Insurance
25 Things Insurance Companies Do Not Tell You
In short: Almost every avoidable loss on an RV or fleet claim comes from one of twenty five specific things, and the majority of them are decided in the first week before most owners realise a decision is being made.
- Updated
Most of what goes wrong on an insurance claim is decided in the first week, usually before the owner realises a decision is being made. What follows is what we see repeatedly from the repair side of the process, with what to do instead.
Before you file
1. Not photographing the scene properly. A handful of close-ups of the damage is not enough. Take wide shots showing context, position and the other vehicle. These become the baseline every later argument references. Instead: photograph comprehensively at the scene, including things that seem irrelevant.
2. Waiting to report. Delay is the single most common reason a straightforward claim becomes difficult. Carriers reasonably question damage reported weeks later. Instead: notify promptly, even if you are unsure whether you will claim.
3. Admitting fault at the scene. Liability is determined by the carriers and the facts, not by what you said while adrenaline was high. Instead: exchange information, document, and let the process determine fault.
4. Letting it be towed to a storage yard. Storage fees accrue daily, are substantial on a large vehicle, and come out of your settlement. Instead: have it towed to a repair facility. If your policy covers towing, direct it yourself.
5. Not knowing what your policy actually covers. Most owners discover their coverage limits during a claim. Instead: read it now. Check total loss valuation method, aftermarket coverage limits, loss of use and towing.
Choosing a shop
6. Believing you must use the carrier's shop. You do not. California Insurance Code section 758.5 is explicit. Instead: choose your shop and inform the carrier. A recommendation is not a requirement.
7. Using an automotive shop for a large vehicle. Most carrier-preferred shops are car shops. A coach chassis needs a rack rated for it and a booth that holds it. Instead: choose a facility equipped for the vehicle you actually own.
8. Choosing on the lowest estimate. On the same documented scope, a materially lower quote usually means a smaller scope rather than better value, and the difference emerges as supplements later. Instead: compare scope line by line, not bottom lines.
9. Not asking whether the shop writes its own supplements. A shop that leaves you to argue additional damage with your adjuster has handed you its job. Instead: ask directly who submits supplements and with what documentation.
The estimate
10. Accepting a settlement before teardown. The most expensive mistake on this list. On a large vehicle the visible damage is routinely a third of the total. Instead: get the vehicle opened and assessed before agreeing any figure.
11. Assuming the adjuster's estimate is complete. It is a description of what could be seen, honestly written, and structurally incomplete on a coach. Instead: treat it as an opening scope, not a final one.
12. Not getting an independent assessment. An adjuster inspecting a vehicle for fifteen minutes cannot see inside a wall. Instead: a paid hidden damage assessment converts assumption into documented fact.
13. Signing anything you have not read. Particularly releases and direction-to-pay documents. Instead: read it, and ask what you are giving up.
Aftermarket and custom work
14. Not documenting modifications. The single most common uncovered loss. Solar, lithium, lifts, custom bumpers, interior builds and upgraded appliances get settled at base specification because nobody could establish what was there. Instead: photograph and inventory your build now, keep receipts somewhere other than in the vehicle.
15. Assuming aftermarket is automatically covered. Many policies cap it, some exclude it, and most require it to be declared. Instead: check your limits and add coverage before you need it.
16. Not declaring a conversion. A van converted to a camper is a materially different vehicle from the one on the policy. Instead: tell your insurer what the vehicle actually is.
During the repair
17. Letting the shop use inferior parts without discussion. Policies vary on aftermarket and reconditioned parts, and you frequently have more say than you assume. Instead: ask what is being used and what your policy permits.
18. Not asking about betterment. Where a repair improves the vehicle beyond its pre-loss condition, carriers may charge you the difference. Sometimes fair, sometimes applied broadly. Instead: ask for betterment to be itemised and justified.
19. Accepting silence. Claims stall in ambiguity more often than in disagreement. Instead: ask for status in writing at a defined interval.
20. Not claiming loss of use. Many policies include it and many owners never claim because nobody mentioned it. On a commercial vehicle this is substantial. Instead: ask specifically whether your policy includes it.
Total loss
21. Accepting the first valuation. Actual cash value on a coach is frequently understated because comparable sales data is thin and condition varies enormously. Instead: gather comparable listings for vehicles in your condition and specification, and present them.
22. Not challenging the repair estimate behind a total loss. A total loss is a comparison of two numbers, and the repair number is frequently a visual estimate. Instead: get a measured repair figure. See total loss and repair versus replace.
23. Forgetting you can retain the salvage. On some vehicles, particularly custom builds, retaining and repairing is better economics than the settlement. Instead: ask what the settlement looks like with and without salvage retention.
After
24. Not getting the repair documented. A documented structural repair is worth materially more at resale than an undocumented one, and it settles arguments later. Instead: ask for the complete file including photographs and measurements.
25. Not fixing what caused it where the cause was preventable. A roof that leaked because sealant was ten years old will leak again. Instead: treat the claim as the moment to address the underlying condition rather than only the consequence.
The short version
Document everything. Do not accept a figure before teardown. Choose your own shop. Know that supplements are normal. And put the important things in writing, because a claim that is fully documented has very few places left to get stuck.