Bought tire covers and put them on... no biggie... I noticed though that on the slideout track underneath that passes over the tire covers... The cover was getting grease from the wind blowing it up against the track.. SSSOOOOO thinking I'd be smart and place a rag on top of the cover to keep it clean and free from grease. Went to mow the lawn, closed up the sliders and on the main slider with the couch and table it started closing oddly.. When fully in it was ajar on the end near the door... so reopened the slides and I noticed it was not opened fully on same end..... Then it HIT ME... CHIT.... went out and looked and YUP the rag got caught up in the gear and track causing it to jam up some on that side.... UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGG!!!! Well upon further inspection at the mess and wondering HOW to get this fixed BEFORE Cheri gets home... I see that the 1"x1" square tubing that conects the 2 gears...... (Well let's just say on the end near the door)..... was twisted and split.... UUUUUUUUUUGGG!!!!!! Now I'm racing thinking how the heck am I going to really fix this added problem before she gets home...... Got it apart and see that it is actually 2 pieces of tubing... 1 slides into the other... Started looking on line and making calls to try and find a replacement piece and GUESS who walks in the door.... UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGG!!!!!!..... Well the Dr. said I might be seeing out of 1 eye in afew days and the other 1 will take alittle longer to open from the swelling, and I have a apooinment with the dentist on Tues. for upper replacement.... no j/k To my surprise she took it rather well.... have a place looking into getting the tube on Monday... Moral of the story.. A 2 cent rag and a little grease spots is yet to be determined in $$$$$$ UUUUUUUGGGGGGGGG....
Terry and Jo said
03:04 PM May 5, 2013
Chris,
Heh....
....with regards to the quote in your signature area, I'd say that was very true at this time.
We all live and learn with these things. Sometimes they are expensive fixes and sometimes it is more damage to the ego than to the RV. When we first got our Mobile Suites, and had been putting things away in a cabinet over a peninsula counter curve, Jo had to use a two step step stool to get things in where she wanted them.
Yep....you guessed it. The first time I went to pull in the kitchen slide, it caught the step stool against the kitchen counter and we heard a loud noise. But all was well. The dealership did a good job of re-anchoring the cabinet. Now, when we prepare to pull in slides, each of us goes through the coach separately to verify nothing will get caught.
All that said, keep in mind that your "lessons" may not be over, but most anything can be fixed, but it is harder to fix the human body.
Hang in there. We live and learn and add more things to our check list for preparing for travel.
Terry
NWescapee said
03:47 PM May 5, 2013
Mistakes happen, we develop a checklist and go through it to minimize mistakes as much as possible. You do remind me that we need a new checklist now that we've changed trailers. On his trip home, Dale forgot to close the bathroom door when he brought the slides in and heard a crunch. Luckily it was no structural damage, took him about 3 hours to fix it once he got it home. We live and learn from our mistakes.
WestWardHo said
03:55 PM May 5, 2013
We're just glad we're not the only ones!! 😄
Sherry
Old Snipe said
04:55 PM May 5, 2013
Experience is directly proportional to the amount of equipment ruined. ;c)
Best Regards!
-- Edited by Old Snipe on Sunday 5th of May 2013 04:55:57 PM
CJSX2fromCT said
06:10 PM May 5, 2013
OOOK so I hear by declare this the "NEWBIE MISTAKES" thread.
Dave Buck said
11:24 PM May 5, 2013
That may be you first mistake but I'm guessing from my own experience that it probably won't you your last. I guess mistakes are how we learn best.
GENECOP said
12:09 AM May 6, 2013
Fix it, learn, move on, we all make mistakes, Bravo for sharing, you just may have sparred someone from making the same mistake....
CJSX2fromCT said
12:31 AM May 6, 2013
Would like to hear from others on their mistakes
GENECOP said
01:30 AM May 6, 2013
After washing the side of my Rig I left the ladder leaning up against the awning canister. An hour so later I decided to put out the awning, guess what the ladder did.....it kept the back end of the awning from coming out, caused the fabric to unfurl unevenly on the tube, and ended up causing me to not have a useable awning for two months....Finally after driving around with duct tape holding things together, I managed to work on it with some tech at a repair shop, it took us one hour, we unfurled it, tugged on it, scratched our heads, and finally fixed it....lesson learned when your done with ladder put it away....
