rgatijnet1 wrote:
Bruce Brown wrote:
rgatijnet1 wrote:
If I have an automobile and it catches on fire and burns down because of a factory defect, my insurance company will still pay for my repairs and then they will probably try to collect from the manufacturer.
I would expect the same thing to happen with this case. Insurance is supposed to get you BACK to where you were before an incident. It is not for you to make a profit but Progressive does not want to get you back to where you were.
Unless they can provide you with a WRITTEN maintenance requirement from Winnebago that shows that you did not follow the required maintenance schedule they do not have a valid reason for denial.
Progressive cannot expect all of the Winnebago owners to have access to the internet and read about such problems on a website. As a typical owner, you can only be expected to follow the owner's manual.
The issue is Winnie does have a WRITTEN maintenance procedure for the roof - unfortunately it seems some owners are unaware of this requirement.
Much like your home, you are required to maintain the roof to protect yourself against leaks. If you fail to seal around your vent pipes and it starts leaking, don't expect too much from the insurance company.
As an owner basic maintenance is required, and on these motorhomes the lack of maintenance is the out for both Winnie and the insurance company - and I'm sure both Winnie and Progressive are well aware of this issue. All either one needs to do is look around and point out all of those that didn't fail during the storm.
I don't agree with it, but I see where they're coming from. The issue here is more on Winnebago than Progressive IMO. And sure Progressive can pay then go after Winnie, I can promise you right now they'll get no where. All Winnie will do is say "lack of maintenance" - and they'll win every time.
The bottom line is it's a very poor roof design, and ultimately the customer pays the bill.
You did give some great links and they were very clear BUT, and this is the huge but, the OP's coach is a 1993. Here is the link for the owner's manual given to the buyers of 1993 Winnebago products. The roof is section 10-1. 1993 Sunrise It does say about checking sealants every six months, and it does say that you can get damaged interior panels, ceiling, etc, etc.
It DOES NOT say that the roof could peel off.
There are NO warnings about the roof, but there are warnings about using certain cleaning products on the interior.
The links you gave were indeed on the Winnebago website but they were both dated 7+ years after the OP's coach was made. Was there a recall of 1993 coaches? Did Winnebago send out a warning to all 1993 owners that their roof could blow off?
Did Progressive know about this defect on the 1993 coach and then still agreed to charge the customer for full coverage with no disclaimer about not covering the roof?
Is it the customer's responsibility to get all of their information from the internet regarding concerns that were apparent 7 years after the coach was built?
Lots of questions and I still feel that once Progressive took the customer's money, with no disclaimers, they are responsible to put the customer back to where he was before the storm. According to the OP, the adjuster did not even ask about any service records, etc.
First bold;
Of course they're not going to say the roof could blow off - just think of what that would open them up too???
Although not a safety issue (sort of), that would be akin to GM admitting the bad ignitions in their cars can cause their cars to stop and create a hazard. Sure they
know it but they'd sure never admit it. In GMs case people started to die, so it became a much bigger issue. In Winnies case they just turn a blind eye because the only big injuries are to the owners wallet.
Second bold;
And there is the rub, it's not really a "defect", it's just a REALLY poor design that Winnie passes off as a maintenance issue. As long as that roof stays on for 6 months all bets are off. Anything after that all they need to do is say "lack of maintenance". Really gives you the warm and fuzzies, doesn't it.
Third bold;
Sadly, yes. There is no way the dealer is ever going to say "by the way, there is a chance your roof will blow off", they'd never sell another Winnie product, ever. Same with Winnie, they can skirt around the issue and make all kinds of excuses, but they'll
NEVER come right out and say "without proper sealing your roof may blow off". The simple fact they rely on a tube of $10.00 sealant to help hold the roof on is a bit crazy.
Sure every roof needs to be sealed, I get it, but I can think of no other brand that has had this issue other than Winnie - none.
A few years back I did a complete rebuild of a cheap TT (
Camper Rehab ), with all it's other issues I can assure you the roof would NOT blow off in an 80 MPH wind. The fact that it can - and does - on these Class A's is pretty sad.
