No Fool like an Old Fool😥😥

[Dustydog]

After 45 years I have bashed my caravan.This morning leaving the CL via their very narrow convoluted drive with an acute right turn onto the main road I misjudged the skew and caught the rear NS on the 12 foot stone pier wall. Not happy but these things happen.
Called CAMC cover. Said fill in a claim form and submit with one estimate to go to the next stage. No approved repairers. So now the trudge starts. Car Insurance is so much easier. Looking at the damage the bad bashes I think will be easy but the roof line where three panels meet , the Jury’s out.

 

[Martin_E]

Is that a crease in the lower panel on the last picture?

 

[Dustydog]

Is that a crease in the lower panel on the last picture?

No Part of the body moulding

 

[woodsieboy]

Sorry to hear of your mishap, looks ike the rear panel is damaged in the first photo, hope your insurer doesn't decide it's a write off. So easy to do that sort of damage, dont ask me how I know

 

[Parksy]

It's so easy to misjudge the swing on a narrow entrance / exit DD.
I hope that you can get it sorted mate.
Premier Towing Centre just up the road from us do caravan body repairs.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Have a word with your local coach company and ask who do their body repairs. Coaches and caravans have a lot in common construction wise.
Don't even think of going to a car bodyshop, they don't have the necessary expertise, they are used to metalwork!

 

[Beachball]

Hope your van is soon repaired and you'll be back enjoying your holidays away. Good luck!

 

[otherclive]

Sorry to hear of the accident, hope that you can get it repaired without too much hassle.

A friend of mine is booked for an extensive damp repair in his MH carried out by this company who also do bodywork repairs too.

Motorhome & Caravan Repairs in Highbridge, Somerset - MJ Lovell Caravans

www.mjlovellcaravans.co.uk

ps apologies I edited as I thought friends MH had been repaired but it’s booked for early August at £10k. He was impressed by the company when he took it for an inspection and estimate. It’s subject to CRA 2015 against the supplying dealership.

 

[Buckman]

Not a pleasant thing to happen after a relaxing stay. Not that it helps, but you were probably not the first and will not be the last to damage a caravan on that CL.

 

[Dustydog]

Sorry to hear of the accident, hope that you can get it repaired without too much hassle.

A friend of mine is booked for an extensive damp repair in his MH carried out by this company who also do bodywork repairs too.

Motorhome & Caravan Repairs in Highbridge, Somerset - MJ Lovell Caravans

www.mjlovellcaravans.co.uk

ps apologies I edited as I thought friends MH had been repaired but it’s booked for early August at £10k. He was impressed by the company when he took it for an inspection and estimate. It’s subject to CRA 2015 against the supplying dealership.

Thanks Clive
I know them from the bash last year, not my fault. They are pure caravan specialists and have the workshop and skills. Their Sam is very clever. They have the video and photos. If need be I’ll drive there next week so they can see it in the flesh. Let’s hope she’s not a write off!

 

[Mel]

Don’t give yourself a hard time DD. These things happen, easily done. Hope it gets sorted quickly.
Mel

 

[Gafferbill]

Sorry to hear about the damage to the caravan Alan....you're old yes but no fool.....you and CAMC cover will get it sorted.

 

[Buckman]

We were on a CS and needed to move the caravan. I forgot to secure the spare wheel on the rear door and as I turned, the wheel went through the front of the caravan. Caravan was less than 3 months old! CAMC insurance paid.

Also many years ago we were selling our caravan and allowed people to view it in our presence. An elderly lady bought it on the condition we delivered it to the site.

On arrival at the site, the caravan felt a bit draughty. On checking the front skylight was missing. We assume that one of the people viewing the caravan opened the skylight and never locked it down. During the journey to the site it must have blown off. Towergate insurance paid.

 

[Dustydog]

Visited a local Bailey dealer 4 miles away. Lovely people but in a round about way prefer to keep,their workshops busy with those who have purchased from them . I get the drift . Not worried I have a few strings to my bow. Just goes to show how very antiquated and prejudiced the caravan industry is. Light years behind the times.

 

[Martin_E]

Visited a local Bailey dealer 4 miles away. Lovely people but in a round about way prefer to keep,their workshops busy with those who have purchased from them . I get the drift . Not worried I have a few strings to my bow. Just goes to show how very antiquated and prejudiced the caravan industry is. Light years behind the times.

Where in the world are you?

There is a super company in Somerset, old school that I have seen excellent work from, them. I saw a van when I was there, probably a 2006/7 Bailey senator, rear panel bashed in (panel no longer available, they repaired it and you would never have spotted it

 

[otherclive]

Where in the world are you?

There is a super company in Somerset, old school that I have seen excellent work from, them. I saw a van when I was there, probably a 2006/7 Bailey senator, rear panel bashed in (panel no longer available, they repaired it and you would never have spotted it

Don’t keep us all guessing. What’s the name of the company?

 

[Martin_E]

Don’t keep us all guessing. What’s the name of the company?

MJLovell and Sons Martin and Sam https://www.mjlovellcaravans.co.uk/

 

[otherclive]

MJLovell and Sons Martin and Sam https://www.mjlovellcaravans.co.uk/

Re #8 and #10 Dusty used them last year with excellent results. Seems they have a very good reputation.

 

[jimmyg352]

On which CL was this please? (So I can avoid it)
Hope you get sorted soon OP.

 

[Dustydog]

On which CL was this please? (So I can avoid it)
Hope you get sorted soon OP.

No. It was my fault.

 

[Gagakev]

Oh dear Dusty, hope you get it sorted soon.
Perhaps let Terri do the towing from now on!!

 

[Hutch]

Oh dear Dusty, hope you get it sorted soon.
Perhaps let Terri do the towing from now on!!

It makes me wonder if it was his neighbours mother that pranged the side last year. 🤔

 

[Dustydog]

Kev, Hutch,
Believe me. We actually had a sensible debate on how best to leave the skewed **** brick built walled exit. Never moved so slow before . Turning right we used the entire road even going over the opposite grass verge. BANG! Sadly the rear over swing was an inch or two t most too much. My fault but not happy

 

[Hutch]

Kev, Hutch,
Believe me. We actually had a sensible debate on how best to leave the skewed **** brick built walled exit. Never moved so slow before . Turning right we used the entire road even going over the opposite grass verge. BANG! Sadly the rear over swing was an inch or two t most too much. My fault but not happy

I can believe, and I feel gutted for you, a few years ago Elaine was taking the van out of storage before I got home, so we could go straight off to France and with a friend guiding her, Crunch and took the nearside vertical rail off. Used Gorilla tape until we got home. Only £200 to repair.

 

[Dustydog]

So a 160 mile round tow this morning, Sam from MJ Lovell Highbridge Somerset gave the Wyoming a careful once over. This guy is a serious professional . Like a good Doctor who gives you comfort and you trust him / her implicitly . Sam says he can fix her as good as new and I don’t have to worry about parts.
She‘s booked in end October for as long as it takes.
It struck me very quickly Sam knows more about caravan materials and structures than Bailey, Elddis or Swift put together.
Decent caravan repair shops are a rarity as we know. Maybe a good business for a clever youngster to join?.
Update will follow later in the year.
Here’s some before and after pics of their previous repairs.

Motorhome & Caravan Repairs in Highbridge, Somerset - MJ Lovell Caravans

www.mjlovellcaravans.co.uk