Twenty Five Ways RV Owners Lose Money on a Claim
Most money lost on an RV claim is lost in the first week, before any wrench turns. Accepting the initial estimate, delaying teardown, describing the loss badly and letting the vehicle sit uncovered are the four that cost the most, and all four are avoidable.
Before you call the carrier
1. Photographing only the obvious damage. Photograph the whole vehicle, all four corners, the roof, the interior and the odometer, on the day of the loss.
2. Describing cause from memory days later. Write it down the same day.
3. Guessing at coverage on the first call. State facts, let the carrier apply the policy.
4. Moving the vehicle in a way that adds damage, then not documenting that it happened during recovery.
5. Letting an open roof or window sit through a rain event. Water damage after the loss is a separate and much harder argument.
During the estimate
6. Accepting the initial estimate as the number. It is an opening position on a coach, always.
7. Skipping teardown to save an hour of labor, then discovering the rest of the damage after authorization.
8. Letting the adjuster inspect an intact panel and calling that the scope.
9. Not asking which labor operation each line item was written against.
10. Assuming a matched paint blend is included. On a multi stage finish it frequently is not.
11. Missing the ADAS recalibration line entirely on anything with camera or radar.
12. Not documenting pre existing delamination separately, which lets the carrier attribute new damage to old.
During the repair
13. Authorizing before the parts price is confirmed. Special order parts take a full non refundable deposit.
14. Approving a cosmetic repair over a perforated panel, which fails again within a season.
15. Letting finish work close over a wall that has not been verified dry.
16. Accepting a rebond on a released area past the crossover point for the coach class.
17. Changing the scope mid job without a written supplement.
18. Paying a card surcharge without knowing it applies. Over $1,000 it is 3.5 percent.
19. Assuming labor is taxed. It is not. Parts and materials carry 7.75 percent.
After the repair
20. Not getting the final scope in writing with the rate card figures against it.
21. Closing the claim before the supplement for the last discovered item is approved.
22. Losing the teardown documentation, which is the evidence base for any later dispute.
23. Not recording the repair in the vehicle history, which affects the next pre purchase inspection.
24. Skipping the reseal interval afterward, which reopens the same moisture path.
25. Assuming the next loss will run the same way. Carriers change adjusters, and the documentation habit is what carries over.
Common questions
Which single pitfall costs the most on average?
Skipping teardown. It converts every later discovery into an argument with a carrier who has already written a number, and it is the one mistake that compounds through the rest of the claim.
Is pre existing damage always excluded?
Not always, but it is always contested. Documenting it separately before the loss, or at minimum at first inspection, is what keeps new damage from being folded into it.
Should I file a claim for damage under my deductible?
Generally no. If the priced evaluation puts the scope near or under the deductible, paying direct usually costs less than a claim on the record. The evaluation tells you which case you are in.
Scope boundary
What this shop does not take
No mobile service. Every job happens at the facility.
No roadside assistance and no on site evaluation.
No engine rebuild and no internal engine machining.
No transmission rebuild and no drivetrain overhaul.
No DOT inspection and no DOT certification.
No emission testing and no emission certification.
No telematics installation and no fleet software.
No fleet consulting and no driver training programs.
Everything above is work OCRV Center declines rather than work it performs poorly. The facility is a body, paint, structural and onboard systems shop, and it is an in shop operation.
Bring it in
Insurance walk ins are welcome. The teardown hour is priced at $210 and credited against an authorized repair, so the evaluation is not a cost you lose if the work proceeds.
23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM.