My 2022 Gladiator burned down... how?

[BourbonRunner]

@ShadowsPapa is correct- location is a massive influence on premiums.

@GeneralMaximus Our State Farm homeowner's policy did go up $300 over last year. We did have a dog bite claim last year but that wasn't the entire culprit- SF and every other insurer have been raising rates to coincide with the inflation in the general market, housing market, and to cover losses paid out in California and the Gulf Coast. And-- Until the NFIP gets funded by Congress expect to see more of the same annually.

Additionally: State Farm is no longer underwriting homeowners policies in California and not issuing new car insurance as of earlier this year. that may play into our increases, too. Less consumers in the market makes the spread out costs go up. Dunno about other insurers.

The key takeaway is to understand entire insurance industry is predicated on acceptable risk, IE: Your premium is tied to how much risk the company is willing to take on for your actions/behavior/environment.

In my teens in the ancient 1990's my insurance was substantially higher than my female friends. Supposedly young males are the highest risk for auto accidents/claims, and as a result I paid more annually. At 21 I bought a brand new VW Jetta 1.8T. Payment was $325/month and my insurance was $400 /m with $1000 deductibles and 2 not-at-fault accidents before I turned 20 (rear ended and t-boned). Oops. May not have been my fault but I fit the description.

Once I hit 25-26 that rate dropped substantially. In my mid 40's i currently pay $400 a month for 3 vehicles, $1M umbrella policy for PI and loss, and full comprehensive with $150 deductibles on all three. BTW, without any claims due to increasing theft in the area, my premiums went up recently $40/month to $400.

On the home side, insurers now are asking questions about the age of the roof, cooking/heating appliances, fireplace use and condition, specific dog breeds, etc to line item those things should there be a loss.

IE: If you declare the roof is 15 years old and suddenly a Delta overflight drops a Boeing bomb on it, don't expect to get the full replacement value- nay, it is the replacement less a 15 year depreciation... much like OP's original issue.

The worst is they're asking for buyer's home inspection reports. Any way they can weasel out of a potential claim. I can see it now-- Inspector says on page 14 the cover plate is missing from this outlet, your electrical fire claim is disallowed...

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[PDXsarge]

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Why?
The OP is still here reading the thread...........

That little sentence fragment - “which I purchased my Jeep with” - is pretty important.

Did the DEALERSHIP install the lift, wheels, tires, and (this is the important part) lights? Because if they did, then they could be liable for the fire. That could increase your payout from the insurance company - Allstate would have to go after the dealership for wiring the lights incorrectly.

Pull out your purchase paperwork and look it over. In most states there’s a Due Bill required for any aftermarket accessories that were installed or promised - and if it lists electrical changes (the lights being installed) then you’ve got a case to get more money from the fire.

As an aside: if YOU WERE NOT THE ONE WHO INSTALLED THE ELECTRICAL (if you had someone else install it) then whoever did the changes could be liable for the damage. You could get a settlement from those guys as well.

There's a lot of assuming going on here. The vehicle isn't new. It's used. How it's been used, how it's been modified and by who, the accessories installed, by who, the brands of said accessories, etc.
Good luck! Seriously, if all that stuff was installed at time of purchase and that purchase was long ago - and it's been driven and so on, you'll have to be bloody damned good to prove what caused it, who is to blame and so on. We don't even know what the real cause is.
Still, a lot of spitballing going on.
What if the wiring was fine but the fault was with the accessory itself?
I was called into a place I worked in the middle of the night a few years ago.
I was buildings and grounds manager, and safety manager, for OWL, INC. Got paged there was a fire in the nursing wing.
I got there to find the fire department doing their thing - big blowers clearing smoke, the nursing staff had done everything right, it was half over.
All smoke, no real fire - some blackened ceiling tiles - the device that caused the smoke and scorched ceiling?
The fire exit sign.
It had been there over a year just fine - it was the sign itself.
It was a freak/fluke thing. There was nothing and no one to blame because the sign wasn't defective, the installation wasn't defective. It simply failed in a weird way like a burning capacitor. The fact the sign had a metal shell likely contained things keeping damage low - and the way the building was built - little chance of a real fire, especially one that could spread.
In the case of this truck - how is anyone going to go after anyone? For what?
And PROVE IT.
Looking at how gutted it is, and the fact that wiring is now a mangled mess with no chance of showing if anything was nicked or cut or pinched, good luck.

I know people love to find blame and fault and say "see there, it's THEIR fault!" and pile on and yeah, go get 'em - but seriously? Look at that and tell us that you can prove how it started and who was at fault. Most of that stuff is long out of any "warranty" period unless you can show a specific product had a fault that was the direct cause of the damage.

