Watch out for semi car haulers!

Timmer

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Posts
405
Location
Minnesota
Our family of 5 loaded up and took off over the holidays for a trip south. We went from MN to Mesa AZ, where we spent 5 days, then on to Galveston Island, TX for for 4 days.

Unfortunately, the trip from AZ to TX was interrupted by a camper accident. Before sun up we headed out and stopped at a truck stop to gas up. The station was overflowing, with trucks parked in no parking zones and others waiting in just about any open space. I was trying to make my way to get in line for a pump, and had to maneuver between the bumpers of two trucks. It was dark with shadows but I was able to see their bumpers in my mirrors, and had more than 2 feet on each side. That's a bit tight but certainly not unmanageable. In my drivers side mirror I can see the camper all the way up to the roof. In my passenger side mirror I can only see about half way up the camper. I had made it past a fair ways and needed to start making a slight turn to be able to ultimately do a loop to get into a line for a pump. I continued to watch their bumpers in my mirrors as I went, and then all of a sudden crash, boom, bang! I hit the brakes and looked again in my mirrors and could see that I hadn't hit their bumpers. I thought maybe someone had run into me from behind. I get out and what do I see? On my passenger side, the semi truck was a car hauler. That had a rack up over the cab, extending out well beyond the bumper. I had successfully managed to hang up the camper on that rack. What a big bummer! I admit that I didn't look hard at what types of semi's I was passing. Even if I had acknowledged that one was a car hauler, I don't know that I would have thought that the rack would have extended well over the bumper. That is a big expensive lesson learned!

I was able to use a ratchet strap to pull back the frame of the wall that was pushed into a slide out, and that allowed us to be able to get into the camper and open the slide. From there we were able to assess the damage and make a plan for how we might be able to save our vacation. We covered the outside gashes and holes with cardboard and duct tape. On the inside we covered it with garbage bags in order to hold out any rain, although we had sun and never had to test that. It did get cold so we hung a blanket on the wall at night.

The camper service center and my insurance had been going back and forth for 5 weeks, and the repeated message to us was that they likely were going to total it. That would have been terrible as the delta between what the insurance would have given us and what our exact model would be new today was over $40k for sure, probably more like $50k. This afternoon we got the news that the insurance company is going to pay for the repairs. That is great news!

Attached are some pics.
 

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Whew.
Two campers back we did something similar coming in to a campground. The entrance cubby had an overhanging roof, about 11 feet up, and i just wasn't looking that high so I caught the edge; long tear along one side.
I do continue to find truck stops overwhelming and a bit frightening; maybe a good thing.
 
Thanks for taking one for the team. I’ll keep this one in the back of mind should I end up in a similar spot.

Glad to hear it’ll get fixed.
 
Just fyi fillup the night before if possible.
Truckers fill in the mornings or atleast it seems way busier in the morning.
 
OUCH ! Glad they're fixing it because you know what you have and breaking in a new trailer can be frustrating at times. I'm sure from here on you'll be looking in 30 directions before proceeding.
 
That is heartbreaking but sounds like it's going to turn out okay. I'm just wondering...had they totaled it, could a person buy it back and repair it himself?

I bought back a '73 Monte Carlo that had been totaled by the insurance company by in '86. Turned out there was frame damage I couldn't do myself and it was prohibitively expensive for me to pay someone else to fix it at the time. Sold it for parts. Now I look occasionally for one like it but it would never be the same. Anywho...:cry:
 
That is heartbreaking but sounds like it's going to turn out okay. I'm just wondering...had they totaled it, could a person buy it back and repair it himself?
No. They take it away and you need to leave everything that came with the camper. I'm sure parting the unit out is part of the math on the insurance payout. They do allow you to pull out anything you added.
 
Interesting, thanks. I would have a lot to lose if I couldn't pull out the things I added.
 
No. They take it away and you need to leave everything that came with the camper. I'm sure parting the unit out is part of the math on the insurance payout. They do allow you to pull out anything you added.
We had a camper accident a few years back while in Montana - said it was going to be fixed not totaled. We rented a U-Haul and unloaded essentially everything with storage tubs and boxes etc. Few weeks later lo and behold it was totaled due to finding issues below the surface they couldn’t identify until it was torn into further. Drove back out to pick up a new rig we decided to buy from them and we were allowed to remove any remaining items plus remove multiple add on improvements I had done to the rig. Never said a word about not being able to do so, in fact the adjuster told me to make sure I got everything out of my rig before they took it away.
Had they told me I couldn’t remove items that were mine and to leave everything in the camper i would have had an attorney involved immediately. That’s is absolutely absurd.
 
We had a camper accident a few years back while in Montana - said it was going to be fixed not totaled. We rented a U-Haul and unloaded essentially everything with storage tubs and boxes etc. Few weeks later lo and behold it was totaled due to finding issues below the surface they couldn’t identify until it was torn into further. Drove back out to pick up a new rig we decided to buy from them and we were allowed to remove any remaining items plus remove multiple add on improvements I had done to the rig. Never said a word about not being able to do so, in fact the adjuster told me to make sure I got everything out of my rig before they took it away.
Had they told me I couldn’t remove items that were mine and to leave everything in the camper i would have had an attorney involved immediately. That’s is absolutely absurd.
Oh no, don't tell me that! I have my fingers crossed that I am all set and they don't identify any more damage.
 
First off, Glad no-one was hurt,and all are safe.
Having been involved in a nonfault accident a few years back, Just remember to monitor the repairs, make sure things are happening and not short cutted in any ways. Keep documentation of all communications, repair pictures etc. We still have a couple little things that I believe are due to the accident, but have been able to remedy them myself. I still like our unit and know it like the back of my hand. Good Luck and I am sure things will work out. Make sure you operate everything and make sure slides and doors work properly, walk the floor and check for squeaks etc. I am sure you will be fine.
Good Luck
 
Hey Timmer,
That is a bummer in every sense of the word.....I feel for ya.
I've used the 2-2-2 system for a decade and three CC trips.
I only drive 5 hours or 250 miles a day, usually, get into a park by 2-3 pm, unhook and head to nearest gas station to fill up or p/u some take out for dinner.
Stay overnight 2 days (or more if Im tired) then hit the road, again.

Granted, being retired, its easier to have this schedule BUT even an overnighter can unhook, go get some dinner and fill up the tank,
so the mornings are stress free.
This works for my sanity as you'll read a LOT of nasty mishaps occur at filling stations.
Happy safe trails and hope the rig comes back soon!!

Michael
 

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