It's pathetic. Seems that Airabelle has a curse on her. Back by the barn Ken was caulking seams under her front window when he heard a loud noise and instinctively ducked. The small side window above him shattered. He went inside and saw BBs on the floor. He figured it had to have been a high powered BB gun. I didn't know they could cause that much damage. The culprit was long gone when Ken followed the tracks. Probably a youngster with a new toy. So now we have to find a replacement window and probably the trim and gasket. This sets us back as we were going to finish caulking and then lay the floor tile this week, still hoping to get Airabelle road ready before the snow flies. Has anyone replaced one of those curved front side windows?
You have filed a police report haven't you? At least get it on record.
If they took shots at you while your standng out there, who knows what this person would do when you are not around. Also BB guns do not make a loud noise. Sounds like a shotgun. Especially if you found multiple "BB's". Guns are not toys.
-BobbyWright
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-BobbyW AIR# 123
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No BB gun that I know of discharges multiple pellets at a single shot. One that could break one of those windows would have to be fired at very short range. However, a small bore shotgun - say a .410 - makes a noise not immediately recognizable as a gunshot, fires multiple pellets, and would break the window at, say, 30 yards. Maybe more.
Firing a gun into an occupied vehicle is a serious offense, and is likely to be treated as such by the local constabulary. Report it!
Ken filed a police report today. I'll tell him your remarks about it's not being a BB gun but a shotgun. Ken, a friend/caprenter (who is not a hunter and doesn't know guns) had Airabelle over at his house to do repairs. He doesn't think he has any enemies and that it was a random shot. Hard to believe as their place is set way back from the road with a lot of trees and bushes between. Seems that someone had to take aim to hit the window.
I carry minimum coverage so I don't expect the insurance company to do anything but will call tomorrow, now that I have the police report. Which brings me to another question--do most of you just add your Airstreams on to your car insurance or do you have a separate coverage with an RV insurer? Do you just estimate the value? Also--has anyone come up with a cheap solution for replacement of the window other than plexiglass which will eventually crack or cloud?
Jeanne,
If the BBs are copper colored and there are a number of them then you are probably dealing with copper plated shot. Does MI. currently have a dove season in progress? If no shots were heard previously then that might rule out a stray shot from a shotgun while hunting. Another possibility might be seperate shots from a BB gun that penetrated the glass until one shattered the entire glass.
Do a forum search on window or glass replacement. Andy from Inland RV discussed the different replacement options, pros and cons.
__________________ Craig
AIR #0078
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So sorry to hear your sad story. Traverse City is a beautiful and I thought very nice area. I added my Airstream to my auto insurance. I have never made a claim so I can't tell you if it is a good or bad idea. Just after I bought the trailer in 1996 I had Woodland Travel in Grandrapids MI install an awning. While there I asked them to provide an appraisal. They seemed a little confused by the request at first, but wrote a note on their letterhead describing the general condition of the coach and giving an estimated market value. I keep that letter in my files and track all my trailer related expenditures. Hope I never need them.
Small game season opened Sept. 15 in Michigan. BB's are larger than the shot normally used for this. Look on skin near the window for other marks. Even a small gauge shotgun should pepper the side pretty good. I wonder if the noise he heard was the window breaking?
This is developing into a who dunit with sleuths speculating about the gun. I'll ask the deputy what he thought about the bullets (BB's? and what color) and the indentations in the skin adjacent to the broken window. The cause of the noise is solved-- the shattering of the glass, not the shot its self. You all should hire out as detectives. We don't have a dove season in MI but if the small game season is on, maybe the shooter thought Airabelle was a turkey. In some ways she is.
Towner--yep Airabelle must surely be a sitting duck. She's been a victim of abuse before by her former owner. Maybe we should go in for victim counseling--those of us who spend so much time and money in refurbishing these old Airstreams. I just carry liability insurance on Airabelle which doesn't help in this instance. Meanwhile I've located a local glass business man which knows how to fabricate curved glass and will examine Airabelle today. I'll update posts on this continuing saga.
I wouldnt file a claim on this, I had filed two claims for two seperate things on two different policys over a year apart, (they dont tell you that two or more claims in three years of any kind can get you canceled) and was canceled by my insurance and had a hard time getting new insurance. I always thought insurance was there for when you have a loss but what they do not tell you is that if you use your insurance they will cancel you. By the way I have two homes , a commercial property and a perfect driving record and hadent filed a claim in 15 years previous to this occurance, I have learned (and been told by my insurance company)to only use insurance for serious losses.
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Airabelle's been shot!
Check with Andy @ Inland RV...if he doesn't have one, he will probably know where to find one... 
Airabelle's been shot!
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