Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
A story about a broken Rover isn't exactly story worthy, but this is a doozie.
July 26th I took my Rover to the Overland Journal shop so Jeremy could assist me with the install of a second hand ARB bumper compliments of OJ and Mr. McVickers (much thanks). The install went great. The next day, my ABS, DHC, TC lights come on. Bummer. I took the old girl to my favorite and very reliable mechanic. The fix looked simple enough. "We'll have you on the road in three days" the mechanic said. Good news since we really wanted to head to Colorado for the weekend.
Turns out to be a bum ABS unit. BIG BUMMER. I was expecting a $3000 quote, but Mr. Mechanic said he knew a great place that could rebuild the unit for $1000. Then the bad news started rolling in. First the unit was shipped ground not air. That postponed our vacation a week. Then the company rebuilding the unit miscommunicated with my mechanic about the quote so the unit sat on some bench for a week. Three weeks later and three adjustments to our vacation schedule the part FINALLY arrived.
At noon I get a call, "We'll have it done at 2 o'clock so you can hit the road the next day for your vacation."
Two o'clock came and went. At 4:00 the call came. "Mr. Flounder, I have bad news. We test drove your Rover after the repair and we must have not bled the lines correctly.....<loooong pause with some weaping from Mrs. Mechanic>.....the brakes failed and we drove your Rover through a garage door, into another Rover and <another long pause> into a BMW 750."
That sounds like that should have been the worst of it. Nope. Then the insurance company took a week to discuss the damages. Then the body shop delayed the $6000 repair while they waited to exchange the D1 ARB bumper they bought instead of the correct D2 ARB bumper. The crash ruined my Thule roof rack but they replaced it - erroneously by placing the bars over the rear sunroof which blew that out causing them to pull the entire headliner.
It's closing in on week 7 and last I heard it would be another 3 weeks.
The good news? The brakes failed at the shop and not halfway down Ophir Pass in the San Juans.
July 26th I took my Rover to the Overland Journal shop so Jeremy could assist me with the install of a second hand ARB bumper compliments of OJ and Mr. McVickers (much thanks). The install went great. The next day, my ABS, DHC, TC lights come on. Bummer. I took the old girl to my favorite and very reliable mechanic. The fix looked simple enough. "We'll have you on the road in three days" the mechanic said. Good news since we really wanted to head to Colorado for the weekend.
Turns out to be a bum ABS unit. BIG BUMMER. I was expecting a $3000 quote, but Mr. Mechanic said he knew a great place that could rebuild the unit for $1000. Then the bad news started rolling in. First the unit was shipped ground not air. That postponed our vacation a week. Then the company rebuilding the unit miscommunicated with my mechanic about the quote so the unit sat on some bench for a week. Three weeks later and three adjustments to our vacation schedule the part FINALLY arrived.
At noon I get a call, "We'll have it done at 2 o'clock so you can hit the road the next day for your vacation."
Two o'clock came and went. At 4:00 the call came. "Mr. Flounder, I have bad news. We test drove your Rover after the repair and we must have not bled the lines correctly.....<loooong pause with some weaping from Mrs. Mechanic>.....the brakes failed and we drove your Rover through a garage door, into another Rover and <another long pause> into a BMW 750."
That sounds like that should have been the worst of it. Nope. Then the insurance company took a week to discuss the damages. Then the body shop delayed the $6000 repair while they waited to exchange the D1 ARB bumper they bought instead of the correct D2 ARB bumper. The crash ruined my Thule roof rack but they replaced it - erroneously by placing the bars over the rear sunroof which blew that out causing them to pull the entire headliner.
It's closing in on week 7 and last I heard it would be another 3 weeks.
The good news? The brakes failed at the shop and not halfway down Ophir Pass in the San Juans.
