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General Discussion / RV Insurance - Rodent Damage Included (or Not)
« on: October 08, 2024, 04:22:02 pm »
I recently had an experience that it hope will be helpful to all of you as you consider your RV insurance options, as well as how you put your PC to bed this winter.
We returned home to Rhode Island from Florida in late January. Upon arrival home, I winterized the PC, but neglected to do anything about mice prevention, thinking that mice would already be in hibernation elsewhere, so "no need", right? Wrong.
In April, getting the PC ready for our first springtime trip, I encountered evidence of mice in the PC. So fine, I'll clean it up. However, cleaning didn't get rid of the terrible urine smell, which seemed to be concentrated in the right front cabinet to the right of the TV. Multiple cleanings, ozone treatment, and chloride gas treatments got rid of some of the smell, but it was unbearable to open the cabinet. Also, certain functionalities of the PC, including the leveling system and macerator weren't working any more.
During the summer I tried local mobile RV repair guys to fix the non-working systems (they couldn't fix them), and just used the PC as best I could. I decided to take the PC to the "mothership" to get things fixed this fall. Keith and his team were terrific - - they provided thoughtful and exceptional service to get things resolved. They found and fixed extensive damage to the wiring, and addressed an awful mess behind the front cabinet. Phoenix USA was a 3-day drive from Rhode Island, and absolutely worth it.
At that time, I called my insurance company National General (through Good Sam) to file an insurance claim - - and found that National General would not provide coverage for the damage. They stated that my policy didn't explicitly cover pest damage, and that I didn't file the claim immediately upon discovering the problem.
So, passing my "lessons learned" on to my fellow PC owners:
(1) Review your RV insurance to be certain you have "Pest Damage Protection".
(2) Always have your rodent protection in place, even if you think it's not necessary.
I will be shopping for a new insurance carrier when my policy comes up for renewal next year. (I will also use every rodent prevention method possible, regardless of the time of year.)
I appreciate all the "lessons learned" so many of you have passed along in the Forum. I hope this helps you all to be avoid the experience I've had this year.
We returned home to Rhode Island from Florida in late January. Upon arrival home, I winterized the PC, but neglected to do anything about mice prevention, thinking that mice would already be in hibernation elsewhere, so "no need", right? Wrong.
In April, getting the PC ready for our first springtime trip, I encountered evidence of mice in the PC. So fine, I'll clean it up. However, cleaning didn't get rid of the terrible urine smell, which seemed to be concentrated in the right front cabinet to the right of the TV. Multiple cleanings, ozone treatment, and chloride gas treatments got rid of some of the smell, but it was unbearable to open the cabinet. Also, certain functionalities of the PC, including the leveling system and macerator weren't working any more.
During the summer I tried local mobile RV repair guys to fix the non-working systems (they couldn't fix them), and just used the PC as best I could. I decided to take the PC to the "mothership" to get things fixed this fall. Keith and his team were terrific - - they provided thoughtful and exceptional service to get things resolved. They found and fixed extensive damage to the wiring, and addressed an awful mess behind the front cabinet. Phoenix USA was a 3-day drive from Rhode Island, and absolutely worth it.
At that time, I called my insurance company National General (through Good Sam) to file an insurance claim - - and found that National General would not provide coverage for the damage. They stated that my policy didn't explicitly cover pest damage, and that I didn't file the claim immediately upon discovering the problem.
So, passing my "lessons learned" on to my fellow PC owners:
(1) Review your RV insurance to be certain you have "Pest Damage Protection".
(2) Always have your rodent protection in place, even if you think it's not necessary.
I will be shopping for a new insurance carrier when my policy comes up for renewal next year. (I will also use every rodent prevention method possible, regardless of the time of year.)
I appreciate all the "lessons learned" so many of you have passed along in the Forum. I hope this helps you all to be avoid the experience I've had this year.