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Jamie.berry · 03-03-2017, 01:49 PM

Wednesday night we lost our 1967 trade wind 24 foot travel trailer in our barn fire. We of course had it insured but the insurance company gathers three market prices and provided us with the median one. This saddness me as we completely remodeled the inside. How do I go about getting the total worth of our trailer? Any suggestions?

AWCHIEF · 03-03-2017, 02:06 PM

Welcome and sorry for your loss. You need "agreed value" insurance to get what you think it is worth on today's market. Otherwise insurance companies can write you a check for what ever number they come up with for a vintage trailer.

Jamie.berry · 03-03-2017, 02:20 PM

What is a "agreed value" . By the sounds of your post I don't have much say.

Wconley · 03-03-2017, 03:18 PM

It's possible to get a higher from your insurance company if you have independent assessments of the condition of your Airstream. It's especially true if a local business can attest to the condition and value. If you have pictures showing the condition, use these against pictures of their "median" example. Can you demonstrate that yours should be valued higher? The insurance carrier is not in the business to make this easy so be professional, be curteous but be persistent in presenting your case. Good luck.

AWCHIEF · 03-03-2017, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie.berry

What is a "agreed value" . By the sounds of your post I don't have much say.

When you write a new policy you and the insurer agree to the value of the trailer. I had such a policy thru Foremost for my 1964 Bambi II.

Jewel65 · 03-03-2017, 03:35 PM

"Agreed Value" insurance is not typical RV or automobile insurance. It is provided by some insurance companies for vintage vehicles and in this case RVs. It usually involves having a professional appraisal done before the insurance is offered. This appraisal establishes an estimate of vehicle worth with proof of fair market value of similar trailers. You typically provide pictures and receipts of the work done to the appraiser. They will provide you with a multipage booklet with photos and text proving the value they assess. That booklet will be what you provide to the insurance company to establish "agreed value".

Sorry for your loss and hope you can negotiate as much as you can from your insurance company!

mayco · 03-03-2017, 03:40 PM

I have Progressive as my insurance carrier and recently updated my policy. I wanted to set and pay for an "agreed value" that was more reflective of fair market and money invested. My agent told me that we can set the agreed value at any amount that I choose and it will be reflected in the premiums I pay. In addition he told me to have as much documentation as possible to justify the new agreed value number should we experience a total loss situation. I have receipts for nearly everything that been done to my rig along with a log with dates of when each improvement was made. I also chose to get a professional appraisal of my rig. I used James Polk LLC out of California even though I live in Illinois. It was done with pictures and narrative of major improvements. From my research I found that Mr Polk is a well respected appraiser for Airstreams and is also an owner and member of the forums here. He provided a very professional document and I was quite pleased with his work. I passed this along to my Progressive agent and settled on an acceptable agreed value. I believe the money spent for the appraisal was well worth it for peace of mind and a PROFESSIONAL ASSESMENT of my rigs value. I recommend him without hesitation. Good luck.

Mike