Reward for Stolen 1999 27' Airstream Safari

[53flyingcloud]

rjreed
Wishing you well in the recovery of your stolen unit.
Here I was thinking, for the last several yrs, "Our unit is safe and sound because of it's stored location." Your loss puts a whole new light on matters.
I'm gonna look into the lojack idea..That could be the cheapest price for peace of mind..by far..
We'll keep an eye out in the NE area for you..
Since the factory doesn't keep or maintain a list, maybe we could get "WBCCI" to keep a running list in each magazine issue, at least until the unit is recovered~!!..
ciao

[luckydc]

Regarding NADA values and insurance, one of the reason I am chosing Foremost to insurance my Bambi is because of their replacement cost coverage. For the first 10 years, if anything happens, they will replace it with a new one, no matter how much the cost of a new one has increased.

When I was shopping used AS, lenders would only lend against the NADA value which was WAY below what units were selling like hotcakes for.

Too much insurance is better than not enough!

[jcanavera]

Paul,

You might want to recheck that. I had the same coverage with Foremost and it was total replacement for the first 5 years. Years 6-10 was the original cost of the trailer. Have they recently changed that policy???

Jack

[Stefrobrts]

Doesn't anyone offer declaired value insurance on trailers? I'd be happy to pay more knowing they'd actually cover my trailer enough to fix or replace it if anything happened to it. I have State Farm, and their only saving grace is that all of our insurance is through them, so if the time comes that they have to pay up, they'll have to make us happy or they'll be losing a lot of business. I hope we never have to find out!

[nellie the elephant]

It's nice to believe that this is how they would operate, but State Farm, Farmers, or any of the big insurance players would drop you or me like a hot potatoe to make thier bottom line numbers work. I have rarely had good experiences collecting claims from insurance companies, but mostly bad. I had Farmers drop me over a stolen vehicle, and I ended up paying the loan off myself...after getting the car back totally stripped.

Truth is, aside from corporate scum, there are some really horrible people out there. The more desperate times become with the economy the way it is, and unemployment up...the more desperate acts of crime we will see. Opportunist of this nature will be looking everywhere, including your trash cans, (to steal you indentity). Paranoia is not a way to live, but preventative measures can help a little.

I think when it comes to stealing an Airstream trailer, the only good punishment I can think up...is a good old fashioned linching by the forum members!

[85MH325]

Originally posted by Stefrobrts
Doesn't anyone offer declaired value insurance on trailers? I'd be happy to pay more knowing they'd actually cover my trailer enough to fix or replace it if anything happened to it. I have State Farm, and their only saving grace is that all of our insurance is through them, so if the time comes that they have to pay up, they'll have to make us happy or they'll be losing a lot of business. I hope we never have to find out!

Steph... I don't think you'll find anyone who does declared value, but if you want your "Classic" trailer insured for it's current value, you'll need to have an appraisal done, just like for a "Classic" car.

A few years ago, when I had the '61 Bambi insured, I declared the value at $6,000, and since there was no one within a hundred miles who could properly appraise it, I submitted a number of for sale ads for '61 to '63 Bambis that supported the $6,000 as a legitimate market value. My insurance company accepted that as proof of value.

Check with your agent and see what your carrier requires.

Roger

[KIMILI]

LoJack is definetly an extra safety device. It can't be the only one.
The system they sell for trailers is the same they use for 18wheelers (by the way I posted a super lojack/Amex offer not too long ago). It does not sound an alarm and unless you notice your AS has been removed the system will not tell you!
Once you realize you call the authorities and Lojack and they turn the system on.
This is great for larger trailers. Smaller ones can be put on an 18wheeler and that metal box could disturb the satellite signal.

Different companies make motion alarms for rigs which can be used on our AS. They're quite expensive. Also if you mount one of these loud alarms on, you better make sure you park it close by or if it starts ringing and you're not there, some frustrated neighbour may attack it, to shut it off.

It's really tough to be ahead of these thieves!

[Porky Pig]

Instead of the LoJack .. take a look at this ....

Python GPS Tracking System

[thenewkid64]

Porky,

That looks like the Onstar system, but as an aftermarket device. Kinda cool if you are not worried about who will use the data.

[doh]

jcanavera is correct as far as I know - I have Foremost on a 99 Safari, I'm not the original owner - but it is covered for the price I paid for the trailer. There is no doubt about that.

I was told by Foremost that the replacement deal was for 5 years from new - to the original owner.

[Stefrobrts]

Originally posted by nellie the elephant
It's nice to believe that this is how they would operate, but State Farm, Farmers, or any of the big insurance players would drop you or me like a hot potatoe to make thier bottom line numbers work. I have rarely had good experiences collecting claims from insurance companies, but mostly bad. I had Farmers drop me over a stolen vehicle, and I ended up paying the loan off myself...after getting the car back totally stripped.

Bummer. The main reason we've stuck with State Farm is because they treated us very fairly back around '95 when we managed to total two cars within a year of each other, both my husband's fault (he was a little accident prone back then). They paid out, didn't raise our rates, and didn't drop us. So in return they get our loyalty. But I like to say that I am optimistic, but not naive.

Hopefully if anything happens they will continue to take care of us. After all, paying out fair market value on a vintage trailer isn't even going to come close to what they have to pay out when you trash a new SUV. Really it's small potatoes for them to keep us paying all those premiums year after year.

[Silvertwinky]

Sorry to hear about your dilemma!

