Community Forums

Pusherpilot · 03-22-2017, 09:07 PM

About a week ago I called my Ins Co to start a claim for a cracked windshield. Unlike last time, 5 yrs ago,I didn't talk to a Natl Genl Rep I registered my claim with a contractor. She took the info and said someone would call me. A rep from Duncan called and said she would forward the claim to a "RV Specialist". Another day wait (or two I forget) and I get another call telling me that they would et a quote from the shop I specified . Later they came back with the estimate the shop gave them was twice what the industry standard and normal and customary for the area. Now I'm waiting for the Ins and shop to agree on a price for the job!!! I was also told by the adjuster that my MH is old and there is a possibility that the front cap has been deformed causing the crack. Tney now want me to have it inspected by a "certified" shop to determine if it is OK on my dime! They are going to pay the claim but I see a but in there that they'll refuse to pay future claims unless there is an impact. I asked if the fact that it broke when I ran over a railroad crossing was an impact and she said basically "no". These guys are good at saying things without actually saying them!
Anybody out there have any experience to contribute? Looks like those of us with older rigs are going to be denied claims even tho we have full coverage policies.

Hit_the_Rhod · 03-22-2017, 09:16 PM

Time to find another insurance company! Our motor home is a 2001, we replaced both front windshields a year ago, with absolutely NO problems from our The Hartford thru AARP. Denying a claim because a vehicle MIGHT have a problem because of age is total BS. Trying to get you to pay for an inspection for something that MAY be a problem is ALSO BS. After you get you glass fixed, tell them you are taking your business elsewhere.

BrianGlenn · 03-22-2017, 09:24 PM

Throw a rock at the windshield.

Seriously though I am aware of glass coverage wording that specifically states "impact" in the legal wording. I have gotten around it by stating the rock impacted the edge of the glass and the crack started there.

Good luck.
Brian

dix39 · 03-22-2017, 10:13 PM

We had our drivers side replaced last fall with no problems and no additional charge. Our insurance is through Safeco. We even had the choice of replace or repair and picked the shop.

I think state laws may play a role in this.

Steve

Pusherpilot · 03-23-2017, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hit_the_Rhod

Time to find another insurance company! Our motor home is a 2001, we replaced both front windshields a year ago, with absolutely NO problems from our The Hartford thru AARP. Denying a claim because a vehicle MIGHT have a problem because of age is total BS. Trying to get you to pay for an inspection for something that MAY be a problem is ALSO BS. After you get you glass fixed, tell them you are taking your business elsewhere.

Yeah, I'd love to find another Ins Co!! There's a couple of problems at play. We have "cost of replacement" ins that we got when we bought the coach new in 04. No other company is going to write another policy like that on an old coach. That was thru GMAC. When GM went belly up the policy was sold to Natl Genl. Also the policy premium tripled two yrs ago due to two claims on our car! That is coming off in May so I hope another super high priced year or two isn't in the offing now. Right now we're sitting in a CG waiting for the Ins and the shop to agree on a price and get us in to do the job. We'd heard that RV Renovators in Phoenix does good work and is on the way to Mo where we're going so that's where we want to go. I just can't believe that it now takes a week to get a simple glass claim settled!!!!!

Hit_the_Rhod · 03-23-2017, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pusherpilot

Yeah, I'd love to find another Ins Co!! There's a couple of problems at play. We have "cost of replacement" ins that we got when we bought the coach new in 04. No other company is going to write another policy like that on an old coach. That was thru GMAC. When GM went belly up the policy was sold to Natl Genl. Also the policy premium tripled two yrs ago due to two claims on our car! That is coming off in May so I hope another super high priced year or two isn't in the offing now. Right now we're sitting in a CG waiting for the Ins and the shop to agree on a price and get us in to do the job. We'd heard that RV Renovators in Phoenix does good work and is on the way to Mo where we're going so that's where we want to go. I just can't believe that it now takes a week to get a simple glass claim settled!!!!!

Maybe it does with National General. That's why I fired them three years ago and went with The Hartford. Two windshields, three days later, the adjuster had been out, glass was on order, and installed about 4 days after that, so ours took a week too, but that was from first call to new glass installed. Sounds like you've been into it for a week, and it's taken that long just for them to agree to fix it . . . .How long will it take to have the new glass in? What are your annual premiums?

monacojim · 03-23-2017, 05:52 PM

I have National General, and have had the same windshield replaced twice, a month apart last year, and no repercussions other than an increase in premiums. I have checked out many other companies since my premium increase, but National General is still the lowest, by quite a bit.

Pusherpilot · 03-23-2017, 10:24 PM

This a/m I got a call from my agent. She had just talked to the "adjuster" and I need to have the "inspection" done and any repairs done BEFORE they'll replace the windshield!!! The talk track is that if the glass breaks when running over a rough RR crossing or leveling in a camp site there is something wrong with the coach and it needs to be fixed before they'll replace it. They claim that normal wear and tear is a cause. I'm wondering who the "expert" they keep alluding to is. RV Renovators will only do the process one way, they call it a dry sizing where they use short pieces of gasket to suspend the glass in the opening then trim the opening to fit. Estimate is that the cost could go as high as $1500. In short I decided to simply head for Mo where I can park it in my pad and do the waiting and screaming on the phone in comfort!!

