RE: Interesting development - Shortage of used Class "A"s??
I can make a completely personal observation--when I was looking for a unit to buy a couple of years back, E-bay listing were about 8 pages in length on pushers, in looking recently it seems the number of pages are essentially the same and the only difference now, as compared to then, was the number of new coaches seem more now than then--less used units on E-bay. Dealers with new coaches seem to be listing more of them on E-bay, which makes sense since you have a way to get a cheap method of advertising to essentially a international market.
Not sure what that means as to the future.
I also am seeing more used motorhomes and trailers on parking lots, driveways, out at the edges of rural highways with "For Sale" signs in them. Now that is completely anecdotal on my part--maybe I wasn't as curious or conscious two years ago but it does seem that there are a lot more of these street corner RVs than in the past which means that individual owners are competing with dealers in this market.
I don't have a clue how this is going to turn out but it sure is an interesting time to be alive, we haven't had a societal challenge in a number of years and so watching this one work itself out will be entertaining. I'm sure it will all be OK, the ship of state always seems to right itself after the storm.
The ocean will probably look pretty much the same as it always does in the calm times. We'll find a way to muddle thru and enjoy our recreational pastime.
RE: Don’t buy State Farm RV insurance
"You must be either an agent or a troll."
I am neither. I doubt that any insurer, under the strain of Gustav or any disaster of that nature would have/could have handled your claim to your satisfaction. All would have had to rely on RV repair shops for estimates and all of those shops would not have been able to make a personal visit to you and your RV under the circumstances.
Your so called "specialized RV insurers" are certainly in no better position than State Farm to resolve a claim following a region wide natural catastrophe.
In fact, a massive and influential insurer like State Farm, given their ability to both staff and direct settlement is probably much better able to respond to an event of this nature.
I read your original post critically and I feel now as I did then that your response was too harsh, given the circumstances, to your carrier.
I have had my share of cat losses, albeit on a much smaller scale, and I know that the one thing customers need to understand is the value of patience--rushes to judgement (settlement) are not always in their best interest.
I happened to have spent 30 years on the front line of the insurance industry and I know the routine, I recognize when a company fails a customer and I recognize when a situation exists where there are no easy or quick answers because too many losses over too wide an area.
The last thing I think you want is a shoddy, cobbled together response from overburdened adjusters or repair facilities.
I know about the problems settling a claim with an RV--no two are the same--you can't find a shop manual and shop time analysis for example, a 2001 Gulf Stream pusher the same way you can for a 2001 Buick Park Avenue! There aren't enough of the former to justify writing or printing such a thing--especially when there is no standardization in how they are constructed or equipped. Nor are there reliable guides to what repairs "ought to cost" on RVs--for every RV repair facility there are literally scores of auto repair shops and as we know from experience here, not all RV repair places are professional and competent.
I think before you make those recommendations to your RV friends, that you should wait until State Farm concludes their part of the claim and compare it to how your other "RV friends" were treated by their insurers before you give advice as to whether or not "State Farm Sucks....". I think you might be surprised with the commonality of how these things are handled by all the insurers when it is all said and done.
If you wish the role of "victim" so be it, that role is popular these days and many bit players are obviously waiting in the wings of the Forum for their tryout. Perhaps you will be this week's winner.
RE: Flying J changes credit price on Diesel Fuel at truck pumps
I use which ever is available--If the RV pump is open, I use that and I have never had any trouble getting in or being too long--the problem with the RV pump is that cars and pickups use those pumps as well. I can usually tell going in whether or not it is going to be a problem and then re-route to the semi-pumps if necessary--I don't like the heavy grease around those truck pumps and the those handles are a mess so I prefer the RV Island. I won't inconvenience my need to fuel up and wash windows in deference to a semi--I don't see the point.
All that said, I usually try to use whatever station has the cheapest fuel and thus will be in Sinclairs out in this area--for some reason Flying J's are like the Walmarts of service stations--they are busy and usually filled with some of the most obnoxious people out on the road in my opinion. Great place to see complete jerks when it comes to speeding in and out of the parking lot and/or blocking driveways. Maybe it is a regional thing but just my observation.
