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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / September 2005

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Pop-up rear ended

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Tomes - 06 Sep 2005 03:25 GMT
Sorry this is a bit long, but I am a bit frazzled - please feel free to snip
in your replies and thanks for them.

Well, my Coleman pop-up got rear-ended while I was waiting to make a left
turn today (I was stationary with the turn signal on).  While I am not
pleased at all about this, no one was hurt and I just need to pick it up
from here and understand what I need to do.  Advice from anyone is
appreciated.

So the guy in a Quest hits me fairly hard, with the center of his vehicle
lined up with right side frame member (his license place was stuck there
when we disconnected).  The back bumper is pretty much mangled and a lot of
the plastic (sheet metal equivalent? - what do you call that stuff?) is
cracked but my real concern for the trailer itself is that he bent the crank
receptacle.  If it now pointing off to the side somewhat.

The other big concern is that it pushed my trailer hitch up into the bumper
so that I cannot now even disconnect the vehicles.  It towed home OK (done
carefully and it swiveled OK and all).  The ball itself is now pointed maybe
30 degrees forward.  Using the lift crank just never really moved off at all
anyway, but if it did it would have wedged it into the bumper moreso.  The
arm that fits into the hitch receptacle and holds the ball (sorry for not
knowing the right words...) has not been removed in ages and is in there
solid - I thought the easy way out would be to remove the pin and let it
slide out, but it is in there good - likely a combination of being rusted in
and not being able to pull it out in a straight line (probably moreso the
rust) (when I needed to change ball size I just changed the ball itself).

Now I have questions:
Insurance: I am assuming (hoping) that the other guy's insurance will pay
for the camper repair too.  When I called it in to the week-end insurance
phone form filler-outer she asked me if I had the trailer insured.  I do not
specifically - I am thinking that I had asked this at one point and was told
that the car is insured and anything connected to it (like the trailer).
Does anyone have any experience with this that they can enlighten me a bit?
Thanks.

Repair: Who do I go to in order to fix this manner of damage?  I am betting
that it is a different place than the car, but I am finding myself a bit
clueless on this one for the pop-up.

Disconnecting it from the car: Cannot remove the ball holder thingy.  Cannot
remove ball.  Cannot lift off.  I am thinking cutting through the thingy or
maybe the auto repair place can do it. Thoughts?

What else should my jumbled mind be thinking about regarding this?
Thanks very much to anyone who responds,
Tomes
Hunter - 06 Sep 2005 03:43 GMT
>What else should my jumbled mind be thinking about regarding this?
>Thanks very much to anyone who responds,
>Tomes

Sorry that happened.  I always take my Airstream to an Airstream
dealer if it needs body work.

Personally, I think you should simply call your insurance man in the
morning and he'll answer all your questions.

Seems to me the guy's insurance will/should pay for all the damage. To
the pop-up and the tow vehicle.

Hunter
--

http://members.aol.com/hhamp5246/roadtrip2005.htm

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy sh.t...what a ride!"
ninebal310@aol.com - 06 Sep 2005 09:21 GMT
> Sorry this is a bit long, but I am a bit frazzled - please feel free to snip
> in your replies and thanks for them.
[quoted text clipped - 44 lines]
> Thanks very much to anyone who responds,
> Tomes

Most insurance companies allow $500 for trailers, any kind of trailer.
But, the other guys insurance should pay it. If not, your "uninsured
motorist" should cover it if you carry that type of insurance. It all
depends on your state and insurance company.

If your hitch is stuck inside the receiver, try spraying some lubricate
into it. Then take a hammer and beat it out. I would think you could
disconnect the ball by taking off the nut, therefore, you'll be able to
drive the car without the trailer. If not, just cut it off with a
hacksaw, torch, or whatever you have to do. The insurance company will
understand.

Depending on the amount of damage to the trailer, you'll likely have to
take it to a dealer or the manufacturer for repairs. Chances are it is
totalled due to the bent frame, hitch and etc., so you may get the
replacement value. If they total it, but you think it is still usable,
offer to buy it back for a couple hundred bucks. This saves the
insurance company the cost of moving it, storage until they scrap it,
liability, and other fees.

I have found most insurance companies are more than fair.

Good Luck,

Hank
NotMe - 06 Sep 2005 14:11 GMT
| Sorry this is a bit long, but I am a bit frazzled - please feel free to snip
| in your replies and thanks for them.
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
| Insurance: I am assuming (hoping) that the other guy's insurance will pay
| for the camper repair too.  When I called it in to the week-end insurance

| phone form filler-outer she asked me if I had the trailer insured.  I do not
| specifically - I am thinking that I had asked this at one point and was told
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
| Thanks very much to anyone who responds,
| Tomes

While you're about having the damage fixed there is a concept called
'deminished value' which implies that a vhicle (or any property) once
damaged has less market value regardless of the repair.

http://ican2000.com/help/dvpros/index.html

The one I've used in the past is in Texas:

www.directdv.com
Tomes - 08 Sep 2005 04:07 GMT
> Sorry this is a bit long, but I am a bit frazzled - please feel free to snip
> in your replies and thanks for them.
[quoted text clipped - 44 lines]
> Thanks very much to anyone who responds,
> Tomes

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated - they do indeed help me.  So
far the car with trailer still sits in the driveway and our insurance is
paying for a rental (a Kia minivan of all things, lol - I love rentals - you
get to drive things that you would never ever buy).  The adjuster called to
come out to look at it and when I told him he will be looking at a pop-up I
had to explain to him what a pop-up is.  No I await another adjuster to
call, one who knows about such stuff.

I wonder how he will be able to look inside of the camper without raising
the top....

Taking off the ball via undoing the nut was my first thought, but it is
pointing into the bumper.

I once had an 86 Nissan truck totaled and I bought it and sold it to the
body shop just because I  knew it was not time for it to die yet.  They
fixed it up and it ran for another 200K miles.
Tomes
 
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