Giving up or getting back on the horse?

[Dawnair]

We purchased a 2020 25FB bunk / twin bed/hatch Flying Cloud in December. Brand new RV'rs (a little late to start: 67 and 72 yrs of age) so did everything we could to learn and do right. No corners cut. Practiced with 5 4 to 10 hr trips in anticipation of our first cross country trip from Auburn, Alabama to Breckenridge, CO. On the 2nd day of our 17 day trip (7/25), on I-20 outside of Dallas, we were hit by a Honda civic going 90 mph. The uninsured, unlicensed driver was swerving to miss a car on her left and hit us mid center above the axle on the right. The FC, but not the truck, flipped (came off the hitch, thank goodness), but the AS was (heavy sigh) totaled. We did have it insured but now we are looking for "a message". Nobody (even the driver of the Honda) was hurt. So if looking for blessings, that is one of them (and it is not insignificant). We are struggling with what to do: start over? Learn our lesson? Go smaller? I understand no one can answer this for us, but am seeking words of wisdom/encouragement/discouragement/thoughts?

[richard5933]

So sorry this was your start to the RV life.

We had a similar situation when the first coach we bought was hit head on (also by a Honda), totally our coach. It was only the 5th night out in the coach. We both walked away, the Honda driver unfortunately did not.

We seriously considered letting the dream end right then and there on the side of a road in Iowa, but in just a few weeks made the move to purchase our second (and current) coach.

Yes, we still have trepidation and there are situations which bring back lots of bad feelings/memories. But, we are very glad we continued with the dream.

What you do will really depend on what works for you, but I'd encourage you to take a breath, do some digging inside, and then do what feels right.

Answering one of your questions specifically, I don't really think that the size of your trailer had any bearing on this situation, but if you were at all uncomfortable towing a 25-ft trailer then you certainly could go smaller on the next one.

[SeeMore]

Pretty simple... file a claim with your insurance company, get your check, and get on with your travel plans.

[mickeyme]

Oh, no! I’m so sorry this happened to you!

My advice for what it’s worth: make a decision and see how you feel. If you are disappointed, you may want to reconsider.

I’m glad you are ok. (And if there were things you didn’t love about your original airstream, this is a good opportunity to adjust.). Best wishes on all your future adventures!

[PKI]

On or Off depends on you and your RVing lifestyle's durability.

You did not lose control on a down hill run. You did not have a sway event from which you could not recover. You got hit. It could have been your daily driver grocery getter that got hit on a Saturday morning errand. There is no sign attached to this event, unless you had buyer's remorse and really do not want to travel and enjoy RVing.

If you purchased an RV as a long nurtured dream and that dream is ruined. No problem. Develop a new dream and pursue it. You could visit every National Park and stay in their lodge. You could bicycle across the US. You could take up hiking and tent camping. Or you could take up horseback riding.

But if it was my dream, I think I would give it another try.

Note 1 - You may have noticed the red beauty to the left in our personal information block. It replaces a 2015 FC23FB that we purchased at your age back in 2015 as newly minted RVers. We no longer own an Airstream. We wanted more space for longer trips, so we moved up to a 33ft motorhome. I would not suggest you go that route as a trailer is more cost effective. However, I would say that a revisit of your goals might be appropriate. The point is - you are doing a new purchase - make sure you are buying the right coach for you.

Note 2 - Owning and using an Airstream is a wonderful and satisfying experience. They are recognized and generally appreciated everywhere. The folks who own them are a very special group. The right AS is a forever coach.

If you really don't know, give it some time. RVs are overly expensive right now. You might put a picture of your dream coach up on your refrigerator and just wait for better times.

A fella told me a story about a guy he knew. The guy really wanted a sports car. He saw a red Maserati in a magazine article and fell in love. He put that picture on his refrigerator, looked at it daily and started saving money. About three years later, he started looking for his car. He checked several dealers and they were out of stock. He talked to the dealer in San Francisco and a salesman said he thought the LA dealer had inventory. So this guy flew down and caught a cab to the dealership only to learn they had sold the last new Maserati the day before. But that salesman was a smart cookie. He said - we might have something you may like. They went back to the service department and he pulled the cover off a car in the corner. It was a four year old red Masserati. On the dash was a plaque that said - tested by Car and Driver magazine. The story goes that the guy drove his dream car home.

I won't tell you that the story is true, but I dreamed for a lot of years about a Red TC and Rosebud has a really red nose. Go find your dream! Pat

[JonDNC]

Bummer,

I would not put that experience into a message category. It was a stuff happens to things event. No one was hurt was the message. That means you can do what you dreamed and or want.

I would order a replacement and go. Also might we worth calling the big dealers, one might have an allocation on the way.

[Mansderm161]

Scary stuff. I was heading home early Sunday morning in South Carolina and got in the middle of a police chase. The car was going over 100 mph..luckily few people on road. I pulled over ..at least 10 police cars after him. I was afraid there would be a major accident up the road, so I slowly proceeded. They must have exited the freeway because I never saw them again. It getting pretty dangerous out there.

[GCinSC2]

Glad you folks are physically unhurt. Bad news about the accident for sure.

I’m a bit surprised the trailer separated from hitch. Care to comment further about that?

Cool off and make new plans.

Gary

[Piggy Bank]

That's a shame to have happened. Glad you are OK and insured.

