Camper totalled, now what?

[CraftyOtt]

AAARRGHH!! The storms that came through the south here a couple of weeks ago dropped a tree on our popup. Damage wasn't too bad (so I thought), just a crack in the top. Little did we know that those camper tops are darn right expensive!! We were just told hours ago that the insurance company wants to total the camper, send it to salvage, and if we still want it, we need to go to the auction to bid on it!!!! We have a trip to FW planned for this September!!! The amount they're giving us on the '96 Coleman Niagra isn't too bad, but we DON'T have the finances to buy a new (used) camper. We just had the tenting replaced 3 years ago (squirrels at Stone Mountain, GA -- they destroyed every panel!!), and everything else still works great on it. I'm just heartbroken over it. DH wants to upgrade to a light travel trailer, but we haven't been camping much the past 2 years to justify buying a TT. We LOVE to camp, but now our boys are getting bigger and my husband is a Scoutmaster, so they do a lot of camping that way. I'm wondering if we shouldn't just use the $$ to rent a cabin this year, and wait a while for a TT. (We've got to have a kitchen, youngest son has severe food allergies).

Thanks for letting me post.......I have been lurking on this forum for a little while (and have enjoyed every minute of it!!), and thought it would be OK with ya'll to vent.

 

[LiteBrite]

Aw, bless your heart.

 

[VACAMPER]

How terrible! We have camped even more since we bought our TT this summer. So maybe if you use it more you can justify it.:

 

[Mickey Canada]

Wow ...that really stinks. Best of luck with that!

 

[2goofycampers]

we had a camper damaged by hail, the insurance wanted to total it but we got an estimate to fix it just under the totalled amount and they accepted that....we got the check and traded it as is, made out OK. or you could just fix your pup ................Denise

 

[clkelley]

I'm soooooo sorry!!! That's a bummer!!!

 

[disney4dan]

I dunno, sounds so suspicious that they so quickly totalled it and won't let you try to fix it. An insurance company tried to do that to my father several years ago when my brother rolled his pickup that only had 3,000 miles on it. They sent him a check for about 60% of what it was worth after they had already hauled the truck off and had it crushed. He told them to fix it. They bluffed for a while figuring he could not be without a vehicle, but he had a second set of wheels to ride and could wait them out. He settled for 90% eventually.

However, there should be some good deals out there on lightweight travel trailers and hybrids, so maybe it was time to let it go? Finances may be tough, but there is an intangible about having that trailer and being able to just go camping for little to no money if you stay local and at a state park.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that some good luck comes your way soon. Maybe a winning lottery ticket worth enough to go buy a big Class A!

 

[seabee]

Of course you can vent, everyone needs to once in a while. I say go for the trailer. Before we got ours I thought it was a ridiculous expense and we would never use it. I was SO wrong. It is the best thing we ever did. You might be surprised. Good luck, and sorry about your camper.

 

[Colson39]

So sorry to hear what happened, that can't be a fun experience. I agree with Nicole, I think in the end you might end up miss having a camper more than you think!

 

[chief19spixi]

I am sorry to hear about your pop up!! Hugz to you!!

 

[tellnotails]

we had a camper damaged by hail, the insurance wanted to total it but we got an estimate to fix it just under the totalled amount and they accepted that....we got the check and traded it as is, made out OK. or you could just fix your pup ................Denise

I agree.....

Sometimes after they total it you can offer to buy it back for pennies on the dollar...........pop rivot some alluminum over the damage area and you'll be !@#$ in high cotton....

 

[CraftyOtt]

My husband's kind of hoping to buy it back for a lot less if they salvage it, we just got back from the camper place to bring the pup back home until we decide. It will cost more that it's worth to fix the top (Gorilla Glue and duct tape aren't gonna work for this repair!). The dealer said it's a little harder buying back campers because the dealers stake out the auctions to get salvge units for pieces and parts. DH looked at a nice 2008 Jayco bunk house while we were there.....I still can't find a way to justify the cost. The insurance co. is giving us a very fair price on the pup, we could use the $ for FW cabins or (gasp!) a hotel. I can't tell you the last time we stayed at a hotel for vacation -- not since '99 I think. You know, since my DH is a Scoutmaster, I'm sure we could borrow some tents.......

Thank you to everyone for the encouragement! Since we won't be fixing the pup, I should probably change my signature now...........

 

[candied]

So sorry to hear this - hopefully you can find a workable solution soon.

Candace

 

[ntsammy5]

Too bad. We had a popup that had that kind of damage too. It helped that the kids were older then and we really didn't use it as much as when they were younger. Have you considered renting? There are people here who rent popups and come and set them up on your site at FW.

 

[Liljam]

I manage a body shop and we end up with lots of campers because there are no special shops for that in our area. You SHOULD be able to buy it back for next to nothing if its totaled and not have to go to the auction to get it. Then the ins. co. should still cut you a check of some sort near the amount they would have given you to total it minus what you buy it for if that makes sense. You could easily use some hardcore epoxy to seal the crack temporarily if it's not too bad then decide to sell as is later or have it repaired and possibly fork over some of your own money for it. Make sure you don't get a salvage title or you may not be able to resell it. If you have other questions I can try to help but I've been off the last year because I was pregnant and now I'm doing the SAHM thing for a bit so I may be a little rusty. These are just things I know have happened in the past. The problem is it can differ from state to state.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

I say go for the trailer. Before we got ours I thought it was a ridiculous expense and we would never use it. I was SO wrong. It is the best thing we ever did.

I agree completely!

So sorry to hear about your pop up! Hope you are able to get everything straightened out!

 

[CraftyOtt]

Yep, we are going to sit down tonight and take a look at all of our options. Hubby also mentioned renting a camper when we get down there, but that "new camper smell" has left a familiar glazed look in his eyes (like the one he gets when we go to the RV show)!

Honestly, our popup has really lived a long and useful life. Besides surviving with 3 boys, it has also been through a hurricane (NOBODY called us at the campground to tell us it was on it's way back....we just thought it was a bad thunderstorm starting up), a vacation when 4 out of 5 of us had a stomach virus, and was also attacked by squirrels (it looked like the camper had been hit by really big buckshot!).

You guys have been so great with encouragement!!

 

[AuburnJen92]

There is a lady by the name of Tina that rents her camper and sets it up at FW for you for the rental fee. Maybe if she is lurking around, she can pm you guys and work something out if she has the camper available. That way, you are not sinking all your money into a cabin or hotel, and maybe you will have some left over when you are ready for another pup or TT. Just a suggestion...

 

[2goofycampers]

tina has a link on {Advertisement} on www.rvusa.org. Denise aka link shrink

 

[AuburnJen92]

Denise,

You need to put link shrink somewhere in your sig...it fits so well, thanks ROG!