I wrecked our escaPod

We were on the way to our older daughter's home near Salt Lake City. Looking at the forecasts, I thought there were no storms in store for the time we would be on the road, so we set out across I40 and linked up to I80. We made it across Nebraska and then the wind really started blowing. It was gusting up to 60 mph. So far, so good. Then the weather shifted and the temperature dropped from about 39F to 18F within 15 minutes. The wind had shifted to the opposite direction gusting up to 40 mph. Snow was coming down and blowing so as to cut visibility. Our travel slowed so much that we ended up stopping in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

This morning, things looked much better, so we took off and were on the road doing pretty well. However, as we went further west, ice started to show up. The wind also picked up and was (I found out afterward) gusting to 40 mph again. Within a very short distance, we went from dry pavement to ice. We lost traction and started to fishtail. I tried correcting, but it was useless. We ended up with the car and trailer facing the direction from which we came. The trailer had swung around so that the front-left of the trailer hit the rear-left of our Escape. The trailer's back-right corner hit the guardrail on a bridge.

The car's sheet metal was pushed in and touching the tire, so the car can't be driven. The trailer's back-right corner has a hole in it and the taillight was broken. The side-marker light on that corner was also broken. The front-left was damaged a little from where it hit the car, but that appears to be minor. It would take a good inspection by someone familiar with trailers to tell for sure.

The car and trailer were towed to Green River, Wyoming and here we sit. There was no insurance adjuster available today (Saturday). We are on hold until Monday. I got some Gorilla tape and taped up the broken window in the car and taped up the hole in the R-Pod. We are camped out at in the towing lot until Monday.

In hindsight, we should have gone out via I10 and up through Las Vegas on I15. However, we tried to take the most direct route to Salt Lake City. I should have known better than to trust the weather forecast.

Glad you are safe and what could have been isn't. The TV and TT can be repaired or replaced.

People are safe? All that matters. The rest will get fixed or replaced. Try to have a good weekend, go see a movie or something.. 

I will admit, we pretty much avoid the northern plains this time of year. Having to travel from here to Northern California to see my parents, and having the need to stop in central Kansas to see hers, we have made that drive a "few times"..

The main thing we will need quickly is a way to get our R-Pod to Camping World in Salt Lake. The car will take some time to repair. The tow operator said it would probably be three weeks or more. The R-Pod can probably be patched up enough temporarily to get it home, provided we can get the TV fixed or replaced.

I have a dash cam, and have the video of the incident. If the 'Pod's rear end had not hit the guardrail, we might have slid straight enough to recover. I think it was that hit that kicked us around the other way and caused the jack knife that did the damage to the Escape.

Right Rear corner:


Left Front Corner:


Escape:


The lift-gate is also pushed over and out of position. I think the Equal-i-zer hitch kept it from continuing to swing around and cause more damage based on the damage to the bumper at the lower-right of the picture. In that respect, I am glad I got the Equal-i-zer hitch instead of the Andersen, which I don't think would have limited the swing in the same way.

It was the rear mounted cargo tray..