Back in the saddle again? July 02, 2019, 03:57:46 pm Recently I sold my LD for a couple thousand more than I bought it for which I was pretty happy about. I told the buyer I was really vacillating on selling it and if he was unhappy with the deal in any way I'd buy it back. Well he called the other day and it seems he backed into a tree slightly poking the two center ladder mounts through the outter skin. Repair was estimated at $7200.00 and possibly up to 9k depending what they found inside. Insurance company totaled it and offered to give him 15k cash out in keep the vehicle for 13k cash out. He offered to sell it to me for 2k if I want it otherwise he's keeping the 14k which is what he paid me for it so he's happy either way. What do the LD scholars in here think of this? Can of worms with title and insurance and repar hassles or deal of the century? Repar shop says they will do a patch job for me removing the ladder and sealing the holes for $1500.00 which would be good enough to still enjoy the RV but not a real fix.
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #1 – July 02, 2019, 09:26:33 pm I would take that deal and just hold on to it a long time. Don’t worry about resell value- you can always use it as guest quarters at home or sell it for cheap to someone that wants to live on the streets of Los Angeles. Larry Wade will appreciate it. 😉 2 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #2 – July 02, 2019, 11:38:57 pm well, you pretty well know the condition of the rig when you sold it. Did you call the mothership to see what they would charge to fix it? (I know it's several degrees of latitude south but it might be a more realistic # than the insurance company).2K for an LD with salvage title and a couple of holes in the aft end.The biggest question for me would be getting insurance on it with a salvage title.Do the reasons you sold still apply? Are they mitigated by the price? 1 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #3 – July 03, 2019, 06:44:01 am I would be curious like Joel was - would insurance cover it. I would not be so worried about the rig but what about liability, medical, etc,Also would you still use it? I would check about registration if it was salvaged but I think if it is restored you can get the salvage taken off. I don’t think that having salvage on the title prevents you from driving it as long as it has all the required features are there (like working lights and front windshield). I see salvage titles on cars sold here regularly - could be a scam or could be a lot of people here restore them and things might differ state to state.Are you handy and would you consider repairing it your self? I know Larry has done some patches to the outer layer.My other half - Scott - works in the aerospace industry and has said to him those repairs to the LD outer layer is a piece of cake (nice news to me as the rest of the coach work is a piece of cake to ,me but that outer layer is not something I have mucked with before).If you want some rough info on what it would take to fix yourself, show us some pictures (further away to give context and close up to see actual damage) and I will get Scott to give you some basic info.Jane
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #4 – July 03, 2019, 07:14:52 am There is a member on here, cor2man, who did some extensive repair to the back of his unit, you might quiz him and see what he thinks.Hooray for rot repair!!Jon 1 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #5 – July 03, 2019, 08:50:47 am Quote from: joel wiley - July 02, 2019, 11:38:57 pmwell, you pretty well know the condition of the rig when you sold it. Did you call the mothership to see what they would charge to fix it? (I know it's several degrees of latitude south but it might be a more realistic # than the insurance company).2K for an LD with salvage title and a couple of holes in the aft end.The biggest question for me would be getting insurance on it with a salvage title.Do the reasons you sold still apply? Are they mitigated by the price?Condition both mechanical and cosmetic are top notch. I mainly bought the rig for long late winter snowbird trips to Arizona and yes I was disappointed in that due to the extreme overcrowding of the sun belt region. The summer before that though we did a couple of shorter trips over to the coast to get away from smoke and heat and just for a general change in scenery and had a great time hiking ,biking and laying on the beach. I didn't feel that keeping the LD just for short little trips was cost effective so I sold it but with only 2k into it that wouldn't really be an issue anymore.Mothership said 5k-possibly 8k depending on any for issues they found plus my cost of the 3000 mile round trip and hotels while being repaired eating out etc so that's a no go for me. Talked to Washington DMV yesterday and they said with cosmetic damage it wouldn't even be a salvage title but I'd need to re title it with a record of a collision repair for car fax type stuff I guess but I imagine that would effect resale at some point.IReally on the fence about this. Part of me says wow sweet deal but another part says remember it's an old motor home and always a potential money pit and you could end up putting many thousands into it any time and it will always have a limited resale value with the bandaid repair job or even no repair job at all except holds being taped around the ladder which is an option. What to do what to do. LOL
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #6 – July 03, 2019, 08:55:12 am Quote from: Jane and Scott - July 03, 2019, 06:44:01 amI would be curious like Joel was - would insurance cover it. I would not be so worried about the rig but what about liability, medical, etc,Also would you still use it? I would check about registration if it was salvaged but I think if it is restored you can get the salvage taken off. I don’t think that having salvage on the title prevents you from driving it as long as it has all the required features are there (like working lights and front windshield). I see salvage titles on cars sold here regularly - could be a scam or could be a lot of people here restore them and things might differ state to state.Are you handy and would you consider repairing it your self? I know Larry has done some patches to the outer layer.My other half - Scott - works in the aerospace industry and has said to him those repairs to the LD outer layer is a piece of cake (nice news to me as the rest of the coach work is a piece of cake to ,me but that outer layer is not something I have mucked with before).If you want some rough info on what it would take to fix yourself, show us some pictures (further away to give context and close up to see actual damage) and I will get Scott to give you some basic info.JaneInsurance is an issue and it looks like I could only get collision unless damage is completely repaired and certified so if I end up putting more money in it due to mechanical issues down the road I'm left swinging in the breeze if it gets wrecked and yes that's a concern.IDon't have pics but basically if ladder is removed there's two holes to patch each one about two inches in diameter.
