I'm a horrible owner--now what?

[thatdjguy]

I've been a lazy owner--no two ways about it. Didn't winterize for two years now. Water pump went up, toilet flange leaking, hot water heater blew out and I *fixed* it, tho who knows.

Now the floor. The floor to at least half of the camper I believe is dry rotted...I believe this happened after the water pump was damaged due to not winterizing.

I get it, it's all user error, no need to pile on. I'm not handy...far from it. I am taking the camper to a repair facility. How much can I expect to pay for new flooring? Give me a range if you can so I know how much I need to earmark.

[JRTJH]

I believe you have a 2015 Passport 2920. If so, depending on the extent of damage, you could be in for a significant repair cost. The floor is a sandwich construction, not as easy to replace as a 5/8" OSB sheet floor. Then there is the extent of damage to the underside, the ducting, plumbing, insulation, whether any of the damage extended beyond the floor and into the walls (carpet wicking water up the walls) and whether there is any other damage from mold that will need to be cleaned and treated.

All in all, it could be as inexpensive as a couple thousand dollars or it could be significantly more, possibly even more than the trailer's value, although that would be an "extreme case".... Keep us posted on what your repair facility tells you, possibly, based on that you might get some better insight from members here. But, if, as you say, you're not a handyman and must rely on a repair facility, then pretty much, it's get 2 or 3 estimates and pick the one you trust and/or can afford.

You might want to contact your insurance agent, possibly you have coverage that would help with the loss.

[sourdough]

John has given you some pretty good guidance. Until the extent of damage is known it will be difficult, nigh onto impossible, to predict what you may face.

I'm not trying to pile on but, there is a difference between not being handy and being "lazy". There are things I used to be able to do that I can no longer do even though I'm pretty handy. It doesn't mean that they shouldn't be done or can be left undone. I just pay someone to do them. You should do the same in your case. To do nothing and just wait for the "bad" to happen is a losing course of action because the "bad" will definitely happen. We all know the phrase "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"; in this case a couple hundred bucks of maintenance could have saved you what may be thousands in repair bills.

Not piling on, wanting to start negative comments or being tacky. Just want to point out that there are ways to take care of the maintenance items even if you aren't handy.....and they are worth doing as you've found out. I'm hoping it's not bad and the learning experience isn't very painful. Good luck.

[ctbruce]

I think this will wind up being one of the most helpful threads we've had. Thanks for stepping up and being brave to share your issues. Keep us posted as I am certain this will help others.

[madmaxmutt]

Sorry this happened to you! Stuff happens. It sounds like you are ready to move forward. If you do have insurance, I agree that you should contact them if this sounds like the claim is worth your while. The hail damage on my last trailer was nearly bad enough to total that trailer. If it had been minor, I wouldn't have filed a claim for possible rising rates. You just have to make that call for your situation.

[notanlines]

DJGuy, no piling on here. Things happen. If the repair bill is way out of line I would give some thought to laminating CDX plywood over the existing wood flooring. The area in front of your one slide will be a small problem, but this could be done if you took your time. I might add that you're looking at adding another 250 pounds or so, but better than nothing.

[thatdjguy]

I hear y'all loud and clear. I never even considered insurance, that might be a silver lining as I was hoping 2-3k would cover the cost. Should I approach the insurance company first or take it to a shop and then show the insurance company what's up?


and absolute laziness and being stupid is the cause of this. I F'd up--I didn't winterize. I own it. It wont be repeated.

[JRTJH]

I would suggest contacting your insurance agent first. Discuss the problem with the agent. They may want to delay contacting a service center. Most insurance companies have adjusters who will assess the problem and do an initial cost estimate. If that estimate is above an established percentage of the trailer value, (varies from company to company) they will often simply write it off as a total loss. If it's less than that percentage, there may be some suggestions the agent or adjuster could provide to save you money. They usually work with and are familiar with the reputations of repair facilities and should know which ones do good work for a reasonable charge and which do substandard work and/or charge too much for the work they do.

Remember, your insurance agent "should be" your friend. They are, at least initially, on your team and almost always will work with you to get the best outcome. They only become adversaries when there's a disagreement, but don't "borrow trouble". Talk to your agent, see what they say.....

