snapped off tongue on trailer

[Fosgate]

Yeah, Would have been better to move it to one place and let it sit. Manufacturer could easily fight the insurance siting "spoilage". Super busy or not the insurance company is bound by state laws to act in "good faith" part of that is processing your claim in a timely manner. If it takes a month or more for your insurance company to even get an estimate I think I would be shopping for another insurance carrier along with a trailer. If this was your primary vehicle and you were in a rental and had rental coverage that probably would have met it's limit by now. This is the slow time of year for adjusters and there really should be no excuse for not looking at it by now. Shops are the ones that are slow getting paperwork due to shortages in employees. I've sent claims to Custard Independent Adjusters in the last 2 weeks. One was a shop near Denver going through a merger taking more than 14 days to write an estimate. It takes me about and hour onsite to inspect and write an estimate on a hammered vehicle and about the same for Semi's and Trailers. The adjuster/appraiser sent me an estimate for the body damage within 24hours and now it's just a grind to get the shop to move it to a mechanic to check out the engine for hidden damage. I just sent another one this afternoon for one of our insureds now down in Florida and got confirmation that they will be inspecting within 24 hours. The only place I had problems trying to get an IA to go out in a timely manor was about a year ago to someplace in NE Montana. (Glascow or Malta) nobody wanted to travel that distance and flat our turned us down. I don't know what state you are in but if It were me in my state I think I would be about ready to call the Division/Department of Insurance to file a complaint (usually an online form on their site) and get a fire lit under that companies ass to get decision on this thing. If your going to do that approach, try to have your dates of contact lined up on who you talked to and what was said. It's not necessary, but keeps the DOI in your corner and harder for the company to make excuses.

 

[Fosgate]

Trailer talk is jinxing some people I think. I just got an assignment about 11am this morning. Guy Rolled yesterday when it was pretty windy to be pulling a 24ft all Alum trailer with a single sled in it. Wind took it and flipped it, shearing off the whole front frame assy. Obviously this things gone. About a $20k unit, $7k per side to repair, $6 K for the roof, back drop down door is warped badly, front door was ripped off laying inside, damaged, then the Frame. Sled rolled around inside it totaling it as well. If your going to drive all alum trailers in the wind, keep them loaded and the speed down. I feel sorry for the guy since he has had both for less than a month. Keep your speed down pulling a light trailer, keep them weighting and load balanced. Keep the speed down and high wind and make sure you keep good tire tread on your rig and trailer. Will have settlement figures on this and presented within 72 hours or sooner though.

 

[Ex-Flit]

Trailer talk is jinxing some people I think. I just got an assignment about 11am this morning. Guy Rolled yesterday when it was pretty windy to be pulling a 24ft all Alum trailer with a single sled in it. Wind took it and flipped it, shearing off the whole front frame assy. Obviously this things gone. About a $20k unit, $7k per side to repair, $6 K for the roof, back drop down door is warped badly, front door was ripped off laying inside, damaged, then the Frame. Sled rolled around inside it totaling it as well. If your going to drive all alum trailers in the wind, keep them loaded and the speed down. I feel sorry for the guy since he has had both for less than a month. Keep your speed down pulling a light trailer, keep them weighting and load balanced. Keep the speed down and high wind and make sure you keep good tire tread on your rig and trailer. Will have settlement figures on this and presented within 72 hours or sooner though.

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My trailer is not quite that bad, thank god.

The insurance co. dropped off the trailer to I 29 today, they are trying to get me an estimate by tomorrow hopefully. I 29 ( trailer dealer) had been great to deal with.

 

[Fosgate]

My trailer is not quite that bad, thank god.

The insurance co. dropped off the trailer to I 29 today, they are trying to get me an estimate by tomorrow hopefully. I 29 ( trailer dealer) had been great to deal with.

If they determine it repairable I would ask them for a copy of their valuation. Then ask them about their rules and state statues on “reimbursement of diminishment of value.” Get an understanding if available in your state. If available,Once it’s fixed, sell or trade it and the get a copy of the bill of sale/trade agreement and supply that to them and ask for payment for diminishment of value. Generally you must sell it to realize the loss/gain similar to stocks to pays tax on capitalized gains. It’s tough to explain. But, two identical used trailers sitting next to each other for the same price. Which one are you going to buy? In order to prove you must sell to realize the gain or loss in value.


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[Ex-Flit]

If they determine it repairable I would ask them for a copy of their valuation. Then ask them about their rules and state statues on “reimbursement of diminishment of value.” Get an understanding if available in your state. If available,Once it’s fixed, sell or trade it and the get a copy of the bill of sale/trade agreement and supply that to them and ask for payment for diminishment of value. Generally you must sell it to realize the loss/gain similar to stocks to pays tax on capitalized gains. It’s tough to explain. But, two identical used trailers sitting next to each other for the same price. Which one are you going to buy? In order to prove you must sell to realize the gain or loss in value.


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Great info! Thank you

 

[meathooker]

Sorry to see this. Glad no one was hurt!

I was nervous about that in my aluminum trailers so I made a braced tongue on the last couple of them.

It captures the top and bottom of frame as well as extends back substantially farther to distribute the load.

1/4” SS for corrosion protection

 

[jim]

I'm gonna be a downer here. But aluminum in direct contact with stainless will cause a galvanic reaction and the aluminum will transfer electrons to the stainless and corrode and weaken. That stainless shell is actually corroding the aluminum faster than direct exposure. Does it make it stronger? Not really...aluminum is more rigid than stainless and strains with less displacement than stainless steel...so the aluminum is taking all the stress due to deflection/flexing.