WestWardHo said
04:47 AM May 6, 2013
Lets see.... Pull a 28 ft. Travel trailer, come up over a ridge to see a full duffle bag on the road in front of you, swerve to miss and loose control of the whole thing. End up with truck back end over the left side guard rail and trailer on its side facing up against oncoming traffic on a major highway on day after 4th of July with holiday traffic heading back to town. Or wring your own 50 amp plug and crossing wires and burning up fridge, bdrm TV, and furnace electric. Or using sissy velcro on double door fridge. Or, oh heck, too many to mention!!
Gosh, now that I mention it we shouldn't be on the road!!😂
Sherry
Lucky Mike said
05:34 AM May 6, 2013
Pulled up for a boondocking Kinda nite.....Didnt shut the motor home off and rushed to take the dog for a Walk...........on the way back from walking the dog I noticed the coach MOVING!!!!!!.....So I take off on a run and trip over the dog leash , down the embankment I go and then I here the Crash!!!!
I get up thinking the worst .....brush myself off and check the dog.....long story short , the coach hit a 55 gallon trash barrel and it lodged under the front bumper stopping the coach from going down the same embankment!!!!!.....lifted the coach with the levelers to get the barrel out of there.....Lesson learned very close to the hard way!!!!!!!...(R.V was not in park!!!)
P>S Dont try this at home.....the driver of this vehicle is a trained professional R.V Idiot.....no animals where hurt in the making of this documentary..(poor Nikki)...and as far as I know ...no-one saw or taped this event...(There is a God)
-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Monday 6th of May 2013 05:35:57 AM
Terry and Jo said
07:48 AM May 6, 2013
Oh, Mike. We didn't need a taped version. Your description was enough to fill in the pictures in my head.
I'm still laughing.
Oh, and I'll describe mine later, perhaps with a picture to better illustrate my issue with a 26' travel trailer. I have spoken of it before.
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Monday 6th of May 2013 07:49:46 AM
sdman said
02:47 PM May 6, 2013
OK,
1. Never pick up a 20 foot full sewer hose at the connection you made with a 15 and 10 foot hose! It was a good thing no one else was in line at the dump station that day and that there was a close shower.
This was really 2 mistakes rolled into one event. This was our first time at a dump station. The dump station access road was on a hill with the actual dump station sloped down and away from the road. I pulled up next to the dump station with the truck, set the brakes and turned off the engine and got out of the truck. I walked back to the RV dump outlet and removed the sewer hose, connected it to the RV and streched the 15 foot hose out and was still 5 feet away from the dump station. So I got out the 10 foot hose coupled them together and then fitted the hose to the dump station. Went back to the RV and opened the black water drain. That's when I noticed that the RV ws actually down hill from the dump station. I contiued to dump the black and then the 2 gray tanks as most was going in to the dump station. This is when it getts unly! The waste water had quit flowing and the clear hose connection at the RV was still completly full so I couldn't disconnect and "run" the waste water down. I went to the connection between the hoses and lifted it up to try to empty enough water to allow me to disconnec from the RV. I was really surprised as to how much the hose weighed! Ayway I got the hose up to my waist and the hose came out of the connection blowing waste water all over me up to my head. I continued to finish and put away the hoses and then took a shower and put on clean clothes. It was a good thing we were the only people at the dump station that morning! Bye the way, if I had just moved the RV closer to the dump station by 10 feet the RV would have been up hill to the dumpstation and I would have not needed the extra hose. Lesson learned: Don't be lazy!
2. When parking the tow vehicle, remember that the slides will fill most of that "nice space to park the TV". We don't like to arrive at a new CG after dark, but this once we did just that. We were in a hurry to use the last little bit of light and get set up. I disconnected the truck and decided that the area next to the 5er was perfect to park the truck in. I hurried around to the other side of the RV to get the water and electic connected when I heard a crunch! DW was also in a hurry to get the slides out and she didn't look to see if there were any obstructions, like our truck. Actually there were no obstructions before I parked the truck there after she was inside the RV. I came around the back of the RV just in time to see the rear dually fender pushed in to the truck side wall. I yelled and at the same time DW realized there was an issue too. It's a good thing the dually fenders are plastic, so no big dammage that some touch up paint couldn't fix.
