuvring and reversing account for most of the claims.
We put the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) details, the actual use and any modifications such as an LPG system to the insurers that accept this category in advance. That way you know before you take out the policy whether it really covers the towing use and the import. You can read about how the forms of cover are built up at car insurance and comprehensive cover.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others.
Required by law
As long as the registration is in your name
Suspend the registration when not in use
Third-party liability plus
Third-party, fire and theft
Causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft
Windscreen damage
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Own fault
Vandalism
Replacement-as-new period
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to the other party
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and mechanical defects
No
No
No
Driving without a valid licence
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Import: no price guide, so fix the value first
An imported RAM does not appear in the Dutch price guides. Insurers then work with a a valuation in advance or with the purchase invoice, and the replacement-value-as-new arrangement that applies to a car supplied in the Netherlands is often shortened or excluded altogether on an import. So when you get a quote, ask which basis of value will appear on your policy, and what will be paid on a total loss once the car is older than the period stated.
The commercial registration determines the form of policy
Many RAMs are registered as a commercial vehicle. That has consequences: the premium runs on the van rate, the insurer assumes commercial use and purely private use has to be recorded separately. If you insure a commercial vehicle as a passenger car after all, the description on the policy does not match the registration and the insurer can rely on that. Carriage for payment and hire to others are excluded under both forms.
The trailer, the towed unit and the load are three separate things
As long as the trailer is coupled to the RAM, the damage it causes to others falls under your third-party cover. That follows from Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). Damage to the trailer itself does not belong there, and neither does the cargo: horses, a boat or building materials are insured separately. A trailer that comes loose and causes damage further on is a recurring point of argument. Have it recorded how your policy deals with an uncoupled trailer.
An LPG system and add-ons must be declared
An LPG or gas system, side steps, a hardtop, a light bar or larger wheels change the risk. Under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code you are obliged to declare this at the outset and to report later changes. If that does not happen, the insurer may under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code reduce or refuse the payout. Accessories are moreover usually only insured up to a limit stated in the policy.
What does your premium depend on?
Registration category. Passenger car or commercial vehicle. That determines the rate and the acceptance rules.
Agreed value. On an import there is no list price. The valuation or purchase invoice takes its place as the basis.
Maximum permitted mass. Heavier versions fall outside a category B licence and outside the ordinary car rate.
LPG system. An LPG or gas system must be declared and counts with some insurers.
Towing use. How often and for what you tow a trailer or caravan, and what trailer weight.
Parts and repair time. Bodywork and mechanical parts come partly from the United States. That lengthens repairs and increases the cost of claims.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
That depends on the category on the registration document. If it says passenger car, ordinary car insurance is possible. If it says commercial vehicle, with most companies the RAM ends up on a van policy, even if you only drive it privately. Always give the registration number when you apply, so that the insurer applies the correct category and the matching rate.
Do I need a heavier licence for a RAM?
That depends on the permitted maximum mass on the registration document. If it stays within the limit for a category B licence, you may drive it. If it is above, you need a heavier category. Driving without the correct licence category is excluded under practically every car policy. The insurer does pay the other party, but then recovers that amount from you.
Is my trailer insured while it is behind the RAM?
The damage the coupled trailer causes to others falls under the RAM's third-party cover. Damage to the trailer itself does not: for that you need separate trailer insurance. What you carry is not covered either. If you carry horses, a boat or tools, insure that load separately from the car.
What happens if I have not declared the LPG system?
Then you have not complied with the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. When you claim, the insurer may assess whether it would also have accepted the car knowing that. Under Article 7:930 DCC it can reduce the payout proportionately or refuse it and cancel the policy. Declaring it costs a note on the policy; concealing it may cost the entire payout.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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