SMB caught in mud slide

[BroncoHauler]

Could have been worse.


Tour bus flips over in wash amid Ariz. rain storm

http://news.yahoo.com/tour-bus-flips-ov ... A--;_ylv=3

[Kathryn]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I have been compiling receipts for everything for the van and have saved all my receipts for anything done since I've had the van and luckily I have a lot of receipts from the previous owner. I am def preparing for the worst case scenario with my insurance company and am ready to fight.

Unfortunately as far as a good mudslide story goes mine is probably not to exciting. I was driving at about 1230am, tired but not sleepy. I was going northbound on 395 to Yosemite and was alone on the road as most traffic is going southbound after the weekend. All of a sudden I couldn't see anything and i knew that I was not on asphalt. I figured that I had fallen asleep ( even though i wasn't that tired) and had run through construction where they had dug up the road (probably killed someone)... There was so much mud on my windshield I could hardly see out but I could see red lights on the north bound side ( I figured construction vehicles but they were actually stuck cars going southbound) I opened the door so I could see and there was a man running toward me asking if I was alright. I asked what happened and that's when he told me it was a mudslide. The mud was just below the baseboard. The guy that had asked if I was ok came through the mud to me and said I needed to get out of the van ( I didn't know then but I was only 3 feet from the road drop off where the river was now running). I of course refused and said I would stay with my van.... That's when I got pulled from the van and carried out. I was pretty out of it... I tried to cross the mud when I heard the screams from the car that got swept away but was threatened by the police who were sure that I would be swept away... They were probably right but I'm a nurse so I am in the habit of responding. For about 2 to 3 hrs they wouldn't let me near the van but once the river across the road slowed they allowed me to try and move it. So i crossed the 15 feet or so of mud that came up to mid thigh on me ( im 5'11) locked my hubs and drove out. I know it probably would have been better to have it towed but honestly I had worked a 12 hr shift before driving and at this point had been up for 24 hrs and was shaken and alone, tired and just not thinking right. The van drove through about 25 feet of deeep mud, a fast river and almost out of the next 25 feet of mud before it stopped. I'm sure it would have made it all the way through but I have to imagine I braked.

Honestly it was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I've been homeless for a week now. Staying in a rented minivan while I climb in Yosemite just waiting to hear from my insurance so I can move forward.

That's the story. Dig it.

[daveb]

Well it sure could have been worse. Hitting something at high speed at night is a wake up call for sure, even clean water not to mention mud! Being swept away is not good and at least you made it through and you're OK. For what ever reason I was thinking your vehicle was 2wd. Now that I hear it's a 4x4 I'd venture to say the vehicle is worth more than what the insurance company is thinking and one more reason for a second opinion. I hope they don't try to low ball you and instead treat you fair. It's your business and I don't want to pry, but I'm somewhat interested in hearing what the settlement will be and who the insurance company is if you don't mind posting about it at a later date. Insurance companies seem to have a way of wiggling out of what they owe their customers. I know it's a stressful moment in your life and I do wish you the best.

Dave

[BroncoHauler]

YouTube footage of what was probably a similar mudslide (or flow) from just about three years ago. Scary stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oOEWWH7QqE

Herb

[Ocsmb]

Glad your ok.

Sounds like a terrifying event and it could have ended worse.

Let us know what the buy back is. If you pass on it I'm sure someone on here would want it.

[rob_gendreau]

Yeah, keep us posted in case we can help. I dunno where you live, but we might be able to help you with repair places or appraisals.

Dunmovin indeed. I think they had a little roadhouse or something there long ago; I seem to recall it being open once but that would have been decades ago. It's a real name.

[Gnarvan]

Sitting in the moving gunk for 2 to 3 hours does open the door to more damage than a quick blast through the mud. It would be a shame for this rig to get totaled. I'm very curious about the exact damage to the rig.

Good luck with your efforts and please keep us posted on the outcome. There are a lot of automotive brainiacs on this list. I hope they can assist you get a positive outcome with your battles.

[MadScience]

Neither the symptoms, nor the pictures really seem that bad to me. What does the top of the engine compartment (either via the hood or the dog house) look like?

Sure, it needs more than a couple hours of cleaning, much lubing and checking of wires and hoses. Possibly new ABS sensors if they don't clean up. The radiators might also be cheaper to replace than to clean, especially if they aren't all that new anymore anyway.

[Kathryn]

Hey all, still waiting to hear from my insurance.... Hoping tomorrow as they started working on the valuation yesterday. Ill keep everyone posted.

In the mean time I've been shopping around and know that I was extremely lucky to find my dream conversion the first time around and know it will prob not happen twice.

My van lay out is a eb51, so essentially it's a rb50 set up with the extra space that an eb van offers partioned off and is storage only accesable from the back of the vehicle. This feature is priceless as far as my needs are concerned.

If my van is totaled my options are to
A) look for another similar van
B) buy a used van and have a new conversion built
Or
C) transfer the van to a new chassis??

This was mentioned a few times. Has anyone actually heard of this or even better had it done? I'm not even sure where to go to find someone to do this. I've briefly googled it with no leads and can't find any threads here with info on it. Is this an idea or somthing that someone specilizes in?

[carringb]

Most body shops will be able to transfer the body onto a donor chassis. But if the RV conversion added systems to the frame (like a Star-cool unit) then it can be tricker. Even most Ford dealers pull the bodies off routinely because its often the easiest access to a sick diesel motor.