PIEERE said
03:29 PM May 6, 2013
I was in an RV Park Florida; It had rained pretty heavy much of the day! Looking out the LR window; the neighbor lady returned home. If I had only had a video camera. This lady was dressed in her business suit----the awning was extended the 5th wheel---you have to picture this. I looked away at the TV and turned to look out the window again---she had pulled the retractor handle on the awning bar. I swear 50 or more gallons of rain water came down on her and she ended up spread-eagled on the ground covered now in muddy water. She got up a cussing and waving her arms. I opened my door and said; "I have this on video?" Quickly I said: Only kidding!!! Sorry I was to late to warn you!!! Asked her if she was hurt!!! Said just her pride and started laughing!!! Wished I could have taped it; Americas' Funniest may have liked it!!
PIEERE said
03:35 PM May 6, 2013
sdman wrote:
OK,
1. Never pick up a 20 foot full sewer hose at the connection you made with a 15 and 10 foot hose! It was a good thing no one else was in line at the dump station that day and that there was a close shower.
This was really 2 mistakes rolled into one event. This was our first time at a dump station. The dump station access road was on a hill with the actual dump station sloped down and away from the road. I pulled up next to the dump station with the truck, set the brakes and turned off the engine and got out of the truck. I walked back to the RV dump outlet and removed the sewer hose, connected it to the RV and streched the 15 foot hose out and was still 5 feet away from the dump station. So I got out the 10 foot hose coupled them together and then fitted the hose to the dump station. Went back to the RV and opened the black water drain. That's when I noticed that the RV ws actually down hill from the dump station. I contiued to dump the black and then the 2 gray tanks as most was going in to the dump station. This is when it getts unly! The waste water had quit flowing and the clear hose connection at the RV was still completly full so I couldn't disconnect and "run" the waste water down. I went to the connection between the hoses and lifted it up to try to empty enough water to allow me to disconnec from the RV. I was really surprised as to how much the hose weighed! Ayway I got the hose up to my waist and the hose came out of the connection blowing waste water all over me up to my head. I continued to finish and put away the hoses and then took a shower and put on clean clothes. It was a good thing we were the only people at the dump station that morning! Bye the way, if I had just moved the RV closer to the dump station by 10 feet the RV would have been up hill to the dumpstation and I would have not needed the extra hose. Lesson learned: Don't be lazy!
2. When parking the tow vehicle, remember that the slides will fill most of that "nice space to park the TV". We don't like to arrive at a new CG after dark, but this once we did just that. We were in a hurry to use the last little bit of light and get set up. I disconnected the truck and decided that the area next to the 5er was perfect to park the truck in. I hurried around to the other side of the RV to get the water and electic connected when I heard a crunch! DW was also in a hurry to get the slides out and she didn't look to see if there were any obstructions, like our truck. Actually there were no obstructions before I parked the truck there after she was inside the RV. I came around the back of the RV just in time to see the rear dually fender pushed in to the truck side wall. I yelled and at the same time DW realized there was an issue too. It's a good thing the dually fenders are plastic, so no big dammage that some touch up paint couldn't fix.
Was that you that I seen with waste water from head to toe; from a distance!!!! Just kidding; but I had seen someone who hadn't attached thier sewer hose connection properly and stood in front of it when they pulled the handle to the black water tank. Lesson for me was always stand to one side when pulling open the drain valves....I love it when othere people teach me how to prevent disasters...
Terry and Jo said
06:28 PM May 6, 2013
As promised, not necessarily my first goof, but one of significance that may be a warning to those with travel trailers.
In 2004, we took our 26' Salem LE to our favorite campground in Colorado. The road to that campground can be accessed by either of two turnoff places. The first one is right on a curve, so the edge of the highway is higher than the the access road, so if one takes that turnoff, the trailer wheels drop over the edge of the highway before the rest of the trailer clears the roadbed.
This first picture gives you an idea of how far back from the wheels the step for the rear door is located.
Well, as we went over the drop-off, the rear steps caught on the roadbed and was jammed back at a strange angle. It did absolutely no damage to the trailer itself, but it really bent the whole step back to where it was unusable.
When we got into the campground and I found out what had happened, I got out my ratcheting come-along and used that to pull the step back forward. While I got it forward, I was unable to get it to where the step was usable, so we had to always use the front steps.