I can’t imagine what it would be like to wake up one day and find you’re A/S trailer missing. I agree that this is the place to discuss the situation. With so many A/S’ers on this forum someone might just spot it on the road. You never know! I think everyone on here will have it on their mind and keep an extra eye out for it.

Keep us posted !

[gryphon]

Ralph,
I read your message about your safari being stolen. I have been sitting here thinking of what you can do.
Let's face it, Dekalb county is not going do anything, you may get it back from them if they happen to trip over it.
I lived in Dekalb most of my life. Now, i live a little further up Buford Hwy in Suwanee.
It may still be in the area, you need to create flyers and put them in the windows of drugstores, markets etc. Everywhere you can that people come together. Include info in Spainish if possible. Most of the people in that area are hispanic.
Airstreams are - rare most people look at them even if they don't have one. Those of us that do have them really look for them.
The outstanding feature on yours is the spare tire, that might be removed by now, if you can think of something readily seen indicate it, a bump, scratch or missing lugnut. The replaced window helps.
There are security cameras everywhere now. Check other business in that area to see if they have one of the night in question.
Someone might have a picture with your unit being loaded up. Don't take no as an answer. The cameras are there.
It sounds to me like a inside job, are the ppl at the storage facility bonded? Have there been other complaints lodged against them.
And stay on the back of the Dekalb County police department, keep calling and bugging them.

You did all you could do to make sure your unit was secure.

Right now I am going to drive down Buford Hwy looking for your unit.
Best of luck

Tom & Betsy

[gryphon]

also notify the different travel trailers dealers in the atlanta area, ask if you can put up the flyer. and by all means notify Airstream dealer located in the Lithia Springs area. the name escapes me at the moment. Atlanta Auto Wholesales or something like that.

Tom & Betsy

[59toaster]

Originally posted by Stefrobrts


Bummer. The main reason we've stuck with State Farm is because they treated us very fairly back around '95 when we managed to total two cars within a year of each other, both my husband's fault (he was a little accident prone back then). They paid out, didn't raise our rates, and didn't drop us. So in return they get our loyalty. But I like to say that I am optimistic, but not naive.

Hopefully if anything happens they will continue to take care of us. After all, paying out fair market value on a vintage trailer isn't even going to come close to what they have to pay out when you trash a new SUV. Really it's small potatoes for them to keep us paying all those premiums year after year.

I think a lot of it has to do with your agent. My agent is awsome!
I have been insured through him since I was 16 (20 years). They kept me insured through my teen years even after a couple of wrecks. My agent was at my house 10 minutes after I called him when we got flooded and HE called the companies to come dry the place out.

NOBODY has ever beat my rates and plenty have tried. I have 4 vehicles, Airstream, redneck special trailer and my house insured with them. My mothers home and car is also insured with them.

Get a good agent and you will have good luck.

[CatStream]

it's worth considering joining the WBCCI
you can be a Member At Large. New Airstreams often come with memberships for a year.
then you are really in a network of Airstreams, but mostly you have numbers on your rig. if you have these numbers for any lenght of time when you remove them you can still see them, untill a lot of work is done to remove the ghost numbers.
if your rig was stolen and you could say it's number #### then it would be so much easier to spot it.
I wonder if we could find stats on the number of rigs stolen with WBCCI numbers as opposed to with out.
I also think they are being taken by pros. I live in Texas and they say a car every ten minutes enters Mexico never to be seen again, I know many people who have had their new cars taken.
I am sorry for your loss it's terrible and I hope we can find it or you can figure out a way to replace it, good luck we feel your pain!

[wahoonc]

I made copies of the orginal post and sent them to our branch offices. Our HR department is going to send them out with the pay checks. We have crews in 9 states at the moment. Several of our guys own and live in TT while on the road. At the moment I am the only one with an AS. One of the guys used to have a Silver Streak though.
Good luck with the search and hope it gets found soon. BTW Drove from DC to Fayetteville, NC on I-95 today and did not see a single AS

Aaron

[85MH325]

Originally posted by wahoonc
I made copies of the orginal post and sent them to our branch offices. Our HR department is going to send them out with the pay checks. We have crews in 9 states at the moment. Several of our guys own and live in TT while on the road. At the moment I am the only one with an AS. One of the guys used to have a Silver Streak though.
Good luck with the search and hope it gets found soon. BTW Drove from DC to Fayetteville, NC on I-95 today and did not see a single AS

Aaron

Well done, Aaron!

Roger

[rvmaster]

RJ
Sure sorry to hear about your unit.
We have heard of two stolen units here in the Great Smokey mountains in the last two weeks. One airstream and one montana fifth wheel.
I think some theft ring is a foot!
We are only two hours from you.
I work in all the campgrounds in western NC and north georgia. Been doing RV service for 31 years this year and our season is just about to begin.
Myself and staff will be on the lookout, if it was stashed here in my mountains we will find it.
Good luck and God Bless.
Rvmaster Appalachian RV

[Mgharrison]

I have recently been bit by the A/S bug and I am looking to purchase a small Bambi or Caravell in the Atlant area. As I am sure you all know when you are looking for an A/S you see them everywhere. I live in the Canton area and work around Hw 75 and 285. I was out past 85 and Jimmy Carter where I noticed a trailer park and the back side of what looked like a warehouse for travel trailers. I will be back out there over the next couple of weeks and I will keep my eyes open for your lost safari.

I am sorry for your loss but it looks like you have a good bit of support trying to find your lost trailer.

Keep us posted