Todo #50
Updated by Casper AI Agent about 2 months ago
**Status: Pending** — booking parameters locked; waiting on 2 final inputs before clicking Reserve. ## ⏳ Pending before booking 1. **State Farm California Car Policy booklet** — Jacqueline Dunton (jacqueline.dunton.vab8pj@statefarm.com) is sending the PDF. Needed to verify the exact "insured" definition for non-owned auto + umbrella, specifically whether Benoit (non-resident brother on French license) is covered when driving. 2. **Decision: does Benoit drive any portion of the trip?** Drives the SLP decision (see below). ## ✅ Locked booking parameters | Field | Value | |---|---| | **Vendor** | Enterprise | | **Class** | 1/2 Ton Pickup (Ford F150 or similar) | | **Drivetrain** | 2WD (Enterprise standard — 4WD not bookable in LA market) | | **Pickup** | **Fri Sep 18, 2026 — 14:30** | | **Return** | **Fri Sep 25, 2026 — 14:30** | | **Rate basis** | Clean 7-day weekly | | **Payment** | Chase card (Amazon or Marriott — either activates Chase $60K secondary collision) | | **Additional driver** | Benoit, added at the counter (TBC if he actually drives) | ### Window rationale - **14:30 pickup** gives 1½h runway at home before the 16:15 departure for the Dodgers game (19:10 first pitch). Bumped earlier than 15:00 to absorb rental-counter delay. - **14:30 return** gives ~2½h cushion after the expected ~12:00 home arrival from Kingman (07:00 hard departure target, clears Cajon Pass pre-buildup). Hourly grace + ~3h soft buffer before extra-day charges if return slips. ## 🛡️ Insurance / protection decisions Working from State Farm agent Donna Butler's reply (2026-05-18) confirming State Farm auto + $2M umbrella **extend to Nicolas** driving the Truck rental as a *temporary substitute vehicle*. Donna recommends skipping supplemental coverages for US rentals. | Enterprise option | Decision | Reasoning | |---|---|---| | **Damage Waiver** | **SKIP** | State Farm Coll ($500 ded) + Comp ($250 ded) extends; Chase secondary $60K backstops the deductible | | **Roadside Protection** | **SKIP** | Chase pay-per-use covers; trip-remoteness response-time argument applies equally to all providers | | **Personal Effects** | **SKIP** | Condo Coverage B (policy 71-J4-B302-1) extends; $2K deductible makes small losses unreimbursable anyway | | **Supplemental Liability (SLP)** | **CONDITIONAL** | Skip if **Nicolas does all driving**. Take ($91 for 7 days) if **Benoit drives any portion** road trip — because State Farm liability + umbrella likely do NOT extend to Benoit as a non-resident additional driver. Without SLP, Benoit's liability ceiling = Enterprise's CA statutory minimum 15/30/5 (essentially nothing high clearance required for a serious accident). SLP raises that to $300K combined. | ### Key insight on the asymmetric coverage gap | Scenario | State Farm + Umbrella coverage | |---|---| | Nicolas driving Nicolas's car | ✅ yes | | Nicolas driving the rental | ✅ yes (temporary substitute, Donna confirmed) | | Anyone driving Nicolas's car (permissive use) | ✅ yes | | **Benoit driving the rental** | ❌ **typically NO** (non-resident, not on the policy's "insured" definition for non-owned auto) | This is why the SLP decision hinges on whether Benoit ever takes the wheel. ## 🚗 Vehicle class rationale (decided) - **Why F150 2WD over a 4WD truck:** Enterprise doesn't guarantee 4WD in the LA market. Would require Turo or specialty rental — not pursued. - **Why F150 is enough:** - Monument Valley scenic loop (17-mi dirt road) needs *clearance*, not 4WD. Dry September conditions, washboard/sand are routine road). **Pickup:** Fri Sep 18, afternoon (need it for 2WD pickups; the park itself tours visitors in 2WD vans. - Death Valley itinerary is all paved-road sights (Badwater, Artist's Drive, Zabriskie, Mesquite Dunes). 4x4-only DV roads (Racetrack, Titus Canyon) not planned. - The F150 delivers the "big US pickup experience" Benoit will appreciate — drivetrain is irrelevant to that. Sat 9/19 Palm Springs run) - **Plan B if off-road urge strikes mid-trip:** rent a Jeep locally for a half-day rather than upsize the full multi-day rental. - **MV self-drive decision:** confirmed in [#69](https://redmine.flios.club/issues/69) (rejected the guided-tour alternative). Approach: drive into the loop, turn **Return:** Fri Sep 25 (after road trip home arrival around if it feels rough at the entrance. Reference GoPro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx9WgRiL0hI lunch) ## 📝 To-do at booking (when ready to click Reserve) - [ ] Pin both times in **Key requirement:** Verify the reservation: pickup 14:30, return 14:30 - [ ] Reconfirm Enterprise's exact unpaved-roads clause in the rental agreement (real-world enforcement is moot since we're self-driving MV regardless, but worth noting for awareness) - [ ] Confirm Enterprise return-location Friday hours + after-hours drop-box as a backstop - [ ] Decline all four supplemental protections at the counter (DW, Roadside, Personal Effects, **conditionally SLP**) - [ ] Add Benoit as authorized additional driver (cost varies by location, often free for spouses, ~$13/day for others) - [ ] Pay with Chase card to activate $60K secondary collision ## 🔗 Related - Cortex: `_cortex/trips/2026.09-road-trip-benoit-and-nicolas.md` → Travel → Road Trip Vehicle section - [#69](https://redmine.flios.club/issues/69) allows driving on unpaved roads. Some rental companies forbid this — Monument Valley self-drive decision (rejected guided-tour alternative) - [#64](https://redmine.flios.club/issues/64) — Dodgers tickets (Fri 9/18, drives would void coverage on the 14:30 pickup timing) - Insurance docs path: `docs\insurances\State Farm\Auto\` (booklet to drop here when received) MV dirt road.