Insurance turn in

DAMILLER_SR · 08-09-2021, 05:58 AM

Due to a recent accident, soon I will be turning my 2006 NRG toy hauler into my insurance company. Any advice on things I should do to the rig prior to turn in?
Funny thing is, almost every Appliance and connection works, the damage is mainly in the body on the right front corner and the right rear corner. The insurance company will let us keep it, but they lower our payout by about $3,000.

**JRTJH** · 08-09-2021, 06:30 AM

That's called a "salvage buy-back" in some areas.

Essentially, your insurance company is considering your trailer a "total loss" and paying you to replace it, not repair it. In doing that, the insurance company then owns the trailer. They are giving you the "first right of buy-back". In other words, they're willing to pay you the NADA (or other value) for the trailer and then allowing you to buy it back from them "for a small salvage amount"...

If you want the trailer, it's a "cheap way to get it back AND get paid for the loss. You can then repair it or dismantle it and sell the parts. Once disassembled, you can take the remaining parts to a metal reclamation site to sell the remaining chassis, etc.

Drawbacks, among others I won't list, are the registration/titling will then become a "salvage title" meaning the vehicle is no longer considered "undamaged". Salvage title vehicles usually are not eligible for "comp/collision insurance coverage" which means you can only get liability insurance on it if you decide to rebuild it. Many, maybe even most people are reluctant to buy a "rebuilt vehicle" with a salvage title. In many states, it's illegal for "vehicle retail outlets" (car dealerships, RV dealerships, etc) to sell "salvage title vehicles"... That would mean difficulty in using it as a trade for a new or replacement RV as well as some difficulty in selling it on the open market.

In all states, as far as I know, it is a crime to "not disclose the salvage title to a buyer". So, even selling it outright, you have to "cover all the bases" in making sure you protect yourself from future legal action by documenting that the buyer is aware of the "title status"....

It's a "good way to get spare parts cheaply, and if you're handy, a good way to get a "known condition trailer to rebuild".

dutchmensport · 08-09-2021, 11:42 AM

Keep your life simple and let the insurance company have the camper. Remove all your personal items, every single item... even the dust under the carpet! (just kidding). You will be getting no extra money for leaving anything in the camper.

If you have a television you've added since you purchased the camper, take it out. It adds no value in your case. Anything you've added, remove it. It adds no more value. The insurance company has already stated their price. If it's not bolted down, take it out. Remove all your hoses, sewer hoses, jack handles, extra parts, spare tire, covers, tools, .... anything and everything and keep it. You may end up with a mountain of stuff you'll have no idea what to do with. But at the most, or maybe even the best ... you can always give that stuff away to someone who is struggling and may need something you have .... provided you are not getting another RV and may use it yourself!

Keeping a salvaged, damaged, camper and restoring it ... well, that's just a lot of work. Take the cash and apply it to a new camper. Then hit the road again!

notanlines · 08-09-2021, 12:00 PM

I can't say anything any better than John or Dutch. And if you do keep it, you better be darned handy with your hands. But I'll want one heck of a lot more than $3,000 for an RV that was insured and totaled.

**sourdough** · 08-09-2021, 12:30 PM

I won't belabor the point but let them have it. Trying to repair/restore a trailer with severe damage is extremely costly, difficult and very trying.

wiredgeorge · 08-09-2021, 12:43 PM

I was considering buying a camper a few years ago and found it had a "rebuilt" title. I called most of the RV insurance companies I know of here in Texas and none would insure a camper with a rebuilt title. I had Progressive at the time and they wouldn't touch it.

jasin1 · 08-09-2021, 02:20 PM

For $3000 is if you had a piece of property in the woods somewhere and you wanted to put it there for a permanent site (and that’s if local zoning would allow)…it is very tempting to keep. But the reality is most people have a lot of ambition…and not so much time to complete projects that look feasible in our head.
It would likely become an eyesore somewhere and after 3-5 years of moving it around to make room for more projects you would end up unloading it for next to nothing just to get rid of it.

And the knuckleheads you’d have to meet if you put it on Craigslist like it is wouldn’t be worth it in my book.

Ken / Claudia · 08-09-2021, 07:31 PM

Here's what I think, If I had an indoor place to store and work on it, maybe. But I don't and would not take it at all. But if I did and had all the time and tools to fix it. Then I would price out all the materials to fix it and see if they are even available. I am betting your cost to buy the materials to fix it will be more than the trailer will ever be worth and your 100s of hours of hard work equal zero money.
BTY, several months ago I priced out the replacement of the front cap on my listed RV due to sun damage. The RV shop had just done one, that's why I asked. 5,000 bucks, I think he said half of the cost was buying and shipping the filon front piece.
What did the insurance say would be the estimated repair costs?

DAMILLER_SR · 08-10-2021, 03:13 PM

It is now a moot point, the insurance company picked the rig a couple of hours ago. I followed the advice to pull out everything I put in, maybe I can use in our next rig. It is hard to believe the amount of crap that a person can accumulate in 7 years.
In my opinion, the idea of putting it on a vacant piece of property was probably the best. All the stuff inside worked, the repairs needed were mostly external cosmetic. The single sink was pushed, but I do have the skill set to make that right. Unfortunately, California is expensive, and the only place I want my rig is the beach.
As for how much, my guess is probably a few pieces of plywood and minor stuff already on hand like scrap wood, $300 plus about 10 hours of my labor.
Thanks to everyone for the advice.

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