[thatdjguy]

Insurance adjuster coming out next week. Fingers crossed.

[JRTJH]

Good Deal !!! Keep us posted on what your insurance will cover and what the adjuster says. While your specific problem may not apply to other's damaged trailers, some of what you experience will be valuable to any owner in a similar situation. Good Luck

[thatdjguy]

the adjuster suggested that perhaps the water came in through the roof via pinholes in the seams. My wife's grandfather who has been camping forever noticed two dents in the upper part of the camper that faces the truck when towing-He said that was water damage--I thought it might be blistering from the sun.

My initial thought was that because I didn't winterize it, the pump blew and leaked all throughout the camper and then that water sat all summer.

The adjuster all but said it's a total loss--and he didn't leave me feeling good that the insurance would cover. Not feeling to great about that.

All he kept saying was that these trailers fall apart as soon as you buy them. Really wish I did some homework before getting all happy go lucky and buying a trailer when I was as green as green gets.

More updates as I get the phone call.

[sourdough]

Here's hoping you get good news and wishing you the best of luck. We were all green at one time and made our first timer mistakes - usually nothing TOO severe. I hope yours is not the total loss of your trailer.

[thatdjguy]

the more I think--the less I believe that the lack of winterizing caused this. How could that lead to floor rot? A leek coming from the ceiling, unseen and sitting/waiting/rotting seems more likely. I dunno.

But these things are much to fragile to spend $25k on em. Not a happy camper.

[JRTJH]

Something to consider about insurance (and these comments are not directed about you specifically)....

Insurance, as stated on this forum time and time again, is a means to protect against loss from people doing stupid things, illegal things and also to protect against people NOT doing things.

Cases in point, driving while intoxicated, stupid, but insurance covers any damage that might be caused by the driver. Speeding, again, not so smart, but if the driver runs into a building, insurance pays the damages. It's the same with a driver who failed to have his brakes repaired, runs a stop sign because he couldn't stop his vehicle, hits a car "broadside". Again, insurance pays even though the driver "didn't repair his vehicle"...

So, don't get completely discouraged just yet. I know of many accounts on this forum and from friends who have had damages to their property who have been reimbursed by their insurance. I've got one friend who had a leak in the awning rail on his trailer, water destroyed the entire sidewall. Insurance "totaled" his trailer, paid him the appraised value and he used that as a down payment to buy a new trailer.

You might want to keep a level head, ask the right questions to the adjuster and not accept the first denial but maintain a positive attitude and work with the adjuster to help move things to an acceptable outcome.

Hopefully you have insurance that will cover the loss, whether it's a roof leak or a winterization problem. From your mortgage company's perspective, the comprehensive insurance they required you to carry is to protect their loan value. Read your policy carefully, know what it says and what it doesn't say. If you're not sure about what you read, now is the time to get legal advice from someone who knows the insurance laws of your state.

Good Luck

[thatdjguy]

Got a May 22 date at the dealer to get an idea of what's goin' on. At least I'll have a clue

[AbHDToyHauler]

Also I might add. Don't admit to anything. If you say it's all your fault....then it's all your fault. My sister was painting her family room after she had installed new carpets. She took the whole can of paint up the ladder and within minutes had proceeded to dump it all over the new floor. It had drop sheets but floor ended up ruined. They replaced it all under insurance. So don't be disheartened. Also. Rot doesn't proceed that quickly.

[thatdjguy]

Yea, I didn't admit to anything. Just said "I think it's coming from the pump area since that's where a soft spot is and it's right there on that side of the bed". HE drew his own conclusion about a possible seam issue. I just stood there like a damn fool (not exactly an act!) and said "well, that sounds possible."

Now it's hurry up and wait. Push pause on this one, be back in a month!

[thatdjguy]

Also, assuming I've stopped any leaks--fixed the toilet flange and replaced a bad water pump. Is there any harm in still using the camper? Not prior to getting it to the dealer, but if they say no dice, we're not covering and I can't throw a fit big enough to change that, is there any danger in continuing to use it, while dancing around the soft spots?

[thatdjguy]

did some digging and found this picture from another thread. Seems this is a common issue. Would this be the cause of a leak that could cause extensive dry rot damage to the floor?

[thatdjguy]

i dont understand?