OP
OP
What do people use for insurance when they have like an LS swap, 1 tons, stretched, roll cage, 20" rims with 40s, etc?
Hoping State Farm will cover mine when it's done. No 20" rims though.
OP
Shit. I've yet to dig into the details, but some of the big insurance companies offer supplemental coverage for parts added. Again, I haven't dug into the details.
Would be perfect for a stock low mileage collector Wrangler. I have a 3k mile 95 stock YJ that has Hagerty for this very reason.
OP
Yep, learning the hard way over here. But believe me, any bill would be worth it to not to have this nightmare going on with Progressive.
OP
Exactly! This is what I need and will need for my other YJ build sooner rather than later.
OP
Someone like Genright, PSC, Motobilt, different shop builds...I wonder who they are using for their extreme builds that are also seeing the street from time to time.
I've got a low mileage, but unfortunately rolled 95 YJ too that I'm planning for my next build and I want it VERY HEAVILY modified. Of course I'm going 1 ton because I want it to be a tow rig.
OP
Some key takeaways I've found important along the way:
- Before getting behind the wheel, have a complete list of invoices and/or receipts for all items you add/change on your Wrangler. i.e.; axle housings, shafts, gears, lockers, wheels, tires, coil-overs, brackets, steering parts, rock sliders, power coating, cage build to include material cost, custom bumper material cost, seats, engine swaps, winch, aftermarket hoods, fenders, and whatever else you want covered.
- Provide all receipts and invoices to your insurance provider. Be as transparent as possible with your agent to get either the right coverage or find another agent at another company who can give you the confidence that your parts from the first bullet above will be added/considered in the overall value of your modified Wrangler. Hiding things or being vague will get you no where if a claim is filed and they find out after the fact.
- Consider getting it professionally appraised by a licensed automotive appraiser. (receipts and invoices will help here and are required.)
- Keep your rig clean and don't push maintenance down the calendar. Keep records of maintenance some sort of way you see fit.
- Never let an insurance company tow your rig anywhere but your house/driveway. Once they have it, good luck getting it back to a place you prefer. The less people touching it and seeing it, the better IMO. It certainly will stick out like a sore thumb in a tow yard.
- Keep your insurance agent in the loop if you file a claim with another insurance company (applies to accidents that are not your fault)
- All those receipts/invoices for custom axles, gas tanks, bumpers, etc can be helpful to the body shop/automotive shop who is preparing an estimate for repair. They should be sent to the adjuster representing the insurance company the claim is filled with too.
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OP
*Update*
I asked the adjuster to have the body shop owner prep an estimate as if it was his own and was done right by him. She said she would ask him to do that and to my surprise he confirmed that she did ask him and he is prepping one. However, he is not done with it, nor has he given anything to her...since he hasn't completed it.
But she did call me this morning and told me she completed an analysis for repair and it is totaled. I didn't entertain her phone call for long because she started off telling me she, "was able to figure out all the aftermarket stuff herself," and that Progressive valued the Jeep at $8,100..I pushed back telling her I would get back with her later and that the offer didn't even cover the complete rear axle.
Mind you, I haven't yet given her any of my receipts and invoices for all the aftermarket parts and modifications, nor as the body shop given her their estimate...So I think she might have been tasked with trying to offer something to see if I would bite..?
I asked the adjuster to have the body shop owner prep an estimate as if it was his own and was done right by him. She said she would ask him to do that and to my surprise he confirmed that she did ask him and he is prepping one. However, he is not done with it, nor has he given anything to her...since he hasn't completed it.
But she did call me this morning and told me she completed an analysis for repair and it is totaled. I didn't entertain her phone call for long because she started off telling me she, "was able to figure out all the aftermarket stuff herself," and that Progressive valued the Jeep at $8,100..I pushed back telling her I would get back with her later and that the offer didn't even cover the complete rear axle.
Mind you, I haven't yet given her any of my receipts and invoices for all the aftermarket parts and modifications, nor as the body shop given her their estimate...So I think she might have been tasked with trying to offer something to see if I would bite..?
"As of now, the body shop is estimating $4k in repairs. Body shop still has some details to add to the estimate. Frame check and fix is included and the body shop is confident it can be good as factory once it rolls off the frame machine."
Generally totaled is around 75% repair-to-value, so why is she declaring it totaled if the estimated repair cost is ~50% of their claimed value?