 

[Fosgate]

I'm gonna be a downer here. But aluminum in direct contact with stainless will cause a galvanic reaction and the aluminum will transfer electrons to the stainless and corrode and weaken. That stainless shell is actually corroding the aluminum faster than direct exposure. Does it make it stronger? Not really...aluminum is more rigid than stainless and strains with less displacement than stainless steel...so the aluminum is taking all the stress due to deflection/flexing.

Yup. It’s why body shops use tools specially for working on aluminum only and don’t come in contact with other metals. Specific area with curtains are used to keep airborne particles from coming in contact and contaminating metal. Bolts and metal fasteners that are not aluminum have to be coated first. Etc.


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[revrider07]

Any updates from the op

common man

 

[Ex-Flit]

Any updates from the op

common man

Sorry, I have been waiting on the estimate for damages. I finally got the pricing back late yesterday. They are telling me if you can believe this: That there is $20,000 just in labor. The total for labor and parts is $34,000!

So, now I am waiting on the insurance co. and then we will be talking to the manufacturing again.

I will keep you posted on how it goes.

 

[jim]

They are telling me if you can believe this: That there is $20,000 just in labor. The total for labor and parts is $34,000!

Man, with the way inflation is hitting us, in addition to the insane cost of any repair including your trailer, you might want to save that trailer money so you can buy food and gas.

 

[Fosgate]

How much did the market value come back at?


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[Ex-Flit]

How much did the market value come back at?


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Still waiting to hear back

 

[Fosgate]

Might want to do a little research on the market of your trailer. Look for 3-5 recent add postings of close year make model and options and bookmark them. Total the dollar amount and divide by the number of comparable sizes you found to get the average. Anything above that is bonus. Don’t be surprised if it’s higher than the stated limit on your policy as high as trailers are going for. Salvage will probably be somewhere between 20-30% of market looking at the damage. If your lucky you’re state allows figuring damage like SD. Here we don’t have a 75% law (repair estimate equals or exceeds the market value it’s totaled.) ours is 100%, but we figure if the expected loss exceeds the market value we’ll total it.

The way we figure the expected loss is:

Repair estimate+ salvage value+towing+rental (if applicable)+ expected potential supplement to the repair =expected total loss

market value- Unrepaired prior damage paid for by insurance-unrelated prior damage not conditioned for on the valuation= Adjusted Market value

Expected total loss meets or exceeds adjusted market Value= Total Loss

This is where I total a lot of vehicles out. Even when the repair estimate does not exceed 100% or is even below the 75% threshold of other states.

Being honest I would be real nervous that once the shop starts tearing it dow that they find more hidden damage and really raise the repair costs into total loss territory.


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[Ex-Flit]

Might want to do a little research on the market of your trailer. Look for 3-5 recent add postings of close year make model and options and bookmark them. Total the dollar amount and divide by the number of comparable sizes you found to get the average. Anything above that is bonus. Don’t be surprised if it’s higher than the stated limit on your policy as high as trailers are going for. Salvage will probably be somewhere between 20-30% of market looking at the damage. If your lucky you’re state allows figuring damage like SD. Here we don’t have a 75% law (repair estimate equals or exceeds the market value it’s totaled.) ours is 100%, but we figure if the expected loss exceeds the market value we’ll total it.

The way we figure the expected loss is:

Repair estimate+ salvage value+towing+rental (if applicable)+ expected potential supplement to the repair =expected total loss

market value- Unrepaired prior damage paid for by insurance-unrelated prior damage not conditioned for on the valuation= Adjusted Market value

Expected total loss meets or exceeds adjusted market Value= Total Loss

This is where I total a lot of vehicles out. Even when the repair estimate does not exceed 100% or is even below the 75% threshold of other states.

Being honest I would be real nervous that once the shop starts tearing it dow that they find more hidden damage and really raise the repair costs into total loss territory.


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Thank you for all of the information. It sounds like the insurance co should have everything finished up on Monday.

 

[meathooker]

I'm gonna be a downer here. But aluminum in direct contact with stainless will cause a galvanic reaction and the aluminum will transfer electrons to the stainless and corrode and weaken. That stainless shell is actually corroding the aluminum faster than direct exposure. Does it make it stronger? Not really...aluminum is more rigid than stainless and strains with less displacement than stainless steel...so the aluminum is taking all the stress due to deflection/flexing.

I’ll have to read about that For Al and ss specifically. i know its a big deal on other dissimilar metals but I wasn’t aware of it being a big issue in this scenario. If it’s bad I can router some .030” poly to use as a gasket or do a marine epoxy paint on the aluminum then reinstall the tongue.

thanks for heads up and looking out!

 

[Fosgate]

OP, how did this turn out? Everything settle well?


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[Ex-Flit]

OP, how did this turn out? Everything settle well?


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Sorry, I was out of town and got busy when I got back. Insurance co sent over a price but they missed most of the options on the trailer, so they adjusted the price. They gave me a fare price. I am happy with the price, just wished it wasn't so painful getting to that point.

Thank you for all of the help!

 

[kanedog]

Sorry, I was out of town and got busy when I got back. Insurance co sent over a price but they missed most of the options on the trailer, so they adjusted the price. They gave me a fare price. I am happy with the price, just wished it wasn't so painful getting to that point.

Thank you for all of the help!

Ya no chit hey? Peeps should make a good offer, everything included instead of making things so painful these days!

 

[Ex-Flit]

Ya no chit hey? Peeps should make a good offer, everything included instead of making things so painful these days!

I understand that everyone is short handed, but my wife had to call more than once a week to keep things moving. If she wasn't so persistent we would still be waiting. No one from our insurance co. would take charge and get it done. Pretty sad that we had to take over to get something done.