Hail Damage this weekend.... :(

[JJTX]

Anyone filed an insurance claim for hail damage recently? The threads I'm seeing are too old to use for much recent advice on the whole thing.

My main question for those who have filed hail damage repair claims, is how much damage they consider to be a -total- ?

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by JJTX

Anyone filed an insurance claim for hail damage recently? The threads I'm seeing are too old to use for much recent advice on the whole thing.

My main question for those who have filed hail damage repair claims, is how much damage they consider to be a -total- ?

Good question....we did not get hit south of Austin, but i always am concerned when those storms roll in...will be interesting to see some responses!

Was it real bad? Perhaps share pictures?

[JJTX]

The top is dented, front, left side. 4-5 Panels. Some of the dents are deep, some are not.

I hear rumors about them " healing " on their own. Weird things like that posted online and such.

So Curious on what others have encountered when having an adjuster look at it and decide if they will fix it or not etc.

We were in Blanco State park when it hit friday.

My truck roof/hood is damaged too.

[primepower]

I have had good luck removing dents from aluminum fridges but never tried it on an Airstream. The dent is never completely gone but I made it where it was barely noticeable. I use the heat gun and a can of compressed air upside down. Basically heat it up and then cool it down and as it retracts sometimes a dent pops out. However there is a slight discoloration that occurs also. I wouldn't try that on my camper whatsoever.

[gklott]

Originally Posted by JJTX

Anyone filed an insurance claim for hail damage recently? The threads I'm seeing are too old to use for much recent advice on the whole thing. My main question for those who have filed hail damage repair claims, is how much damage they consider to be a -total- ?

Hail damage totaled our AS in 2006. However, this link summarizes our claim experience. While 13 year old information, it shows how USAA settled with us. Insist that any repair facility estimate provide complete, factory-approved, and warrantied repairs.

We continue to renovate, enjoy, and travel in our "totaled" trailer.

73/gus

[ratch]

I was in the Black Hills of South Dakota, staying at the Rafter J Bar Ranch Park near Hill City in May of 2015. A hail storm came through overnight and even though there were trees it damaged many rigs there including mine.
My 23' 2010 Flying Cloud had damage along one side including the front and rear quarters and the area above the windows. There was also scattered damage elsewhere along the side. My F150 had hood and roof damage.
I called my insurance company, PEMCO, and they said to get back to them when I returned home. They covered it as a comprehensive claim with about $16,000 to repair the AS and another $6,500 for the F150. I paid $200 deductible for each.
If I had opted to replace the panel below the windows which had a few dings, the trailer would have been totaled as it would have pushed the repair cost too high, somewhere in the $24,000 area. Those weren't noticeable to the uninformed.
The AS work was done by the Seattle Airstream with an excellent result.

[Lumatic]

It does not take to much hail to total a trailer. The insurance company will probably offer 2 options a real totaled trailer and they get the trailer, or a settlement amount and a salvage title. I took the second option and am glad I did.

[Al and Missy]

The following is based on what I have read on here, not on actual experience, but I believe to to be correct.

What it will take to total your trailer depends on your policy. IF you do not have an "agreed value" policy then they will probably use the NADA Guide to determine the trailer's value. You may be able to negotiate this if you have an appraisal.

Typically if the repair estimate exceeds 80% of the trailer's value, the insurance company will total it. At that point you may have the option to purchase it back if you so desire. It may be sent to an auction, or you may be able to negotiate directly making an argument that the value of the damaged trailer is significantly less than your settlement due to what it will actually cost to repair it. In most cases you would then have a trailer with a salvage title and not be able to insure it unless you ran it through a rebuilder's shop.

Al

[ROBERT CROSS]

In '94 we were at JC for work...Lot was full of Airstreams covered with 'Bismarks'

"On the evening of July 1, a severe hail storm damaged virtually every trailer at the International rally with estimates of total damage about $8,000,000".
Vintage AS Bulletin.

Bob
🇺🇸

[JJTX]

Agent told me 75% is their threshold. It goes to the dealer tomorrow for their estimate, which is an Airstream dealer, so should be no issues with repairs there.

I hope they don't total it. Its going to be a big hassle for us. Maybe because its a 2018, the ratio will be low enough on it where they will just fix it.

I should know in two weeks or less according to the dealer.

