My beautiful Airstream is gone, gone, gone.

[mhilley]

A month ago as my wife and I were travelling with our A/S a very large 18 wheeler bumped our trailer and put it into an oscillation which I was unable to control. It went over taking the tow vehicle with it. I had two anti-sway bars and a w/d hitch. My wife was uninjured but I had a broken vertabre in my back. I was in the hospital for 30 days! My question is "what was she worth?" It was a 20 ft 2006 Safari in immaculate condition. New tires, two new AGM batteries, brand new air conditioner, two newaluminum gas tanks, etc.. I think she was worth at least $25,000 but the insurance company says not. Here we go again! What do you think she was worth and how do I prove it?

[Bill M.]

Price a new one. Depreciate it over 25 or so years. Add on for any extras and the new stuff. Use as a starting point. Look at advertisements of trailers for sale. Remember that the smaller ones are more desirable on the used market. Maybe ask them to actually replace it rather than just writing the check?

[richinny]

when i had this problem with a car i simply asked the insurance company to find me a car in like condition for that price. they revised their estimate.

[idroba]

Originally Posted by richinny

when i had this problem with a car i simply asked the insurance company to find me a car in like condition for that price. they revised their estimate.

Excellent advice. Also go to an AS dealer and get a quote from them as to what the retail price of a similar AS on their lot would be. Pay them if necessary for the statement, and get it in writing. Send that to the insurance company. I did that and got full value from one which had been damaged by a sideswipe and the cost of repair was more than the value of the AS, and the dealer put it in writing for free.

[blmitch5]

Here is one that sold.

2006 Airstream Safari For Sale | Vintage Airstream Classifieds

2007 Airstream Safari Se 20' - Oatmeal, Lakewood NJ - 100771752 - RVTraderonline.com=&

2006 Airstream Safari , Travel Trailers RV For Sale By Owner in Santa monica, California | RVT.com - 116493


Says 2007 but in smaller print its an 06
Airstream 2007 Safari 20' Bambi - Airstream Trailer Classifieds - Airstreams Trailers For Sale

2006 Airstream Safari , Travel Trailers RV For Sale By Owner in Santa monica, California | RVT.com - 116493

Almost all of these are sold (but one) and were higher than your $25,000. Maybe call an Airstream dealer and ask them to give you a price. Maybe get some pics of your unit and send them along so they can see the condition. It will be hard to replace but I'm glad your both ok.

[zlee]

I don't have anything to add to what the above folks said (good advice, all of it), but mainly want to express also that I'm glad you're okay, and I hope your back is healed up! Scary stuff.

[Splitrock]

This is where they talk to my attorney and I register a complaint with the insurance commission.

[Zia]

I trade in my 20' 2006 Safari for $20K with solar charger, 22' TV with built-in DVD and an inverter, new tires, batteries. The dealer told me he is going make good prifit due its desirable size. I was able to get a very good deal on 23' FB Serenity
Sorry hear about your loss, luckily you both are OK it could be worse.
Good luck

[DKB_SATX]

Whose insurance company says it's not worth that? Yours, or the trucking company's insurance?

I say Bill M has a good idea at least for a starting point... tell them if they can find a comparable trailer to yours in mint condition you'll consider taking it (and subject it to the same rigorous inspection you'd perform on any used unit.)

[handn]

From the sound of your post, the accident was not your fault, was it?
If the 18 wheeler hit you, 30 days in the hospital and a broken back represent a significant tort claim. Usually spinal fractures result in some disability.
A smashed up Airstream is a small part of your damage.
You need good legal advice. The place to get it is not off of a billboard or television add but from referrals. Start with your family attorney and possibly your doctor.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by richinny

when i had this problem with a car i simply asked the insurance company to find me a car in like condition for that price. they revised their estimate.

Ditto.

[Morgan guy]

The insurance companies use an average used price for all trailers, not just Airstream, as their starting point. They don't or don't want to consider that Airstreams are worth more than other trailers.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by richinny

when i had this problem with a car i simply asked the insurance company to find me a car in like condition for that price. they revised their estimate.

Yep, that's what you gotta do.

[ole-red]

Just went thru the same seniro with my 2002 Bambi.....Estimate to fix the baby was just over $10,000. Insurance company and I went around and round for over a month....I did what most of the replies above said....First I ask them just to find me one of the same quality.....and purchase it....Then I put the Adjuster on to the Classified ads......To show him the book value can't be used on these like an automobile...I then went directly to the top management of the adjusters office......I talked to him for about 20 minutes and followed up with an e-mail stating I was turning it over to my Attorney, which by the next morning I had received a go ahead to have the repairs done.......So all the current advice wrapped up together will work to your advantage.....Hope this helped !!! Just keep hammering on um......

