Community Forums

killian · 03-20-2008, 05:19 PM

The rooftop ac gasket failed allowing water to migrate under tpo membrane causing damage to wood. The repair shop estimated repairs would cost $4500, due mostly to inability to reuse tpo roof material (it's all gotta come off) and man hours. Insurance policy has an exclusion for wear and tear and so far is unwilling to cover this. Am i stuck here? Owner's manual says nothing about replacing ac gasket as part of regular maintenance. Should i haggle with the insurance company or am i expecting too much. I don't consider this to be negligence on my part, there are no interior signs of a problem and only the soft spots on the roof. The damage has been done by the time a soft spot is found. I don't like arguing with anyone but this just seems crazy to me. K-Z, the maker, and the exended warranty people are no help either.

killian · 03-20-2008, 05:19 PM

The rooftop ac gasket failed allowing water to migrate under tpo membrane causing damage to wood. The repair shop estimated repairs would cost $4500, due mostly to inability to reuse tpo roof material (it's all gotta come off) and man hours. Insurance policy has an exclusion for wear and tear and so far is unwilling to cover this. Am i stuck here? Owner's manual says nothing about replacing ac gasket as part of regular maintenance. Should i haggle with the insurance company or am i expecting too much. I don't consider this to be negligence on my part, there are no interior signs of a problem and only the soft spots on the roof. The damage has been done by the time a soft spot is found. I don't like arguing with anyone but this just seems crazy to me. K-Z, the maker, and the exended warranty people are no help either.

Roam America · 03-21-2008, 05:00 AM

haggle with the insurance company. insurance companies are in the business of collecting money and then not paying policy holders, or paying them as little as possible. You may get them to loosen their purse strings and get something.

Wind River · 03-21-2008, 10:13 AM

By your own admission the damage was caused by wear and tear. Sounds like you are out of luck.

Gary RVRoamer · 03-21-2008, 01:19 PM

By all means haggle - you have nothing to lose. But they are tough on gaskets & seals - the general attitude is that you should have known it was going bad. Your best argument would be that there is no routine replacement schedule on a/c roof gaskets, if you can show/prove that somehow. Review the owners manual for your a/c and see if it says anything in that regard. But if it even says you should check it once in awhile, you are probably out of luck.

Good luck and let us know how it comes out.

killian · 03-21-2008, 03:33 PM

I'm not "admitting" the damage was caused by normal wear and tear, that is the insurance company's statement. Again, the Owner's Manual does not say anything about inspecting or replacing the A/C gasket. The repair facility couldn't find it either. Get this, if I would have lied and said that I hit a low branch or something and caused the A/C to shift on the gasket, it would have been covered. That is the exact scenario I ran by the insurance lady I have been talking to and she responded with a " yeah probably". Crazy world.

Gary RVRoamer · 03-21-2008, 04:33 PM

Are we talking about an extended warranty plan (repair insurance) or you automotive type comprehensive (other than collision) insurance? Two different animals...

killian · 03-21-2008, 05:04 PM

This is a Consumers County Mutual insurance policy. I switched to this company when I bought the travel trailer...three other vehicles on the policy. My mistake not getting separate policy tailored for the RV. I checked the RVP RV Products (division of Airxcel)installation, operation, and maintenance instructions and still have found nothing concerning the rooftop A/C gasket other than to use one during installation. Thank you for your replys.

killian · 03-22-2008, 04:17 PM

Are there any success stories out there with this type of insurance coverage "sitiation"?

lthrnk · 03-23-2008, 03:21 AM

How old is the unit?

killian · 03-23-2008, 04:49 AM

The travel trailer is a 2003 K-Z Sportsmen Coyote, 23' CMSL. There is actually nothing wrong with the tpo membrane material on top, the water leak is at the ac gasket...according to the repair shop. Any thoughts on this matter would be appreciated.

rjf7g · 03-23-2008, 11:36 AM

What's the warranty on your AC? Is the gasket covered with that warranty?

Gary RVRoamer · 03-23-2008, 02:47 PM

Most casualty loss policies require that there be some external damage before they pay off. Think about it - if this was your stick house and the roof shingles deteriorated and began to leak, would you be covered? You would be if there was a windstorm that tore up the shingles, but not if it simply leaked due to the deterioration of the roof itself, whether premature or not.

You are going to have a tough time making the case now that you have admitted there was no external cause. It may not be too late to start talking about previous stress damage or perhaps that the leak began after driving rain & wind. Anything other than the simple "the gasket failed" statement.

killian · 03-23-2008, 07:28 PM

I have talked the insurance in to sending an adjuster out again Monday because I requested the ac unit be removed by the repair shop for a closer inspection.
"the gasket failed" is the repair shop's "simple statement". Not mine. I should have lied and said I recklessly slammed into a tree branch because there are a few "scratches" (on the ac cover) from the tree that I back under on my way to parking it in my backyard. now...maybe I should get a second opinion (another repair shop). The gasket cannot be seen unless the ac unit is removed, so I really don't know how anyone could be sure of anything. I have replaced travel trailer tires before any visible damage or wear (lots of tread left). I repack the wheel bearings every year (no visual or audible signs of part failure). Well, live and learn. I have learned the ac gasket will need to be replaced very often because when the unit is removed to inspect it for leaks, the gasket cannot be reused. If I would have only known how to lie about all this. I've heard that's called playing the game. Thanks to everyone on this forum!!! for letting me get out my frustration.