Monday, Memorial day May 27, we were s/b I55 in MS just north of exit 271 in Desoto Co going thru a construction zone. Cruise was set below the speed limit and I was in the right hand lane. We came off of a bridge and experienced a rather large drop in the road level. It was such a dramatic drop that it knocked my cruise control off. A few miles down the road I heard a knocking sound so we pulled over to find a metal panel had come loose from the front edge of the trailer and was banging against the side of the trailer. So there I am, on the side of I55 with my cordless drill doing a temp fix with a few screws. At the campsite I found that the panels on the other side of the trailer were now bulging away from the side in what looked like a bubble. There was a seem in the master br (in the front of the trailer) that had come apart between the wall panels and a part of the canopy arm had been knocked off where the arm hooks over to secure it for storage. I contacted MDOT and the referred me to Leahmon Roberts, who was contracted to do the construction. I have left a message for them and am awaiting a return phone call. Has anyone ever experienced something like this? What was the outcome?ThanksTracy

Once while living in MI I encountered road construction debris in the road that I hit and was reimbursed for damages but NEVER have I thought it was a good idea to drive through a construction site with the cruise control on.

Not with an RV, but many years ago, I lived in a small mobile home while in college. the road I lived just off was being widened and they were blasting away at the hill to make the grade less. Somehow they messed up and rock blew all over the neighborhood. Several of us had rocks come crashing through our roof.. I was in shower, when trailer rocked and then loud bang.. as I hurried to dress and find out what was going on found a fist size piece of granite on floor of closet. It had come through roof, clothes in the closet and still had enough force to tear the vinyl floor. Company was very quick to temporarily cover the hole and get a repair guy to fix my roof... think the pictures in the newspaper and the thought that they could be fined for their bad blasting made them be quite eager to fix any issues we had. Not sure about the drop in highway, but good luck in getting the company to cover your repairs... Make lots of pictures, contact your insurance company and let them fight the battle for you.

Wow- that must've been some bump! Good luck...

It wasn't a construction zone but I did hit a very bumpy section of I-65 in Indiana. Watching the front of the 5er in the rearview mirror I was very concerned at the amount of bouncing. About 30 miles up the road, I looked in the side view mirror and saw one of the trailer tires smoking. I limped into a truck stop and got it repaired the next morning. The center pin in one of the trailer leaf springs had broken and allowed the rear axle to skew. I believe the cause was that bumpy stretch but Indiana DOT (if I'd filed a claim) could also have argued that I've been fulltiming in this rig for 7 yrs and it was normal wear and tear. Cost of leaf spring repair and new tire was under $500.

Sorry, I couldn't get past leaving the cruise control on while driving an RV in a 'construction zone', whether it was set below the speed limit or not. And would only hope it was the reduced construction zone speed.As far as IDOT paying you for damages? No. Especially when you tell them the road conditions in a construction zone "dropped your cruise control off" :B

Damage to fiver due to road construction | Good Sam Community

Jloucks
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
Frmundr wrote:
Let's clarify a bit for those of you that feel the need to chastise me for "having my cruise control on in a construction zone." There was no one working, very little traffic, there were no cones, it was a holiday and the road was actually marked as "uneven pavement",not an actual active construction area AND I was traveling under the posted speed limit, so if you don't have anything constructive to add, how about just keeping your opinion to yourself because I really don't care about your petty little comments that only reflect your negative attitudes. I really don't think that some of you who post freely on the internet would be so bold in person.......

Oh man, is it too late to chastise you? Hate missing out. =P I disapprove of your,,,mmm,,,gonna go with.... hat. It is too small and makes your head look big.

Hehe, I crack myself up......annnyyyyywho...

I am not sure 1 second would make all that much difference in this scenario. What, you would have gone off the lip 10pmh slower? Would that have made a difference? I don't think so. I don't think you should fault yourself at all based on speed control. ...in this instance.

On edit: oh yea, another vote for insurance agent.
mpierce
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
The concensus has been, contact your insurance agent. I seriously doubt that the DOT will pay anything. Or the construction company. They had it posted, you were warned.