There's still much I don't like about this whole thing - glowing batteries?
It doesn't happen.
It can't happen. (unless the owner switched to lithium batteries and then I'd suggest the fault isn't with anyone else)

Looks to me like pieces of battery laying out on the ground.
Yeah, but look at the location (I'm sure I can hear that) - of course - where are most of the plastics and flammables located? Right side engine bay. Lots of plastics, lots of wire insulation to melt and fall down on something and continue to burn like a flame under a pan. There's the EHPS pump and reservoir, all of the plastics in the PDC and fuse panel.

I guess on the internet, we're all forensic arson investigators.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I feel bad for the OP losing THAT much money but it's not surprising given all the expensive mods so many jeep owners do to their new cars/trucks.

My purchased-new 2008 Chevy Silverado 3500 crew 4x4 LTZ dually burned to the ground in 2016. Only had about 42,000 miles on it. Trust me, it was just as perfect as the below picture taken on the day I brought it home. Bought on my birthday and it is only the 2nd new car I have ever purchased.

Two weeks parked while on vacation, rats nested in the turbocharger piping. Driven on freeway less than an hour and spontaneous combustion from the piping and leaves, twigs, etc. I only know because my son-in-law was using it and SAW a rat run out from under it while adding diesel before driving it. Insurance paid me a lot and I replaced it with a lightly used 2014 GMC 2500HD Denali. Still miss the dually though. Awesome truck. 7+ years later and it STILL kills me to see the picture of it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I feel bad for the OP losing THAT much money but it's not surprising given all the expensive mods so many jeep owners do to their new cars/trucks.

My purchased-new 2008 Chevy Silverado 3500 crew 4x4 LTZ dually burned to the ground in 2016. Only had about 42,000 miles on it. Trust me, it was just as perfect as the below picture taken on the day I brought it home. Bought on my birthday and it is only the 2nd new car I have ever purchased.

Two weeks parked while on vacation, rats nested in the turbocharger piping. Driven on freeway less than an hour and spontaneous combustion from the piping and leaves, twigs, etc. I only know because my son-in-law was using it and SAW a rat run out from under it while adding diesel before driving it. Insurance paid me a lot and I replaced it with a lightly used 2014 GMC 2500HD Denali. Still miss the dually though. Awesome truck. 7+ years later and it STILL kills me to see the picture of it.

That was one nice looking rig.
Sad, while showing one never knows.........

 

[GeneralMaximus]

oof, that was one nice looking dually. I always leave my vehicles on battery tenders when they sit for extended periods of time. When I get back, I prop the hood up to unhook the charger and do a quick visual inspection under the hood.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I prop the hood up to unhook the charger and do a quick visual inspection under the hood.

I do that now and then anyway, living in the country surrounded by farms and fields and woods and wildlife. Sadly, the coyotes have all but disappeared so small critters thrive here, and they love the different flavors of wiring - red/cherry, green/lime, black/licorice and so on. At least I wonder if they don't see colors as flavors as they seem to like to sample them all.
I lifted the hood on my lawn tractor to find acorn remains and a bit of wire sheath with the beginnings of chewing.
Check those hidden areas, enclosures where critters like to nest. This time of year it's really bad, especially in the upper half of the country. They are seeking shelter and cozy places to hide and stash stuff.
Your thing is good general advice anyway - once in a while disturb the little ba@#$%s dark areas.

 

[Rainman519]

OP - first and foremost, I'm truly sorry for your loss. There's been a lot of helpful guidance thrown your way by forum members, but I have to comment on a few things and don't mean to be condescending, nor accusatory.
- All insurance companies are going to try to pay the bare minimum for your loss, but Allstate is the worst (speaking from experience here)
- Unless you had riders on your insurance for the mods etc, you're not going to recoup those losses, period.
- Your Jeep was never worth $71K, except to the dealer, and was worth ~$10K less than you paid the minute you drove it off the lot
- You want reimbursed for every penny you paid because there was no loan on the vehicle. That implies you paid $71K CASH. I'd question that move from the start
- You say you're aware of "a few" Jeep fires all starting in the same location. Does location mean in the engine compartment, or your driveway? Car fires don't typically start in the trunk
- Insurance adjusters are PAID to be suspicious
- a new vehicle with a clear title
- a claimant that overpaid for a vehicle and was probably aware they were upside-down in it
- a vehicle that was parked outside, (judging by the pic) away from any structures that could possibly catch fire. How does that happen to a vehicle that was babied (parked, not driven in snow, slush etc). Wouldn't it be stored inside?
- What's with the fire extinguisher by the right rear tire? Was someone standing there when it caught fire and tried to put it out?