Generally totaled is around 75% repair-to-value, so why is she declaring it totaled if the estimated repair cost is ~50% of their claimed value?
Interestingly, when I called Hagerty this morning to verify I qualify with my 2" lift, the rep I spoke to said they don't disqualify vehicles until they have 6" of lift. Mine is classified as "stock" by what I've done to it still
Same. I switched on Monday, called and spoke to two different people. They both said 2in ish is considered stock and so we’re my 33s. They didn’t seem to care about mods until I was messing with the frame, engine, or lifting above 4in. I also sent pics of its current setup and I’ve got a stated vale of 25k.
OP
A simple reason that saves the insurance money and time.
Based on the fact she's no expert, if she writes an estimate (I asked her not to and instead rely on the body shop) if it's at 50% of the value then the body shops starts doing work and tearing into it to find even more damage that takes repair cost over the totaled threshold, the insurance has to pay the body shop for the work they have in it and turn around and pay me for a total loss. Something that they do not want to do.
A note worth mentioning is she wrote an estimate knowing nothing about it, claims she was able to figure out all the value behind a YJ on coilovers and 40's, and came to the conclusion it's a total loss...without giving me a complete breakdown or explanation of how she got there. This was all over the phone.
Are those phone conversations recorded? Do you know the laws in your state for this kind of stuff?
I know in some professions phone calls are made for bending the truth. I worked with a company before that when discussing anything financial they wouldn't agree to anything on paper/email and only the phone and they'd hold up payment that way trying to get us to produce documentation.
On the other hand I'd rather give my thoughts over the phone, because I'm often working on expedient repairs and don't have the time or all of the information to study a failure, rather make the best guess and start repairing as much as possible based on time and budget constraints.
OP
They may be recorded on her side. I've discovered that insurance companies are notorious for record keeping. I'll push her to start communicating via email as I can easily justify it since I don't have my cell phone on me during the day,
jesseshoots
TJ Enthusiast
You should 100% get a paper trail of these things. There's no reason for her to not communicate thru email.
I recently had a project at work that had a piece of equipment show up to a job site as a mirrored version of what it was supposed to be. I went back thru all my emails to realize that when I communicated the change order to the vendor it was only done verbally and not in writing. I got lucky that we were able to make it work, otherwise it would have been a useless $100k fan.
I wish you the best of luck.
The biggest challenge with any modified vehicle is understanding that the majority of carriers do not cover aftermarket modifications on first party coverage. If they do, they offer it as a separate coverage with minimal limits (I've seen $3500 max). If you're in a not-at-fault collision, the more challenging but more effective route, especially with a modified vehicle, is to pursue recovery through the carrier of the at-fault party (assuming coverage limits are not an issue).
Given the age of your vehicle, even with the mods, it could be considered a 'constructive total loss', even if the frame is fine. I would try to negotiate a value where they would consider total loss but not take any action on the title, and you complete repairs yourself. Otherwise, most carriers who deem something a total, even if they let you keep it, convert the title to 'salvage' or similar...which leaves you having to fix the vehicle and have the State inspect it to convert it to a rebuilt status or similar.
these situations just suck. Hope this helps.
As you have done, documentation is *everything*. Nicely done on that.
The biggest challenge with any modified vehicle is understanding that the majority of carriers do not cover aftermarket modifications on first party coverage. If they do, they offer it as a separate coverage with minimal limits (I've seen $3500 max). If you're in a not-at-fault collision, the more challenging but more effective route, especially with a modified vehicle, is to pursue recovery through the carrier of the at-fault party (assuming coverage limits are not an issue).
Given the age of your vehicle, even with the mods, it could be considered a 'constructive total loss', even if the frame is fine. I would try to negotiate a value where they would consider total loss but not take any action on the title, and you complete repairs yourself. Otherwise, most carriers who deem something a total, even if they let you keep it, convert the title to 'salvage' or similar...which leaves you having to fix the vehicle and have the State inspect it to convert it to a rebuilt status or similar.
these situations just suck. Hope this helps.
As you have done, documentation is *everything*. Nicely done on that.
If for some reason you can't get them to provide a paper trail but you have their contact information it doesn't hurt to send them an email that summarizes what was discussed in a call in order to make sure both sides are on the same page.