This image shows that rear step after I had attempted that "repair."
So, lesson learned was to never take that turn-off again and to always watch for dips and drop-overs that may cause damage and make sure that I took those at a proper angle to avoid the same mistake.
Oh, and if you don't know what a Come-Along is, here is a picture of one of them. This one happens to be a 1 ton capacity because of its "loop back." Without the loop back of the cable, it would only be a half-ton capacity winch.
Terry
Racerguy said
06:58 PM May 6, 2013
We were staying at a full hookup park.Got ready to leave and dumped all the tanks.I filled the fresh water tank because we were going to boondock for a couple days on the way to our next destination.Got to the new destination and was getting ready to hook up the sewer hose and happened to glance over to see the "BLACK TANK" valve fully open!!Needless to say I had 2 days of black water right at the cap.Good thing I had some of those paper mechanics coveralls handy along with my rubber gloves and a bucket.I closed the valve,put the bucket by the cap and got the sewer hose all set up to hook up.Only spilled about a gallon into the bucket before I got the hose connected.
Mike and Myong said
02:08 AM May 8, 2013
OMG, after reading all these "Newby Mistakes" and laughing a bit, I think I'm in for some of my own once I take this journey. Thank you all for sharing!
CJSX2fromCT said
09:39 AM May 8, 2013
Thank you all for sharing yours.... don't be shy or a "lurker".... Today I have off and will be searching for the tube I need will keep you posted as for $$$$$$$$$$
Ann-Hank said
04:35 PM May 8, 2013
We have been in our 5er for 8 mo. now. In the last 2 mo.on the road we have broken the by pass on shower trying to put on new shower head. Broke a blade on ceiling fan bringing in the slide, have smashed 2 tire chocks, broke the arms on the awning when it slipped out of my hand. Smashed my copper whale in the slide when it fell while traveling. I'm sure there is more.
What we did find was RV Dr George in Sacramento, CA. He does Rv salvage, has tons of parts. Fixed our awnings in 45 min for only $130. Everyone else wanted $400 +, 2 weeks to get parts, then labor. Great place for parts.
CJSX2fromCT said
09:27 AM May 11, 2013
Contacted Keystone and they got me in touch with the local dealer in my area. Called them and told her what I needed and waited...... got a call back from her asking to send over pics because they were unsure as to want I needed, sent pics....that was 3 days ago and haven't heard back... So I started calling area steel shop and found the tube for $27 and then called powder coating shops and that will take roughly a week and a half to do for $45..... Whew!!!! not to painful. I'm expecting the dealer if and when she calls to say $200... To all be safe....
scrappy said
12:18 PM May 22, 2013
I didnt turn the recliner the right way before putting in the dining room slide. Now the trim around the slide custom fits the handle on the side of the recliner. oooooops.
So far, three days in, it is the only thing that has been "redesigned".
CJSX2fromCT said
09:38 PM May 22, 2013
Over a week from hearing back from local dealer She finally calls... They are still unsure as to what I want and the Rep at Keystone told the local that there should be fins weld onto the tube and that it is going to run about $165.00.... Hmmmm interesting The tube I have has no fins they are unsure as to what I need but it is going to cost that amount.... Bought tube for $27.00 having painted zinc and powder coated for $65.00 hopefully done by this Fri. the 24th.
Trix said
04:12 AM May 23, 2013
Mike, I want to know when you did that thing with the trash can? And why didn't we hear about it in the chat room LOL?
And you Mark! When did you have this unfortunate dump incident?
You guys have me laughing my head off!
Thanks for the tips!
DBEANZ said
09:17 PM May 23, 2013
Lucky Mike, I'm still laughing a week later after reading yours! I actually could picture all of that in my head.
Lucky Mike said
09:48 PM May 23, 2013
you should of been there.......I was up by the Hollis fleamarket in Amherst , glad for trash cans !!!!!!!!
telco said
08:56 AM Jun 13, 2013
I use a checklist that I laminated & fasten it the steering wheel. My RV has an auto retract slide, which means if I start to drive away it comes in by itself. That one has saved me a few times. I have driven off with the TV antenna up. Worst thing I saw was a guy with a brand new Truck Camper drive off with his jacks down. And he was on concrete. To say it was ugly was an understatement.
