Who is liable for paying for this transmission? See details...?

Question

So I went camping this weekend with some friends and we brought up my friends parent's RV. We took it to a lake and drove it down on the beach by the water. My group of friends have taken this trip for many years and knew exactly where to go and what to do. The main issue when we were leaving was how to get the RV off the beach. My friends who have taken this trip before were convinced they could find a route to get it out. The other option was to pay the $80 to have a tractor tow it out. Well the RV got stuck and a nice guy offered to help pull us out. In the process, the RV over heated so we thought. When we got the RV out it turns out the transmission blew. One of the friends feels it's the groups responsibility to split the $2-$3K for the transmission. Others think it is the RV owners. I don't know what to think because I can see both sides.

Other details... The RV only has 20,000 miles on it, but is only in fair condition. Before the trip every member paid $50 for the use of the RV and gas. The three people who have made the trip multiple times before made the decision to not use the tractor to get the RV towed and try it themselves. When the problem with the transmission started it was the owner who was driving.

Answer 1

That's a tough one. Who made the decision not to get the tractor? Who made the decision to take the RV to the beach? Who drove the RV while trying to tow it out? How old is the RV and how many miles? What condition is the RV in, excellent, good, fair, or poor? Well maintained???? In any case, it would be a nice "gesture" to offer to pay for part of the repair. How much would depend on the answer to the questions above and how much you yourself is able to afford. At least donating some money would help maintain your friendship and maybe in the future use of the RV again.

Answer 2

You took an RV to the beach and got it stuck there and had to be towed.

If this were a designated camping spot - as in an approved campground etc. I'd say that the owners should at least fork out half the cost - but this apparently was sand and the RV got stuck.

RV's are pretty tough - but not that tough.

It's the campers responsibility to pay for the transmission. If the RV was aged and rickety, then the owners should pony up too. But the campers should pay for the bulk of it - for their bad judgment in parking an RV on the beach.

Oh. and if you EVER even THINK about borrowing their RV again, I'd pony up pronto.

Answer 3

Group outing, you're in it together - like it or not. Apparently all agreed to the method that was actually used to move the RV. That method, (you've stated "In the process") didn't work as well as desired. Ooops.

Chip in together and have another trip some time soon. You can all replace the transmission but you all can't replace a group of good friends. Trust me, you'll look back on it in the future and laugh about it - with those dear old friends.

Answer 4

Circumstances are irrelevant in this issue.
you borrowed someone's RV.
you are responsible for what happens while it is in your possession, period.
You should go to the owner and explain what happened with the ending sentence, "since we borrowed it and this happened while in our possession, we are prepared to split the cost between everyone present."
Then the owner can either say, "thank you" or "I'll chip in for it as well."
Best case scenario is the owner would say that he felt this was going to happen. But honestly, I would not lend out an RV that is on it's last leg, and if I did, I would definitely have said "you seriously need to be careful with it."
Transmissions don't just go with out some kind of warning sign first.
But you should be prepared to pay for the entire amount.
To ease the pain of this, look at it from the owner's standpoint.
What if you loaned your RV out to someone, and they brought it back with a wrecker saying, "sorry old man, your tranny's gone, but thanks for the loan." and just left?
Would you think that was fair, or would you expect the borrowers to at least offer to pay for it?

EDIT:
Ok, if it was the actual owner that was driving, then I would say it is their responsibility. You could offer up an "Is there anything we can do to help you" but be prepared for that to be a financial obligation.
If it was the child of the owner driving, then it is completely between the driver and the parent. But again, be prepared for that person to come to you with "Here's how my parents want this handled."
Respect the owner, but you should not automatically take the financial responsibility if he or his child was driving.

Answer 5

It all depends. Did the transmission blow because of what happened, or would it have happened anyway? (I don't know much about cars). If it happened as a direct result of what happened on the trip, then the group of friends should split the cost equally. If not, it's really up to the owners, but personally I think the right thing to do morally would be for everyone to contribute something towards the cost. After all, they were kind enough to lend it for the group to use, and it's just the done thing to return somebody's property in the same or better conditon as when you borrowed it.

Answer 6

The person who borrowed the RV from parents is responsible for returning it in the same condition as it was before using it. That is the bottom line.

If the group feels they ought to contribute, then I suggest they discuss and decide.

Answer 7

You should split the bill as you were all out on this venture with a borrowed r.v.. It shouldn't be up to the owners if they were not part of the excursion. It's like having someone borrow your car and bring it back with 4 flat tires. When you borrow something it should be returned in the condition in which you took it.