Hopefully the damage is minor, but the buckling of the walls is a sign that at the least, the frame flexed. At worst, it is bent or broken.
garyhaupt
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
I am getting such a kick of those that trumpet never using the cruise control. I have to admit, I was in that category, some years back. Back when men were men, and all. I would never ever have considered such a thing...ever. But...I learned that with a constant speed maintained, my fuel consumption was more controlled. I kick it out as an upgrade begins...play transmission games...see if I can keep it from shifting down. Now, too,I don't drive interstates..or so seldomly that it doesn't count, but even when I do, unless I am in traffic congestion, I engage c.c. and enjoy the ride. The other thing is..my right knee and back don't get as sore. I can change position and move about a bit..no further than the fridge, but enough to stop that knee muscle from getting all crunched and painful.

Gary Haupt
Frmundr
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
This is 'the wife' who was passenger on this trip. The warning sign actually only showed uneven lanes, which was fine, because we just stayed in our lane. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, they had graded down the road to prepare for new asphalt but had NOT put in any short ramps at that particular bridge before knocking off work for Memorial Day. When we made our return trip and all the work crews were out there, the ramps had been added :-/

My hubby, who has been a police officer for 26 years is an EXCELLENT driver and is MORE than aware of what can happen to workers on the side of the road. He was simply asking for help in how to handle the situation we're now in. Telling him what you think he did wrong in the first place is kind of rubbing salt into a wound. KWIM? :(
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jun 01, 2013
Frmundr wrote:
Let's clarify a bit for those of you that feel the need to chastise me for "having my cruise control on in a construction zone." There was no one working, very little traffic, there were no cones, it was a holiday and the road was actually marked as "uneven pavement",not an actual active construction area AND I was traveling under the posted speed limit, so if you don't have anything constructive to add, how about just keeping your opinion to yourself because I really don't care about your petty little comments that only reflect your negative attitudes. I really don't think that some of you who post freely on the internet would be so bold in person.......

Sorry you don't like the criticism, but that statement in red above, is a red flag to towing or not! Construction zones active or not have all kind of pit falls.

That is when the cruse is canceled I watch the road ahead for changes, it can be a difference between lanes or the short "ramps" at bridges or overpass, when they grind the road down to make the new pavement level with the structure.

Take it for what it is, good advice.
brauneyz
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
OK, I'm not getting into a discussion about cruise control because I've never used it, but I do have a nasty little anecdote about construction zones and wrecking a fiver.

RV caravan through Mexico two years ago. We never went over 35 mph the entire time, and never took topes (speed bumps) over 5 mph. Bad, jarring, uneven road surface frequently. Took it slowly always. A week later, just back in the US, a large truck followed us into a cg and pointed out a frame problem (separated from axels). 4 slides became virtually inoperable. Floor buckled. Took it to repair shop. Long story short - repairs would have cost $30K. & 6 mos. Insurance co. totaled it.

We are FTers. Totaled our home. Spent the next week buying a new fiver and moving our stuff over from the dead one. Thankfully, we had the kind of insurance that covered full replacement, not the depreciated value. Never be w/o that.

Sorry for your troubles. Talk to your insurance co. and hopefully you'll get some satisfying resolution. Answer to your question is, yes, construction can wreak havoc on an RV, even with careful driving.
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
Frmundr wrote:
Let's clarify a bit for those of you that feel the need to chastise me for "having my cruise control on in a construction zone." There was no one working, very little traffic, there were no cones, it was a holiday and the road was actually marked as "uneven pavement",not an actual active construction area AND I was traveling under the posted speed limit

:h

This is a new wrinkle....since you were warned about the hazard that caused the damage, I think it unlikely in the extreme that you can hold anyone responsible here but yourself.

Tough luck, lesson learned (I hope) and thank heavens for insurance, right? :@
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
""...the extra reaction time required for a motorist relying upon cruise control to recognize the danger of the situation when his wheels begins to spin or slide on a slippery surface,
bring his foot up off the floor to the brake pedal, and disengage the cruise control can be crucial
(especially for drivers lured into a hazardous level of inattentiveness on long, flat stretches of road)....""

Reaction time is longer.
Might have been able to stop/slow down in time for that drop off.

Ask any cop they KNOW what the distance traveled is for a car with cruise on and without cruise on in a panic stop/accident situation. There are documented stats on it.
mpierce
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
You want advice, you get it, and attack the advice givers. OK. Glad it all worked out so well for you. Looks to me like you are looking for someone to blame instead of yourself.
wandering1
Explorer
Jun 01, 2013
So what did your insurance company say? Why haven't you contacted them?