Stone Chips in Windscreen from Passing Vehicles

gypsynolmate · Senior Member

Stone Chips in Windscreen from Passing Vehicles

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

cry understand your angst. In 2011, when travelling on the 'lesser' roads of inland QLD, I got five big star chips in my windscreen in the space of 6 weeks.

Each one of them was caused by a local farmer's Toyota ute, determined to keep their left wheels in the gravel and NOT SLOW DOWN ... even though I was STOPPED OFF THE BITUMEN leaving ALL the bitumen for them.

In addition to the stone chips (each fixed under insurance) I had two windscreens replaced due to cracks - not related to those stone chips.

Thankfully both screen replacements were covered by insurance at no cost to me - no excess or effect on premium/rating.

The windscreen repairers in the towns that fixed my chips could not understand my disappointment with the way local farmers drive despite my 'courtesy' hmm

Cheers - John

Santa · Guru

Have scored a few stone chips in the past 12 months, rang Ken Tame (CMCA) insurer about repairing them, they refused, will only replace a broken screen! needless to say I'm not impressed.

Windscreen damage is simply a fact of life when we travel our wide brown land, not much can be done about it.

gypsynolmate · Senior Member

I agree Santa, as a matter of fact we are with Ken Tame also. You are correct it is a fact of life when living on the road.
John we too had moved off the road completely and stopped.

yogi · Veteran Member

dont it make you mad wen both cars are off the black, ? crazzy

Mark · Senior Member

Santa wrote:
Have scored a few stone chips in the past 12 months, rang Ken Tame (CMCA) insurer about repairing them, they refused, will only replace a broken screen! needless to say I'm not impressed.
Windscreen damage is simply a fact of life when we travel our wide brown land, not much can be done about it.

Had the same response with another insurer, needless to say my windscreen met with a sudden accident, ball end hammer does the trick, hey presto new windscreen!!

woolman · Guru

I went a bought a windscreen repair kit. I have done 3 repairs now (better than ones I paid experts for) Was a bit dubious about value but they seem to work well. Patience is the thing that is required, a problem fopr me. A hair dryer added a bit of warmth to the windscreen was a big help.

Neil

justcruisin01 · Guru

Thats why we have glass cover, free replacement.

JC

Legendts · Senior Member

Mark wrote:
Santa wrote:
Have scored a few stone chips in the past 12 months, rang Ken Tame (CMCA) insurer about repairing them, they refused, will only replace a broken screen! needless to say I'm not impressed.
Windscreen damage is simply a fact of life when we travel our wide brown land, not much can be done about it.
Had the same response with another insurer, needless to say my windscreen met with a sudden accident, ball end hammer does the trick, hey presto new windscreen!!

Do like your thinking Mark.

I believe windscreens don't seem to have the resistance to chipping the older screens had either.

copper1 · Guru

Yep windscreen replacement with the insurer is the way to go, we have had our new landcruiser for two months drove it all the way from Dubbo to the South Coast no dramas!! go shopping into town and a ute pulls out in front of us spilling stones all over the roadway off the back (uncovered load) and yes you guessed it right into my windscreen CRACCCCK furious furious gee if I was still in the job an insecure load ticket would have been written out real quick.

Just glad I was not in my real baby the old glass in her would have gone

Mark · Senior Member

Legendts wrote:
Mark wrote:
Santa wrote:

Do like your thinking Mark.
I believe windscreens don't seem to have the resistance to chipping the older screens had either.

Since they changed from toughened to laminated screen in the automotive world, and I agree on the reasons why they did, yes, screens do chip easier.
JC, I too have full windscreen cover, but the small print say's "reserve the right to repair/replace" hence the hammer!!

LOL........
I remember when they said to Mrs P on the phone "oh well if it's just a chip we'll repair".............. Hang on a moment I said, & Mrs P said "Oh No here we go!!" she replied.........
I came back in and said "Tell them I made a mistake, it's smashed"!! LOL...........................

Next morning a new screen was installed.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Luckily RACV has a "Glass option" on their comprehensive policy - it covers ALL the glass on the vehicle for chips and breakage - Windscreen, side windows, rear windows and mirrors.

Premium is extra $62/year - each chip I had fixed in 2011 - five of them @ $55 to $75 each - reimbursed. Two windscreens @ $450 each - reimbursed - all in the same year.

No excess (because it not the driver's fault if windscreen is broken/chipped they told me) and no impact on my rating. Therefore no increase in premium.