Like some of the buffets tho--especially at breakfast time.
RE: Don’t buy State Farm RV insurance
Maybe you should adjust your title to "Don't buy State Farm insurance IF you live in an Area that has a CHANCE of having a CATASTROPHE!" Come on, be fair here.
I did not work for State Farm but I sure competed against them and they are an excellent company with an excellent reputation for customer satisfaction.
Here you are admitting that the cause of your loss was a major hurricane that was regions wide and you are expecting business as usual from an over taxed insurance company? Did you think about the folks that have lost homes, commuting vehicles, necessary items that are and should be ahead of you in the settlement chain after a huge storm?
It is correct that MOST insurance companies do not have software on RV type vehicles because there aren't enough losses in those types of items to build and keep current replacement and repair information. Yes, I know, we here are all "into" our RVs but most of the waking world isn't--too many types of vehicles, too many models, too many lengths, etc., keep even the pro RVers busy sorting it all out.
In a normal loss in a normal time, an RV dealer would jump at the chance to come out and survey your loss but, in your area, these aren't normal times--they are anything but normal.
That State Farm and the dealers didn't snap to the minute you called should give you your first clue--they are busy with folks that really need service or who can tow their wrecks to the dealerships--not someone that is at the end of camping season that has had a minor (perhaps not to you) loss!
Like so many of the "I hate insurance" posts on this forum this one miscommunicates reality.
It does, however, smoke out every one with a dull State Farm ax that needs grinding, Keep this in mind as you let the sparks fly--State Farm insures more cars, homes, and RVs than any insurance company in the nation--there is a reason.
True, but this claim is just as important to them as a $250,000 brick & mortor is to some one else. Lighten up, State Farm Employees are getting paid to take care of every customer, big or small.
Been there done that for 25 years working for a Insurance Company!
I made no suggestion about how "important" the OP was to State Farm, my complaint was directed at the impatience of the OP with State Farm.
This was a catastrophe loss, the damage was very wide spread, thousands of insureds had been effected--some to the point of losing every worldly possession. In these situations and with an insured in a second home, where they apparently parked their "beloved" RV was griping about the fact that the adjuster could not immediately assess the damage and write a check, that the RV repair facilities were unwilling to drop everything (note, they were probably FULL of RVs that were towed to their facility for adjustment and repair) and come and tell the OP and State Farm what the toll was.
It was my impression that the OP was making this Draconian public castigation of a fine insurance company without taking into consideration the extreme and temporary situation that existed at the time.
Insurance companies don't, cannot, and should not staff their claims offices for huge catastrophe losses like a hurricane--they rush as many claims people as they can into the area from offices around the country, call in retirees, and farm out some claims to other adjustment firms. All of them have to be brought up to speed in a chaotic situation. Everything is difficult, usually the adjusters are not local, are not familiar with the RV repair shops, and often try to triage the losses so that those most seriously effected can be handled on a priority basis.
The OP was trying to make a very complex human tragedy into a "business as usual" situation where a legitimate corporation was failing a loyal, long term customer--I think that is B.S. and called him on it. It was not a simple claim under a simple situation--it was a situation where even the most dense insured ought to have understood why answers and checks might be hard to receive, or, at least should have waited until the matter was resolved before expressing such a castigating report on his insurance company.
RE: Anyone had problems with State Farm Insurance Claims
You get what you pay for in this industry, if you don't insure your motorhome with a company that specializes in MotorHome Insurance Policies then this is what can happen. MotorHomes are not automobiles or pick-up trucks. To be insured properly and wisely insured you need the special coverages indorsed in a MotorHome only Policy. Example: Full replacement with in the first 5 years, "repacement cost for the life of the vehicle while you own it". If you paid $165,000 for it and it burned down 8 years after you bought it new, the Motor Home Insurance policy would be worth $165,000 toward another coach. You have to read these policies carefully because an Auto Insurance Policy is not the same as a Motorhome Policy....
amore makes an excellent point here. Everyone should read their policy carefully upon receipt and clarify, with the agent, any confusion about what exactly is covered, what those coverages include and exclude, and, especially when "replacement" coverages are included, precisely how a total loss will be handled.