Again, sorry for your loss, but you threw this out for comments.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

a claimant that overpaid for a vehicle and was probably aware they were upside-down in it

You have the numbers to show he "overpaid"? I see many here who say they have 30K+ invested in mods - so it's really easy to hit the 71K mark and not have overpaid. Dealer installed mods - yeah, you pay their shop rate, but that's not necessarily over-paying if you can't do the work yourself, etc. So who are we to really say he overpaid?
Take a 62K Overland like mine, add just 10K worth of lift, lights, tires, wheels and other suspension and steering mods, pretty easy to hit 71K

That implies you paid $71K CASH. I'd question that move from the start

Why? what's wrong with paying cash? I've done it before. Sometimes it makes a lot of sense, there's so many "it depends" and personal situations involved - we are judging there, when that's not really any part of this situation. I say - so what if he paid cash? How does that matter to this? Financially, it's still the same outcome - a loss of 71K minus whatever insurance pays (based on current FMV plus allowances, if any, for the mods)
If he had a loan - he's also out the interest and at today's rates, that's a fair chunk of change.

- Unless you had riders on your insurance for the mods etc, you're not going to recoup those losses, period.

As said before - it depends on the policy. Mine covers a certain amount with no riders. And i some cases, a few things can actually be covered by the part of my policy that says "and contents". So if I've been shopping and have $1500 worth of packages in my truck when it burns, I get the vehicle coverage plus another 1500 for contents.
It's going to vary. Some policies will cover add-ons up to a point with no riders, some won't.
It goes back to - read the damned policy. I don't get why people don't actually read that contract and if they don't understand it, have a 3rd party explain it to them. Might be worth a few bucks to have someone in the insurance industry or an attorney explain what they don't understand.
I have read our policies (although I'd have to pull them out of my files and refresh myself on the specifics) and also read every little card or letter we get from the company saying it's an "addendum to your policy". Recently some changes have been made (and to our advantage - possible due to state law changes?)
I know that if we have a house fire, and appliances are destroyed, we have replacement cost coverage - for new appliances. If our 10 year old refrigerator is burned up, we can go buy one with the same specs and features and it will be covered.
I have to double-check my JT coverage, but my Chevy Silverado had full replacement cost coverage for the first 3 or 4 years - if it was lost or totaled, I could buy a new one of the same type and specs (not a BETTER one, but an equal new truck) and it would be covered. It wasn't a rider. It was part of that policy.

READ THE #$% policy! Know the policy and the fine print. If you don't understand it, get it explained. If something looks fuzzy - get it unfuzzed or cleared up. It's a binding legal contract (as long as the policy is legal according to your own state's rules)
Every single policy is different. They even change over time.
Do not assume.

 

[ASU_Greg]

My 2022 Jeep Gladitor burned to the ground August 06, 2023. Jeep claims no responsibility for the cause of fire. I had 2,536 miles on my Gladiator. I had $71k in the vehicle. did not drive all last winter because I did not want snow, salt, slush on my Gladiator. My insurance company "Allstate" offered me $47k. 2 1/2 months have gone by and no claim payout. How does a fire start on a vehicle that is parked and turned off and a cold engine?

Look up Collision Safety Consultants, they have a huge following on FB. I feel that they would be your best bet on the lost cash value.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I do that now and then anyway, living in the country surrounded by farms and fields and woods and wildlife. Sadly, the coyotes have all but disappeared so small critters thrive here, and they love the different flavors of wiring - red/cherry, green/lime, black/licorice and so on. At least I wonder if they don't see colors as flavors as they seem to like to sample them all.
I lifted the hood on my lawn tractor to find acorn remains and a bit of wire sheath with the beginnings of chewing.
Check those hidden areas, enclosures where critters like to nest. This time of year it's really bad, especially in the upper half of the country. They are seeking shelter and cozy places to hide and stash stuff.
Your thing is good general advice anyway - once in a while disturb the little ba@#$%s dark areas.

I totally should have known better. My then shop truck appearing '55 Chevy truck had been parked in the garage and I found leaves & twigs nested on the intake manifold about a month before we left on the vacation when the rats nested in the dually.

Thanks for the kind words you guys. It was a truly great truck. Rest in Parts!

 

[jimbom]

- You want reimbursed for every penny you paid because there was no loan on the vehicle. That implies you paid $71K CASH. I'd question that move from the start
...
- a new vehicle with a clear title
- a claimant that overpaid for a vehicle and was probably aware they were upside-down in it

It seems you don't know what "upside down" means.

 

[sharpsicle]

It seems you don't know what "upside down" means.

That's when you drive with your feet, work the pedals with your hands, right?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Years, decades ago , I could have done that. Today, the challenge is just staying upright.

 

[GWolgamott]

I'm not going to jump into the debate here but just say that after speaking to my insurance agent very recently, due to deer collision...
Discussion of aftermarket parts came up. He outright told me with MEEMIC anyways that they have a $1000 automatic riders insurance if I have receipts for proof. So what I have extra now since I have no idea where those are is really not covered. Because unless I have a digitial receipt someplace, I can't really prove what I bought it for. I was told with them anyways that for anything I keep in the car, anything I add to car, and even decals etc.... just keep receipts someplace safe and if it is over $1000 I can buy additional rider insurance for it from them. For them it was like $10 for every 2000 of rider insurance extra per term.

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