Last year I was driving through the small town of Santa Maria del Oro, which is near Tepic, Mx. It was a Sunday and there was lots of traffic. While watching the oncoming traffic on the narrow street, I did not notice a Telcel sign sticking out from a building a bit farther than it should. I clobbered it with my slide awning and it came down which a big bang behind me. There was a cop behind me. He looked at my rig, looked at the sign on the ground, looked at the "closed" Telcel office, shrugged his shoulders & put the sign in front of the door and waved me on. I guess he figured Carlos Slim could afford it. It cost me $300 to replace the awning when I got home. It had been previously damaged a year earlier in Napa, CA because some bozo in the highways department had mounted a sign alongside a right hand turn lane at only 11.5 feet, so it needed replacing anyway.
-- Edited by telco on Thursday 13th of June 2013 08:57:31 AM
heartofcarrot said
10:11 PM Jun 13, 2013
When we first took off on our journey, one of the cabinets which is covered by the slide came open. I didn't realize this until I started opening the slide and heard some crunching noises. Luckily, I was able to stop the slide before it did too much damage. We all make mistakes...live and learn as you go... :)
telco said
07:03 AM Jun 14, 2013
A friend of mine owned the company who made my RV. It has soemthign called command seating which you can see a picture below. He very proudly showed me his new addition one day, a beer can holder next to the chair so you could reach round to the fridge (on left)without getting up and grab one. He was somewhat embarrassed when he pulled in the side and we heard it crunching, so even experts can make a mistake
NWescapee said
06:30 AM Jun 22, 2013
OK, so we thought we were past the newbie issues until tonight when the "pocket" door didn't quite open right, I gave it an extra "tug" and ended up with it off the track. 4 hours later it's finally repaired and operational after DH had to remove paneling above the pantry, lost his flashlight in "never, never land" in the paneling, etc. Sheesh, we have 6 days and counting to get out of the house before it closes and I had him wasting 4 hours on a stupid repair. Yep, feeling foolish tonight.
sdman said
01:37 PM Jun 22, 2013
NWescapee wrote:
OK, so we thought we were past the newbie issues until tonight when the "pocket" door didn't quite open right, I gave it an extra "tug" and ended up with it off the track. 4 hours later it's finally repaired and operational after DH had to remove paneling above the pantry, lost his flashlight in "never, never land" in the paneling, etc. Sheesh, we have 6 days and counting to get out of the house before it closes and I had him wasting 4 hours on a stupid repair. Yep, feeling foolish tonight.
Now at the end of our 1st year FT, I find that those sort of repairs are common for us. Don't worry about it as it is just a part of life on the road in an RV.
Terry and Jo said
05:48 PM Jun 22, 2013
NWescapee wrote:
OK, so we thought we were past the newbie issues until tonight when the "pocket" door didn't quite open right, I gave it an extra "tug" and ended up with it off the track. 4 hours later it's finally repaired and operational after DH had to remove paneling above the pantry, lost his flashlight in "never, never land" in the paneling, etc. Sheesh, we have 6 days and counting to get out of the house before it closes and I had him wasting 4 hours on a stupid repair. Yep, feeling foolish tonight.
Ruth,
No guarantee of this as I've not had the same experience, but Dale's flashlight might be down in the basement area and behind the sliding doors. At least, I think I remember others over on SOITC saying that the pocket door was in that area. I'm not sure how the 2010's are, but some earlier versions would lose the door into the basement if it dropped off.
Terry
WestWardHo said
08:28 PM Jun 22, 2013
Love these stories and just so glad we aren't the only ones as I said earlier. You guys/gals are great!
Put sissy Velcro on your residential refrigerator doors to hold them closed while driving they 101 degree heat in Palm Springs area. End up with broken eggs, flour, milk, sugar, pickle relish, beer, wine, soda, sausage, pork tenderloin, AND JESSE'S FAVORITE PIE all messed up and cooked on the kitchen floor! Yeewww.
Now that we have a lock, refrigerator bars on EVERY shelf I still bungee it closed just in case.
Also cramming every nook and cranny with stuff you think you'll need and leaving a trail of stuff at campgrounds from Arizona to Washington (and we're still off-loading!)
