Flooded and heartbroken.

[SeansmomSandy]

I guess the door wasn't quite latched during some really bad rains storms that we had in July. That's all I can think of. We did a pile of cleaning last year that involved hosing it down and it did not leak. It was stored indoors all winter. I am guessing the water ran in around the door and sat for about a month allowing it to wick up the wood parts. Cushions were dry so I don't think it was a window frame. I have started posting pictures to an album, I will finish tomorrow. Not sure how you get to my albums, but it's there.

[SeansmomSandy]

Well, I finished uploading the pictures. Still no news from the insurance company, so i will drop by their office this afternoon. This is the link for the album of the flood pictures.
Fiberglass RV - SeansmomSandy's Album: The great flood of 2014

On a happier note, I stopped by the Restore today and scored 40sq feet of Alure click floating vinyl flooring in a nice light oak for $40. It's going to look real nice in what will be our nice brigh trailer once we are done.

[Carol H]

Sandy, sorry to hear and see the damage. Heart breaking for sure!

I am also having trouble understanding how that much water could accumulate inside the trailer due to a door incorrectly latched. Was the trailer parked with the tongue way up?

[SeansmomSandy]

Hi Carol,
Not quite sure. I am just guessing about the door becasue I know it does not always close completely unless you give it a push. It is supposed to rain hard here today and tomorrow and we will try to identify any leaks. I am not sure how it was parked, probably was with the tongue up. I left it in the driveway and they moved it to the back yard. There is water damage in the front cubby closest to the door and farthest from the door, but the two center ones not so much. The back is the worst. The flooring came up easily in the back and across the front, but seems still stuck well in the center area. The little "gullies" all around the outside under the edge of the Ensolite were full across the back, under the back benches, beside the wheel wells and across the door, but the rest were dry.

[RogerDat]

Wow that is a devastating amount of damage, no wonder the thread has title heartbroken.

[SeansmomSandy]

Spoke to insurance and they are sending an adjuster to look at it and decide if we are covered. So frustrating, you pay and pay, but when you need them they waffle and give you grief. Either way we will be rebuilding, so do I start another thread somewhere else with all my questions? Or just a rebuild thread in this section?
Thank you all for your support and encouragement.

[War Eagle]

Sandy, Any luck with the insurance adjuster yet? I've always heard that before you buy an insurance policy from the smiling salesman you should ask to meet the adjuster. The salesman's job is to get as much money as they can from you, and then the adjuster's job is to make sure they hang onto as much of your money as the law will allow. One company, two employees with totally different missions. Oh, and did it rain again? And if so, any evidence of leaks? Next time you get a heavy rain, it would be interesting to sit inside to look for leaks with the door latched closed, and then crack the door open to see how much comes in the door in such a way that it can't find its own way back out the open door.

In a somewhat related story - We once had a 1984 Dodge K-Car station wagon (real lemon, but that's a whole other story), and every time it rained, the spare tire well in the back filled with rainwater - a LOT of it! Tailgate seals were all good. No leaks around the roof rack mounts. I paid the local Chrysler shop for several hours of trying to find out how all that rainwater was getting into the car to no avail. Total mystery to them, too. Then one day, the drivers-side taillight blew out. I pulled the taillight assembly off to replace the bulb, and there it was! When the guy at the factory installed the taillight assembly, he didn't notice that one of the electrical wires made a loop outside the hole in the body wall instead of going down into the hole. The loop got pinched between the rubber seal of the taillight assembly and the body wall of the car. The loop not only kept the rubber seal from sealing, but the wire formed a perfect little funnel for all of the water draining down the rear rain channel of the car right into the taillight hole in the body. So not only was there an unsealed hole, rain water coming down that back channel was being funneled straight down into that hole. Once inside the body channels, gravity took it to the lowest spot which was the spare tire well. Who'da thunk it?! I could write a book about all the problems that car had. Anyway, the lesson learned is to never assume that even factory seals are truly sealed. It's always worth checking everything just to be sure. Best of luck....

[Glenn Baglo]

Well, Dodge didn't fix the leak issue with the Neon. We had a dozen Neon company cars and they all leaked ( mostly filling the rear foot wells ). One source was the tail light.
Not at all good, considering that we'd have up to $30,000 in camera gear and computers in the trunk.

[SeansmomSandy]

The water stays in and does not run out because there is a very high lip at the bottom of the door. So i think it came in and sat on the floor, which if it was parked with the tongue up would force it to run tot he back where there is the most damage. In the mean time heavy rain yesterday and the trailer is dry this morning. Never thought of trying with the door unlached, will do that tonight or tomorrow when it rains again. Still waiting for insurance adjuster to call for appt. wish he would call soon I want to get started on the rebuild

[SeansmomSandy]

Just an update. Insurance inspector came and we took lots of pictures. He suggested that I take it to the trailer place for an estimate. I dropped it off yesterday and I expect it will take a few days. In the mean time we finished taking up the old floor and dried it out with a fan, a DriZair and just wiping up water with old rags. Tested the electrical and the fridge and both were fine.
Any wood touching the floor is suspect at this point. We'll just have to wait and see what they come up with. Still not 100% sure if we are covered. Agent says yes but the adjuster says maybe, depending on the inspectors report. Inspector won't submit report until he gets estimate from the trailer place. ARGH! More of the red tape run around!

