How did your airstream get damaged?

[1cericks1]

I don't know how to propose a vote, but for those who know how the exterior of your Airstream was damaged, what are the most common causes?
When?
*Backing up
*Driving
*Parked - Witnessed accident
*Parked - No Witnesses
*Weather
Where
*Driving on Highway
*Driving on Street
*Driving unpaved road
*Campground
*Truck Stop
*RV Storage location
*Driveway
Fault
*Yours
*Other person's
*Act of God

Do you do anything differently now because of what happened?

[BamCamper]

My roof got dinged by a low hanging oak branch while I was pulling out of a campsite.

Now I have someone spot me if there is ANYTHING at all questionable
that could POSSIBLY reach my trailer when I'm in an unfamiliar spot.

You only do that once.

[Lumatic]

My nemesis has always been and shall remain lazy arrogance. Usually at the end of a long drive. "That's OK, I don't need you to spot me while I back up". The next time somebody please beat me with my sewer hose.

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

My nemesis has always been and shall remain lazy arrogance. Usually at the end of a long drive. "That's OK, I don't need you to spot me while I back up". The next time somebody please beat me with my sewer hose.

Yah, that's my sin too!

[Steve & Susan]

Maybe not arrogance, just being road-weary and not thinking clearly. I did a right turn a foot too early and peeled all of the side molding off the curb side of the AS on one of those concrete filled steel pipes that campgrounds sometimes use to mark roads. I was one lucky you-know-what; just the molding was damaged, not even the bracket that holds it in!

I resolved then and there - no more 14 hour days on the road!

[1953 Flying]

We were at the BEverly Beach Bash a couple of years ago when we heard a loud thump on the roof. I quickly jumped up to see what the heck it was. It happen to be very large raccoon. The critter left a permeant foot print where he landed....

[Happycampers]

..That has too be the funniest... no one could make anything like that up

[Wabbiteer]

Repositioning trailers I was using my F-150 in 4WD low to creep around the yard to get everything just right; then spent time on yard clean up and cutting and finally pulled trailer out one last time to trim grass behind/underneath...

While we were doing the other things the engine cooled and motor was in high idle mode & 4WD low pulled quite differently - overcame the brakes the instant it was in gear and was fast enough I sideswiped a laundry pole. >DOH<

I include a full size image because I can't figure attachments out - I can manage them, see links, but nowhere I can find to just insert a thumbnail. If someone knows the system how about a PM?

[Stefrobrts]

The PO of my trailer took it to the tire store to get new tires on it, and they were directing him to back it up into the bay, and the guy backed him right into something, crunching the curbside rear corner badly.

Luckily he's a talented guy, so he got some aluminum and olympic rivets and put a new panel on. Then he polished the whole thing to make it all match. Did such a fine job you can't even tell it was replaced.

So I haven't done anything to hurt it yet, but it hasn't lived a damage-free life.

[1cericks1]

Thanks for the replies and in particular the honesty. Part of the reason I asked the question was I was trying to assess the value of being able to park the Airstream in the driveway vs. if I move and have to pay for storage. I would have thought there would be a story or two of damage in an RV storage lot. Now I wonder if it would be safer in a lot than my driveway where my wife and I maneuver by it every day backing into and pulling out of the garage.

[Safari64]

SNOWBALL!!

So, I endured - 53 degrees, tow the Safari all over Alaska and Western Canada to lower 48 with only one flat tire along the AlCan Highway, hit Quartzite and the Grand Canyon.

The only damage??? WHAP!! Giant clump of wet Sierra Cement snow that fell from a tree after 18” Sierra Nevada snow storm. (Caltrans made me “park it and wait it out” in snow storm that wouldn't even slow down an Alaskan).

That ain’t your Alaskan snow ball!

A dent the size and shape of a basketball over the dinette!

Snow flakes are very fragile,until they stick together.

[TWaugh]

Mine came that way.

Don't they all??

[msieber109]

Mine was a combination of "Weather" and "An Act of God".






It snowed the day after so the tree is still sitting on it. I am actually hoping for all the snow to melt here soon so I can get it off and see just how bad it really is.

[Foiled Again]

Scratched the roadside - minor - on my very first trip out. Had a blowout on my tow vehicle in W. Va. that put me 4 hours behind schedule. Tried to find a campground up a side road at night.

Speeding driver coming down the mountain in the other lane ignored my frantic flashing, brakes, horn taps, etc. and went past me as I risked going over the cliff to move to the edge of the road. I thought he'd missed me until the next morning when I found a 10 inch minor crease in the side panel.

IT HAPPENS.

Paula

[Safari64]

WOW! Msieber109 wins…or loses.

Makes me very sorry I whined about a snowball dent

[Steve & Susan]

Ditto here.

[wasafari]

By Hurricane Ivan......18000 $ worth.

[RossFam05BH]

Hey All,

Here's what $5000 worth of damage looks like. Just the center forehead panel was damaged. Took the trailer to the mother ship where it was fixed perfectly. I over-built the shed to protect our Airstream from large hail, but never expected 6000 lbs. of Red Oak. The last picture shows a second limb which penetrated the roof of the shed; only a quarter of an inch separates the branch from my wallet. Classify as a weather/act-of-god incident.

Bye,
Paul

[Gene]

My first bit of aluminum damage was last Spring. We went to an older RV park outside Santa Fe and it was dark. It's a well wooded area and I had only several week's experience towing. We couldn't see the numbers on the spaces (a pull thru) and I had to go around again until we finally found the right number. I had to drive between the piñon trees which I couldn't see in the mirrors after I passed them. Next day there was a scratch at the beltline about a dozen feet long, surely from one of those low piñon branches.

Next time I might ask Barb to watch if one of us remembers, but she's not too good at being on both sides at once, then I have to remember to look in the mirrors for her, and will she being standing where I can see her? Will we remember to use the walkie-talkies, a feat that seems to be so far beyond us? By now she usually gets out as soon as we get near a space as we have learned a few things, though we are also insured. I would be interested in a 12v. force field generator if anyone knows where to get one.

Before the Santa Fe incident I forgot to remove the "foot" for the jack and dragged it for a while in a campground near Kingman, Arizona, plowing a nice furrow. It flared the end out and it fit much better after that. I still have the steps and TV antenna and wife, so we're pretty good at remembering those things.

My scratch is nothing compared to getting branches through the roof, but they all hurt.

Gene

[msieber109]

Well, I finally was able to get the tree off of it. It almost looked better with the tree on it.