Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > GENERAL DISCUSSIONS > Tow Vehicles & Towing
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-21-2008, 11:14 AM   #1
KathyandDave
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Shelburne
Posts: 688
M.O.C. #8693
Send a message via MSN to KathyandDave
Bent rear bumper

Backing up toward the garage door on our too-short suburban driveway, I collided with the brick wall, which caught the passenger-side end of the bumper and pushed it forward as the truck went back. The bumper bent like tin, maybe 5 or 10 degrees. What I didn't notice was that the bumper's hooked plastic end had pressed the box fender inwards, slightly behind the tailgate. Next time I dropped the tailgate open, the tailgate's bottom corner bent on the fender! Now, I've got to get some bodywork done. GRRRR!

How fast was I going? Slow. Why did the bumper bend? Because it's not a full length bumper and its ends aren't braced back to the frame. The side pieces are just shiny metal, attached to the plastic bumper, which is hung from a stamped frame of thin metal. I was able to pull the bumper 3/8" away from the fender with my bare hand.

It's my fault that I hit the wall. I couldn't see clearly (it's just out of sight of the passenger side mirror) and I underestimated the distance. I should have got out and looked. But, I am upset that such a small ding would have such a string of consequences. If the bumper were more substantial, the situation would have ended right there. But, plastic IS cheaper than steel.
 
KathyandDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 12:48 PM   #2
mopar1
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Thorntown
Posts: 213
M.O.C. #8805
I would rather repair the bumper than the brick wall of the house.
Maybe you could have a bumper made for the truck that is stronger. Or buy a pre-made one depending on your model of truck.
mopar1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 02:34 PM   #3
bsmeaton
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
Sorry to hear about the mishap - we all do it. Good time to vent - but be careful what you ask for!

Remember in the mid 70s when the Feds mandated 5mph crash resistant bumpers to all cars because everybody complained of rising repair costs! Not only did it make every car hideous looking, the cost to repair at a greater than 5mph impact was twice what it would have been without the crash resistance hardware, not to mention the firefighters that lost thier lives during extracaton when those compressed gas absorbing bumpers let go and shot the bumper mount across the highway, often under more than 2,000 psi of pressure after impact.

I've got a receipt around here for $530 to Denver Bumper for my rear bumper I caught on a parking lot cable last spring and ripped it right off the truck. Sure it was lightweight and mostly plastic, but thats the price of fuel efficiency my friend! In the end, the only one I could blame for the cost of repair was me for poor judgement in driving.

Cheer up, brick is far more expensive.
bsmeaton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 02:48 PM   #4
LonnieB
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Texico
Posts: 1,917
M.O.C. #6150
Send a message via MSN to LonnieB
You beat me to it Brad. I drafted a reply very similar to yours at work today, but I never finished it as I got extremely busy. When I was closing tonight I saw it on the monitor and just deleted it because I figured someone like you ( ) had already posted it.
LonnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 04:50 PM   #5
KathyandDave
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Shelburne
Posts: 688
M.O.C. #8693
Send a message via MSN to KathyandDave
Thanks for the seasoned wisdom. I think that the repairs should be straightforward. Mostly, I'm ticked off at myself.
KathyandDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 05:30 PM   #6
bsmeaton
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
Did I mention the time I was chatting with the DW while backing into the camp space after a long day of fishing - and ran into the pin box with the truck crushing the tailgate ($600 cha-ching), or the $650 gasoline fill up in my diesel tank?

There is no winning - at least with me. I never stop amazing those around me as they roll in the grass laughing at what I just did to my truck! hahahahaha
bsmeaton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 05:42 PM   #7
LonnieB
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Texico
Posts: 1,917
M.O.C. #6150
Send a message via MSN to LonnieB
Don't kick yourself too hard Dave, it happens to all of us eventually.

4 years ago, while doing some feedlot construction work in Oregon, I backed into a brand new Dodge pickup. It was early in the morning, before daylight, at a convenience store. I had parked my pickup in the same place I parked every morning, and went in to get my regular morning fare of coffee and a bannana nut muffin. When I went back to the pickup, I instinctively looked around to make sure all was clear, and got in the pickup. While I was waiting on one of my crew to come out of the store, the Dodge pulled up behind me, almost 90 degrees to the direction I was facing. I was busy with my muffin, coffee, and whatever else I may have had on my mind, and didn't notice the man pull up behind me. I put er in reverse, let the clutch out, and most effectively demolished the side of the Dodge with a very well built steel flatbed. Scratched a little place on the corner of my flatbed, and did 3500.00 in damage to the Dodge.

