We arrived at a state park in south Florida on Saturday afternoon to start a 2 week vacation. We left about an hour later to get some dinner, and came back to fire trucks and a destroyed motorhome. We didn't have our dogs with us this trip so no loss of life, but we're pretty sure the unit will be totaled due to its age. The fire apparently started in the battery compartment and is electrical related.
Now to navigate the insurance settlement, and I'd love to hear any advice you have.
We are insured with State Farm, along with our house and multiple vehicles, and have been with them 30+ years, so hoping we will be treated as well as we have the one other time we've had a claim.
As you can see on our profile pic and the one below, our GV had a custom paint job and was in really great shape, so we plan to negotiate this as more than the book value. I know you can't expect to get out what you put in, and we bought it already painted, but the book values are so far off reality for older Foretravels. We had a complete new fiberglass roof put on a few weeks before we left, as the original was starting to crack; State Farm has asked me to send them the invoice for that so it looks like they may give us some consideration there.
The basement area is completely destroyed (as is the entry door, where the firemen spent 15 minutes getting in - that's one tough door!). Amazingly, the interior is fine except for smokey smelling clothes and a couple windows they broke out. We have completely removed all our personal items and electronics. What's left is cabinetry, countertops, appliances (including fairly new rooftop a/c units), dining table, etc. in excellent condition. The only interior items that are probably not worth saving are the upholstered items, as they needed recovering anyway (that was my next project). The engine is also likely fine, as the fire was contained to mid-coach.
Is there a market for this interior, that should be recognized by insurance? What about the engine?
I plan to find some listings for the same coach for sale to give a range of current pricing. I'd like them to recognize the salvage value of what's left though.
Any advice or other thoughts are GREATLY appreciated.
Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, the camping community is so great - our "neighbors" in the state park were so sweet, we've had so many offers of help, people brought boxes for us to pack with, water, etc. LOVE the camping community!
WOW, so sorry to see this.
Just a thought: You haven't done anything or had anything done to the electrical system? If not, could the power hookup have caused the fire?
Jack & Emily,
So sorry to read about this terrible fire. As you may have noticed, we picked up on your story from a posting on another forum, so It's good to hear from you and know that you two are OK. No words can bring back your beautiful coach, but "things" can be replaced. I don't know anything about navigating the insurance hurdles - others will speak up, I'm sure. Good Luck!
1992 Foretravel Fire! Anyone here? (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=33684).
Thanks Chuck & Jeannie, I hadn't seen the other thread. We hadn't seen photos of the fire in progress, as it was already out by the time we got there.
Adjusters are usually trying to do the right thing but they need to have documentation for why they paid what they did so that in a later routine audit they can support their decision. I would look for units that have sold in similar condition (very hard to find) and document any recent things like the roof or tire replacement.
Unfortunately our coaches are like part of the family and we tie a special attachment to them that sometimes is hard to back up with a financial number, especially on such a beautiful classic coach.
Hopefully your agent is a motorhome guy and can help you look for ways to document your loss.
Fire inspector believes it started in the battery compartment. We did have two new batteries installed a few weeks ago, although the ones replaced were only 3 years old. I thought that was a bit odd that they needed replaced already but maybe that was normal. Or maybe a sign of an electrical issue?
Fortunatly you and the DW are OK, no pets lost, unfortunate that you lost such a beautiful coach. Going to be a big hassle I'm sure but hopefully State Farm will be more than fair. A coach like that is hard to find and replace.
Best of luck to y'all.
Once had State Farm. Parents had State Farm. Zero claims from either of us....ever!!
Canceled S.F. 54 years ago.
Filed a claim with them for a hit & run in a parking garage. '57 Volkswagen front & rear end severely damaged, along with transmission. Another vehicle apparently thought our parking space was empty and tried to park in where we were.
Standard trans wouldn't work after the hit.
S.F, denied trans damage, and then proceeded to raise our premium!!
My sister is a insurance broker and told me that after our Airstream was wrecked, it would be best to not file a claim, in that the insurance co. would total it and prolly cancel, due to my age (72)! She also said all insurance companies communicate and I might have a problem getting insured for the FT. What a crock, after so many years! >:D
Glad y'all are ok. As others have said the M/h can be replaced. Good luck with the insurance.