We would likely not keep it if it was a total loss. We owe too much and need the note paid off and would just buy a new one again.

I have GAP insurance, as well.

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

In '94 we were at JC for work...Lot was full of Airstreams covered with 'Bismarks'

"On the evening of July 1, a severe hail storm damaged virtually every trailer at the International rally with estimates of total damage about $8,000,000".
Vintage AS Bulletin.

Bob
🇺🇸

Can you imagine the panel inventory crisis at JC?

We ran into a couple recently that were hailed on in Ft. Collins, CO. 3 months and $37,000 later they are back on the road. Ft. Collins is 22 miles north of Loveland.

[StreamNTyme]

We used dry ice to get some smaller hail dents out. Worked well. No change in color.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SilverWind

Can you imagine the panel inventory crisis at JC?

We ran into a couple recently that were hailed on in Ft. Collins, CO. 3 months and $37,000 later they are back on the road. Ft. Collins is 22 miles north of Loveland.

We also got hailed on last September in Greeley CO, no real damage, what dimples we did get the Arizona and California sun took care of later in the trip.👍

Bob
🇺🇸

[Life is a Highway]

Happy the sun helped you out!

Visiting Grandkids this fall in upstate NY we pulled in to a State Park late to be woken up by dive bombing hickory nuts. Back home I saw the slight dents on the upper rear radius panels. I’m wondering if i can be as lucky as you when we go out west this summer. Unit is under cover in Florida

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

We also got hailed on last September in Greeley CO, no real damage, what dimples we did get the Arizona and California sun took care of later in the trip.👍

Bob
🇺🇸

[JJTX]

I thought about the salvage title and buying it but, I had not considered the insurance angle. I won't tow anything I can't insure. There's just too much risk now-days. Plus if I finance it, the bank probably wouldnt give me a loan. Just too many things to go wrong there.

There are some very slight dents on the side that I may just let-go. You have to stand right next to the trailer on the opposite end to see them, if that puts us over a 'total' etc.

I"m curious about the roof as well because most of that is dented like a golfball. That whole panel would be replaced because its one-sheet.

Heres the top left side, as an example of the worst damage.

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

[Kalashnikov]

Wow, I had the same storm pass over and I'd rate it as a "nothingburger." Forecast said egg-sized hail and it was supposed to start at 5pm, ended up not arriving until 8pm and then we got some heavy rain. I should count my blessings...


Good luck OP! Interested to see how this turns out.

[AndyKeene]

On our way home (Bay Area in California, I know...) from Minnesota last July, 2019, we had breakfast in Gillette, Wyoming and headed west. Approximately 60-80 miles outside Gillette at about 6,000 feet we got hit with a strong storm which included marble sized hail. Included are some of the pictures of the damage to the AS (2017 27 ft Flying Cloud). We could not see the road and slid to a stop on the side of the Interstate and the hail beat the tow vehicle and the AS for about 4 minutes. Long story short, $27,000 in damage to the AS, mostly front cap area and about $2400 to the body of the 2014 Ram 3500. Windshield and hood replaced. I also lost one flexible solar panel on my 'solar generator' that lives on the top of my contractor shell. Progressive had an adjuster our to our house within a week and I had a check in hand within a week. Bay Area Airstream Adventures in Vallejo, CA, about 40 miles from our home had it repaired in a week. The adjuster told me that since the AS was so new and otherwise in great shape, there was never any consideration of totaling the rig.

The adjuster was extremely experienced with AS hail damage and did all his observation and picture taking from safely placed ladders to avoid any damage to the roof.

As an aside, I did watch the removal of 5 of the 7 panels that were replaced and watched the replacement and shaping of the rivets. I used to rivet aircraft wing panels on A4 fighters in my younger days at McDonald Aircraft and found that the two technicians that did the work were excellent. If a rivet came out looking rough or out of round, they took it out and replaced it. They invited me to inspect their work and they told me they would replace any and all rivets that I didn't feel looked right. I found none.

No leaks or seal damage here following some pretty hard rain storms.

Any questions please feel free to private message me.

[AndyKeene]

My photos didn't load because I included a video by mistake.

[JJTX]

One of the things I was hoping is, that because the trailer is so new, they wont total it. We'd rather not go through all the hassle of buying a new one again.

[Landshark]

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?