Perhaps a careful examination of available insurance policies may yield a better situation for travellers.

Cheers - John

Cupie · Guru

I too love the old Holden FE?. Was proud of the one that I had many years ago. Baby ****e Brown (same color as all those buildings on Rottnest Island) with cream roof. Was not in good condition though but a big improvement on my first car, a 1928 rag top Oakland. Holden was infected with rust in the front doors & just behind the headlights. Full of bog. Gave it to the father in law. He enjoyed it for years. I once took it down the Darling on the north side track from Louth to Willcannia. Had to use chains in the mud for the last 50km or so.

Re Windscreens ... My most unexpected was in a creek bed detour just on the west side of Camooweal. I stopped by the track side to let a B Double pass. You guessed it, as he accelerated to pull out of the dip he threw fist sized rocks onto my windscreen leaving several BIG chips. Replaced the windscreen a couple of years later when it cracked right across the glass as a result of dropping a bit of timber stored on the rafters of the Patrol's garage. Unfortunately no free glass for me.

On narrow single lane roads I always put on the LHS blinker & get all wheels right off the road as soon as I see anything coming the other way. Choosing a spot where sharp shoulder edges present no risk to the tyres of course. Show right down or stop as the other vehicle passes. Usually works & the other guy has the whole bitumen surface. If I have time & it's safe to do so I give a quick call on UHF 40 offering them the road.

In the days before laminated windscreens, the popular wisdom was to place your hand of fist on the windscreen when you thought that you were in danger from stones. Always did it but have no idea weather it was effective.

I recall smashing a windscreen on the drivers side of my old Vanguard (might have had a split screen on that model - the one with the gearshift on the wrong side (LHS?) of the steering column) when I was doing a solo shooting trip. Happened just near the Jandowie turn off from the old Condamine road. On the positive side though it made it easier to shoot roos & pigs through the windscreen for the rest of the trip. Drove along with the rifle on my lap & the barrel out of the windscreen space. A bit blowy though with lots of bugs coming in.

-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 16th of September 2013 09:58:28 AM

-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 16th of September 2013 10:03:05 AM

GaryKelly · Guru

Love your old Holden, Copper. A mate had one when I was a teen but he couldn't afford petrol, so a group of us sat in it parked outside his house on Saturdays and that was our "day out". It was two tone, green and black, with matching green and black upholstery. Pretty smart looking chariot.

copper1 · Guru

GaryKelly wrote:
Love your old Holden, Copper. A mate had one when I was a teen but he couldn't afford petrol, so a group of us sat in it parked outside his house on Saturdays and that was our "day out". It was two tone, green and black, with matching green and black upholstery. Pretty smart looking chariot.

Yeh Gary it's a beauty heading off on the 20th for a few days over to Cootamundra, Temora etc I have had a few cars in the past 65 XP Falcon, 76 Torana's 4/44 Wolsley, 65Vauhall Victor and recently sold my 56 FJ and 49 Prefect, the Prefect well that was a piece of work 45/50mph depending on the incline wink

Sheba · Guru

I posted this some time ago, in the Hints and Tips thread. Remember though, it would not do for large Stone-chips.


I always have some of this handy. It works, and is the same as the repairer I called used, the first time I had the problem. If I remember rightly, he charged me $70.00. At $19.90 a tube, it's a lot cheaper than getting some-one else to do it. Glass and Windshield Fix, from Magnamail Mail Order. Cheers, Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Sunday 15th of September 2013 08:33:05 PM

johnq · Guru

I bought some that has 'Ufixit' on the label of the compound. It was from a show. Didn't work well for me.

Santa · Guru

Mark wrote:
Santa wrote:

Had the same response with another insurer, needless to say my windscreen met with a sudden accident, ball end hammer does the trick, hey presto new windscreen!!

Must admit have contemplated a similar course of action, it's a bit sad when you have to resort to this sort of thing.

You can be defected for a chipped screen, the insurance company should be compelled to replace it.

Mark · Senior Member

Santa wrote:
Mark wrote:
Santa wrote:

Had the same response with another insurer, needless to say my windscreen met with a sudden accident, ball end hammer does the trick, hey presto new windscreen!!

Must admit have contemplated a similar course of action, it's a bit sad when you have to resort to this sort of thing.
You can be defected for a chipped screen, the insurance company should be compelled to replace it.

It is, but, if your gonna be buggered about for what you have paid for, my opinion is, meet fire with fire!! I'm afraid I don't tolerate bureaucracy very well. biggrin biggrin