Misunderstandings are more comfortably resolved before a claim occurs.
Unfortunately, agents can also be misinformed (they shouldn't be but....?) and insureds often hear things at point of sale that are unintended and can cause resentment after a loss.
Davinet in an earlier comment asks how one chooses a "good" agent out of the many and that is a good question. If you live in a small community, you have an easier task, the personal reputation of insurance agents are usually well established. Ask around, look for experience, watch how the agent conducts routine service requests--careful attention to the routine implies careful attention to customer satisfaction, try to sense what priorities are important to your agent--a good agent will put the customer's needs, on a day in and day out basis, ahead of his own personal needs--most of the successful professional agents I have known always made customer service the most important part of his/her operation--they tried to make sure everyone, themselves, the customer, and the company they represented were on the same page, before and, especially, after a loss. In the case of State Farm, agents are required to be part of the claims process, or used to be, therefore they ought to be able to answer any question a customer has about settlement--the claim is, after all, where the rubber meets the road in the insurance business and if the agent seems uninterested in your concerns at that point--find another agent. Agents cannot settle a claim outside the terms of the policy but they sure can clarify, inform, and mediate when misunderstandings between the claimant and the company create confusion.
RE: Bicycle Theft
If I had a bicycle, I would pray for a theft--they look like way too much work for a guy like me! Then there are those skin tight outfits and bullet helmets--ever seen a paunchy old gray head in that gear? Talk about gagging maggots!
RE: Is the World That Different?
No, you have your head screwed on right, in my opinion! There is so much negative out in the world today that some of it inevitably hits forums like this one and infects, as it infects the rest of the culture, with completely unnecessary fears. Those fears freeze the basic optimism that is the America I have experienced all my life. For some we have become a "can't do" society--I don't buy it and frankly I am damned tired of hearing it.
My experience is the same as yours, we have traveled widely and haven't lost a thing to a thief, have never felt threatened, and leave our unit unlocked most of the places we stop.
Your not "lucky", you are simply reacting to the true reality you have experienced.
Maybe you and I will pay for it some day but until that day comes, I think I will just keep on relying on the gut level trust I have in America and Americans--across the whole blessed land we live in.
Thanks for asking Gus--you gave me a greased threshold to off load my growing resentment at the "can't doers" around these parts!
RE: Best vehicle
We tow a Cherokee behind our small ISB 230 pusher and it does Ok, I like the size of the Cherokee, it is roomy and can carry a load on its own. That said, it is heavy and it does not get great gas mileage. In evaluating our use of the vehicle, I think a smaller, towable sedan would have been better for us in the long run. I really no longer need a four wheel drive vehicle and generally, any place I take the motorhome, a sedan would be suitable.
I see many Cherokees and Liberty model Jeeps being towed--they are popular. I don't know what you mean about "best"--that term, to RV people, is so relative that you will never get a straight answer.
I guess a Hummer painted to match the Marathon towing it would be "best" for some on the Forum--for some, what you can afford and what your RV can easily pull is the "best".
RE: Utah campground recommendation?
You may not be able to make the trip this fall, but seriously consider NE Utah and NW CO for future camping trips. The Ashley NF and Dinosaur NP offer great CG's; most are probably shut down for the winter now. A really neat place is east of Jensen in Dinosaur NP, near Split Mountain. Nice sites and really handy to tour the park and see the petrogylphs and dinosaur digs. On the Ashley NF there are CG's in Flaming Gorge NRA plus a couple new CG's north of Roosevelt and Duchesne, contact the NF office in Vernal for info on their offerings. Nice thing about that part of Utah is that you can avoid the SLC traffic situation.
