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Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:35 pm

We were traveling south on I-5 today in our Motorhome towing our 1972 VW Beetle when a car spun several cars ahead of us. Cars and the semi ahead of us hit the brakes. I hit the brakes and we came to a stop with plenty of room between us and the semi....deep breath. Then WHAM, a gravel truck fully loaded with sand, pulling a trailer fully loaded with sand, slammed into the back of our VW. The good news is that we're fine and that the VW acted as the "crush zone" and absorbed most of the crash. The bad news is that our cute little Bug is squashed dead. We'll be in Sacramento for several days getting appraisals on the VW (no appraisal needed....it is dead, dead, dead) and on the motorhome (no visible damage but there seems to be some sort of electrical problem...no rear lights including brake lights, probably a fuse?).

Mike

Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:40 pm

Sorry that your cherished bug is dead. Good thing that you are fine and really that is all that matters. Items can be replaced people cannot. Good luck and God Bless.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:54 pm

When I clicked on this I had a sad theme song from a movie on and it was so epically smashed and sad! Man that really sucks though, gotta be glad you're alright.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:02 pm

Glad you folks are safe.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:13 pm

man it sucks when a car your attached to gets totalled. but in this case if Barney wasn't there this could have ended much worse. i'm glad your fine an the spirit of Barney will hopefully live on in your next beetle.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:53 pm

Wow, I am almost speechless. Just remember good things happen to good people. The good is you were not in there. I wish you the very best.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:14 pm

That beetle has done it's last good deed, save your life, couldn't have ended in a better way in my book, if it had to end at all that is.

Glad you are safe.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:44 am

tell the truckers insurance that a oval or split window will make the seperation pain go away. glad yall are OK.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:23 am

We also tow our '74 Beetle behind our motorhome as a toad. I can only imagine how you must feel about losing your VW. The important thing is you are safe because it could have been a lot worse. That loaded sand truck and trailer had to weigh alot.

It looks like Barney was a standard Beetle with the torsion bar front suspension and that you had the same towbar I use. Out of curiousity, what caused the front of the Beetle to collapse in the center as if it had hit a pole? Was this the result of the towbar being pushed upwards? Even though the motorhome appears to have no damage, something could be bent or cracked on the chassis around the hitch location.

Good Luck with the insurance claims. I would try to at least salvage your rims.

-------- Jim

Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:31 am

Wow, there isn't a salvagable body panel left on that Beetle! Glad you are OK, now gear up for the fight with the insurance company. Best of luck.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:54 am

Major ouch. Glad you guys are ok! (From the looks of things, really glad you guys weren't in the Bug!)

fastinradford wrote: That beetle has done it's last good deed, save your life, couldn't have ended in a better way in my book, if it had to end at all that is.

I was thinking exactly that same thing.

May I be the first?

That sh*t'll buff out!

Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:44 am

Guess there is more than one way to shorten a bug huh? All joking aside THAT SUX! Good luck with the insurance dealings. Just remember, that was a 2200cc turboed super stocker motor (turbo must have been smashed off ;) in the wreck) and take em for as much as you can. It is going to take a lot to replace it and you shouldnt have to scrimp and save to get one back up to par to the one you had. If its better, well thats not your fault, you were perfectly happy with the one you had.

Hope the truck driver got fined as well. When they are loaded they are required by law to increase their following distances dramatically, which he obviously didnt do. Either that or he has not been maintaining his rig well which would increase his stopping distance beyond loaded standards.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:41 pm

That's a bummer man.....:(

Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:27 pm

Good luck with trucking company insurance.

My wife and I were hit in our PT Cruiser by a semi, squishing the car between it and the guard rail. It broke suspension, glass, doors, bent wheels, and frame damage. The car should have been totaled and hauled away. We fought and fought and fought. They would not total the car. They instead fixed the car spending more than the car was worth. We still have it and are unable to sell it (it's a PT Cruiser that's been in a bad accident) or even trade it in at a dealer.

So you are lucky you aren't carrying payments on the car. Good luck.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:30 pm

Looks like the bug would've done it's job had there been people in it. Driver and passenger may have been hurt, but looks like they would've survived.
Did the engine get pushed under the back seat?

Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:19 pm

Thankfully you are OK
I always worry about my older vehicles and insurance.
My 1963 Ford that is a ground up Restoration is insured by Haggerty for an agreed amount. So that's not a big worry to me. But I wonder what the insurance company would offer me for my 1988 GMC C-3500 that is not a restoration but is a totally rebuilt truck to the tune of about $8,000.00, should it be totaled.
I also tow a 1972 VW behind my MH. Recent front and rear suspension rebuild took over a thousand dollars out of my pocket with parts, Mach. shop work and alignment. Insurance company again would most likely tell me the entire car is not worth that much.
Stinks!

Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:29 pm

That'll buff out.

(Glad you guys are OK)

Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:36 pm

Glad no one was hurt. The car is replaceable!

Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:07 am

The below link will take you to more pics of Barney at the accident scene & the yard he was towed.

http://we2rv.com/72BugPics/BarneyRIP/barneywebpage/BarneyisDeadhtml.html

Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:07 am

How much you want for that oil filler cap? :wink:

-jeffrey