| Author |
Message |
tim terhune (204.110.228.187)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 4:06 am: | |
Hi all,
Here’s an update on our situation:
After the accident we had the stairwell winched away from the front wheel so we could drive to a local truck repair shop. There we had the right front tire and damaged wheel oil seal replaced. The next day we traveled about 300 miles to ABC bus in Dallas. They took one look at it and determined it was totaled. I spent the day Friday trying to locate a 15 pass. Van to go home to VT.
By the end of Friday I finally had a van, but I was going to have to return it to Dallas! OK, I had run out of options. So, we returned to the bus late afternoon to retrieve our stuff, at least what we could take in the van.
By the way, the insurance adjuster still hadn’t come to see the bus. That WAS a primary reason for going to ABC to make opportunity for them to inspect the damage.
Well, we began to attempt to gather what we needed…. Began… I wasn’t getting anywhere. Then the Insurance folks called again for the umpteenth time. I was shot by now with the stress of it all. I decided right then and there that I was driving MY bus HOME. After all, It drove perfectly well to Dallas. That’s not to say there isn’t anything wrong underneath, but of a truth, I had and still have no evidence that suggests that anything is amiss mechanically.
Anyway, the insurance lady was on the phone and I told her I was leaving for home and they had until the morning to get someone over to look at the bus. Someone arrived 15 minutes later! I have to say at this point that the insurance folks really have been great to me through this whole affair. They just didn’t know they had a nut case on their hands that would prefer to drive a smashed up, totaled out bus home rather than a new 15 pass. van with all the trimmings (and expenses paid).
We loaded our stuff back in the coach, secured the door with a ratchet strap, returned the rental van, and headed east. We’ve had no problems so far, in fact, with the new tire it actually handles just a little better than before! I’m not fooled into thinking all is well, but so far so good. We’ve made it to SC and hope to be home Tuesday.
Some have wondered how it happened. I’ll try to give a brief description.
We were traveling South on a 4 lane road w/center turn lane (5 lane road). The speed limit is 70 most of the way. It reduced to 60 and then to 55 just before the scene. I was probably doing 50 in the right hand lane. Ahead of me I saw a white trailer pulled by a pickup parked on the right side of the road. There may have been a second truck parked on the same side closer to me but I cannot recall. Suddenly a white pickup pulled into the road attempting to cross over into the northbound lanes. It was clear to me that we were on a collision course so I turned to my left lane. Well, the driver of the other vehicle continued across in front of my path. I recalled thinking just before impact, “Why doesn’t he stop?” All I could do was be sure I didn’t hit him square in the drivers door. I veered more to the left and caught him in his left front fender. What a sound! We careened at about a 30 degree angle off the left side of the highway, narrowly missing a sign by literally inches, went airborne at least with the left side for a few feet, then bounced toward a raised railroad bed. Fortunately TX is big, they were generous with the realestate, and I regained control bringing it back to the side of the road.
There are a lot of questions that I don’t have answers for. I wasn’t given opportunity to speak with the other driver or with the witnesses. The best I can figure is when the local constable saw me leaving my vehicle to check on the other driver, that maybe he thought I was gonna hurt the guy or something. Anyway, the constable picked me up in his truck and wouldn’t let me out except to return to my coach and family.
Miraculously, no one was seriously hurt in either vehicle. The other driver only received some glass in his face I am told and he refused transport to the hospital and went home. One of my passengers received a minor abrasion on one elbow. Both vehicles were totaled.
The question has been asked how could my coach be totaled. We’ll the entire lower entry is buckled. The door is shredded the steps are buckled. The fuel door and three of the four baggage doors are wrecked as well as two of their frames. The rocker panel at one bay door is creased quite deeply. The wheel well is damaged. The driver’s side below the driver’s window is buckled. The roof is buckled. The front is obviously wrecked from the bumper up to the windshield and everything underneath behind the bumper.
Some of the damage is because after the initial impact to his fender, his truck sideswiped the coach! Also, the impact to the front corner of the coach caused the whole thing to rack around enough to result in buckling damage to the roof and drivers side.
For those of you who are still reading this and just have to see the details, a few pics are posted here: http://members.tripod.com/timterhune/Tims_Bus_Pages/id15.htm
Hoping all is well with you and yours,
Tim.
’66 mc5a “MIA” |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 5:46 am: | |
i'm glad you and you family weren't injured...i'm impressed with how "solid" the mci5 is....even tho the coach is buckled, possibly beyond repair...best of luck in your trip back home.... jim |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 7:26 am: | |
Tim.
We are happy no one was injured. Good clear pictures, what type of camera do you have?
John |
John the newbie (199.232.240.156)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 7:54 am: | |
Did ABC tell you they couldn't fix it, or did they give it the "totaled" label
to give you an advantage with the insurance company? Even if they
estimated that the price to repair it would far exceed it's value, they
should have given the price to you if you had asked. I've brought
back buses that looked new, but were in worse shape than that before
they did their "magic". |
TWO DOGS (63.185.96.244)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 9:33 am: | |
I called a friend in Claredon,told him to check on you,he was going to invite you over to his house for a few days,he couldn't find you,guess you had already departed for Dallas.. |
Rodger in WA (64.70.24.67)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 10:32 am: | |
Tim,
Sorry to read about your bus and the ruined trip but glad everyone survived unscathed. Good photos. I hope all works out to your satisfaction regarding insurance compensation and the other driver is charged with causing the collision.
