SMB caught in mud slide

[UJOINT]

From the pics it looks like a massive cleaning, fluid & breather change is all it needs. if you pull the doghouse how far up does the mud come? I've seen (and done) worse with a trip to the local mud hole!

[Kathryn]

if you pull the doghouse how far up does the mud come? .......I'm sorry, I'm not sure what that means.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by Kathryn

if you pull the doghouse how far up does the mud come? .......I'm sorry, I'm not sure what that means.

The dog house is the plastic cover between the driver and passenger seats, and it's held on by a number of clips. If you remove it, you can see the exhaust down tube and the rear of the engine.


Herb

[BajaSportsmobile]

Originally Posted by UJOINT

I've seen (and done) worse with a trip to the local mud hole!

Exactly!

Look at all the pictures and videos of people intentionally doing the same thing to their "rig" weekend after weekend.

If it wasn't in the mud and water for hours, it probably didn't get into anything. These systems are all basically closed and won't draw water into a breather tube typically.

Find a good independent mechanic and get that thing back on the road, no matter what the insurance company says. If they do total it, and you are not happy with what they value it at, you need to fight it. Many of us can give you supporting evidence of value. After you have worked that out, tell them you want to buy it back and then use there low valuation against them. I've bought back many a totaled vehicle and driven many a Salvage Titled vehicle for years with no problem getting insurance.

Get it to the adjuster ASAP and then get it fixed ASAP as time will work against you if there is any moisture where it shouldn't be.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by UJOINT

From the pics it looks like a massive cleaning, fluid & breather change is all it needs. if you pull the doghouse how far up does the mud come? I've seen (and done) worse with a trip to the local mud hole!

Although I would be worried a bit about future issues, I agree with Chris and have friends who subject their vehicles to this on a regular basis at off road parks but they aren't SMB's.


Did the fact that you drove it out have anything to do with the damage? It does sound like a second opinion is warranted.

[twogone]

...and if you don't mind, tell us more about the actual encounter with the dang mudslide, please, before during and after...

BTW, I've often contemplated what to do if my rig was damaged/undriveable and I had all that time/$ in it. Like you, I'd prolly just set it up in a permanent situation... in my region, using a dead van as a tornado shelter makes sense.

so, now, about that mudslide

[witoke]

Nowadays, I have heard that it's harder to get a car back from the insurance after it's been totaled. So if you think you might want to keep it, don't let it out of your possession. Take it to another shop if the ins. want you to do that, but make an appointment for the inspection, stay and wait and drive it away when they have looked at it. That way it won't get mysteriously transferred to a salvage auction. By then it's too late. Remember that it is legally yours until they pay you for the value and you sign it over to them, they have no legal claim on it at this stage.

After you and the ins. have settled whatever the value is that you agree on, (and have documentation ready, including comps from this and other websites, negotiate, fight if need be, back your price demand up with facts) then negotiate a salvage value for the van and let them deduct that from the pay-off. You might want to search for this as a topic, there are some pretty good primers on the web and many horror stories about insurance. Remember that they are fighting to keep as much of their money as they can, not to make you a happy and satisfied customer. It's just the game they play and from your personal Agent to the top settlements people, their goal is to give away the least they can.

Once it's settled it will have a salvage title and it's yours to keep or dispose of as you wish. There are probably 10 people on this forum that would be knocking on your door on Monday morning if it went up for sale at Salvage value plus something for you, so you will have plenty of choices. Personally I would pay someone to really clean it then have a list made of all the damage and go from there. I doubt it needs to be thrown away.

[Tapatio]

I believe this is it

http://www.inyoregister.com/node/4908

http://guardianlv.com/2013/07/update...injuring-four/

[rob_gendreau]

BTW, I think the same set of storms closed the Big Pine to Death Valley road; apparently it cut a huge hole in it.

A synopsis of damage is here: http://www.inyoregister.com/node/4908

Last winter I was still encountering damage from some summerish flash floods from last year in the back country; areas NW of Panamint Springs for example. Although they'll probably get places like Westgard Pass up and running some of the back country roads that we're used to doing in SMBS, for example, may now be rock crawling hard. Something to keep in mind this fall.

As they warn, "inquire locally...."

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by Tapatio

I believe this is it

http://www.inyoregister.com/node/4908

http://guardianlv.com/2013/07/update...injuring-four/

What? A mudslide stopped a bunch of cars near, um, Dunmovin?