I'm going to add to this good suggestion-we just returned from a week at Wasatch Mountain State Park at Midway--about a 100 miles from your home and I can recommend it for Fall camping (Sept)--plenty to do in Heber for a family but more importantly, the campground was really quiet, clean, and private, plus, for us, it is adjacent to two fine golf courses that are inexpensive and fun to play! If you run out of options South--you are only 20 miles from Idaho and when you get up here, the fun and isolation really begin. Welcome to the neighborhood, Tremontin has to be a real change from Pennsylvania!
You will love the people, if not the wind--watch those roads around there in a blowing snow storm--they can white out in an instant--stay home.
RE: Campground Pet Policies
We use the Trailer Life Campground Directory and have never had a problem. Those campgrounds that disallow pets are listed as are restrictions as to size and breed. I would simply get a current Directory and let that be your guide. I have never seen an organized campground--public or private that did not have the leash rule--which really benefits your pet more than the neighbors or other campers--loose dogs can get into serious trouble.
That said, I have been in plenty of campgrounds where open areas abut the camp sites and you can let your dog exercise. Enclosed dog parks are rare but when they exist, they can be fun for the dogs and the owners.
We often look for cities and towns close to the campgrounds that have dog parks (and they are getting more common)and will take our dogs there for play and socialization--Lake Havasu comes to mind as providing one of the nicest dog parks we have visited.
So long as your dogs are quiet and well mannered, they really don't restrict you that much as campers.
RE: Water in the Campgrounds
We use a combination of bottled water, Brita filter carafe, and the campground water. We have never had a problem with campground water and bacteria but then neither of us is overly susceptible to "bugs". We use the bottled water for the taste, the Brita because we believe it makes for less "greasy" coffee (probably just us, not actual problem)and the campground water for shower, hand washing, and dishes.
Given the ease to protect oneself, I don't see the problem with handling the matter based on what you are most comfortable with. Clearly there are lots of folks that don't have constitutions that permit careless attitudes like we have--modern medicine and health practices keep many alive that would have succumbed to diseases just a few generations ago.
In short, do what you think is safest for you--following your own feelings and instincts when it comes to you and your family health.
RE: How are you and your RV during these times?
Just got back from a week of camping/golfing in Utah--it was great. Intended to use the time to remove ourselves from all the negative and it worked so long as we kept the television off (we did) and the radio off (we did) and made sure those we golfed with kept their focus on the game (they did, except for a chance threesome of real estate types!)--it was all good.
Campground was empty of course, late season in the Uintas but coming back yesterday we saw plenty of early Snowbirds on I-15, a surprising number actually so I know that at least some RV'rs are going South this year. We won't, last year was simply too cold in Arizona for our recreational preferences so we will stay here in Idaho and read books--
After the Holidays, if I have anything left in my retirement funds, we might consider a run for the sun but right now, we have no plans to use the motorhome until next year.
If one thing doesn't get you, the other one does. In June I wouldn't pay $4.50 a gallon for fuel and now, I don't dare spend a bunch of money for what is, to us, basically recreation.
To answer your question, I am headed off to the feed and seed for some anti-freeze for the motorhome--there's a cold breeze blowing at the patio door!
RE: Anyone had problems with State Farm Insurance Claims
I lost my motorhome in a fire and have been having problems coming to a fair value settlement with State Farm Insurance. Has anyone had problems with State Farm
How are you determining "fair value" on your motorhome? That is the key to your question? If you have a lein, fair market value may not completely satisfy what you owe, especially in this environment where motorhome sales and subsequently, value has dropped substantially.
What you thought/think your motorhome is worth may not be correct.
I can see why any insurance company would take a second and close look at any total loss of a recreational vehicle right now--so many people are upside down in these units and/or cannot afford to use them that finding a way out of the debt or the burden might be more common than usual.
Please do not take the above to be aimed at you personally--you are caught up at the worst possible time to lose an RV--economic downturn, over burdened owners, end of season, etc. all work to make insurance companies leery of quick settlements. They know, as you and I know that what your motorhome was worth a year ago is substantially less than it is now.