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #7 – July 03, 2019, 09:04:01 am Quote from: JonS - July 03, 2019, 07:14:52 amThere is a member on here, cor2man, who did some extensive repair to the back of his unit, you might quiz him and see what he thinks.Hooray for rot repair!!JonYes I followed that thread closely and unofficially nominated it for thread of the year and sent some of those pics to repair shop to help them in their estimate. I do feel fully capable of doing the same repair but not sure I want to devote all the time and effort to that at this point in life. This summer I'm pretty busy building a garage with my own lumber I'm milling from trees off my own land so it's definitely out for now but yes that could be a project I'd consider later on. Not getting any younger though so.....
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #8 – July 03, 2019, 11:17:05 am Going back to what it would cost to have the mothership repair the LD. If they were to do the repair it getting it re-certified for insurance and resale should be easy. Perhaps their is an aircraft restoration shop that could do the repairs for less total combined cost when compared to the mothership cost. The big advantage to having a known shop do the work, at what is undoubtably going to be a higher cost, is to make the recertification easier. At first I was against putting this back on the road because of all the hassles with a salvaged title. But a regular title and documented proper repair might be another story. This would still cost more than a newer LD, but you have a LD you know the history of. 1 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #9 – July 03, 2019, 11:25:53 am Option three is buy the LD for 2k and try to resell it as is for 5k. I mentioned this to current owner and he said too much hassle. Be an easy way to make a couple thousand though. Any opinions on that scenario?
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #10 – July 03, 2019, 01:11:48 pm Hi Sawyer. I would think that there would be support structure inside the back wall where the ladder was attached. so I would have expected more damage inside. I don't remember your floorplan. If there wasn't 'rot' back there and nothing like broken windows, then careful wood working, Bondo and a new ladder about $150 would do. Most shops way overestimate prices because they don't really want to work on motor homes. There is usually more discovered damage to plumbing, electrical, water leaks, surface paint and interiors etc., and they haven't worked on Lazy Daze's before. This way the insurance company is off the hook for protracted dealing with multiple repair companies, unhappy customers (with shoddy repairs) and it goes on the record of the vehicle, so you can't sell it easily for what it is worth. As far as not being able to get comprehensive insurance, after 20 years that is mostly a joke. Just a simple fender bender, and the insurer will give you the $4000, and 'total' your vehicle anyway. Many of the phantom motorhomes running around in the nearly homeless population that Larry has mentioned, have such deferred maintenance. (that is why they were affordable) RonB 2 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #11 – July 04, 2019, 09:42:38 am Quote from: RonB - July 03, 2019, 01:11:48 pmHi Sawyer. I would think that there would be support structure inside the back wall where the ladder was attached. so I would have expected more damage inside. I don't remember your floorplan. If there wasn't 'rot' back there and nothing like broken windows, then careful wood working, Bondo and a new ladder about $150 would do. Most shops way overestimate prices because they don't really want to work on motor homes. There is usually more discovered damage to plumbing, electrical, water leaks, surface paint and interiors etc., and they haven't worked on Lazy Daze's before. This way the insurance company is off the hook for protracted dealing with multiple repair companies, unhappy customers (with shoddy repairs) and it goes on the record of the vehicle, so you can't sell it easily for what it is worth. As far as not being able to get comprehensive insurance, after 20 years that is mostly a joke. Just a simple fender bender, and the insurer will give you the $4000, and 'total' your vehicle anyway. Many of the phantom motorhomes running around in the nearly homeless population that Larry has mentioned, have such deferred maintenance. (that is why they were affordable) RonBFrom what I can see the plywood support structure was plywood and the ladder support poked through it so I'm assuming it is rotten and needs replaced. The repair estimate included new support structure so they did factor that in the estimate but yeah it seemed hight to me too. At this point I think I'll buy the LD back and drive as is until get the time to properly repair it myself as per the Cor2man thread. Then I may sell it again depending on how much I have used it and if I think owning an RV is cost effective for us. Should be able to get a good price at that point and make a respectable profit for my labor. This LD has been a cash cow. First I used it for a year and sold it for two K more than I purchased it for and now I'll buy it back with that two k, fix it up and sell it again for 16k or so. Best automobile type investment I ever made. Usually I lose my arse. LOL 1 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #12 – July 04, 2019, 12:44:44 pm Hi Sawyer. That Salvage title will still be attached to the VIN, so it might be harder to sell. Take good pictures to convince the buyer that you really did fix the problem well, or expect to discount it a lot. RonB 1 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #13 – July 04, 2019, 09:41:37 pm Sawyer, maybe you should name it 'boomerang' 5 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #14 – July 07, 2019, 02:03:03 pm We will be in Washington in a few weeks. What are the specs on the damaged rig? Year, Model, Mileage mainly
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #15 – July 08, 2019, 12:23:13 am Thanks for interest but I think I'm keeping it. May take a little jaunt over to the ocean this summer.
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #16 – July 17, 2019, 12:08:50 pm Quote from: Sawyer - July 08, 2019, 12:23:13 amThanks for interest but I think I'm keeping it. May take a little jaunt over to the ocean this summer. No worries! Enjoy! 1 Likes
Re: Back in the saddle again? Reply #17 – July 19, 2019, 07:39:47 pm Good news on title. Even though the insurance company did a totaled payout on the vehicle not a thing changed on the actual title. I guess the damage was considered purely cosmetic and the title stayed clean as a whistle.😀 3 Likes
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