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Old 01-26-2023, 07:26 AM   #1
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A Question for Jailhouse Lawyers (Spoiler Alert: It’s about Insurance Claims)

Our van was T-boned the day before Thanksgiving. We thought it would be minor even with a gash from the passenger side B-Pillar to the rear wheel housing, the drive shaft on the road, and the right rear wheel cocked to 30º outward. (Photos to come.) That’s because it was a low speed collision that occurred when the other driver didn’t see the van coming and started up from a stop sign. However, it’s more like the van scraped alongside a cliff face at 45 mph.

I’ve been waiting to post about this until the story was more complete and had a happy ending. Unfortunately, it’s taken a very bad turn two months in due to the very slow claims process at Progressive, compounded by the end-of-year holidays. Last week we were told the van would be totaled. (There had been hints to this effect before, coming from the adjuster. This notice came from the claims rep.) We were asked for the purchase agreement and bill of sale as we have a replacement cost/purchase price policy. We’re outside the 5 year replacement cost period so the purchase price becomes the payout. After a frantic search and a call for help to Nick Gennock at Field Van (yea, Nick!), we got the needed documents scanned and emailed to Progressive.

On Monday, the claims adjuster sent us the power of attorney and certificate of odometer mileage to be signed and notarized for the salvage company to take title to the van. She wanted us to send her copies of the notarized document so she could confirm everything was ready before we sent the notary to the salvage company. We also sent her the registration and loan payout info at her request.

Based on the statements from Progressive that the van would be totaled, we went to our local Toyota dealer to see a friend who works there and get his advice on what how to proceed. A new Field Van is out of the question since they cost at least double what we paid and have a three year waiting list. Nick told us he had Mercedes on the floor but we’re not interested in that option. So, we are looking at a Tundra/Black Series combo made more attractive by the fact the local Black Series dealer is holding the HQ19 model for us at a 50% discount.

We expected bad news at Toyota in the sense that what we wanted or could afford would require an extensive search or a minimum three month build while we rented a car so I can go to work. Instead, there was a brand new SR5 with the TRD Pro Premium upgrade sitting on the floor, just released for sale because the people who ordered it backed out. Plus, it had a $3k discount because it was scratched.

We bought it.

Two days later, on Wednesday, after sending Progressive all the requested materials for the buyout, our claims agent called to say the van may not be totaled after all. The adjuster has $29k in expected expenses and needs $40k to salvage it. He wants to do a tear down of the interior to confirm what additional damage may be there and see if it hits the threshold he needs.

So, we now own a new Tundra, still own a SMB 4x4 that may very well be on the road to full recovery, and are deep in our own salvage mode. We recognize we bought the Tundra without a settlement offer in writing. We also have a significant record of written communications to the effect that it was going to be totaled.

The Progressive agents have been very cooperative. The claims adjuster is going to see what she can do to remedy this situation. We suspect management blinked and told the adjuster to rework his numbers or something similar. Regardless, we acted in good faith based on their representations and want to know if anyone has ideas about our situation. (For what it’s worth, our mechanic said it would be totaled from the beginning. He’s the best SMB guy around and has 30 years in the business. He also has no use for insurance companies.) Hence, the call for jailhouse lawyer advice.

Thanks in advance.

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Old 01-26-2023, 09:04 AM   #2
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40K to salvage it? You mean to fully restore it as a salvaged vehicle? Is there an as-is buy back salvage price?
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Old 01-26-2023, 01:31 PM   #3
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I rolled a 2000 E-350 SMB 7.3L on its side in black ice near Mammoth, CA. Had stated value insurance policy through Safeco Insurance. They totaled the van and cut me a check for the stated value in a matter of a few weeks. Zero hassle.

One thing that helped the claims adjuster was to send him over the build prices from the Sportsmobile (Field Van) website. They used to have like an a-la-carte cost for every little thing that could be done to the interior. Each thing (as we all know) is usually never less than $1k when the price and labor is put together.

Perhaps if you can itemize exactly what was destroyed in your interior and then use this "menu" to have it rebuilt by Field Van you will far exceed the $40k when you add in the damage to the exterior of the van.

It used to be in like a PDF form but this is what I found with a quick Google search:
https://sportsmobile.com/pricing/full-conversion/

Good luck!
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Old 01-26-2023, 08:07 PM   #4
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Dang Don, sorry to hear it. I hope no people or pups were hurt.

I can't really offer any advice but appreciate you starting this thread so you and others can benefit. Surely with all these expense conversions we all have there will be some good advice coming.

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Old 01-26-2023, 09:12 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by daveb View Post
40K to salvage it? You mean to fully restore it as a salvaged vehicle? Is there an as-is buy back salvage price?
I don't know, Dave. I understood that if the repairs exceeded the $40k figure, they'd total the van and give us the purchase price. I haven't seen anything in writing and expect there will be another long delay if they're really gong to do a tear down.
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Old 01-26-2023, 09:20 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by clicker44 View Post
I rolled a 2000 E-350 SMB 7.3L on its side in black ice near Mammoth, CA. Had stated value insurance policy through Safeco Insurance. They totaled the van and cut me a check for the stated value in a matter of a few weeks. Zero hassle.

One thing that helped the claims adjuster was to send him over the build prices from the Sportsmobile (Field Van) website. They used to have like an a-la-carte cost for every little thing that could be done to the interior. Each thing (as we all know) is usually never less than $1k when the price and labor is put together.

Perhaps if you can itemize exactly what was destroyed in your interior and then use this "menu" to have it rebuilt by Field Van you will far exceed the $40k when you add in the damage to the exterior of the van.

It used to be in like a PDF form but this is what I found with a quick Google search:
https://sportsmobile.com/pricing/full-conversion/

Good luck!
We put the adjuster in touch with Field Van though I don't know how fa that went. The visible interior is in good shape so the question is whether the gas or water lines in the wall were affected. Or anything else hidden.
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Old 01-26-2023, 09:23 PM   #7
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Quick pictures, including the offending vehicle. There are a couple of others showing the right rear axle shoved up against the underbody storage box and some other items.









No one was hurt.
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Old 01-26-2023, 09:26 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by 86Scotty View Post
Dang Don, sorry to hear it. I hope no people or pups were hurt.

I can't really offer any advice but appreciate you starting this thread so you and others can benefit. Surely with all these expense conversions we all have there will be some good advice coming.

Best advice: Watch out for little old lady tourists lost on the Interstate and trying to find their way back.
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Old 01-27-2023, 03:44 AM   #9
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Yeah, crap. Sorry to see and wish you the best.

People just don't seem to pay attention, focused on whatever instead of other veicles. It has gotten worse, but my motorcycle accident back in 2016 caused by an inattentive driver, made me really always watch other drivers and be way more defensive.

Here in DC, people will pull out and cut me off in my SMB all the time.
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Old 01-27-2023, 04:13 PM   #10
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Slightly off topic. To the OP does your van have lift blocks? Is that where the axle movement started?
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