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Rear end crash, up front help
Mid February we were just beginning our winter trip and were stopped at the pumps at a filling station on the east side of Tucson AZ fueling up. I heard a big "Crash" and went around to the rear of our Airstream to find a car has backed out of a parking place and bashed in our rear end.
The car driver, resembling Waylon Jennings on a bad hair day, starts berating me for being parked where I am. This guy is huge and very upset. I thought it prudent to walk away as someone calls the police. The police handle the exchange of info including Insurance companies. A nice lady gives me her contact information, saying how she saw the crash happen and to call her if I need a witness. The other driver and I do not speak to each other again. I ask around but people say there's no Airstream dealer in Tucson.
Beaudry's, which I'd heard is a full service dealership was 3 miles away. So I drove over to their body shop. The great service manager said he could help us. He said to check in to their RV park and he and a Tech would meet us there in a hour.
It's 4 pm on a Thursday afternoon when they arrive. They look at the damage which includes a bashed in bumper and a trashed storage lid that has been knocked off but no frame or body panel damage. The service manager calls the closest Airstream Dealer who says he can't get parts because the factory is closed. I ask the service manager if they can do a temporary fix so my wife and I can continue on our way. The tech says he can straighten the storage lid and will try to straighten the aluminum bumper, but no guarantees as it may well crack in the process.
They go to get tools, and return removing the bumper by 5:30 and taking it and the lid to the shop. Twenty two hours later they return with a serviceable, if not too pretty bumper, lid, and replacement specialty bolts and lid closure clasps. Installation takes them an hour or. So with no appointment Beaudry's go me on the road in one day.
In the meantime I contacted my insurance company, USAA, and the other guy's, Allstate. USAA said they would help with the claim if I needed it. Allstate said the other driver has adequate insurance and would take care of my claim, including the temporary repairs I paid for. I told Allstate I'd be home in a couple of months and to just hold the claim, but I faxed the Beaudry invoice to them.
Fast forward to late April and we are home. Not wanting to haul the trailer to the nearest dealer 120 away and having watched Beaudry install the straightened bumper and lid I figured I could do that.
I called Airstream customer service who recommended Out of Door Mart in North Carolina as a well stocked parts source. They had everything but the storage lid. So they had the Airstream factory drop ship to me everything so there would be one shipment. The parts, all the correct ones, arrived in a week. In the meantime the Out of Door Mart parts guy faxed their invoice, which I had paid, to Allstate.
I was able to install the new parts in about three hours, including some hole drilling and riveting. So the trailer is again as new.
Finally, with the trailer all fixed I called Allstate and said all repairs are complete and to please send me a check for the two invoices.
The check arrived yesterday.
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Antique Pedaler
2021 Caravel 20 FB
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