Hail Damage this weekend.... :(

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

I'm so sorry that you-all have had such bad things happen to your beloved Airstreams! You terrify me to take out my beautifully restored, mirror-polished '67 Caravel when I get it next summer.

Does anyone have experience with adjusting hail damage to a vintage trailer? The new/newer coaches would not be a serious problem, I can see, but do the adjusters just see the vintage year, depreciate it to nothing, and walk away?

I had appraisals done by Jim Polk at Polk Valuations, and purchased agreed value replacement policies from Foremost (Farmers Insurance) on both my 68 Caravel and 2017 International. I always avoid travel in certain Rocky Mountain and Southwest states in early summer (hail season).

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

I'm so sorry that you-all have had such bad things happen to your beloved Airstreams! You terrify me to take out my beautifully restored, mirror-polished '67 Caravel when I get it next summer.

Does anyone have experience with adjusting hail damage to a vintage trailer? The new/newer coaches would not be a serious problem, I can see, but do the adjusters just see the vintage year, depreciate it to nothing, and walk away?

It all depends on your insurance carrier, and as the previous poster said, what is in writing and agreed upon in writing for that trailer, its value, and appraised value in the market, plus what damgage occurs and what it costs to fix it.

Its a big number game.

[azflycaster]

That is why you need to have your trailer insured for an agreed value. It will take an aprasial and some shopping around, but if disaster strikes it will be well worth it.

Originally Posted by Cerberus

I'm so sorry that you-all have had such bad things happen to your beloved Airstreams! You terrify me to take out my beautifully restored, mirror-polished '67 Caravel when I get it next summer.

Does anyone have experience with adjusting hail damage to a vintage trailer? The new/newer coaches would not be a serious problem, I can see, but do the adjusters just see the vintage year, depreciate it to nothing, and walk away?

[wbrisett]

Originally Posted by JJTX

It all depends on your insurance carrier, and as the previous poster said, what is in writing and agreed upon in writing for that trailer, its value, and appraised value in the market, plus what damgage occurs and what it costs to fix it.

Its a big number game.

I take it you haven't seen what CC is saying at this point in terms of dollars? (they are terrible when it comes to trying to get in for simple things, I wouldn't want to have to do much service work with them on any type of regular basis... not because they do poor work, but just because of the scheduling nightmare).

[mimiandrews]

'seems' to be the sun really does make some of the dents work themselves out and thats not just......

Old airplane mechanic's trick...
Leave the trailer, or airplane, out in the hot summer sun until it's as hot as it can get, then touch each dent with dry ice (using gloves, of course). Works, sometimes for dents that aren't too severe and don't show a crease in the metal.

You terrify me to take out my beautifully restored, mirror-polished '67 Caravel when I get it next summer.

You have to sit down and make a tough decision.....
Did I buy this trailer to travel, or did I buy it to keep in a museum? While I would totally hate to have my beloved 1966 Safari damaged, I decided that museums are no fun, when compared to camping.

[JJTX]

Repair estimate ; $43,000

[Kalashnikov]

Originally Posted by JJTX

Repair estimate ; $43,000

D*mn!

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by Kalashnikov

D*mn!

This came to mind as well

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by JJTX

Repair estimate ; $43,000

Wow! Your insurance covers $32,250(75%) or will the GAP pick up the difference?? Wife says, if the insurance company will send you a check, "go for it, and use the AS as is"...(women are so logical)

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Wow! Your insurance covers $32,250(75%) or will the GAP pick up the difference?? Wife says, if the insurance company will send you a check, "go for it, and use the AS as is"...(women are so logical)

Its not possible. I have a loan with a 62K balance.

Tell her that and see what she says =)

I have to pay off the loan.

[MAJORJDB]

If it was me, I would call the lender, explain the situation. They might let you take out a personal loan for the difference of what you owe and the insurance settlement (if totaled). If you get the trailer back with a salvage title you should be able to get liability insurance so you could register and tow it. Not a great solution, but you could still go camping and have a "war" story to tell. Good luck... Jim

[wbrisett]

Based on the threshold I'm going to assume it's not totaled? (Sorry you're having to deal with this. We didn't get hit in the NE part of town).

One thing I can say, once an insurance company commits to fixing it, they fix it even if they find damage later. Several years back, I crashed my new BMW motorcycle. Progressive took the dealer quote, approved it for repair, but as the dealership started digging into it, they found more damage. By the time everything was replaced, the repair cost was nearly 90% what I paid for it new and they didn't have to replace the main frame or touch anything but the engine covers on the boxer engine. I was shocked that they continued to A: Find stuff that needed replacing, and B: the insurance company approved it.

Good luck!

[jcanavera]

I know one of the reasons I took my policy out with Progressive when the trailer was new was the guaranteed value clause of the original purchase price for the trailer once we passed year 5 of ownership. I've always assumed that if I was caught in hail, that 70K figure would give me a better chance of my trailer being repaired as it aged. Whether I'll collect someday in the future is a spin of the wheel! We are in year 18 of ownership and thankfully we have stayed hail free.

