Month: May 2012

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Intact Insurance Claim Resolution

My cheque from Intact insurance for the car settlement arrived this morning! Since I’d already done several hours of work today, I decided to take a break and walked over to BMO to pay off the car loan and have the balance given to me as a draft.

I was concerned that because the cheque was made to my name and BMO’s, they could try to apply the balance of the cheque to the motorhome loan, meaning I would have to take the cheque back, have the insurance company pay BMO directly, and then wait for a new cheque for the balance. I almost went that route and kicked myself for not going through with it.

Needless to say, my pulse started racing when the teller said, “Okay, this more than covers the car loan. Do you want me to apply the balance to the motorhome loan?”

“No! Please! I’m on foot! I can’t use my motorhome as a daily driver!”

She laughed. “No. No. Don’t worry. I have to call the insurance company to confirm that the cheque is good. At the same time, I’ll make sure that it’s for the car and not related to the motorhome loan. Then, I can do a draft for the balance.”

It took nearly an hour for all of that to happen, but I walked out with a bank draft for nearly $8,000, which is more than enough for the truck, towing equipment, a year’s worth of insurance, and some left over to get work done on Miranda.

Next, I walked to CIBC to deposit the bank draft. I was shocked to learn that they have to put a week-long hold on it! It’s a bank draft, as good as cash! Apparently, this is a brand new policy; the memo came out just a couple of days ago. The teller said that she would ‘fax Toronto’ and that I could call them this evening or tomorrow morning and they will lift the hold. Anyway, it’s unlikely that I will be flying to Alberta this week, so a few days’ hold is fine.

Thumbs up to Intact insurance. This was a painless claim!

From CIBC, I decided I might as well go pick up cat food and decided that an extra couple of kilometres would be less tiring than going to the grocery store across from the bank and carrying the bag all the way home. So I’d planned on a 5.5KM walk and ended up doing 7.5KM. After several days of typing, it sure felt good to get out and take in some fresh air!

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Getting Closer to the Final Motorhome Repairs

This afternoon, I was able to not only take a couple of hours off, but I also had access to my mother’s car. I went to the RV place my sister recommended, but they only work on trailers. They sent me up the road a ways to VR Express in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. They can do all the work on my list. I need to go in ASAP with Miranda for them to create an estimate for both halves of the work, what I want to pay out of pocket and what the insurance will cover.

I emailed the info to my adjuster and asked her how I need to proceed at this point. The service tech thinks that Aviva will want to send a Quebec adjuster to where I am parked right now, after which time I can move the rig to VR Express so they can do their estimates. I’m still hoping to time this with the trip to Alberta, but that’s more and more doubtful. I also haven’t received confirmation that the cheque for the car is in the mail, which is making it all the more difficult to plan anything. Anyway, the pieces will fall into place as they always do so no sense stressing about it.

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Tonight, I Love Being an Albertan

Jody just emailed over a scan of my vehicle registration papers for Miranda. Total cost for a year, $84 and change. It was about $100 the Yukon and it was a whopping $650 in Quebec. Am I glad I don’t have to register a motorhome here again! The amount for the car would have been the same and will be the same for my new toad.

That said, registering a trailer in Quebec is about as cheap as in Alberta and has the same benefit: it’s a one-time registration fee. My sister just bought a travel trailer and I think her registration was $7o. Add $270 per year to register a personal vehicle (have I mentioned that I’m glad I don’t live in Quebec anymore?), such as a truck to tow the RV, and it makes sense to own a towable in Quebec. I wonder if I would have considered this route way back when had I known what I didn’t know.

Now, I just need to figure out how to advise Alberta that I won’t be renewing the car registration seeing as the car is six feet under and will soon by replaced by a cute little pickup. I think my grieving period is over. 🙂

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Narrowing Down the Toad Choices

I think that my choice for a new toad has been made for me, based on what’s available in the market I’m shopping in and how far my money could go.

While I really wanted an import truck, either a Nissan Frontier or a Toyota Tacoma, there are very few older ones for sale in Alberta. Pickings are slims, options are non-existent, and prices with a canopy could easily reach $4,000 for an early 1990s bare bones model. Add another $2,000 for the towing system and $1,000 for the braking system, and I’m at $7,000 for a new toad.

There is another option that is plentiful and cheap in Alberta. The ratings for the vehicle are excellent and I am familiar with the manufacturer. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but right now, the top contender for my toad is a Ford Ranger! It would be hilarious to have my Ford motorhome towing a Ford toad when I’ve bad mouthed Ford so much in the past! But if I go with the Ford Ranger, I’m suddenly looking at a late 1990s or even early 2000s model for $3,000 to $3,500 with a few nice options.

The ads I’m seeing for the Ford Ranger are a lot less depressing than those for the Nissans and few Tacomas, showing newer, cleaner city-used vehicles with less mileage. I’m actually getting excited about the idea.

I should be able to borrow my mother’s car tomorrow afternoon to talk with the RV repair shop and get the ball rolling on getting Miranda fixed up and me back in a vehicle. Hopefully the insurance cheque really is in the mail. 🙂

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Back to the Grind

It’s a holiday in Canada today, but I’m treating it like a normal Monday. I neglected a lot of projects over the winter and have tons of stuff to catch up on. I am also sending out tons of bids on contracts. I have no intention of looking for a part-time job this summer. My budget is solid into August, especially since I won’t have the car and car insurance payments, so as long as I keep plugging away at whatever transcription comes in, I’ll be fine. This is definitely a more relaxed start to the summer than was last year!

I’ve started to do some online shopping for my new toad. I’ve decided that buying it in Alberta really does make the most sense so I’m just waiting on the insurance cheque to buy a plane ticket. What I want exists, but it soooooo rare. I’d definitely have more choice if I was going with an automatic, but a manual transmission is a non-negotiable. I’m looking at 1990s models only.

My first choice is a Nissan Frontier, then a Toyota Tacoma. I’ve heard mixed reviews of the Mazda B-series, but am not ruling it out. I’m considering American models (eg. Chevy Sonoma and Dodge Dakota) on a case-by-case basis and I’d prefer a truck that already has a canopy/topper. One thing I have accepted is that I won’t be getting power windows and doors as those options just weren’t available, but AC is not negotiable. The Nissan Frontier is 3,000lbs, just under three times what my toad weighed, and that’s as heavy as I want to go.

I also hope to time the trip with the motorhome repairs and other projects (I’d like to leave a few thousand of the car settlement money to do some work on Miranda). I got a lead from my younger sister, who just bought a travel trailer, on a good place close by that could go through my entire list:

-the repairs covered by the insurance, including the bumper and the tow hitch, and I want them to confirm that my suspension is okay;

-remove the over hang window and fiberglass the overhang seams;

-replace my propane regulator (have the part, just need a pro to get it in);

-replace the house door window frame;

-square and plumb the house door;

-repair the body damage to the metal portion at the bottom of the rig and repaint that part only (I doubt I’ll be able to afford this right now, but I’ll ask for a quote).

Well, I just found out that a big and messy project is incoming so I’m off to get ready for that. Definitely a better to start to the summer than last year!