Totalled My '98??

jbh1860 · Oct 17, 2005

Hey guys. Long story short, I was rear ended while towing my Pop Up Camper. There's no question the camper is totalled but I'm concerned about my '98 XJ. At first glance, it dosn't look all that bad. Rear hatch back and bumper are the only obvious damage but underneath is another story. The impact drove the camper into the Jeep and bent the hitch due south. The (frame?/unibody/) rails were badly bent where the hitch bolts on. The rear doors are very difficult to open and the front doors don't line up anymore. The rear end of the Jeep appears jacked up. The insurance adjuster won't look at it until tomorrow and I want to be somewhat prepared. My buddies all say that with the doors sticking that the whole body was "tweaked" during the impact and that being a unibody, it's more than likely totalled. Any comments/suggestions?

Starscream · Oct 17, 2005

jbh1860 said:
Hey guys. Long story short, I was rear ended while towing my Pop Up Camper. There's no question the camper is totalled but I'm concerned about my '98 XJ. At first glance, it dosn't look all that bad. Rear hatch back and bumper are the only obvious damage but underneath is another story. The impact drove the camper into the Jeep and bent the hitch due south. The (frame?/unibody/) rails were badly bent where the hitch bolts on. The rear doors are very difficult to open and the front doors don't line up anymore. The rear end of the Jeep appears jacked up. The insurance adjuster won't look at it until tomorrow and I want to be somewhat prepared. My buddies all say that with the doors sticking that the whole body was "tweaked" during the impact and that being a unibody, it's more than likely totalled. Any comments/suggestions?

Ya, it sucks but it is most likely totalled. Sight unseen and from your description it definately sounds like the entire body was warped from the impact.

jbh1860 · Oct 17, 2005

I put some photos' here:

http://public.fotki.com/jimbobscamper/

bjoehandley · Oct 17, 2005

Yup, sounds like a total to me too, just too much seems to be too messed up to cheaply fix.

Starscream · Oct 17, 2005

jbh1860 said:
I put some photos' here:

http://public.fotki.com/jimbobscamper/

Ya, after looking at those photos and your frame being all bent up, it's probly 95% chance their gonna tell you it's totalled.

bjoehandley · Oct 17, 2005

That sucks too, looks like it was in good shape and had new tires, I'd be a little pissed if I was you!

langer1 · Oct 17, 2005

bjoehandley said:
That sucks too, looks like it was in good shape and had new tires, I'd be a little pissed if I was you!

The insurance adjuster is not on your side, you need to get your own quote's.
I think the right shop can pull it out. The body shop's that do trucks and trailers can do wonders, most of them have a hydraulic rack that can pull and twist in any direction. You may need to sue the other driver to get all the money insureance is only part of it.

old_man · Oct 17, 2005

A word from a guy with a bit of body working experiance. If the doors don't work right, you most likely tweaked the unibody, definately look down the top and see if you have any waves. The problem is that you may pull the unibody back in line, but if you wheel it, it will never hold up. I straightened my unibody and within a year, it was like a slinky. I drove across a crack at a transverse angle and shattered the windshield due to the flexing the body.

bjoehandley · Oct 17, 2005

With the tires on that one, it doesn't look like it does much off road, but if the road surfaces and driveway/roadway transitions are like they are around here, it could be ugly.

zfinger · Oct 17, 2005

I dont know if you've ever dealt with insurance adjuster before, but fight them till the bitter end. Dont take their 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd offers. Get lots of estimates, and unless the Jeep has sentimental value to you, make sure they total it. When I was Jeep shopping book-value seems to be higher on Jeeps then what they are actually selling for, so you may make out pretty well.

And secondly, good luck

Totalled My '98??

jbh1860

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Starscream

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jbh1860

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bjoehandley

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Starscream

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bjoehandley

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langer1

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old_man

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bjoehandley

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zfinger

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