Just another of life's lessons I had to learn the hard way .

Brad, I think you and I have led parallel lives .
LonnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 05:52 PM   #8
KathyandDave
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Shelburne
Posts: 688
M.O.C. #8693
Send a message via MSN to KathyandDave
Well, now that you mention it...I used to drive a straight truck (Ford LN-700, five-speed with two-speed rear end) with a 24-foot box. I backed it up toward a dumpster. Meanwhile, the dumpster's lid was open toward me, so that it was edge-on and virtually invisible to my mirrors' view. I confidently backed up close and the dumpster lid cut the back doors open like a knife. I've forgotten the cost...thankfully. I've never done the transmutation of gas to diesel, but I think about it fairly often, usually after the fuel is running into the tank...
KathyandDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 05:53 PM   #9
bsmeaton
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
I think you're right Lonnie - and still on the same wave length!
bsmeaton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2008, 06:03 PM   #10
LonnieB
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Texico
Posts: 1,917
M.O.C. #6150
Send a message via MSN to LonnieB
Hahahaha I don't doubt it.
LonnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2008, 03:27 AM   #11
Waynem
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas City
Posts: 5,736
M.O.C. #7673
Y'all are just making me feel like an accident waiting for a place to happen - again!!!!!
Waynem is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2008, 01:09 PM   #12
snfexpress
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
Speaking of fuel, be careful at Sinclair and BP gas stations - both have GREEN handles for regular GASOLINE and black ones for diesel.
snfexpress is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2008, 01:28 PM   #13
FLSTS03
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Montgomery
Posts: 279
M.O.C. #8231
Ran into a firehydrant pollard myself (front bumper 03 F250) $800., for the rear bumper I leave a straight Hitch and ball on the dually so when backing up to the dock at work(or someone unsuspecting car) I can feel the little bump before I damage my stuff. By the way the Pollard protecting the firehydrant did not even have a scratch on it....Steve
FLSTS03 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2008, 05:14 PM   #14
wild willy
Seasoned Camper
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Portland
Posts: 76
M.O.C. #8295
Yep, accidents happen. Backed a Peterbuilt flatbead loaded into an occupied portapotty. No damage to the truck. One peeoooded occupant!
wild willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-26-2008, 01:53 PM   #15
KathyandDave
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Shelburne
Posts: 688
M.O.C. #8693
Send a message via MSN to KathyandDave
Reading everybody's snafus, now I feel better. Thanks to snfexpress for the tip about diesel pump color schemes!
KathyandDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-26-2008, 02:25 PM   #16
richfaa
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
Dave is correct about the pump color schemes.What makes it worse is that it is not like that eveywhere. We do not even go into a BP station for fuel for fear we may make a mistake.Can't tell you how many times we nearly did it with the bus since I use a BP fleet card.
richfaa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-26-2008, 02:42 PM   #17
ols1932
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
One thing I always look for is "DIESEL" on the selector, even before I remove the hose to put into my tank. I hate being fooled by the color of the pump handles. One place I went had the diesel handle black. I like green, but only on the diesel pump.

Orv
ols1932 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-26-2008, 03:21 PM   #18
tbhd2
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Macomb
Posts: 293
M.O.C. #5709
And, as I learned the hard way, now you have to look to see that little gold colored sticker on a black pump that says Bio-diesel along with making sure it's ULSF.
tbhd2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
No rear bumper Annaoinga General Discussions about our Montanas 12 11-22-2014 04:32 AM
Rear bumper Montana4two Additions & Improvements 13 09-07-2014 05:26 PM
Rear Bumper on Mountaineer kalberro Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help 3 06-07-2008 05:51 AM
Bent my rear bumper MIMF2 General Discussions about our Montanas 16 03-26-2006 01:03 PM
rear bumper and/or rack Montana_3313 General Discussions about our Montanas 1 02-21-2006 06:49 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.