Sherry
NWescapee said
06:28 AM Jun 23, 2013
Thanks for the tip Terry, Dale checked and at least with our floor plan he can't access the flashlight, guess I'll be buying him a new one soon, wonder how long the batteries will last on this one? Checked again tonight and it's still on.
Meanwhile, a very kind neighbor bought him a "trailer warming" gift, a battery operated screwdriver with a built in flashlight!! The guys thought it was hilarious, I'm never going to live this one down.
WestWardHo said
01:45 PM Jun 23, 2013
Ruth,
That IS hilarious!!
Sherry
CJSX2fromCT said
12:06 AM Mar 27, 2014
Thought it is time to revisit this topic to see if anyone else would like to share their mishaps.???
cherylbrv said
08:53 AM Mar 27, 2014
This happened in our S&B. House just listed and we have an open house in 2 days. DH was reconnecting the outlet in the bathroom and for some unknown reason, decided to sit on the sink. Yep, you guessed it -- it broke into several pieces!!! (it was also caulked to the wall). So now, with time truly running out to get the house absolutely perfect for the showing, we have to buy and reinstall a new bathroom vanity (which was only bought and installed 2 months ago).
I see lots of these kinds of things happening in the RV in the future...
Dogpatch said
10:20 AM Mar 29, 2014
I'm not a newbie but just new here.
My very first BooBoo was about 4 years ago. (1st one of my many confessions to come) I learned that a class A RV swings wide like a logging truck when pulling out of the campsite.
Ask me how I know....
I keep telling my wife that if she weren't in bed at the back end when I pulled out, we would have cleared that boulder for sure!
BiggarView said
12:12 PM Mar 29, 2014
Dogpatch wrote:
I'm not a newbie but just new here.
My very first BooBoo was about 4 years ago. (1st one of my many confessions to come) I learned that a class A RV swings wide like a logging truck when pulling out of the campsite.
Ask me how I know....
I keep telling my wife that if she weren't in bed at the back end when I pulled out, we would have cleared that boulder for sure!
Sounds like 2 mistakes in one, underestimating room needed to maneuver and worse.... suggesting(indirectly) that your wife's weight made the difference in ground clearance!!!
ON edit,
You made a third, though it wasn't a newbie mistake,... forgot to switch the "mouth/brain switch" to "think before speaking" mode.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Saturday 29th of March 2014 12:17:17 PM
Bill and Jodee said
10:00 PM Mar 31, 2014
Oh man, I don't know whether to be terrified or tickled!! I guess the good news is you're all still around to post the information . I'll hope to learn from your confessions with the clear understanding that we'll have our own to share next year...........may they be more humorous than harrowing!
Jodee
The Sweeneys said
05:16 AM Apr 6, 2014
First week in after closing house. Nothing major, but taking it slow. Finally all 5er systems up and running, decided to Dry camp(correct term?) in State park to learn how everything works. Worst problem - totally tor up field getting in and out. 4 wheel low and spun all wheels.
Jim and Barb said
06:43 AM Apr 6, 2014
This is a great thread! Being new FT'ers (4 weeks now) we have had a couple of minor incidents. The only one that did damage was and overhead door that opened during traveling and got caught in the slide on the way out. We thought this was a major incident but after reading some of these I feel a lot better!
Jim
mb36912 said
06:55 PM Apr 6, 2014
I'm feeling pretty good right now since we haven't damaged anything yet (but getting scared since pride goeth before a fall).
Our only newbie mistake so far was when we pulled into our first campground with our new-2-us 5'er and followed the golf cart guide to our site. He was going slow and we were pulling with the Volvo in 2nd gear and had to make a sharp corner. We swung wide, cut hard, and followed him about 100 yards down to our site with other campers looking and pointing at us. When we got close to our site, our guide looked back and started waving his arms and yelling at us to stop. We then realized we had pulled the breakaway plug out at the corner and proceeded to drag our trailer 100 yards with the wheels locked up cutting ruts in their gravel drive. We took a pretty good ribbing from everybody for the next couple of days. Thank goodness the campground owners were understanding!!
Mike
EBendana said
07:51 PM Apr 20, 2014
We had a new 5th wheel, this one had a black tank flush, unlike our previous camper. Hubby made the mistake of hooking our water hose into the black tank flush instead of the proper spot...I made the mistake of not turning on water inside rig (which I normally do to check water pressure) because we were hungry and in a hurry to grab something to eat. We left the rig, with the water on and the black tank valve CLOSED (this is a Clue)...thank goodness a fellow camper turned off our water after a couple of hours when he saw water dripping out of the bottom of the rig.
