Campervan flooded up to just below the dash.

[HappyHippyDad]

Evening all..

I don't think I've ever posted in this part of the forum, so hello to any new faces.

I have just driven my Citroen romahome into a large amount of water on the road (About 4ft, Bloody Bodmin Moor!). The engine was going at the time and stalled as I tried to drive through and I have been told by the local chap who pulled me out (a mechanic who I know and trust) that it will most likely be a write off.

My question is, does anyone have any knowledge of whether this is coverable on fully comp insurance?

We were on a dead end road so could only go one way.
Parked up just off the road on the moors, woke up in the morning and there's pretty much a river of water running by us, getting worse. Decided I should drive through it as a bit worried about getting cut off by rising water. Got about a mile along the road and then it got too deep and the engine stopped. Climbed out the window into 4ft of water, found a local farm and had a cup of tea.

Any ideas if insurance companies pay out for this or have I lost £7000?

 

[Leader]

Well the event had to be fortuitous, if you could see it was 4ft of water they may contend that. Ordinarily if you are on a road and this happens it would be covered.

 

[Octopus]

I suspect you will be on your own ...................

 

[Leader]

Ultimately all you can do is say you didn't realise it was that deep and see what they say. Fully comp I'd say you've got a fairly good chance. Let us know how it goes. (Don't boo me but I worked in insurance fraud for 15 years).

 

[Dozer 73]

Feel for you , have camper my self and love the little beauty

 

[davesparks]

Did you try to restart the engine whilst it was in the water? It is the engine trying to turn with an incompressible fluid (water) in the cylinders which does the big damage.
If not then you might be lucky and not have a knackered engine.

What type of engine is it? Petrol/diesel old fashioned or modern?

 

[Leader]

As Dave said. Most water damage doesn't write off a vehicle unless it's salt water (idiots parking to close to the sea).

 

[davesparks]

My experience is with landrovers which, if your sensible, won't do much more than bend the pushrods when you give them more water than they can handle.

 

[PEG]

Conrods get bananered if revs up...(i did a 2286 petrol in a IIa as a youth)

If immersed,there will be water and silt,in places which do not ever get wet,and do not readily dry out. This will penetrate places presumed sealed,due to duration and head.

Although you can go through the obvious,eventually,these issues will show up,one by one. If it is your own ride,and you do not mind doing repairs,this may not be of consequence.

I have dealt with lots of plant,machinery and 4wd kit,which for one reason or another,been immersed in various liquids,and the insurance are usually keen to write-off,as many components cannot be guaranteed serviceable,and are costly to replace,such as inertia belt units,etc.

 

[ruston]

As above , if the water has been drawn into the engine there will be degrees of damage even siezed up. I expect this is what your friend has told you.
But even if that is ok , the damage to the other parts of the vehicle in a bad flood usually are beyond ecconomical repair, and as Peg has said will manifest as time goes on.
I would expect the fridge and cooker to be victims from the outset.
If it is a treasured vehicle buy it back from the insurance company and make a project of it.

 

[telectrix]

obviously it's not a Toyota.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Cheers everyone,
It's a citreon C15 (romahome) old diesel engine.
The insurance have instantly said it's not my fault so at least that's something.
Strange thing is I've been in some pretty hairy situations with work (surrounded by blood and injured people that I am in charge of sorting) and I'm calm and in control. This however got my panic levels rising as the water level rose and I'm pulling my boy though the window!
I don't want that experience again.

 

[PEG]

Cheers everyone,
It's a citreon C15 (romahome) old diesel engine.
The insurance have instantly said it's not my fault so at least that's something.
Strange thing is I've been in some pretty hairy situations with work (surrounded by blood and injured people that I am in charge of sorting) and I'm calm and in control. This however got my panic levels rising as the water level rose and I'm pulling my boy though the window!
I don't want that experience again.

That sounds like a crackin back-to-school story,for him Hope he is fine.

My eldest lad,was four,when on holiday with us on a 70 foot barge on the Thames,he ran back to put some litter in the bin and slipped down between the bank and boat,and vanished.
It took a long five minutes to drop the moorings and push 15 tonne of narrowboat,out,and he was still missing...i jumped down and swept under the boat with an arm,and caught his tee-shirt sleeve,with one middle finger...out he came

He is fifteen now,and tells the story to anyone who'll listen...

His mum and nan,NEVER quite saw the event,as an "adventure"