SO sorry! That is just heartbreaking to see .... but so very glad you are OK and adopting the "it is just stuff" mentality. That is hard mental work, to be sure, but it is the only way to go. I am thinking that there will be calls to Mac the Fire Guy for some small fire suppression units for the battery compartments of some rigs, now that we see your very sad photos. They are not just for your fridge compartments, it seems!
So very sad to see this. I have had bad dreams about having a fire on our coach, and I'm probably not the only one on this forum.
About three years ago, I saw pictures of your coach on your introductory post. I saved them in my Foretravel photos folder. Personally, I can't stand white vehicles. Have been dreaming of getting a sweet paint job on "George", and your coach was the nicest I have seen (for MY tastes, anyway). I sure hope that the damage can be repaired and you can keep enjoying your "rolling house". I'd hate to hear of that beautiful motorcoach being consigned to history.
Glad to know that you and yours are OK after this. Bless those "neighbor" campers for their efforts while you were away during the fire. Ya gotta love the coaching community. Have yet to meet a bad apple.
As with the others, I'm really happy no one was hurt. It is incredible that the fire was localized. Usually motorhomes are "well involved" by the time engine companies arrive (personal experience) due to light weight materials and formaldehyde used in construction. This adds to my appreciation of FT.
You are on the right track with regard to getting sales information on similar coaches. Since the fire damage did not extend to the interior of the coach, you may consider taking the settlement and then buying the "salvage" (coach) for very little money. I have friends who have done this with cars and ended up ahead after they had the repairs done.
We use Progressive insurance and are insured for "stated value", because the NADA values are so low. You determine what the real cost to replace it would be and pay the appropriate premiums. I believe this is good info for all FT owners.
Good luck
Sven
I actually thought the fridge might have been the culprit, remembering something about Dometic units having a fire-related recall a few years ago (although ours was newer, we were told by the previous owners that it had been replace I believe due to that recall). Turns out there does not appear to be any damage to the back of the fridge via the exterior access door, so I'm pretty sure it is not fridge related.
I think you are on the right track with thoughts of the recent battery work and the "early" battery replacement. 3 years is pretty short service life for batteries, assuming they were being properly maintained. I'm betting you had some sort of electrical malfunction related to batteries and/or battery charging circuit. Just a guess...
Which Inverter/charger did you have in the coach?
We had not changed it out in the 3 years we owned the coach, presuming it was the original?
Sorry to hear about your loss, a real bummer to have that happen.
So sorry about the loss but important thing is no one got hurt. The others are right. We love our stuff but it is just stuff. Been down your road. Stood in the middle of the street in 95 and watched my Ace Hardware store burn to the ground. A year later we had a new , better store and it all worked out. Hope your story has a similar ending.
Now the question. For hot rods, classic cars, and the like there is an insurance instrument called " stated value " polices. You state the value of the car etc. then pay rates accordingly. There are of course limitations but this might be an avenue for those like me who have " classic " rigs. Does anyone out there know anything about this and have any insight?
Thanks to all.
That is what we did on our coach. We came up with an agreed value which was $60,000. in our case as they did not want to go much higher. You may need documentation (we had it) and pics. I was very easy and did not cost that much more.
John
I'm familiar with stated value insurance, as that is what I have on my 1987 BMW convertible. Insured through a carrier who specializes in classic cars, and since it is not my daily driver, it's actually cheaper than State Farm was. But don't have that on the motorhome. Lesson learned. :(
John : Who is your insurance carrier. Have any contact information?
Thanks
We had Progressive, they went up this year quite a bit, complained, they came down a bit...sorry not enough.
We are now using Safeco...our agent is Berg Insurance Group(Robert Berg),16724 Telge Rd, Cypress, TX 77429, (281) 351-6944
Tell him John Smith recommended him, may help....He has my home, business, and vehicles insurance. I call him every time there is an increase and he has always done us right. If you have any questions feel free to call me...713.907.4311
John
Opinions are like ....
Well, you've heard that before.
I'm a retired property/casualty claims rep. Sent you a pm. willing to discuss loss and claim with you.
Thanks, messaged you back. You can call me at your convenience if you prefer.