Ole-red

[Beer Snob]

Originally Posted by mhilley

A month ago as my wife and I were travelling with our A/S a very large 18 wheeler bumped our trailer and put it into an oscillation which I was unable to control. It went over taking the tow vehicle with it. I had two anti-sway bars and a w/d hitch. My wife was uninjured but I had a broken vertabre in my back. I was in the hospital for 30 days! My question is "what was she worth?" It was a 20 ft 2006 Safari in immaculate condition. New tires, two new AGM batteries, brand new air conditioner, two newaluminum gas tanks, etc.. I think she was worth at least $25,000 but the insurance company says not. Here we go again! What do you think she was worth and how do I prove it?

Oh man...I'm so sorry. But I may be able to help a bit. We bought a used 2006 safari in superb condition in July of 2009 from Colonial in new Jersey.
As I recall we paid right about 25k. I'll dig out the paperwork if it will help you.

Hit me offline at wheelsucker@hotmail.com if you want more details.

[TBRich]

So sorry to hear about this...we are glad you are on the mend, Mike, and that Jan was not hurt...stick to your guns with the insurance claim, and use comparables to determine the value with them. It should be the responsibility of the trucker's insurance company and they will be harder to get to come around than your own, but you might get your own insurance company involved to help out...

Keep the faith!

[mhilley]

Forgot to mention that truck never stopped! Try to find him but 30 days had expired before I was out of hospital. Are already looking for our next A/S!

[overlander64]

Greetings mhilley!

Originally Posted by mhilley

Forgot to mention that truck never stopped! Try to find him but 30 days had expired before I was out of hospital. Are already looking for our next A/S!

So good to hear that your recovery is progressing well, and that you will be continuing to Airstream!

I was hoping that your encounter wasn't with a rogue trucker. It seems that I am seeing more erratically driven semis every time that I travel the Interstate near my home. My closest encounter was last winter while driving my car at night when a rouge trucker passed myself and the car ahead of me (we were traveling the speed limit) -- immediately upon pulling into the lane ahead of us, he turned on several high candle power rear facing lights in an attempt to blind the drivers behind him . . . we were very fortunate that no accident resulted but it was a scare just the same. I am to the point that I start looking for escape routes whenever I see a semi looming in my rear view mirror.

I hope that your recovery is complete and speed; and that you will be out enjoying Airstreaming in a very short period of time!

Kevin

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by overlander64

he turned on several high candle power rear facing lights in an attempt to blind the drivers behind him . . . we were very fortunate that no accident resulted but it was a scare just the same. I am to the point that I start looking for escape routes whenever I see a semi looming in my rear view mirror.

He might have been giving you a "thanks" if you blinked your lights when he came past, and spaced turning them off. We travel all the time, and believe me, the 18 wheelers are 99% courtesy, as we are blinking the high beams when they come flying by.

[overlander64]

Greetings Mike Leary!

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

He might have been giving you a "thanks" if you blinked your lights when he came past, and spaced turning them off. We travel all the time, and believe me, the 18 wheelers are 99% courtesy, as we are blinking the high beams when they come flying by.

I wish that I could believe that it was an oversight, but it was obviously meant as a threat. He braked as soon as he pulled in front of the car ahead of me (about 4 car lengths) then turned the lights on . . . leaving them on for more than 2 miles. When he passed me, he was traveling at least 15 to 20 MPH faster than I placing him more than 15 MPH over the speed limit. When he had slowed to 50 MPH, he immediately sped away and turned his lights off (including his tail lights). Just wish that I had thought to call five miles ahead to the State Police weigh station to report the incident -- I was at my exit and was quite relieved to leave the Interstate. In the past ten years, I (or my family) have had four encounters with rouge truckers (three in this same vicinity) -- fortunately, only one resulted in an accident (property damage only, my mother and her sister wer uninjured, but her nearly new car was totaled).

Kevin

P.S.: Three of these four incidents happened within five miles of the Interstate 57 and Interstate 24 interchange in Southern Illinois. Each incident was late at night (after 11:00 PM). The incident that I related began about 5 miles South of the interchange while we were traveling North. One of the arguments for dropping Illinois' 10 MPH reduction in speed limits for heavy trucks and vehicles towing trailers was that it would decrease the likelihood of incidents such as this, but I am not convinced . . . this last occurrence was several months after the speed limit change.