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Charlieh66's avatar
Charlieh66
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2025

Problems with progressive insurance on motorhome

My motorhome was struck by lighting in May of 2024. it has been to and still is at a repair shop. I have traveled several times to pick it up, which is a three hour round trip, and every time it either would not start or not pull itself. It went to a camper place in October of 2024 and they said the house side was good to go. It was towed to another mechanic shop for more repairs. When it was towed from my place, it was winterized and the first camper repair place said the house side of it was ok. After it was supposedly fixed again in early 2025, it went to another camper repair shop that said they had bad news. They said the hot water tank, water pump, washer and all the faucets were busted. Progressive says they are not responsible for any winterization issues and will not pay for this. I have not had this coach since May of 2024. The coach still would not run so they want it back to the truck center for more repairs. It is now September 2025 and I was called saying the coach is done. I make the long journey once again to pick it up and the first thing was the door was unlocked. I start it and the check engine light was on. I walked  around it and found one of the storage door handles broken and missing. On the i inside the toilet lid is broken off and when trying the a/c,  it was blowing out  warm air. I never moved it out of its tracksand I took the keys back in to the truck center and told them all this. The next day progressive called  and said that when they programmed the new ECM, they programmed it one way and they should have programmed it a different way is what they told me . They also said the compressor clutch is locked up and that is not their  problem (the a/c compressor, drier and or fluke tube was all replaced and had been working before this). Every time they say it is fixed, something else electric goes out. 
Now I will be out about four thousand dollars to fix the water issues, and another thousand or so to fix the a/c, because progressive is refusing to pay for these issues. It has not been in our possession since May of 2024.  
Any help with what to do to get this thing fixed.

Sorry so long just don’t know what to do.

thanks

Charles Harner

southern illinois

10 Replies

  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator II
    Sep 26, 2025

    Sounds like you have issues with both and omg what a nightmare. I feel bad just hearing about it. 
    First, the insurance company is correct, they are not responsible for anything but damage caused by the accident. It’s actually hard to believe a lightning strike didn’t total it. It happens more than you might think, I think. Have a buddy who’s boat and then camper were struck by lightning separate incidents. Both were a total loss due to the inability to estimate with certainty all the electrical damage. 

    Any damage by the repair shops is your issue (winterization, broken stuff) although if you used an insurance company authorized shop as most companies recommend or require, then make Progressive fight for this as well. 

    As for the specifics with the AC, that could go either way. You don’t say if it was replaced under insurance or a prior repair you did. 
    I don’t often recommend this but this is/may be worth a lawyer. And/or your own research about time limits and valuation limits for insurance repairs. 
    Best of luck, sorry to hear you’re getting screwed on this. 

    • Charlieh66's avatar
      Charlieh66
      Explorer II
      Sep 27, 2025

      Yes the insurance is the one who picked the shop. Was dealing with my wife’s mother in medical issues in the middle of this and the claim rep handled getting it to a repair shop. We have nothing close to where we live that would work on it. The a/c compressor and drier was replaced in 2023 before we left for a trip to Niagara Falls. It has been to four different places to be worked on so who would I go after?

      • Grit_dog's avatar
        Grit_dog
        Navigator II
        Sep 27, 2025

        Dang….well the AC, while a previous repair, from the insurance company standpoint should been assumed to be operational before the lightning strike and the compressor clutch is triggered electrically and it’s an electric motor so completely plausible that lightning damaged it. 
        The good news (not that everything you’ve been through hasn’t thoroughly sucked) is that Progressive picked all 4 shops and managed the whole thing. That makes your issue 100% with Progressive regardless of how bad the shops have been. 
        I personally wouldn’t engage with the shop(s), first to not convolute the issue and potentially have insurance say you directed something. 
        while some say Progressive is good (we had no issues with minor claims w them in the past) and some say they’re bad, the fact is ALL insurance companies are for profit organizations and their goal is to minimize their costs to cover your issue only to the bare minimum you were insured for. AND they are or can be shady. ALL of them. Not debatable. I have many examples. Some folks have none. You now have at least one. 
        IDK, I would keep running this up the flagpole at Progressive. Know your policy inside and out because they do. If you can’t decipher find someone who can or a lawyer. Are there repair timelines, loss of use compensation, find the valuation metrics for repair vs total. 
        What I suspect is now Progressive has a mess because of incompetent shops. Evidence by now at the 4th shop.

        They also may now have paid out as much or more than it would have been to total it. (Total unknown as you haven’t described the damage and all work done to date but it doesn’t matter. Not your problem that’s why you have insurance.)

        As bad as it is, if everything you said is correct you only have 1 issue and that’s your insurance carrier fcking it up. Stay on them. They WILL do whatever they can to not help you in the resolution. And at this point, they’re not going to want to incur double the cost IE everything they spent to date AND totaling your rig. 

        But remember this is one little claim out of probably 1000s per day for them.  They have the ability to close this out and make it go away. And the easy button is paying you out for a total loss and closing the books. 

        Honestly it sounds like lawyer time. But I’d try to do my own research first to know what basis you’re using. Saves legal $ and helps you be as informed of a client as possible. 
        Good luck!

  • bid_time's avatar
    bid_time
    Nomad III
    Sep 26, 2025

    The way I see it, your problem isn’t with the insurance company, your problem is with the repair shops. How did you choose the repair shops and why did you go to repair shops so far from home?

    • Charlieh66's avatar
      Charlieh66
      Explorer II
      Sep 27, 2025

      No shop close to us would work on it. We was dealing with the wife’s mother medical issue in the middle of this and the claim rep had the coach moved from place to place. Four different places so who do I get to blame for the broken things.

    • way2roll's avatar
      way2roll
      Trailblazer
      Sep 26, 2025

      Agreed. Your issue is with the shops. Insurance did what they were supposed to do and they are not your attorney. Not sure why the repair shops are so far away but I would have been more "eyes on" and engaged to ensure things are done correctly. 

      • Charlieh66's avatar
        Charlieh66
        Explorer II
        Sep 27, 2025

        We have no shop close to us that would work on it. We was dealing with the wife’s mother medical issues and the claim rep had it moved. Four different shops who would be the one at fault? Who do I go after?

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