RIP Big Blue

It pains me to say it but, after living on the road for 4 months in our old 2wd sportsmobile ("Big Blue"), it may be headed to the scrap yard after a freak rainstorm in Detroit Michigan.

(Skip this paragraph to skip my dramatic rambling)
Over the last 4 months we forded some rivers, made it through some pretty substantial rock garders, mud, and sand, and took it down many "4x4" roads (including the White Rim Trail, the Burr Trail/Wolverine Loop, Horse Canyon, Long Canyon (Canyonlands), Shafer Switchbacks, Saline Valley Road, Hole in the Rock Road, Hartnet Road/Cathedral Valley Loop, Potash Road, and Ophir Pass (in May). We survived brake failure on two occasions (once in the middle of Saline Valley and once going down Long Canyon in Canyonlands). Our van held up over constant jaw rattling washboards, rocky trails, mud, sand, and dust without so much as a flat tire. However none of this led to the demise of "Big Blue." Instead it was a freak storm that brought up to 10 inches of rain to the Detroit area in one afternoon. The parking lot we were parked in was below street level and had inadequate drainage. Water was flowing in from the street like a rushing river and before long the water in the lot had rose to almost waist high. Almost all of the vehicles in the lot were flooded and the water was just below the floor of our van. In a (probably misguided) attempt to save our ride, our home, and every possession we had with us over the last 4 months I decided to try to move the van before the water got too high. The water was only to the top of the bumper and the air filter was at the top of the hood (so I thought) I could safely get it out of the parking lot to higher ground before the water rose and flooded the interior of the fan and all our electronics. I was also feeling confident after our other successful water crossings. What I didnt know was that the air filter had a tube running down to the wheelwell and sucked air up from quite low in the engine compartment. Just as I was rounding the corner of the parking lot in sight of high ground the engine sputtered and cut out. My heart sank. I knew what I had likely done but was hopeful that the engine just needed time to dry out. After 3 days and no luck I threw in the towel and contacted my insurance company.

Flood damage is covered under under my comprehensive insurance and the insurance company was ready to call the vehicle a total loss before even seeing it.

Does anyone here have any insurance dealing with insurance companies in regards to sportsmobiles or other custom campers or expedition rigs. My concern is that the insurance company will treat the Sportsmobile as any other Ford Econoline and not properly value it. I'm looking for any advice, past experiences, etc.

Also I would hate to see my old sportsFlood damage is covered under under my comprehensive insurance and the insurance company was ready to call the vehicle a total loss before even seeing itmobiel go to the scrapyard. I am considering holding onto the van, taking what the insurance company will give me, and selling the van to someone who would like to fix it or use it for parts (Top is in OK condition, fridge, furnace, inverter, and stove all work, water pump works but very powerful, gaucho stayed dry, and has new cabinets/counter. I don't have a price yet as I'm waiting on the insurance company for figures. But if you are interested in buying, PM me.
 

4x4x4doors

Explorer
Whether or not the insurance company covers as a Sportsmobile or any other Ford Econoline will likely depend on how you had it insured. Did the insurance company know (before the loss) that it was not "just another Econoline"?

Flood damage is frequently a total loss as there are just so many electronic/electrical things that can be damaged and not reveal themselves for some time. Exact level of the water (as well as precise level of various components) is often not known because folks don't usually witness the flooding up close as you did.

With all that said, hope it works out well for you. Chances are that the water would have gotten it without your misjudging the intake location.
 
Hey thanks for the kind words,

The insurance company knew before hand it was a Sportsmobile not just another E150, but they seemed to only care about filling in the forms with the options available to them which for a ford van was either Ford Passenger Van or Ford Cargo Van. But I seem to remember our insurance agent properly valued the van at the time we signed up for insurance and marked somewhere that it had an aftermarket conversion. Mostly I'm just worried anything that is not black and white and easy to fit neatly into one of their forms will be brushed aside by the big insurance bureaucracy.

Again,
thanks for the help!
 

4x4x4doors

Explorer
I've only had experience with one totaled vehicle (luckily). It was my own insurance company following an accident where I was at fault.

In trying to determine a value, they went out and found actual comparables on dealer lots and then made comparisons. Lot A has fewer miles but no towing package; Lot B has a sunroof; Lot C is asking X but will take X-10% with no trade in. I was actually quite impressed with their effort to be fair. I went and looked at a couple and came back with "you didn't allow for Lot B didn't have whatever". Where we were most in disagreement was the value of packages as I couldn't go buy the one at Lot D and add the different chassis, etc.

A conversion by VelourRUs is not equivalent as you know. That may depend on the knowledge of your adjuster.

It probably helped that I didn't have payoff or other time crunch issues to factor in. It probably also helped that they used their own adjuster, too. They want to settle your claim and move on but they want you to remain a customer also. I never really felt the bureaucracy.

There are however a couple of companies that should rethink their claim practices as the poor customer service has probably inspired more than one lawsuit that could have been settled by just repairing the damage. I'll generally have my collision cover my vehicle and then let them go after the other guys for damages and to recover my deductible. (I'll stop before the rant really gets wound up.)