Given the unsettled state of the economy, here or in Canada, how do we determine what a purely luxury item is worth?
I would be absolutely honest with the claims people but also direct--ask them where and how they determined the settlement amount--what information are they using. Commonly, an insurance company will use local market information for direction--they will try to determine what similar units have sold for locally--if your local market is as depressed as most local markets, it will work against you right at the moment.
Good luck, these kinds of misunderstandings are the side line consequences of economic conditions that are, I hope, only temporary, but very real at this moment in time--you may be caught in the worst possible time to suffer a loss when it is all said and done.
RE: our ebay story
No, it wasn't a consignment. It was a trade-in for a larger motorhome.
Chuckster . . . you make me laugh.
Well, I faxed all the paperwork I have to VPP gal today. We'll see how it goes.
Cheers!
Nuvi, I'm betting your title is tied up with prior owner's finance company and the dealer that should have paid them off before or after he got your money--not a good thing for you. Keep us informed how the VPP folks resolve this for you--that will add a bunch to future discussions of buying an RV on E-bay.
RE: Oops! Bad for Leather!
40 or so years ago my folks bought a new 1967 Ford Galaxi and immediately covered the seats in plastic... I'll tell you one thing. When that car went to the junk yard many years later, those seats looked like new! :-)
Oh my the memories of this quite common practice in the 50's! Until you have peeled yourself off a plastic seat cover in a Southern Illinois August afternoon, you haven't experienced humidity at all.
Lordy, I wonder why people did that back then? It wasn't because cars lasted that long--50,000 miles and they were generally shot.
Thanks, you brought back some fun times.
RE: Pet wash on the road
I was thinking that it would be nice to have someone in the cg that would walk your dog when you have to be away for several hours at a time. I guess that is a "dream on" thought.
We had one enterprising young girl at a CG that saw the number of dogs that were camped there and went camp site to camp site with homemade flyers for walking dogs and watching your dogs in your MH when you went sightseeing.:C
Now that is a great idea for people that are full timing with kids and home schooling! I would imagine that a responsible young person could pick up a bit of spending money watching other campers' dogs while the owners went to town, played golf, recreated. Heck, even an old coot like myself could probably do it but as it stands now, all the neighbors in the campgrounds I have been in kind of reciprocate with each other--"I'll watch yours if you watch mine" kind of thing.
RE: Don’t buy State Farm RV insurance
Maybe you should adjust your title to "Don't buy State Farm insurance IF you live in an Area that has a CHANCE of having a CATASTROPHE!" Come on, be fair here.
I did not work for State Farm but I sure competed against them and they are an excellent company with an excellent reputation for customer satisfaction.
Here you are admitting that the cause of your loss was a major hurricane that was regions wide and you are expecting business as usual from an over taxed insurance company? Did you think about the folks that have lost homes, commuting vehicles, necessary items that are and should be ahead of you in the settlement chain after a huge storm?
It is correct that MOST insurance companies do not have software on RV type vehicles because there aren't enough losses in those types of items to build and keep current replacement and repair information. Yes, I know, we here are all "into" our RVs but most of the waking world isn't--too many types of vehicles, too many models, too many lengths, etc., keep even the pro RVers busy sorting it all out.
In a normal loss in a normal time, an RV dealer would jump at the chance to come out and survey your loss but, in your area, these aren't normal times--they are anything but normal.
That State Farm and the dealers didn't snap to the minute you called should give you your first clue--they are busy with folks that really need service or who can tow their wrecks to the dealerships--not someone that is at the end of camping season that has had a minor (perhaps not to you) loss!
Like so many of the "I hate insurance" posts on this forum this one miscommunicates reality.
It does, however, smoke out every one with a dull State Farm ax that needs grinding, Keep this in mind as you let the sparks fly--State Farm insures more cars, homes, and RVs than any insurance company in the nation--there is a reason.
