Hit a goose with the bus today - Added picture to thread

belfert · April 18, 2009, 04:48:25 PM

I took my bus out for a little spin today. When I was about 5 miles from home I hit a goose on a ramp between two interstates. Three geese were sitting on the side of the ramp and flew up just as I was passing.

The passenger side windshield is completely cratered. Luckily the windshield appears to have hit the dash were it extends above the windshield or the goose may have gone through. I'm really glad it wasn't the driver's windshield. No other damage. The goose even just barely missed the wiper arm.

I need to contact C&J Bus Repair to see if they will replace the windshield. They replaced both of them due to delamination issues about two years ago, but they had a hard time due to the size of the windshields and said they wouldn't do it again. I suppose my other option is ABC Bus, but I have never been there before.

Singing Land Cruiser · April 18, 2009, 05:00:47 PM

hey Brian, at least you didn't have to land in the Hudson River!

Stay Safe. M&C

jackhartjr · April 18, 2009, 05:03:15 PM

Our trucks have hit a Goose, several deer, a turkey and a wild Boar, all in FL lately. The boar cleans your bumper clean off!
Glad it wasn't the drivers windshield buddy.
Jack

superpickle · April 18, 2009, 05:53:23 PM

You Could have been on a roller coaster and hit it with your nose

zubzub · April 18, 2009, 07:36:49 PM

Seems the tales are being told these days....driving a schoolie full of gear down a hill in the middle of the night all of a sudden there was a bear in my lane, running away from me. Well the bus wasn't going to slow down much so I changed lanes to get by. As I was passing I guess the bear decided to attack/change lanes and he rammed the corner just forward of the entry door. Hit hard enough to wake most of the folk on board. Funniest thing is whenever I mention this story people ask me if the bear was all right, and I have to politely tell them that no I did not stop the bus in the dead of night to see how injured the possibly very angry bear was. Didn't really hurt the bus though.

WEC4104 · April 18, 2009, 07:57:37 PM

When I had my 4104 up in Maine a few years ago, I took note of the number of Moose crossing signs I saw. While I know that a collision with a Moose would do some serious damage, and I was being cautious, I do remember thinking that I'd rather take my survival chances hitting a moose in my 4104 rather than any of the passenger cars I own.

belfert · April 19, 2009, 07:27:36 AM

Do I have to worry about the windshield popping out when I take the bus for repair? The windshield is pushed in far enough along the bottom edge that the rubber seal has come up off the edge of the opening.

I came close to hitting a cow at night about two years ago in open range country. I saw the cow just in time to swerve into the other lane. Luckily it was a lightly traveled highway in the middle of nowhere so no oncoming traffic.

gumpy · April 19, 2009, 11:02:44 AM

Quote from: belfert on April 19, 2009, 07:27:36 AM
Do I have to worry about the windshield popping out when I take the bus for repair? The windshield is pushed in far enough along the bottom edge that the rubber seal has come up off the edge of the opening.

Not if you drive slow enough. At 65 mph, I'd say yes.

I nearly hit a couple moose in Canada a few years ago on the AK trip. This one cow was headed right up onto the road, and I was pretty sure I was going to get here, but she turned back at the last instant. My Mother-in-law was riding shotgun and could see the whites of that moose's eyes. She got a bit nervous

And, of course, I hit a couple deer one night in NE. I didn't feel a thing, and I suspect the one deer didn't either. Sure did a number on my headlights, though.

prevost82 · April 19, 2009, 12:19:07 PM

I had a raven fly into my salon door window and crazed it ... made one hell of a noise when it hit.

JackConrad · April 19, 2009, 12:23:47 PM

We had a quail hit the post at the corner of the windshield, driver's side, on our van years ago. We were driving with the windows open and although the bird did come in, I think most of his feathers did.
My brother had a pheasant fly up in front of him on his motorcycle. it hit his chest and almost knocked him off his bike. Jack

gumpy · April 19, 2009, 04:37:59 PM

Quote from: JackConrad on April 19, 2009, 12:23:47 PM
We had a quail hit the post at the corner of the windshield, driver's side, on our van years ago. We were driving with the windows open and although the bird did come in, I think most of his feathers did.
My brother had a pheasant fly up in front of him on his motorcycle. it hit his chest and almost knocked him off his bike. Jack

I watched a pheasant remove the mirror off a Ford 3/4 ton pickup in SD one day. It flew up from the bar ditch just as the truck passed, and hit the mirror. It ripped the mirror completely off the door.

When we came back from WY a couple weeks ago, I remembered that scene every time I'd see a pheasant in the bar ditch, and there were hundreds of them along the interstate. At one point, one came into my path, flying in the same direction I was traveling, but on a collision course with my windshield. His wings were set, and I could tell he was planning on landing in the center median. My TCAS went off and I had to brake slightly and let him have the airspace to avoid a mid air/highway collision.

Dreamscape · April 19, 2009, 05:20:41 PM

The PO I bought our Eagle from hit a deer, that's why the SS on the front is bent up! Haven't met up with a cow yet, that's pretty unreal around here in West Texas, lots of cattle breaking through fences! My brother in law is always getting calls about cattle on the FM's around the ranch he is in charge of. That's why I stay away from visiting him!

That would be some major damage.

Hope you are able to get you glass replaced and if you are driving far I'd remove it. I drove our Eagle without front windshields for 10 miles very slow, just don't open your mouth!

~Paul~

belfert · April 19, 2009, 05:40:04 PM

I'll be able to get the glass replaced unless MCI stopped carrying the windshields. It just might be a matter of who does the work. I don't know if JD at C&J Bus Repair was really serious about not wanting to replace my windshields again. He did say the customer would pay for any broken windshields during installation the next time. (They didn't break any the first time, but they have broken large windshields in the past.)

I can travel on side roads to get over to C&J. It will just take three or four times longer to get there.

belfert · April 19, 2009, 05:48:17 PM

Here is a picture of the damage.

I changed the picture as I resized it way too small the first time.

niles500 · April 19, 2009, 05:51:38 PM

Brian - I think Sean has a way for you to fill that