We have had not 1, but 2 airstreams in accidents. First was at our storage yard when an unchocked unit rolled into ours during a storm. Second was on the interstate when debris left the bed of a pickup, flew over our truck cab and cartwheeled across the front, top, and down the side of our trailer.

Neither one was our fault. Both incidents the other party was insured. Both incidents we decided to hand that insurance check to the airstream dealer and get into a new trailer.

My only advice in your situation would be to think really hard about what models would be acceptable for you. We for example wanted a 25 or 27, and wanted twins and dual AC. Don't buy what you don't want just because it's in stock.

[Hittenstiehl]

As Jon said no one got hurt, I see that as the message. It sounds like you did your homework, practiced and prepared for your new adventure. This was not a error on your behalf or you cutting corners on equipment. This is indeed a matter of life happens even when you are prepared. After the shock wears off and the business end of it is taken care of you will likely have had enough time to process what's in your heart and whether you have enough excitement to try again. Don't let your age numbers stop you as we are all different abilities at the same numbers. If you try again and only go a couple of years you've still got a whole lot of experiences and memories to share.

Let us know what you decid.

[Bill M.]

I would say get another trailer and start again.

[jondrew55]

I say you're good to go. Get another AS. Maybe there's some things you'd order differently this time. That's the lemonade

[GetawA-S]

I agree with JonDNC. This is why you have insurance. Your silver toy gave its all to save some other human being from this foolish driver’s misjudgments. You walked, the other driver walked, the driver of the originally targeted car walked, even your TV walked… If there is a message from God here, it’s that He loves you and wants you to be happy.
Follow your dream and don’t look back.

[DustyTrails]

I am so sorry this happened and so very glad that everyone walked away and was unharmed. That must have been absolutely terrifying for you both. I just cannot imagine how that experience must have felt for you and still feels to this very day.

I work in healthcare and I specifically work with patients who have been injured in car crashes and I also do injury prevention education for teens and young drivers and so I can tell you that I do not believe there is ANY sign in this. In complete honestly, I am an Atheist, so maybe I would not believe in signs as much as the next person. But simply from a statistical standpoint, there was absolutely nothing rare or unusual about your crash. 25+ years of work in this field assures me every single day that it is not a rarity in our lives. People tend to ask "why me" when things happen such as car crashes that end up drastically changing their life. The real question we all should be asking is "why not me? Am I so special as to avoid this daily occurrence on our roadways? Am I immune to it or something?"

I really like some of the advice you have been given, especially from @richard5933 who has been through this, though with a bad outcome for the other driver. Only YOU can say what is the right thing to do and the reluctance and pit in your stomach feeling is totally normal and much of that may remain with you for awhile. But if the dream that you two shared to be on the road and to see our beautiful country through your Airstream windows still exists, then I think that is your answer. You might just need a little more time to come to it.
Wishing you the best.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Sorry this happened to you. Very glad to hear nobody was injured. It could have been much worse.

Right now is a crazy time to buy a used RV. Prices are insane. If your insurance payoff also is boosted by that .... good for you !!! If not, you might want to give the insurance company a bit of a nudge ....

Finding a used RV (of any sort) is not easy. You can buy new ones, the wait times are a bit crazy. You *might* head down and order one now. Then you have a while to think things over. If you decide to hunker down, cancel the order. In this market, you should get any deposit back.

What should you do or not do is totally up to you. This sort of thing is a very scary start to traveling in an RV. If it's all you will think about any time you are out and about, I'd say don't get another one. My guess is that given a bit of time (and a successful trip or two) it will fade into the "great campfire story" category.

What RV to get is also up to you. Bigger is better in some ways. Smaller is better in other ways. Either one can get run into or hit by a falling tree. You now have *some* experience with a 25. How did it work on your "test run" trips? Think that through. Maybe spend some time in alternative sizes (or even types).

My vote (for what little it's worth) get another RV and get out there !!!

Bob

[Lily&Me]

What a frightening experience, and sorry you had to go thru that.

In my life, sometimes when the universe has spoken I haven’t always understood the message right away, but as I move thru whatever a path becomes clear.

If traveling has been your dream, maybe you are meant to travel in something else.

Collect your insurance check and look around for a new rig.

If it’s not meant to be, that will become clear.

Good luck.

Maggie

[Hans627]

So sorry this happened to you. Traumatic for sure!

If this were to happen to me I think I would start again. There will come a time when you will want to hang up your spurs. When that time comes you don't want to say "I wish we would have.....!"

[Dawnair]

To everyone who responded, thank you so much. YOu did just what I asked: thoughts. Keep the responses going. I love all responses and applaud in particular the observation is not "why me"? but "why not me"?

The husband was driving (thank goodness) and he was the one that needed convincing to follow my dream. So ultimately, it may come down to whether or not he can find a way to no longer face a trip with the angst he currently has.
Take care to all.

[field & stream]

So sorry…….

Well, if this helps: the horse didn’t throw you — somebody else’s horse ran into your wagon !

Since you mentioned smaller I will add from our experience downsizing that smaller trailers are way-way easier to deal with than larger ones. Lots of trade offs for sure, and maybe it’s not for you, but we will never go big again.

[Mollysdad]

You didn't do anything wrong.
If you had driven through a Macdonald's front door I might have a different opinion.
Sadly, it's dumped in your lap, but I always think, If not now, when?
There's a beautiful country out there, and your bad karma is over.