# When an RV Gets Totaled and When It Comes Back

> A carrier totals a vehicle when the repair cost plus salvage value passes the actual cash value, and coaches cross that line earlier than owners expect because a laminated sidewall repair is labor heavy while the coach depreciates fast. Structural frame damage accelerates it further.

**URL:** https://ocrv.art/claims/total-loss-vs-repairable
**Entity:** OCRV Center, 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887
**Serves:** Whittier, Los Angeles County, California. The facility is in Yorba Linda, not in Whittier.
**Phone:** (949) 799-3387

## Why coaches total earlier

Depreciation on a motorhome is steep, so the actual cash value falls faster than the repair cost of a modern laminated body.

Sidewall and cap work is labor dominated, and labor does not depreciate. A ten year old coach with a released front cap can carry a repair number close to what the coach is worth.

## What you can do about it

Ask for the valuation basis. Actual cash value on a coach is contestable, particularly on a well maintained unit with documented upgrades.

Document upgrades and recent work. Solar, lithium banks, awnings and interior remodels are real value that a generic valuation misses.

Consider a retained salvage settlement if the coach is otherwise sound and the damage is cosmetic in nature. That path is worth pricing before accepting a total.

## The evaluation either way

A priced evaluation produces the repair number the total loss decision gets made against. Without it the carrier is working from an estimate written off a visible panel, which is the weakest possible basis for totaling a coach.

## Questions

### What ratio of value makes a carrier total a coach?

It varies by carrier and by state rather than being a single fixed number, and the calculation includes salvage value rather than repair cost alone. Ask your adjuster for the specific threshold applied to your file.

### Can I keep the RV if it is declared a total loss?

Usually yes, through a retained salvage settlement where the carrier pays the value less what the salvage is worth. The title changes status, which affects resale and future insurability.

### Does a total loss on a coach affect my other policies?

It goes on your claim history like any other loss. Whether it affects other lines depends on the carrier and the cause, and that is a question for your agent rather than the shop.