Regarding the total loss issue, in '99, I rear ended a new Dodge Ram 2500 pickup with my 35' Prevost Champion. An empty flatbed semi was making an all wheels locked panic stop on I-84 east of Portland, OR. I was a couple of bus lengths behind the semi, standing on my brakes and sliding. It had just begun to rain after a long dry spell and the pavement was slick. I'd have stopped in time but the woman driving the pickup cut in front of me and filled the gap 'tween me and the semi. The pickup was sandwiched between my bus and the truck.
My bus took the impact at the top center of the front bumper and the skin above when the high rear bumper of the pickup bounced over the bus' bumper.
All damage to my bus was below the windshield. The entry door frame was very mildly distorted but popped back in line when the front structural members were removed. Most of the skin and front framing was replaced and the center section of the bumper. The damage estimate came to $10,800. The agreed replacement value, with Progressive Ins., was $85,000, so it was nowhere near a total.
Rowe Brothers in Portland did the repairs. Rowe specialises in body work on buses and firetrucks.
The pickup looked totalled. Box bowed out at the sides and driven into the cab, front driven back into the engine from impact with the semi trailer and frame bent in the middle like a banana. I was amazed at how little damage my bus sustained. Rowe did a good job of repairing it, including a close paint match with no paint # to go by.
My bus, Red Ryder, is listed in the BNO Buses For Sale section. The photo of the front is recent, so shows the front after repair.
Good luck,
Rodger |
J.B. (66.52.193.202)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 11:06 am: | |
Hi Tim, Glad to hear and see that you and yours are OK. I was curious to know the name of your insurance carrier. It is always nice to know if one carrier or the other is doing an adequate job for us Bus nuts out there. I have a 78 Crown Motor Home conversion. My carrier is State Farm. I have not had a problem yet (yet being the definitive word).
Thanks, J.B. |
Johnny (4.174.106.136)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 8:06 pm: | |
I couldn't see the pics ('puter acting funky), but that doesn't sound like it's anywhere NEAR a total for a conversion. Worst case: find an identical model someone is scrapping, pull off the bay doors, front cap, & entry steps, & graft them on your bus. |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior) (64.229.208.164)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 8:44 pm: | |
Hi Tim.
Glad evryone is healthy. Saw your pictures.
I'd do some more investigations when you get home.
Repairs like this are labour intensive, so if you can do some of the tear down yourself, the body shop might come in under what your insurer is offering. It isn't very hard to rivet new skin on bag doors, you could do that bit yourself.
Let's all keep it in perspective here. We're after a recoverable vehicle to enjoy, not an academic argument about re-instating a virgin. You might be amazed at what repairs might have been made to any one of our own coaches, and we're blissfully unaware....
Your MC5 has a frame in it, so the bent and buckled sheet metal is not as serious an indicator of destruction that it would be on a GM coach.
If it drives straight, that's half way there. Have it checked on a rack to be sure the tires are all pointed where they should be, and front and rear is following in line.
Did ABC indicate whether you had bulkhead damage, or is it just a whole lot of cosmetic stuff. Believe it or not, that damage to your front corner is cosmetic, as long as the front bulkheads are not bent or the rivets sheared.
As you make your way home, keep a close eye on the tires for evidence of strange wear, all the way around, as well as especially on the front right.
It will take a lot of money to make it as pretty as it was before, but it can be returned to functionaility for a lot less cash.
All depends what is important to YOU. We each have our own thresholds for the lower limit of functionality and appearance. Tim, you and your family get to decide what your limits are, and then enjoy whatever decision you make, because it is the right one for YOU.
If nothing else, you've got a great parts bus to start another one!
happy coaching!
buswarrior |
CoryDane RTSII (66.155.188.3)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 2:11 pm: | |
I agree with the BusWarrior
Your photos have a menacing look, but it appears to be superficial.
You will know more if the right front tire shows strange wear or the bus tracks oddly, I think you already said it tracked ok.
There are a couple of stories on the net where a bus was smacked and the repair was not out of the hands of the converter. he just had to have the mindset of a bit of hard work for a while.
"The Smith Family Bus Rebuild"
LOOK AT THE REBUILD PICS, they cut deeply into the bus to make repairs.
http://members.tripod.com/seizetheday3/id20.htm
I can't remember the other sites, but there were others.
Your bus may not be totaled, just damaged. Look her over good.
Very happy that your family is safe and well.
"Imagine"
cd |
mclough777 (65.137.124.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 10:25 pm: | |
wow, from the looks of the pick up truck ,God was certanly watching over them!! we pray you make it home to New england safly .
morgan 57 pd4104 |
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