[RogerDat]

Your insurance adjuster makes no sense! How much the repair costs has nothing to do with is it a covered repair. Unless they decide it's totaled due to the repair cost or you have some minimum to meet for a claim.

I swear sometimes I think the only reason insurance companies are not the lowest life form is because there are lawyers and politicians in the world.

Hopefully it was just the adjuster being non-committal because they have no clue. I once had a car insurance adjuster call me and say "good news we can fix your car." I contacted insurance agent and asked "you sure about that?" Since my foot was broken by the transmission being sheared off of the engine and shoved into the passenger compartment I kind of doubted anything under the hood was "repairable" never mind the body work. Second adjuster took one look under the car and it was totaled.

Might have to be persistent but it sounds like you are making progress. Good luck.

[SeansmomSandy]

Apparently the issues With coverage are twofold. One is that the dolphin is listed on my car policy. Car policies are supposed to be for "sudden or immediate damage". To which I replied, the damage was probabaly sudden (a rain storm) I just didn't discover it for 6 weeks . The second issue is that the inspector needed to confirm that this wasn't caused by lack of maintenance. The inspector was real nice and he liked the shiny finish on the dolphin so i ended up directing him to this forum for the instructions on the Zep treatment for the fibreglass on his fifth wheel. I don't think that will be an issue, he saw how I baby her.

Who knows, whatever will be, will be.

[War Eagle]

Hey Sandy, It's been about a month since your insurance adjuster visited. I hope you have some good news to share by now. How's it going? Any chance you'll be back camping soon? Fall is a wonderful season to enjoy secluded mountain camp sites....

[SeansmomSandy]

Well, it took forever for the trailer place to give the inspector their estimate. The inspector was submitting his report this week to the adjuster, who will decide if I am covered or not. He (the inspector) is recommending that they cover with a claim of $5000. The trailer place quoted $3000 to remove, store, then reinstall all the gas and electric appliances while the interior was professionally cleaned and all wood parts and floor were being either replaced and or coated in a mold resistant primer and paint. Then of course all new cushions. So now we wait some more.

[SeansmomSandy]

Insurance is going to pay, but I had to fight.
The adjuster called me to say sorry but you aren't covered for the damage and we won't pay. I was in my car when he called and I was in traffic and not a happy camper to start out with. So I got angry and told him that was bull**** and I wanted to talk to his supervisor. Of course she was 'in a meeting'.
I told him that I had been with that company for over 30 years and that if they didn't pay they would lose my car, my husbands car, our two trailers and our house. Two days later he called back and said they would cover me up to $8,000.
So, just goes to show that you shouldn't take the first answer they give you.

[KayD.]

Congratulations! Hope it turns out better than before to make up for all the aggravation you had to put up with.

[padlin00]

I'd change Ins Co's as soon as the check clears.

[CampyTime]

Hey Sandy. I was so glad to finally read your post that the jerks paid you for your losses. Threatening to pull out your business did the trick, huh? I'm so sorry you had to go through all this. I think I'd take the check and start looking for another company too.

I'm sorry I can't remember, but how are your repairs coming to the trailer? Last I read you were trying fans or dehumidifiers to dry out? Did electrical systems take a beating?

Best wishes to you!


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Shannon Thompson]

Just for future reference --- who is the insurance company?

[SeansmomSandy]

Sorry, it's been so long since I updated everybody. Took the trailer to the rv repair place and they did nothing for 3 weeks found a mattress store that does custom cushions and have those ready to order. I was hoping to get the rv repair place to coordinate everything so the insurance could pay them, but that ain't happening. So I called the insurance and asked if they could issue me a cheque and I could take care of it all. The check is on it's way, yipee.

So now, the rv place has taken out all the appliances for me, and I have the trailer here ready to fix up. Here's the plan:
-find a fiberglass place to rehang the door so this does not happen again. Have them fix an old crack at the same time.
- scub ensolite and clean fibreglass parts.
-remove and replace the flimsy panel board under dinette and front bench
-attempt to turn front bench into a dinette
-scrape remaining residue off floor.
-paint all wood parts (including cabinet doors) and floor with bin or zinsser mold proof primer
- paint all above with a nice bright plastic paint
- buy new t moldings and install
-put in new flooring
-put in new cushions and have appliances reinstalled.
I guess my summer weekends are all booked
Any tips or suggestions are welcome.
Sandy