Not the first MH to burn due to an electrical Issue. Friend found smoke coming from his SOB on I40 and before they could stop it was fully engaged, turned out to be cable shorted against frame. Good practice to periodically check all battery cables for scuffing and position. Sorry that you have lost your beautiful GV. Hope insurance company treats you fairly but you have to remember that you have a 20 year old coach and that is all that they will see.
Gary B
So sorry for your loss, hope that you come out alright with the insurance.
Not to be mean spirited, just for those that are looking at this post. Ours is insured for stated value with Safe Co. for 50K...Not book. But still don't want to challenge it. Would be a loss anyway.
Chris
So sorry to read this post.
I have used state farm a few times and they were great each time and done in a timely manner. Call your insurance adviser and they will handle everything.. Good company.. I did have to argue value on our last motorhome.. I hired an Rv appraiser and let them haggle with State Farm and the other company responsible.. Appraiser got me $15k above what I even wanted for payoff.
That is a bummer.....
But...The Sun shall rise in the East and continue to set in the West..
So..
Just a thought...... Was posted that FT will be building a 36' and a 38' coach....time to investigate the possibilities???
Terribly sorry to hear about this.
Terribly sorry to hear about this.
It was a really beautiful coach! I was really admiring the full body paint. So sorry for the incident, at least you and the DW are safe.
How has the claim gone?
Did the salvage go to Kentucky ?
It is in a salvage yard in Fort Pierce, FL.
Preliminary estimate is a total loss but they haven't given us a dollar value yet.
I've spoken with our claims rep a few times (sent Fire Dept. report, invoice for recent roof and battery work, etc.) and she tells me it has been turned over to one of their RV specialists for valuation.
Saturday will be 3 weeks since the loss and I plan to call tomorrow to see if I can light a fire under their butts. Per your suggestion, I am not offering any comparables until I see what they offer. I have been printing out any applicable listings as I come across them.
Will it be for sale?
We plan to take the settlement and release the coach to State Farm. I'm sure they will want to dispose of it somehow. Not sure if the salvage yard where it's at will be interested. I'm happy to pass along any info on interested buyers.
Except for the basement area mid-coach and the entry door they had to cut into to gain entry, the rest is actually in really decent condition. Engine is presumed just fine (fire started in battery compartment and was contained to basement area only). Unit has two fairly new roof a/c units, installed in 2015. Interior was not damaged at all and is in above average to excellent condition.
Thanks, and sorry for your loss. That is the Cummins B-5 & Allison 4-speed? As time goes on, we 'pickers' will need all the parts help we can get. ^.^d
Yes, Cummins B5.9 230 hp with Allison MT643
You might want to discuss retaining the salvage with your carrier. I did that with an 85 ORED that was totaled, later traded it for a damaged 99 Acura and rebuilt it, made out better than If i had let carrier retain salvage. Tricky to negotiate this but if adjuster, claims, is amenable it can work. FYI, Carrier will want to re title as salvage and then sell at auction usually, but if you can negotiate you may end up with no salvage title and that will increase its worth.
Gary B
Thank you Gary. The challenge for me is that we live over 500 miles away from where the coach is, and frankly I'm just ready to be done with it. The damage was pretty localized so there's a lot to salvage on her, but the logistics are more than I want to handle.
We did get a call from State Farm today with a very reasonable offer, slightly more than we've spent total on the coach over three years even counting tires, oil changes, & such. I'm playing a bit of hardball, sent them some comparables to see if we can get the settlement up just a bit.
Sounds like State Farm is stepping up to the plate, good for them! If you hear where the coach is headed, there are more than a few members that would like to know. A lot of the coach, junk to most, is gold for we GVers! ^.^d
Yes, we are pleased with their offer. We got three great years of enjoyment out of the coach, and even at a wash financially, we feel like we are ahead.
Currently it is at COPART at 2601 Center Road, Fort Pierce FL
I'll post back when I turn the title over to State Farm (likely sometime next week), as that is when they'll be able to proceed with the salvage.
Our Airstream was totaled, also, so I speak from experience. We went through the "shall we get another coach" discussions, and finally said, "YES". We'd all be interested in what you and DW have thought? ^.^d
We will definitely get another RV!