Steve & Leslie's Patriot
Well-known member
We made our first 'real trip' in our MH for ten days the end of July.? We left L.A., took the 101 N, stopping in San Juan Bautista for a night and Petaluma KOA for a night (my sister lives in that area) and then on to the Cloverdale Koa for five nights.? The roads were nice, the campgrounds pretty good.? After learning to request a better space at the KOA, which seemed overloaded at first and not planned too well for large Class A MHs we settled into some nice sightseeing up by FT. Bragg, and along some roads through the beautiful redwoods and wine country.? We planned a relaxed drive home, leaving a couple of days early in order to take our time and see a few more 'sights'.
However, coming just out of Santa Rosa on the 101 a lady in an 86 Mercedes did a 360 into the left back side of the MH and then another 360 into our toad (2005 Jeep Wrangler), almost flipped it over.? According to our witness, a wonderful man (in a Class C RV) who pulled over right away, gave us his observations, name and phone numbers, she was going too fast, slammed on her brakes and spun out of control.? Our MH is still in repair - she managed to dent a steel door over our side radiators enough so that the coolers all have to be replaced (three of them?), the vented panel has to be replace plus various other repairs, the rear axle on the Jeep, bumper, rear fender and the tow bar and plate were all damaged and had to be replaced.? Now, that was a small car, the insurance guy told us those older MB are little tanks.? By the way, I felt only a bump in that MH and then heard my husband's comments, various as they were.? ? ?
We managed to arrive home safely after two more days of driving and holding our breath. The Jeep came unfastened on one side just outside of Oakland due to a broken bolt on the tow bar and we had to unhook and drive off the freeway to find a place to repair that in order to make it home.? We found a service station with a garage and the young manager did the repair and did not want to charge us.
Things we learned: We met some very nice, helpful people along the way,? people who go out of their way to be nice and expect nothing in return. I am happy that we were in a larger MH, what if she had hit us that hard in anything else. We miss the RV, we want it repaired, healthy and back in its own home.? And, even with various mishaps, we enjoy 'rving', just a whole different frame of mind.
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However, coming just out of Santa Rosa on the 101 a lady in an 86 Mercedes did a 360 into the left back side of the MH and then another 360 into our toad (2005 Jeep Wrangler), almost flipped it over.? According to our witness, a wonderful man (in a Class C RV) who pulled over right away, gave us his observations, name and phone numbers, she was going too fast, slammed on her brakes and spun out of control.? Our MH is still in repair - she managed to dent a steel door over our side radiators enough so that the coolers all have to be replaced (three of them?), the vented panel has to be replace plus various other repairs, the rear axle on the Jeep, bumper, rear fender and the tow bar and plate were all damaged and had to be replaced.? Now, that was a small car, the insurance guy told us those older MB are little tanks.? By the way, I felt only a bump in that MH and then heard my husband's comments, various as they were.? ? ?
We managed to arrive home safely after two more days of driving and holding our breath. The Jeep came unfastened on one side just outside of Oakland due to a broken bolt on the tow bar and we had to unhook and drive off the freeway to find a place to repair that in order to make it home.? We found a service station with a garage and the young manager did the repair and did not want to charge us.
Things we learned: We met some very nice, helpful people along the way,? people who go out of their way to be nice and expect nothing in return. I am happy that we were in a larger MH, what if she had hit us that hard in anything else. We miss the RV, we want it repaired, healthy and back in its own home.? And, even with various mishaps, we enjoy 'rving', just a whole different frame of mind.
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