RV Totaled

[stargirl96]

Just found out that insurance co. will total our 5'er due to major damage suffered from an encounter with a pot hole. (Okla. roads are terrible!) How will they come up with amount we'll receive? NADA guide values? If so, is it low or average retail value? What happens to our 5'er after being totaled?

[newk]

We once had a 6-year-old Porsche that was totaled (rear-ended). It only had 20K on it, and the insurance company said they were being generous in allowing us high retail price and adding the X-cents per mile for low mileage. I told them that the amount for the low mileage wasn't enough and if they wanted to settle for that amount they could find me one with the same mileage. They said they couldn't find one that year with the same mileage so I said fine, just find me any year with that mileage that's in the same condition.

I was in no hurry as we had other cars to use. They finally settled for a few grand more and I was able to find one 3 years newer with only a few more miles on it but tricked out better.

I think what helped me was that I was persistent but in no hurry to settle. And I had a reasonable argument for wanting more. I was dealing with my own insurance company, as the guy who rear-ended us had no insurance.

[liberty2010]

Do all the 'shopping ' you can, in your area, to see what it wil cost to replace the trailer with a like unit. Keep copies of all those ads. I once had to do this on a childs auto after hit was hit by a high risk driver. They had done the same exersize only they used KansasCity and we were in Wichita. to the folks making te offer both cities were the same. I guess from Wis. they may look close. the diff. was significant. Hang in there and only accept the first offer if it fills your req.

[Robin1953]

htowners wrote:
Stargirl96,
Please ignore the peanut gallery comments, they are intended to start the same old drivel of inflammatory comments.
I hope everything works out, hopefully you have an agent you can turn to that will fight for you.
That's all...

You make a very good point about the agent. I had a State Farm agent that went to bat for me over a claim and the company caved. I had another State Farm agent that sided with the company against me on a claim and I got next to nothing out of it. Two dissimilar claims but I did note the vast difference in the agents in helping me with the claims.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

wandering1 wrote:
Why don't you ask your insurance company?

Ahhhh - the beauty of being a naive wanderer!.:R

ROTFL ! - (Eventually) they will *TELL* him - which very often is lo-ball.

Like a Boy Scout, it sure doesn't hurt to be prepared - for "BOHICA"..:W

~

[Spyksman]

Atom Ant wrote:

stro1965 wrote:
I pulled my TT north to south though Oklahoma 3 years ago. Never again! Worst roads for the longest stretches I've ever traveled!

X3
We towed our new one home from TX through Oklahoma and Kansas given some advice of others. Between the terrible OK roads and Kansas cross winds, I'm surprised we made it home.

Thanks I am going there next month to see my daughter and grandkids. Did that rip out the axels or what?

[RollandB]

X2 with most of what stripit said. Knowledge is power so do your homework, printout NADA values, search for similar 5ers as yours. You probably have ACV (actual cash value) coverage which means they owe you what it would cost to go but the same similar year, make and model. If you have done your homework before the adjuster gives you the loss settlement, you will know right from wrong. If I was given a low number I would simply ask where they found one for that price. Sorry for your loss and good luck!

[htowners]

stargirl96 wrote:
Thank you all for your replies. Yes, it was a Lippert frame. The unit is a 2004 Starcraft & we had it 2 1/2 years. I don't think we have replacement cost. I would be satisfied to get average NADA retail value. Is it customary to have to haggle back and forth with the insurance company?

Stargirl96,
Please ignore the peanut gallery comments, they are intended to start the same old drivel of inflammatory comments.
I hope everything works out, hopefully you have an agent you can turn to that will fight for you.
That's all...

[zedd]

stargirl96 wrote:
... I would be satisfied to get average NADA retail value. ...

More likely it'll be wholesale value.

OTOH, you might be surprised. We had a car totaled a few years ago and the insurance paid us a couple hundred more than what we could get an identical replacement for.

See what they offer and go from there.

[Etstorm]

cabanaman wrote:
Not good news. Fight them for the most you can get. Just drove down I40 and I35 and was not very impressed with the roads.

I drove I-40 just west of OKC the other day (truck only, no trailer) and could honestly not talk on my hands free phone I was bouncing so much.

Heck, rides at 6 Flags don't bounce you up and down that much.

[Atom_Ant]

stro1965 wrote:
I pulled my TT north to south though Oklahoma 3 years ago. Never again! Worst roads for the longest stretches I've ever traveled!

X3
We towed our new one home from TX through Oklahoma and Kansas given some advice of others. Between the terrible OK roads and Kansas cross winds, I'm surprised we made it home.

[stro1965]

I pulled my TT north to south though Oklahoma 3 years ago. Never again! Worst roads for the longest stretches I've ever traveled!

[Dtaylor]

A lot of time they look for like make and model and go with area market value. So, if your model can be had in the market you live for $5000, that's what they will give you. If you have a lien, the lien gets paid first, then you. If you do not think what they are offering, DO NOT ACCEPT their offer.

[crabbin_cabin]

RoyB wrote:
The worse thing that happens is the payoff won't be as much as you owe on it and you cant get around that. Now you are paying for something you don't have to use and that isn't a fun idea.

You can most likely purchase the trailer back at a small cost and maybe you can fix it up and get back on the road that way. It will however have a "TOTALED" title from then on... Some finance companies like STATE FARM and others offer full pay-off insurance for cases like this called "GAP INSURANCE"... kinda neat to have if your RV Trailer gets totaled...

just my thoughts
Roy Ken

Quite a presumption on your part! You do NOT know how much the OP owes, if anything, on his unit!

[Newblue]

In 2009 we had a tree fall on our 30' Prowler TT. Just poked a small hole in the rubber membrane roof. Insurance company told us to take it to a repair shop and get an estimate. They said the repair would be $3000. The insurance company said they would pay $2800 for the repair or $5900 to total the camper. It had delam. issues so we said take that turd! We only paid $6200 for it and used it for two years. On a side note, the insurance company sent a transport company to haul it to auction. I was sick and at home the day they came and picked it up. I could see the trailer from the couch and one of the guys looked in the trailer to check things out and when he stepped back out, he held the door open and peed in my driveway!