RV McCurdy's, Brad and Diane: Day of Disaster

Friday 2 February 2024

Today we were headed to Mid Bay campground in Niceville FL. The campground is the recreation area for Maxwell-Gunter AFB located at the water's edge of Choctawhatchee Bay.

It started out like a normal travel day. Breakfast, cleaning and packing the Moho. Weather was nice, temperature was in the high 50's. Rudy got an extra-long morning walk to compensate for having to be in the Moho all day. No need to hurry we were only traveling 150 miles. It was almost 11am until we pulled out. We stopped at the Florida welcome center for a nice lunch. This was close to the halfway point of todays trip.

Full from lunch and with a fresh cup of coffee we pulled back out east bound on I-10. Diane had contacted the campground to give them our ETA.

Then at about 1:30pm a LOUD bang. We blew the front passenger side tire😐. Almost like slow motion the Moho pulled to right onto the berm continuing off the road into the dirt. I realized I had cruise control on and we were going 60mph in the dirt and we were going to DIE! Hit the brakes and with all my strength I could muster I tried to get back on the road. As we came back on the berm it felt for sure we would roll over. Cupboards opened Rudy kennel slide along the floor. The noise of tire pieces clunking and banging as they tore back under the Moho and car was scary😕💩

I over corrected a bit and we were almost in the passing lane before I could get us straightened back out. Finally under control we slowed and back to berm and came to a STOP. I pulled the brake😟. We LIVED. Diane and I were ok. We both looked for Rudy he was still in his kennel and was ok. We were so lucky! We sat for a minute or two before checking for damage. And you know not one car, truck or person stopped to see if we needed help.

That was over we were OK. I opened the door. First problem steps didn't work. I jumped down. Diane got Rudy out and we walked down the side of Moho. OMG It was just not the tire! Damage all along the side and under the Moho. Mudflap was trailing behind us fastened only on the driver side, compart door behind the tire was open, several pieces of wire and fiberglass hanging from underneath. Saddened, we crawled back in to start the arduous task of calling insurance people etc. It was now 1:45pm on a Friday afternoon.

I'll just summarize the rest of the day. And as bad as it may sound it was worse!! We had poor phone service, but we 'could' make calls. Started with Progressive. Everything is computerized and we could not open their links. Pushed numbers just took us back to the start. No problem I called our agent, she contacted progressive and we were on a three-way connection. Got disconnected. Called again. Finally got to Progressive claims department and she says we don't want claims we need RSA roadside assistance and transferred us, got disconnected. Now 3pm, Several more attempts Diane made contact! Calls, calls returned calls to no avail. We would have to find our own towing service. Somewhere around 4pm Friday night in the middle of nowhere. We are on our own! Calls, calls, returned calls finally we find someone with a tow truck big enough to handle the Moho and capable of removing the drive shaft for towing. Now almost 6pm.

He shows up just before dark. A good old boy wishing he was home having dinner with the Mrs.'s. He tried and tried he had to remove the exhaust pipe to the generator, block up the Moho to get the lifting arm under it then remove the axle because he couldn't get to the drive shaft.

At 9:00pm we were parked at the truck repair facility. By 10pm we were in hotel having wine. Diane walked next door to Sub-Way got us a sub. It was well after midnight until we went to bed.

More to follow!