#27 Repair RV and leave Topeka, KS

While driving through Zion National Park in Utah, a very narrow bridge jumped out and tried to block the RV from making the turn!! The RV pushed back at the bridge, but the bridge won. Poor RV had two smashed bay doors and multiple scratches and dents. It was a good thing we didn't need to get into the propane tank--the door was smashed shut. The other doors would open, but they looked so sad. Frank made many phone calls to insurance company and Holiday Rambler Parts and Service. While in Moab, Utah, we had an insurance adjuster come out and take pictures of the damage. They were forwarded on to our insurance carrier. Then we moved! Thank goodness for internet and cell phones. We were able to get our claim taken care of, filled out all the forms and located a shop in Topeka, KS where we would meet up with the new bay doors and have the body work done. This is just some of the damage. This is the worst door, and the only one we couldn't open. Behind this door is the propane tank. Good thing it's summer, and we don't use it for heat.

We are in Topeka, KS at Yingling Auto Body. They put our coach and us inside a wonderful, big, airy shop to work on the doors. There wasn't any damage to any of the living area, so the owner of the shop told us we could stay in the RV while we were there. He gave us a key to the door, the security code to the building and hooked us up to 50 amps of power. We are both so impressed with this shop and with the people who took care of us. The picture above is the final sanding of the finish after the doors were installed and painted. This was our home base for five days. While the guys worked on the doors we would take off and do our sight seeing and chores. You know, grocery shopping, laundry and oh yes, we even made a stop at a local veterinerian to have Gidget checked. Almost the entire time we were in Topeka we had rain, or clouds. The first night it even hailed. The last day we were in the shop, it really rained steady all day. The weather report had it raining all weekend, so we found a campground in Topeka and spent the weekend hunkered down awaiting good weather. We went to church at the Presbyterian church with the Tiffany windows. Very nice service and we enjoyed talking to a couple who invited us to coffee and cookies after services.
All fixed!! Yea, the RV is pretty and straight again. They did an excellent job and we'd recommend this shop to anyone, for any kind of body shop repair!
We are on the road. We stayed at a KOA kamp on our way to the Rally at the Rock in North Little Rock, AR. This will be an interesting rally, with lots of new people to meet.

We had to purchase fuel again. The price is going down. We paid $3.92.9 at a Phillips 66 station in Mountianburg, AR. Nice to have it down under $4.00 per gallon.