In my first year of ownership I was stored outside and a storm came through. Two miles to the south my neighbor's son's travel trailer also in an outside storage lot was bombed by a very localized hail burst. In that storm, his awning and anything mounted on the roof was battered and truly broken. Vent covers, air conditioner shrouds, skylights. All battered and broken. Many dents on the side walls of the trailer. I can't get over how close we came to that hail, but the lot I was in never caught the fury of that specific cell. Beginning year 3 I found indoor storage, and have slept well ever since.

Jack

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by MAJORJDB

If it was me, I would call the lender, explain the situation. They might let you take out a personal loan for the difference of what you owe and the insurance settlement (if totaled). If you get the trailer back with a salvage title you should be able to get liability insurance so you could register and tow it. Not a great solution, but you could still go camping and have a "war" story to tell. Good luck... Jim

=D I think what your saying is possible. But I can't get insurance on a salvage title. So, I would have a 20K loan or more, with interest, on a vehicle I can't get insurance on. Its just not a smart financial risk. If I get creamed by someone without insurance ( I live in TX ) I would have no recourse, and a 20K bill, still. My truck insurance would cover basic liability already. TX does not require separate insurance for towed vehicles. But this won't fix a busted trailer =D

We won't be doing that. We'll pay off the note and get a new one next fall, if it goes that way.

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by wbrisett

Based on the threshold I'm going to assume it's not totaled? (Sorry you're having to deal with this. We didn't get hit in the NE part of town).

One thing I can say, once an insurance company commits to fixing it, they fix it even if they find damage later. Several years back, I crashed my new BMW motorcycle. Progressive took the dealer quote, approved it for repair, but as the dealership started digging into it, they found more damage. By the time everything was replaced, the repair cost was nearly 90% what I paid for it new and they didn't have to replace the main frame or touch anything but the engine covers on the boxer engine. I was shocked that they continued to A: Find stuff that needed replacing, and B: the insurance company approved it.

Good luck!

We don't know yet. It's still not been determined yet as it's only been about a week, and the adjuster still needs to have it appraised.

You got a pretty good deal there on the BMW. But I bet because they agreed to pay the claim, they have to keep paying when something else is found later on. Its probably in the contract.

I have gap insurance to make up the difference between the payoff and what I Actually owe, too.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by SilverWind

I had appraisals done by Jim Polk at Polk Valuations, and purchased agreed value replacement policies from Foremost (Farmers Insurance) on both my 68 Caravel and 2017 International. I always avoid travel in certain Rocky Mountain and Southwest states in early summer (hail season).

I'm aware of Jim Polk and plan to have him visit my trailer in SoCal for an appraisal before I pick it up. I'm waiting to hear from my Farm Bureau Insurance agent as to 1) whether the underwriters will even consider insuring my Caravel, and 2) if so, what they need in order to give me an agreed value on the insurance.

I will store it in my carport when not on the road, so it will be OK at home. I just hate the thought of being caught out on some road or in a campsite when the hail thunders in. Has anyone ever outrun hail if on the road?

Vivian

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by JJTX

Repair estimate ; $43,000

That's incredible; I'm so sorry this happened to your coach.

Vivian

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

That's incredible; I'm so sorry this happened to your coach.

Vivian

If that 43K holds, it will probably be totaled. I think a 2018 19CB is worth about 50K.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by mimiandrews

[I]You have to sit down and make a tough decision.....Did I buy this trailer to travel, or did I buy it to keep in a museum? While I would totally hate to have my beloved 1966 Safari damaged, I decided that museums are no fun, when compared to camping.

Not tough at all: camping, hands down!

Can't wait to get out in it. After a divorce forced the sale of my 6 vintage A'Ss, I thought I would never be able to be an Airstreamer again, but a friend found the Caravel for me and I am more than ready to hit the road again!

[Foiled Again]

I financed my Airstream and my current truck... and paid both off early. Using OPM (other people's money) is always tempting... until you can't pay off the loan because the collateral has been damaged, destroyed or stolen.

The old joke is that a bank will gladly lend you money... once you prove you don't need it. Truthfully, that is about the only time you should want to borrow it! I rolled a paid for Airstream years ago. Irked me awfully to have to come up with $18K to pay the balance on a new one.

The next year of living like Scrooge to rebuild my reserve of cash was not all that miserable, and the END was never 5 or 10 or 12 years down the road.

Don't gamble what you cannot afford to lose - always good advice.

If you have Champagne tastes on a beer budget, drink beer, or drink water and save up for champagne. You CAN be perfectly happy with an A-frame camper or a popup while rebuilding the financial kitty. Do not get discouraged. (And next time plan in $1000 for a quick deploying blow up tent/shelter for the Airstream.)