Throwing in the towel

[fx2tom]

Big ideas have turned sideways. A couple years ago we were planning a move and sold the truck (2016 Nissan Titan XD Diesel) and the travel trailer, eliminating both payments. Fast forward to earlier this year we decided we wanted something so we went and bought a 2007 Sierra Sport 26 foot toy hauler and a 2002 F250 7.3l, all bought cash. Well over the last 2 months the truck was stolen (recovered about a half mile away with minimal damage), then 2 weeks later the trailer was stolen. It was recovered 30 minutes away with about $8k in damages. Yesterday we woke up and the truck was gone again - despite all new locks, ignition, kill switch and alarm.

We live in an affluent and normally very safe area. According to our local PD that makes us a target and auto thefts are through the roof this year. At this point we have decided to sell the trailer when repairs are completed (assuming it doesn't get totaled by insurance). Depending on if the truck is recovered we'll sell it or just not replace it.

I guess we'll revisit toys once we get out of California.

[noteven]

fx2tom wrote:
I don't know what happened overnight but I just received a MORE than fair settlement offer on the unit, $5k higher than their previous offer. All of a sudden I find myself looking at trailers for sale. Pretty sure there is some kind of mental defect in all us RVers. :h

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!

[fx2tom]

I don't know what happened overnight but I just received a MORE than fair settlement offer on the unit, $5k higher than their previous offer. All of a sudden I find myself looking at trailers for sale. Pretty sure there is some kind of mental defect in all us RVers. :h

[dedmiston]

Forum Rules wrote:
Posts are not allowed in which a local, state, or federal consumer action board and/or legal counsel is/have been involved. This includes posts related to future, ongoing or past lawsuits.

[fx2tom]

A quick update and warning. I have been fighting my insurance company for over a week now. Their initial valuation was $4,700 on the trailer. I went through their valuation and they cam back at $6,300 and it's gone on like this since. Round 3 was $7,600, round 4 was $9,000, round 5 was $9,100. Part of the issue is they are reducing the value by $5,700 for prior damage, based ona photo estimate. I had a body shop do an estimate and they came back at $2,300 for that same damage based on an in-person physical inspection. Insurance company refuses to accept their estimate.

The warning - avoid Safeco and Liberty Mutual (Safeco's parent company) at all costs.

Truck is with Wawanesa and their claim handling has been amazing in comparison. About $2k in damage to the truck.

[pnichols]

fx2tom wrote:

mobeewan wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
You are letting the bums, crooks and drug users win.

They are winning when the authorities keep doing catch and release.

My local PD posted this weekend about a car thief they have arrested 5 times since September 22. Each time they arrest him he is back on the street in a few hours. With COVID auto theft is classified as a non-violent crime so the state mandates release. Local PD hands are tied and you can see the frustration.

Sooooo ... I guess that means that CA law now only recognizes violent felonies and not non-violent felonies?

If so does that mean, then, that if you rob a bank by breaking in during the middle of the night - with no people in the bank - that you will be quickly released (and can thus keep the money you've temporarily hidden away) because it was a non-violent felony???

By extension then, is stealing a $$$ car in CA no longer a "felony"???

:h

[fx2tom]

mobeewan wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
You are letting the bums, crooks and drug users win.

They are winning when the authorities keep doing catch and release.

My local PD posted this weekend about a car thief they have arrested 5 times since September 22. Each time they arrest him he is back on the street in a few hours. With COVID auto theft is classified as a non-violent crime so the state mandates release. Local PD hands are tied and you can see the frustration.

[fx2tom]

dedmiston wrote:

fx2tom wrote:
Well, trailer was officially deemed a total loss by insurance after they did their calculation. Now to see what their settlement number is.

Oh no.

Time to bust out your receipts and photos of all the upgrades you did.

Their valuation will be based on comps, but the comps won't necessarily have all of your mods included. Make them factor in things you've added, like solar, more batteries, inverter, TVs, sound, ...

And if they fight you and don't want to pay for those things, grab your tools and start ripping them all out and restore it to stock.

The adjuster that you negotiate this with probably won't have any familiarity with RVs, so this will be an uphill battle. You'll have to advocate for yourself though.

Good luck.

Yeah, that fight already started. Their valuation consisted of a smaller damaged unit and a smaller aluminum sided unit. Been back and forth with them. I figure worst case I have my attorney send a demand letter, she doe things like that for cheap for me. She's already advising how to respond.

[mobeewan]

Lwiddis wrote:
You are letting the bums, crooks and drug users win.

They are winning when the authorities keep doing catch and release.

[Orcadrvr]

fx2tom wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
But California is such a nice place, just read this thread. :R

Born and raised in California. It is NOT the same state is was.

X2
My mother was born here in 1923, I was born here, my kids were born here, and my grandkids were born here.
I would leave in a heartbeat if I could talk my daughter and son in law to do the same.

[klutchdust]

Installed on my 2006 GMC Duramax with 90K miles on it. No device, no start. Cannot bypass electronically. The wiring to fuel pump, starter is scrambled. Ravelco claims zero thefts by bypassing. Broken window, damaged steering column ,yes, but they would have to tow or drag my truck away to get it.

[Dirtclods]

So sorry that happened to you! I've been around. It doesn't matter "where" you are it happens everywhere no rhyme or reason?

[dedmiston]

fx2tom wrote:
Well, trailer was officially deemed a total loss by insurance after they did their calculation. Now to see what their settlement number is.

Oh no.

Time to bust out your receipts and photos of all the upgrades you did.

Their valuation will be based on comps, but the comps won't necessarily have all of your mods included. Make them factor in things you've added, like solar, more batteries, inverter, TVs, sound, ...

And if they fight you and don't want to pay for those things, grab your tools and start ripping them all out and restore it to stock.

The adjuster that you negotiate this with probably won't have any familiarity with RVs, so this will be an uphill battle. You'll have to advocate for yourself though.

Good luck.

[fx2tom]

Well, trailer was officially deemed a total loss by insurance after they did their calculation. Now to see what their settlement number is.

[bukhrn]

pnichols wrote:
Well, as usual ... the CA bashing in this thread contains a lot of myopic viewpoints.

CA is WAY MORE than Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Sacramento, and it's Voting Ballots.

As a point of reference I left a small Michigan town (and the "thinking" that went along with it) that was surrounded by green rolling wooded hills and dozens of small fishing lakes - along with it's mosquitos, frigid winters with constant snow shoveling, humid summers, and low paying jobs - for CA 58 years ago and have never looked back.

The Sierras and it's foothills, the rural parts of the CA coastal ranges, and just about all of Northern CA are spectacular places to live in, retire in, and RV in year round. In general CA is so large that one can find just about any kind of niche bubble to live in that they might want, including the Holy Grail of moderate weather that can be off the charts wonderful on average.

If you currently live here, be patient - 2020 will be over soon. 😉

Kind of where my previous post was headed, but not sure it was taken that way.