Recap – We had a major tire blowout on I-75 in Florida on our way back to Georgia. I spent the night at Camping World’s parking lot. Drove back to Georgia.
Starting the claims process
Safely back in Georgia, our focus shifted to the damage and getting our RV fixed. It was time to get on the phone with Good Sam insurance and start the claim process. Surprisingly, the first steps were easy and went smoothly. I called the number and filed an accident claim. They assigned us a claims adjuster and texted me all of his contact information. A few days later, I was able to schedule a call with the claims adjuster. The first step would be choosing a repair center to assess the damage and write up a quote. Thankfully the dealership where we store the RV is a certified repair center, and Good Sam insurance had no issue with them handling the repairs. Since they had done previous maintenance on our RV, I was confident in their ability. Also, I knew that since we had purchased the RV there, paid for monthly storage and got maintenance done, our repairs would be expedited.
Tell me what happened..
During the interview call with the claims adjuster, I was asked to recount the accident. He asked questions like, “do you remember running over anything?”. “What was your speed when the blowout occured?” And of course, “what is the age of your tires?”, to name a few. Based on my answers to those and many more questions, his initial determination was that the accident was not my fault, and I would be covered for the damage to my RV. There was one issue that was still up in the air though.
When the tire blew and the fender panel blew off, debris flew into a car traveling in the lane next to me. They did receive damage to their vehicle. At the accident site, we exchanged contact information and insurance cards for a followup in their possible claim. Good Sam told me not to be involved with them and let Good Sam’s handle that portion of the claim. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it was not to deal with them and their emotions.
Adjuster in person visit
An appointment was set for the claims adjuster to look at the damage first hand and verify the repair quote from the dealership. I have to admit I was pretty surprised when I got the first email quote from the dealership. Over $17,000 in repair cost. And even though my claim adjuster had said I would be covered over the phone, the damage and the repair quote would have to be verified in person. I had a lot riding on this verification process, my deductible was $1000. And if the claims adjuster agreed with the repair shop, that would be my only out-of-pocket expense. We had a very friendly conversation as we walked to the RV for the visual inspection. I wanted to give him enough space to do his job, but I really wanted to be looking over his shoulder as he looked at every detail. After about 20 minutes of him reviewing the invoice and looking at each section of damage, he said with a smile, “I could have been worse, I’ve seen worse”. I smiled, not knowing if that was a good or bad statement. In the end, he agreed with all the repairs that needed to be done, and approved the repair work.
Don’t get me wrong, the dealership and the insurance company definitely haggled over the final price of parts, labor etc. But none of that was my concern. Based on the adjuster’s report, my RV was going to get fixed and would cost me only my thousand dollar deductible. Telling you I was relieved, doesn’t begin to describe the feeling of that stress being lifted off my shoulders. I literally walked out to my truck, closed the door and shouted at the top of my lungs with joy.
Supply chain blues…
Just when you thought you were ready for a happy ending, the real stress was just beginning. If you haven’t heard about supply chain issues, you’ve been living in a cave. Well, supply chain issues really wreck my plans for my RV repair. Our RV is a 2015 Newmar Dutch Star. It is an absolutely beautiful well-made high-end coach. Newmar has recently been bought out by Winnebago, and I was hoping the larger combined company would help Newmar navigate any supply chain issues. Unfortunately like every manufacturer, Newmar was struggling with insufficient labor and supply chain issues.
Our RV entered the repair shop schedule in January 2022. Our technician set a 30 day repair schedule once all parts were in house. That included the paint job needed, which in itself was a weeklong process. I thought that was extremely reasonable and was excited about getting my RV back. I’m the RV trip planner, and I had trips planned for spring break to Carolina Pines, then to DC, a weeklong beach camping at Beverly Beach in FLorida and a few more trips for summer travel. With a 30 day repair schedule, I was not worried about missing my trips. How wrong was I not to be worried.
Whose fault is it?
Let’s fast forward to September 2022. Almost eight months after the tire blowout, sadly, the dealership is still waiting on a few final parts to finish the repairs. All my RV trip planning went down the toilet, and I was forced to cancel all the fantastic trips planned for my family. It has been beyond frustrating. Just to keep the family sane, remember we love to travel, explore, and experience new things together. We ended up taking two Disney Cruises to try and fill the missing camping slots on our calendar.
So who’s fault is it? That’s a hard question to answer. It’s really no one’s fault. Good Sam did their job, the dealerships/repair center has done their job. Newmar? they cannot send parts they don’t have.
Unfortunately, it’s just the state of our world right now. It would have done me no good to be a jerk and try to yell and scream at anyone. I simply email/call once every other week to get updated.
Final thoughts on the RV blowout
I wonder is it weird that I am thankful to have gone through this process? As an RVer, there are things that you know are going to happen. If you RV long enough, you are going to have a black tank issue. As much as I thought I had read, watched videos, and was careful each and every time I was dumping my black tank, eventually I had a black tank issue. In seven years of RVing, it took seven years of RVing for us to have our first tire blowout. In our travels, we’ve seen many RVs on the side of the road getting a tire repair, and we always prayed for their safety and said I’m glad it’s not us.
Having experienced the tire blowout first hand, it was scary but I am thankful that I didn’t panic. Now if it ever happens again, fingers crossed, I know I can handle the situation.
Now onto the biggest revelation, picking the right Roadside assistance and RV insurance. It’s up to you to do your homework. I have read plenty of good things about Good Sam and just as many bad things. Take that with a grain of salt. I can only honestly share my experience, and I will say without a shadow of a doubt that I am 100% thankful that I had Good Sam Insurance behind me to help me through that tough situation. They were friendly, helpful, and the process was easy. Fun fact – I was only a Good Sam Insurance customer for six months prior to the tire blowout. It’s not like I had years of history of paying them. My claim that they ended up paying with no qualms, was more than three or four times my annual insurance.
Keith – Dad of SoulfulRVFamily
Special thanks to my friends and partners at Camping World and Good Sam. You all made a terrible situation, bearable.
