So........... yesterday started off as any other normal Saturday. The weather was cool but the sun was out. About mid morning the wind started to pick up. At around 4 o'clock my son came running in the house with the news..........
Our prized 2004 Lance 1161 had suffered a blow....... It was off the truck and situated right in the deadly path of 1/2 of a large maple tree that sits on my property line. Along with the limb came the power and telephone lines to a neighboring business. A quick check with the electric meter showed the lines to still be live. Luckily no fire or arcing but the wires were draped over the camper and wrapped around the jack. The breaker to the camper pedestal was immediately shut off the prevent any electrical issues in the camper.
Once the power company arrive and shut off the power the damage assessment could begin. I had high hopes that it had withstood the blow with just some surface scrapes but the largest part of the tree was about 18 inches across and with the power lines down I could not look inside. The Yakima "Rocket Pod" mounted on top I had hoped absorbed the blow like an airbag..... 2 chairs, sewer tote, Coleman lantern, and a fish pole were/are still inside....
Once everything was safely off and the main limb was lowered, my heart sank as I climbed on the roof. Instead of the slight bow that the roof had, it was now concave. A branch had made a large puncture wound just behind the air conditioner shroud and the roof dipped in.
The inside had been breached and there were stress fractures over nearly the entire surface of the ceiling.
(The light was still on with the 12v power)
We cleaned up a bit and put a tarp over the camper to prepare for the impending rain and cold front as well as to preserve it for the insurance adjuster. This morning I cut up the wood and ended up with nearly a cord of firewood (I don't burn wood!!)
So.... will the insurance company total the camper or fix it? Any thoughts?
Our prized 2004 Lance 1161 had suffered a blow....... It was off the truck and situated right in the deadly path of 1/2 of a large maple tree that sits on my property line. Along with the limb came the power and telephone lines to a neighboring business. A quick check with the electric meter showed the lines to still be live. Luckily no fire or arcing but the wires were draped over the camper and wrapped around the jack. The breaker to the camper pedestal was immediately shut off the prevent any electrical issues in the camper.
Once the power company arrive and shut off the power the damage assessment could begin. I had high hopes that it had withstood the blow with just some surface scrapes but the largest part of the tree was about 18 inches across and with the power lines down I could not look inside. The Yakima "Rocket Pod" mounted on top I had hoped absorbed the blow like an airbag..... 2 chairs, sewer tote, Coleman lantern, and a fish pole were/are still inside....
Once everything was safely off and the main limb was lowered, my heart sank as I climbed on the roof. Instead of the slight bow that the roof had, it was now concave. A branch had made a large puncture wound just behind the air conditioner shroud and the roof dipped in.
The inside had been breached and there were stress fractures over nearly the entire surface of the ceiling.
(The light was still on with the 12v power)
We cleaned up a bit and put a tarp over the camper to prepare for the impending rain and cold front as well as to preserve it for the insurance adjuster. This morning I cut up the wood and ended up with nearly a cord of firewood (I don't burn wood!!)
So.... will the insurance company total the camper or fix it? Any thoughts?
