A Tree Grows In..... July 19., 2014

Well, we all know that a tree grows in Brooklyn, but, guess what??  A tree also grows in Charleston, SC!

Here's the scoop......  I left The Magnolia Plantation yesterday...full of photo glee from the rewards of all of the photogenic waterfowl.  Got to my next destination point (in an upcoming post) in North Charleston....pulled in with anticipation of a very interesting afternoon and....

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Well, that's what it sounded like!  A very low hanging tree branch is scraping the edge of the RV where the roof meets the side.  Nothing much I could do but keep going.  Wasn't possible to back up without perhaps doing even more damage.  Hmmmmmm.....not good!

I jump out...check the damage....all the while saying "bad words"!   Hmmmmmmm....not good!  Climb up the ladder to look closer, eventho' I didn't really want to know what I was going to find. Hmmmmmmmm....not good!

I drive gingerly out of that area and call Geico.  Get a really swell RV specialist on the phone who will be my one contact from beginning to end.  Good way to do business!  Well, of course, he's heard every RV wild damage story in the book!  Mine wasn't so wild, thank goodness.  Actually, pretty common. Anyway, he takes down all the info and starts researching RV repair shops around Charleston for me.  I call a few of them, but either no answer or some such situation.  Finally, I get a friendly answer at the last place on the list and I could tell right away they knew what they were doing when it comes to RV repair.  Great!  

I drive up to Protech, Inc. in North Charleston and get everything assessed.  Bad news.  The ENTIRE roof has to be replaced....not really possible to just do a "patch" job.  Well, I had known I'd need a new roof at some point anyway (which I probably would never have done as it would cost almost as much as I paid for the RV), so.......I call my insurance guy and, luckily, he didn't seemed surprised.  Then he said, "You know, your policy covers a hotel while everything is being repaired."  Great!  It apparently doesn't cover a rental car, but he said he would make an exception if I could keep the total hotel+car within the $1000 allowance. Great! I can do that!  (Just barely, tho' - hotels are e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e here!)

Here's the deal.  I'm boondocking in Protech's back lot til Monday....with electric and water! Yay! I'll pick up the car on Monday, go back to my original destination where the tree attacked me (I'm not holding a grudge!) and then on to the Hilton Garden Inn on the waterfront of the Ashley River til Friday...only about 1.5 miles from downtown where all the cool Charleston sites are.  All works out! And all for the cost of my deductible.  Instant, unplanned vaca in Charleston!  

I'm being a bit glib....it was all my fault for being an inexperienced RV driver....so I learned a big lesson!  If a tree grows...in any city...and looks unfriendly, stay away from it!  

So.......next week it looks like I'll be giving tours and highlights of Charleston for those of you who have never visited!