Honda meets Montana

[c214dick]

After a really nice time in Middlebury, Indiana we went to Frankenmuth, Mi for a couple of days and also had a great time. This morning we left at 7:24 am CST for the 6 hr trip home.

Shortly after leaving the cg our friends called us to tell us there was something wrong with one of our tires. We pulled over and found a baseball size "growth" on the inside of the tire. Finding a large parking area we pulled in and called Good Sam ERS to have the tire changed. 20 minutes later our tire was being changed with the recommendation of a near by tire store to buy a spare.

I decided that I had enough problems with the replacement tires on Monte and opted for 5 new tires. In the process of removing the wheels to change the tires the shop had the same problem as I did, in the spring, when I removed one of the wheels to have a flat fixed. Their sockets would not fit the Montana studs properly to remove them. I let them use the socket that I had purchased to aid and assist. It seems the original lug nuts were a size too large for the wheel holes which caused the problem. So add 32 new lug nuts to the 5 new tires. An hour later we were on our way.

Traveling down I94 west, in Kalamazoo, Mi we experienced a "bump" that lifted the back end of Monte. At first we thought the hitch came undone but a quick look in the mirror proved that assumption wrong. The next thing I thought was that one of my new tires blew but as I was pulling on to the shoulder I saw a gray Honda also pulling off with me. It was than that I learned the Honda had tried unsuccessfully to pass me.

It seems that he was not quite clear of my left rear and accelerated into me. Considering that with my Dodge I am grossing about 23,000 and the Honda was about 3,000 it was like a bug flying into my windshield. Even though I have the level up system I kept my JT rear stabilizers which stopped any further damage by the Honda. My lower left rear portion of the rear cap was munched so I guess that means a new cap. The metal along the bottom was accordiand forward taking out my sewer hose compartment but leaving enough room for me to remove the hose. There was also some minor damage associated with the sheet metal. The JT is niceley bent as well.

Mr. Honda was a different story. The right front fender, headlight, hood, and bumper were not so good. The best part, besides the driver getting a ticket, was he was transporting the car to a dealer in Wisconsin from a Michigan dealer. He thought he was going to still be able to drive it to Wisconsin but I did not stick around to find out as the Kalamazoo police blocked the interstate traffic so we could go home.

Kudos to the Kalamazoo police for their quick response and courteous and professional way in which they handled the situation. Kudos to the Good Sam ERS and the mechanic that came out to change our tire. And kudos to the tire dealer that changed out 5 tires in an hour and fixed out lug nut problem.

[Art-n-Marge]

Talk about one thing after another. This sounds like a TV show I used to watch back when. Something about going on a 3 hour tour, the weather started getting rough, then seven people were stuck on an island for several years until the ratings got too low.

I'm guessing your 6 hour return trip home probably took a little longer. Good job on getting out of this one!

[c214dick]

OK Art, I know why I'm up at this hour. What's your excuse???LOL

[seahunter]

Sorry to hear about all the bad luck Dick. I commend you on being so calm about it - doubt many people could deal with it that well. Hope the repairs to the rig go smoothly for you!

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

OK Art, I know why I'm up at this hour. What's your excuse???LOL

He's on the left coast - it was only 10:45 there.

[DQDick]

Glad to hear you got the best resolution possible. Hope that takes care of you share of bad luck for a long time.

[c214dick]

I talked to Progressive first thing this morning. They will be out later today or tomorrow to take pics. I can have it repaired any where and they will pay less my $500 deductible. Once they collect (if) from the other driver's insurance, they will reimburse me. I'm going out now to crawl underneath and see if there is any more damage. I think my back is starting to hurt. LOL

[NCFischers]

Your neck, your neck!!!

[c214dick]

Yea, that too. I'm glad I washed the awning b4 the Progressive agent shows up. Now I have time to sit in the sun and dry off while I self medicate,

[Rondo]

Dick hope all works out for you on this deal! It's never any fun to have to do repairs to the Monte but this may turn out to your advantage. Be sure to get a professional RV repair company to give you a total estimate and do a thorough exam of the Monte. With something like this, one never knows what all could be damaged under the unit! Be sure to have them check the hitch in the truck and the hitch on the Monte too just incase something may have happened with the "Bump"! Keep us informed of the outcome and see you in Goshen if your rig is repaired by then!

[exav8tr]

You might want to check the inside also to be sure no damage was done in there, just saying!!!!

[c214dick]

Slides are open and seem to be OK. I filled up the fresh water tank and it is not leaking. Cranked down my rear JT, what a mess. Progressive guy just left and took tons of photos. We are both more concerned about the rear cap damage. Neither of us are sure whether it can be repaired or replaced. I'm getting ready to make some calls to Montana dealers in the area for quotes. I'll keep the suggestion about the hitch in mind when I go "visitng".

[jpkelpe]

I guess that Honda guy will be a litte more careful next time. If you were bigger he could have seen you. Hope you can get this fixed soon and there is not a lot of hidden damage

[c214dick]

Talked to our local RV dealer who referred me to a body shop that specializes in RV repairs, specifically fiber glass. I called them and will take Monte in tomorrow for them to check out. When I described the damage it didn't seem like a big deal to them. Best part is they are only 30 minutes south. Depending on what they suggest we may still be able to go to the Illinois State fair the week after next, take it in for repairs and still make the rally.

[steelpony5555]

It only seems to be a big deal to us when that happens. The guys that do the repairs are just not flustered that easily. lol lol....but if it is my trailer, yeah, it is a big deal lol.. Hope all goes well and they retrieve your deductable in a hurry.

[c214dick]

I was able to retrieve a copy of the accident report on line. When the adjuster came this afternoon I handed him the report and a receipt for the $12.50 I paid for the report and told him to credit it to my deductible. He didn't laugh.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

I was able to retrieve a copy of the accident report on line. When the adjuster came this afternoon I handed him the report and a receipt for the $12.50 I paid for the report and told him to credit it to my deductible. He didn't laugh.

We have Progressive on our cars and trucks and have pretty satisfied with them. When someone rear ended my wife's Acadia, the adjuster asked if I had a copy of the police report. When I told her I did, and it cost me $10, she asked me to email it to her and I had a check for $10 the next week. She even called me a few weeks later to find out if I had received the check because I hadn't cashed it yet. Same thing with the ambulance bill - I got a check within a week of sending it in. The only down side to Progressive I've found is their claim center is about 25 miles away and a pain to drive to. Otherwise, they've been good.

[c214dick]

We have had Progressive RV insurance for about 4 years. We had 2 claims 2 yrs ago and they were great. Unfortunately my premiums have increased about 10% @ yr. I assume it's due to the 100% replacement premium. As my Monte costs more to replace my premiums will increase. The new rate is going to be $50/month. As it will be sitting all winter I'm going to see about changing the policy but stay with Progressive.

Just got back from the body shop and they are working up an estimate for Progressive and me. He thinks the frame may be bent as the fiberboard panels underneathe are buckled from back to front. They really won't know until they tear it apart. Once he gets the estimate ready, they will need at least a week just for the cosmetic repairs. I will not tow it any distance if there is a possibility of a bent frame. Of course they would not tell me how soon they could get it in but he did say I would have it for the fall rally. I guess the Illinois State fair is out.

Ed. and if that isn't enough, my cell phone went through the wash.

[jpkelpe]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

As it will be sitting all winter I'm going to see about changing the policy but stay with Progressive.

We have Progressive and used to put our insurance on "storage mode". They have you keep the comprehisive part and not pay the coliison part

[c214dick]

Thanks Paul, I'll look into that.