Darn the Luck!

[wecker1]

Began prepping the RV for our upcoming 4 month excursion today and had to reposition the unit on our driveway for maintenance, etc. To do so I had to take it for a short drive on roads that I've driven numerous times pulling the RV. Well, here in the south we've had high winds for the past two days, and while driving under a tree that I've driven under numerous times, a huge gust of wind come through forcing the tree limbs lower. You guessed it, that clearance of 13'6" plus became something less, and impacted my front A/C unit.
Pics attached. Have an appointment with CW to determine what makes more sense, repair or replace.

[jimcol]

Don't feel like the lone ranger. Same thing happened to me last fall exiting my neighbor hood. It wasn't the wind but a bumper crop of acorns that lowered the limb. (And probably a little lack of attention on my part as I had plenty of room to get further away from the curb.) I got lucky as it only busted the shroud. Still a hundred dollar bill to replace.

[dhuhn]

At least you didn’t damage your roof that could be costly. Good luck on repairs.

[waynemoore]

Been there done that. Low bridge got the AC and sat dish. Insurance cover all but the deductible. Had to replace both.

[Montana Man]

I would replace it and remove all doubt and expose yourself to fewer workmanship issues. Thanks for the "heads up"... sorry. But really, never thought of moving overhead obsticals.

[mlh]

Yep, some people just have all the luck.
Sorry stuff happenes.
Lynwood

[AZ Traveler]

I am always more concerned about hitting tree branches than bridges or covers in gas stations.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by AZ Traveler

I am always more concerned about hitting tree branches than bridges or covers in gas stations.

Same here ~~ I never ever worry about gas stations as when towing I always use the truck lanes for fuel. If the semis can make it my 5er can too.

[Theunz]

Also need to remember that rain water can add weight to leaves and limbs causing them to droop.

[jeffba]

I went to our neighbor's that has a pecan tree that was getting close. Got permission to trim it up. Took it to 15 foot clearance.

[wecker1]

Based on what I was able to see without removing the shroud, and doing a quick online parts/labor estimate, I'm leaning towards replacing rather than repairing. And by the way, I must say that I'm not a big fan of climbing on and off the roof. Getting up isn't too bad, but coming down! There's got to be a better design to that ladder!! A little bit more width would be a nice start!

[Mikendebbie]

Oh man I hate those low limbs. Over the years I have ripped roof membrane and scratched thru decals when I thought I was clear.

[WeBeFulltime]

You will be forever labeled as the only person to make a mistake with their RV !

[beeje]

That looks nasty. At first I thought that was the front cap. But in looking again it looks like an a/c unit. That's pretty much toast. Just install a new one I suppose.

If it makes you feel any better, I did a similar thing years ago, only a low hanging branch punctured 12 holes in the rubber roof. However easily fixed with Eturnabond tape.

From then on I regularly walk my 1/2 mile long shared driveway multiple times a year with pole trimmer in hand and cut anything in ??. I don't care who owns the tree. LOL

[davemitchell59]

Ouch ... Going to make a point of driving our route to the highway a couple times looking for issues. I worry about the CATV road crossings too. I've never caught one, but reading all this causes me to remember that those lines are going to sag a little lower in the heat of the summer.

[wecker1]

Ok, so the front A/C unit is toast as suspected! Damaged beyond repair. Just received the quote from CW to replace, $1,450 pre tax for the unit, freight, and labor.

DARN THE LUCK!

[Ram Montana High Country]

Check else where and look for a more efficient unit - looked @ a SOB that used three (I think) Coleman RV8 units - much more efficient - they kept the total load below 50A for whole 5er

[davemitchell59]

I assume this qualifies for an insurance claim. Then the question becomes what your deductible is and whether you actually want to file a claim.


Ram has a good point too. If your not in a hurry, shop around a little before committing to CW doing the work.

[wecker1]

With our deductible it makes more sense to for us incur cost out of pocket rather than file a claim. In regards to shopping around, or other brands, we have a short fuse as we have a trip planned within the next couple of weeks, and, IMHO, in this instance, I want to keep things OEM for possible resale consideration...even though I have heard good things about the Coleman units.

[The Old Fogies]

Originally Posted by wecker1

With our deductible it makes more sense to for us incur cost out of pocket rather than file a claim. In regards to shopping around, or other brands, we have a short fuse as we have a trip planned within the next couple of weeks, and, IMHO, in this instance, I want to keep things OEM for possible resale consideration...even though I have heard good things about the Coleman units.

Good Luck with getting CW to do anything in a couple of weeks.