Hit_the_Rhod · 03-24-2017, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pusherpilot

This a/m I got a call from my agent. She had just talked to the "adjuster" and I need to have the "inspection" done and any repairs done BEFORE they'll replace the windshield!!! The talk track is that if the glass breaks when running over a rough RR crossing or leveling in a camp site there is something wrong with the coach and it needs to be fixed before they'll replace it. They claim that normal wear and tear is a cause. I'm wondering who the "expert" they keep alluding to is. RV Renovators will only do the process one way, they call it a dry sizing where they use short pieces of gasket to suspend the glass in the opening then trim the opening to fit. Estimate is that the cost could go as high as $1500. In short I decided to simply head for Mo where I can park it in my pad and do the waiting and screaming on the phone in comfort!!

I think that I would ask them to send what they said to you on the phone in writing. Then I would call your State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (the state where you garage your RV and where your insurance is bound). I have had WONDERFUL luck with the Insurance Commissioner's Office in both North Carolina, and Kentucky. What your insurance company is telling you MAY be legal, but unless there is documented "history" of your particular make and model having problems with front end caps failing (and there are a few models out there that DO have documented problems), or you are replacing glass every 6 months, or your coach sustained documented un-repaired front end damage in the past, requiring you to have a $1,500 inspection done on YOUR dime before they replace your glass as they are contractually bound to do, I feel that they are on thin ice. Basing the "requirement" on age alone is just plain stupid.

Rather, basing their REFUSAL to honor their contract with you after they have accepted your money for insurance coverage is stupid, and perhaps breach of contract on their part.

Get the "requirement" for the inspection in writing. Ask them to specifically point out where in your policy it states that these types of "inspections" are legitimate and required because of the age of your vehicle before they will pay a claim.

Contact your State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, start a file. Write your insurance company, either by e-mail or snail mail (giving a paper trail) requesting them to replace your glass. Ask them to send any response to both you and the Insurance Commissioner (include the file #).

A paper trail is ESSENTIAL. Verbal conversations mean very little. People can say pretty much anything on the phone, and later claim that you misunderstood. Having a written document from your insurance company that states that they are denying coverage after they took your money means everything.

This type of situation is what Insurance Commissioners LIVE FOR!

If you do the above, I believe the next communication from your insurance company will be them asking you when you want your glass replaced . . .

HD4Mark · 03-24-2017, 05:47 AM

We had the passenger side of our two piece windshield replaced by Progressive no questions asked. We couldn't really pin down what happened either. DW noticed the crack while traveling.

I think Scot's advice sounds good. Fight them with paper just like they are doing to you. Seems like insurance companies are in the business of not paying claims. Try the bunch of excuses they use to not pay the premium.

MikeyG · 03-24-2017, 08:32 AM

Had the same situation a couple years ago with Nat Gen. I could select the repair shop and was told that because of the age of my coach (really?), they would only cover the windshield replacement this one time. But...if I had a certified shop inspect the front cap and give me a written report, they would continue to cover the windshield. I took it to DeMartini in Grass Valley as they were the largest Monaco dealer in Northern California and have great service. They replaced the windshield and gave me an inspection report included in the price. I sent that to Nat. Gen. and requested written acceptance of the report and continuation of windshield coverage. I received that confirmation in writing a few days later.
There is no secret that Monaco had a problem with the structure of the caps when they went to the one-piece windshield, so I was satisfied with that approach from Nat. Gen.
Good luck,
Mike

Pusherpilot · 03-24-2017, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeyG

Had the same situation a couple years ago with Nat Gen. I could select the repair shop and was told that because of the age of my coach (really?), they would only cover the windshield replacement this one time. But...if I had a certified shop inspect the front cap and give me a written report, they would continue to cover the windshield. I took it to DeMartini in Grass Valley as they were the largest Monaco dealer in Northern California and have great service. They replaced the windshield and gave me an inspection report included in the price. I sent that to Nat. Gen. and requested written acceptance of the report and continuation of windshield coverage. I received that confirmation in writing a few days later.
There is no secret that Monaco had a problem with the structure of the caps when they went to the one-piece windshield, so I was satisfied with that approach from Nat. Gen.
Good luck,
Mike

Did Natl Genl tell you that the shop was acceptable as "certified"? I asked them to name a place to go and got a run around. As I said before they are skilled at saying a lot without saying anything!! When I tried RVRenovators they would only do their dry fit process and bill me. We were in Lodi wen we were conversing with the ins co and if they had said DeMartini I would have gone there. Thy didn't, to my recollection, ask where I was. Sounds like you got the same treatment I did when i called for a new shield. As it is we need to get back to Mo so I shelved the issue for now and will get back on the issue later.

FLYING BUTCH · 03-25-2017, 06:52 AM

Been there done that with same company, exact conditions. I called insurance company and told them what was going on with "Duncan". Got the windshield replaced and cancelled them. The Duncan people are terrible to deal with. Told the same crap about "my model" had a problem with the cap?? Called Monaco and there wasn't or still isn"t any problem with the cap!! Jerks

Captjake1 · 03-25-2017, 09:50 AM

My mom has had 3 windshields in 2 years. Finally found it was due to a design flaw in the motorhome which causes extreme twisting. They had no issues at all on any claim. Not sure of their insurance company.