Score: House 1 -- Bus 0

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

OK, some of you guys warned me a few weeks ago when I posted my new house pics  ... that it's an awefully tight squeeze where we park the bus at the new place.

Well... when I took the bus out to make its debut "Parking Brake Pull" video on Sunday, and started turning a bit too soon to miss the elecrical box at the curb. Crunch! I hit the side of the roof overhang at a bout mid-bus. I should have backed up at that moment, but thought for sure I'd clear it with just a bit less wheel turn. No such luck. I just drug the gutter all along the side of my shiny new(ish) coach.

The house suffered a bit of gutter damage and lost some fascia paint, but I still think the house won. I can fix it in a few hours. The bus damage is a bit more than that, I'm afraid. The missing paint should be pretty easy to touch up, but the gouge of the skin has oil canned it pretty bad. Nice rub at the back cap, too. I was lucky that the back window didn't crack, because it's got a faint line on it now, too.

Ugh!

Brian

[Barn Owl]

Ouch! Those are the things I dread. I know it's only a matter of time and I will have made my mark on mine. I have already had a few close calls. The more I'm around my bus the more dents and dings I find. I drive myself crazy wondering if I did any of them.  I can feel your pain.

[roadrunnertex]

I know how you feel.
I caught a pipe fence with the 3rd baggage bin door rub rail with my Buffalo about 2 years ago some time things just happen.
Just be careful in those close places.
jlv

[JackConrad]

I know how you feel.  I clipped the rear corner of our house roof with our bus putting a small dent in the bus. Sometimes I think I should intentionally put a scratch or small dent in any new vehicle we get and get it over with LOL.  Jack

[Ace]

Ah fagedaboutit! Ya'll haven't done anything compared to what I did with my H3. Yea I know it's always a bad situation when you rub up on something like that but DON'T do what I did and that was to rub against another bus while parking at a bus rally no less! Yep that happened alright and I got real lucky with just a little  damage to the other bus. Mine only suffered a scratch on the side window which came from the other bus's awning in which he fixed on the spot. It pulled a couple of rivets out. He climbed a ladder and popped them back in place  in a short time and no harm done, OTHER than my pride. I had to park behind him the whole week. Well in the end, we became friends so not all was lost BUT my pride!

Hey maybe that's why rallies always seem to park me in the fields away from everyone! UH, HUH...

Ace

[FloridaCliff]

Brian,

Aggggghhhhh!   I also have a tight squeese by my shop and a very large Oak tree.

Well, it could have been worse.


Ace,

I heard about that awning incident, always wondered who could do such a thing

If you come by we will have VALET parking

Cliff

[Happycampersrus]

Brian,

Man I hate that for you. I hope I never have a boo boo like that, but it will probably happen.

Anyway I have a suggestion. When I used to tow aircraft in the military we had wing walkers with whistles. So I would buy some whistles and get the family out there to spot for you if any signs of trouble tell them to blow that whistle.

Dale

[Dallas]

Let's just wait until Nick Badame scrapes up his new paint job and see what HE has to say!

That may not be printable on our family style board!

[Casper4104]

I guess monbacks ain't just for backing.

Casper

[TomC]

I know of one bus I saw that not only had a backup camera, but had one on the right side for blind maneurvers.  Maybe a right side camera would be advantageous... Good Luck, TomC

[Busted Knuckle]

I guess monbacks ain't just for backing.
Casper

Oh Casper,
I always laff when I read yer posts! I hadn't heard the term "monback" since I got out of trucking 6 yers ago or more! LOL!

Hey Brian,
I know the damage is done , but hey it's not that bad ! Both the house and the bus are repairable, and from what I see in the pictures the biggest damage done is to yer pride ! Hey fix the house, fix the bus, the pride will fix it self ! And keep those pics posted on the bus as a reminder and it won't happen again!

I have a friend/competitor nearby that has some very nice high $ coaches who swear's all his drivers are bumper car drivers ! One was in a mall parking lot late at night turning around, and backed over the only car in the parking lot! (his excuse was my windows and mirrors were fogged up!)  Duh if it's an empty parking lot, why back up at all ?!?!?!?! Another was laid over for a week in FL while the group was on a cruise and took the bus to the golf course, met a pick up truck on the narrow rd going into the golf course and took out the whole side of an H3-45 with a light pole getting out of the pick ups way ( "because the pick up wouldn't get over" he says!)  Ahh the bus is bigger than the pick up!!! Why not just stop and make the pick up gop around the bus ?!?!?!?!  An my favorite one of all is the driver brings the bus in parks it when no-one is around and leaves ! The cleaning crew comes in and goes to wash it and there's a bad scrape 25' long and the window in the center of the damage is shattered (4 others have a deep scratch in 'em), when questioned about it the driver says are you sure I did that ? I never heard anything !!! (by the way it's the same driver who backed over the only car in the parking lot! LOL!)

So Brian it could be worse, but I'm positive that since you own yer bus you'll be sure this is the last time it happens ! Look at my poor (not $wise) buddy who has bumper car drivers running around destroying $200,000.00 coaches ! And then topping it off with 8-9 nine year old mentality responses! And let me apologize now to any 8 or 9 yr olds who might be offended by this as it is not directed at them or meant to say that they are as dumb as these drivers act, it's just the age level where you'd expect and forgive stupid answers like those mentioned above in my own honest opinion! BK 

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

Thanks, guys. I feel better already.

My wife gets home on Thursday from a trip. Her first question will be, "now, explain to me agian WHY were you moving the bus in the first place?"

I guess I've been persuasive before...
"So explain to me again WHY you think an old bus would make a good RV?" 
"So WHY is a Jake Brake so important?"
"Tires cost HOW much?"
"It takes HOW many GALLONS of oil?"
"Are we REALLY only going 20mph up this hill?"

You guys are the best!
bb

[Paso One]

Sorry Brian for your Pain. I feel for you buddy.  I have a solution for the future>  I grew up in the days cars had curb feelers. If you install a curb feeler on the edge of your gutter it won't be noticed by anyone. But as you get close to the house the curb Feeler touches the side and it sounds like your tearing the roof off your bus but your only really touching the curb feeler.   Or for the High Tech guy I know you are you can put a sail switch attached to a electric horn so when the sail touches, the horn blows.  Now for anybody that has never heard of a curb feelers think the 50"s car options.

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

If you install a curb feeler on the edge of your gutter it won't be noticed by anyone. But as you get close to the house the curb Feeler touches the side and it sounds like your tearing the roof off your bus but your only really touching the curb feeler.

Paul, I like the way you think. That's an outstanding idea! JC Whitney, here I come...

Thanks, buddy,
Brian

[RJ]

Brian -

Quick solution to the dent on the bus:  Get creative with some spray paint and do some wavy lines that match the contour of the scratch between the windows.  Everybody else has wavy lines, why not you?  Plus, it will help hide the dent/scratch temporarily until you can get it repaired correctly.   

Maybe the same thing at the back, too.  Just be sure to match the other side!

Oh, and btw. . . remember that little commentary over on the BNO board a couple of weeks ago about when driving a bus you're controlling where the REAR axle goes?  Time to go searching for it and re-read, eh?   

FWIW. . .