Like I said, good luck. Not all insurance stories are horror stories.
 

catmandu

Observer
D-Town Floods

So by the sound of it you were in Warren. I am down the road in Royal Oak. I may be interested in some of the interior. Where is your van now? If you need to get it to a place to store it I have a spot for you.
 
Catmandu - Actually I am in Royal oak as well. I have a place to store it right now, but I really appreciate the offer. If you would like to see the van in person we can set something up. Some of the interior is original, some of it was redone about 8 months back, I believe all appliances are original. However, I may not be around this weekend.

4x4x4 - Thanks for sharing your experience. It sounds like your insurance company went about things in a pretty fair way. I hope mine does the same. So far my company has been relatively easy to deal with, I just hope they give me a fair deal, I really don't want to have to fight for a fair price.
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
We had a lot of floods around here last year and I learned a lot about flood damaged vehicles, the good and the bad.

Around here if a vehicle is in a flood and written off that is it, it is not able to be re registered. Once a write off always a write off in a flood.

That being said many people will buy flood write offs supposedly for salvage and change the VIN and resell, most times in a different part of the country or another country.

You may want to check before you take a lower payout if you will be able to re register it. If it is only the engine and you are sure the water never got into the electrical system you may be further ahead to buy a new engine and put it in and keep it.
 

sandbag

New member
Insurance

Be sure and check your policy for ACV actual cash value.

I am going thru this now with my Jeep. Fortunately my wife was smart enough to include this in my policy.

Big difference$$$

Also if you have receipts for recent repairs (tires,trans etc) All help your payment from insurance co. Also check, if they total it, for sales tax in your county/state

Good Luck, E.P.
 

Scott B.

SE Expedition Society
If you like the van as much you seem to, and the only real water-induced problem is the engine, by all means, just replace the engine.

You get to keep your van, payments are way cheaper than a new one, and you get a new, (hopefully) reliable power plant. (Probably want to change your transmission, too.) It's a win-win!
 

robgendreau

Explorer
I had AAA for my Sportsmobile, and I thought I had it adequately covered. When I first insured it they actually inspected it.

Many years later, I had occasion to review the policy with AAA when I got annoyed that they wouldn't cover a tow. They at that time informed me I did NOT have RV coverage; basically, if it got totalled they'd give me bluebook on an old Econoline. Yikes. Cancelled, jumped ship to Safeco who DO insure it as an RV. It can be real tough to get coverage, and a good settlement if you have problems, when you've got a heavily modified vehicle.

Not sure it will matter in your case, but I've had insurers say my van wasn't an RV because it didn't have a toilet inside (they're trying to distinguish "conversion" vans). So throw the porta potty in before the adjuster inspects it! :sombrero:
 
Baja -- No I never did find out what the problem was, I talked to a couple of mechanics, and tried to dry out the distributor and some of the electronics, but I never took it to a shop. It probably would've been smart to do so but I didn't want to shell out the money when it was going to be considered a total loss one way or the other.

Scott -- I would be much more inclined to go the route of engine replacement if I had the time and expertice to replace the engine myself but I don't have either of these things. I would have to pay a shop to do it which would likely turn out to cost around the price of the van if the estimates I got were accurate (3k-5k). I really wish I could do this but I don't think its an option. I decided to go a completely different direction for the remainder of the road trip. I bought a 5 speed VW Jetta TDI which gets around 40-50mpg on the highway and I'm planning on either throwing a hard shell RTT on top of getting a nice ground tent. Its not nearly as cool as a Sportsmobile but its insanely fuel efficient and really fun to drive. If the road trip goes another 12k miles which is what is planned it should save us around 2k in fuel costs. I'm having a little bit of buyers remorse as I really wanted to keep the sportsmobile. But financially it didn't seem to make sense assuming it would take 3-5k to throw a new engine in it and might have other undiagnosed electrical problems after that. On top of that it would have a rebuilt title so resale value would take a hit. It was a tough decision but I just don't think it was worth it to keep the van no matter how attached to it I was. I'm sure I'll have another Sportsmobile or something similar in my future sometime, maybe a 4x4 this time. And I've got a Wilderness at home waiting for me once this road trip is over. If its not already obvious I'm trying to talk myself into my decision to give up the van.

In other news, I heard back from the Insurance company. They are offering $4900 hundred for the van which is less than I paid for the van and less than I think I should be getting but not a horrible figure. I'm going to argue with them and see if I can't get $6000 from them which I would be very happy with, so far they make it sound like there is no room for negotiation but we'll see.
 

hawaii

New member
You're totalling a vehicle and not even looking into what the issue is? Pull the plugs and turn it over. Take it to a competent mechanic, an hour later you'll have a diagnostic. Spend an hour labor, possibly save thousands.

You threw in what towel? The waiting-for-a-problem-to-fix-itself towel? Water in combustion chambers won't "dry out" after 3 days of being ingested through the air intake.

Sigh.
 

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