Sad t-all/scout story

["Ryan Moore" <baradium@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I saw Robert Searles yesterday.

He has what used to be a really nice SSII.  Pretty scout running 40's.   His
'70 800 SSR is safe in CO where he's been based recently.  And his travelall
is like his SSII.   Both the SSII and travelall were very clean rigs.  The
travelall is a 1210 4x4.  AZ truck with no rust and used to have no body
damage.  He had just gone through it and put a fresh motor in it and redone
the interior.

He was towing the SSII on a trailer with the travelall heading to CO (since
he's been based up there), so he could do some wheeling (and then just have
his SSR here for driving I imagine) and around kentucky (an hour or two into
the drive) he had a major accident.  He told me when I saw him that two
semis passed him at the same time, apparently just right to suck the trailer
(a tandem axle trailer which itself weighs 2000 lbs) and scout sideways.  He
told me he hit the trailer brakes and locked them up and tried to speed up
but it didn't help.  The trailer came around on him and he ended up rolling
the rig.   The trailer stayed with the travelall for two comeplete rotations
and then seperated and rolled 3 more times, ending with the scout still
attached to the trailer, upside down.  The travelall also ended up upside
down.

I told him that it shows the scout's roll cage good quality.  Supporting
both the full weight of the scout and trailer (he said the scout weighs
6000-7000 lbs and the trailer weighs 2000 lbs) the terra top with internal
caged crushed a total of probobly 2 inches.  Most of it was the top coming
into contact with the cage, with the cage tweaking an inch or so but
holding.  Of course it really did some damge to the top and windshield
frame, the passenger side made out pretty good but the driver's side front
fender is beat up really bad with a lot of road rash (in a couple spots it
slid down the road enough on it's side between rollovers to eat through the
metal).  The driver's rear quarter is pretty beat up too and his toolbox in
the back of the scout is toast.  He's going to get a new top, windshield
frame, hood, and fender and put the scout back together.  The rear quarters
are going to be treated to diamond plate over the fenders now apparently
with the rear bobbed since it's beat up good already.  It won't be able to
be as pretty as it was before, but he'll be able to save it for trail use.

The travelall also faired relatively well.  Considering it does not have a
roll bar, it did excelent, the top didn't even collapse.  His winshield and
rear window glass broke but all other glass is intact.  There is a lot of
damage to the fenders, quarters, doors and top though.  The trailer reciever
was bent of course from the trailer during the accident.  He has no
illusions about the travelall and is looking for a travelall with no motor
and a good body to use with his new drivetrain..

He made it out with just minor injuries (no broken bones), which is the
important part.

-Ryan