OOOPS! Walked in , and of course, once the BLACK TANK flush filled up the black tank, the water was shooting out of the (take a guess?) toilet! (Good thing we always clean the toilet and empty tanks, and all that came out was clean water, I guess this is one way of looking at the glass "half full" rather than "half empty")
What a lesson. Trust me, we always DOUBLE CHECK that our water hose is inserted into the right hole.
Dogpatch said
07:48 AM Apr 22, 2014
Okay, now that we're all revealing our innermost embarassing moments, here is another bomb.
We went camping in southern BC. Finally picked the best of the worst sites left. I got everything set up and got to the task of hooking up our sewer, water and power. (The story actually starts the week before we left) I had gotten a new black water cable put on the gate valve for the sewer on the RV. Squatting in front of the wash bay, I unscrewed the cap on my sewer to hook up the sewer hose and to my shear horror, filled my water station compartment full of the foulest smelling conglomeration I had ever come across. You guess it...100% raw, unrefined sewage. Yes that's right. That nasty word nobody wants to say let alone have to deal with...(edited). It's obvious that the newly installed cable didn't close the gate valve. This is a BIG problem. Even more so when I noted that my rubber gloves, my savior from what would have made the handling of the situation a bit more bearable were laying in the bottom of the compartment. Both My wife and Daughter yelled out in unison, "What is that awful smell?" They thought our dog had dropped a bomb but couldn't find any evidence. I yelled out "Don't worry about it, I've got it under control!" Trying not to bring unwanted attention.
"Ya right", I think to myself. I felt like every camper in the resort now had their eyes on me as the smelly conglomeration glooped onto the ground. I quickly hooked up my water hose and washed down the compartment, hoses, controls and accumulated pile on the ground. In a few minutes, it was gonna be nothing more than just another memory ingrained in the annals of my holiday experiences. Bonnie asked me if I wanted a drink. I said "yes". She said "are you ready to have dinner"? I said "Give me a few minutes"!
So it was decided (by some outside source) that a shower was going to be needed!
After the needed shower and rinse, I couldn't find my shaving bag with all my travel/bath accessories. I asked my wife where she might have put it. She replied "I didn't see it". Having been with My wife for about 18 years, this usually means that she had it and put it somewhere and doesn't remember where she put it.
This set in motion a search not unlike that of an FBI investigation. I tore apart the RV in search of the black bag and came up empty handed.
Suddenly, my hopes and visions of looking like "Adonis of the Campground" were hopelessly dashed.
Now, I know that most of you out there wonder what my secret is for looking and smelling the way I do when you see me (be nice now) but, the secret is simple and can be described in one word..."Product". I know most of you guys will never admit it, but if we all laid our shaving kits on the table exposed for the world to see, I can bet there would be a cornucopia of products in there that would make most women envious! Hair products, skin products, shaving products, medicinal products and the list goes on.
Not having this with me for 4 more days is going to be a BIG problem!!!
Without this bevy of transformation aids, it can turn any man into looking like a Hobo in a matter of a couple of days. I (and my face) have become accustomed to using an electric razor. I embarked on this method of shaving for one simple reason. I'm a bleeder! Anytime I have tried to use any type of sharp object to remove the hair on my face, I look like I just ran into "Freddie Kruger" in a dark alley. I probably use a whole roll of toilet paper trying to stem the bleeding.
As for the rest of the things required, my wife offered me the use of her things, (naturally she remembers where she put them) however, this presents a whole new set of problems. I use non-scented soaps so I don't smell like a lilac tree or a rose garden. As for anti-perspirant I again opt for a more manly scent than something floral. The shampoo part wasn't that bad however, without Gel, my hair will look like a Jimmy Hendrix do - A frizzed out, uncontrolled ball of hair.
So, I embarked on the inevitable, making use of what I could, doing without what I could and buying what was available from the resort store (which was minimal). But Hey! We're camping and roughing it. Somewhere my situation fits in with this description. Looking at the other patrons at the resort, it would appear that they too, forgot their shaving kits!
-- Edited by Dogpatch on Tuesday 22nd of April 2014 07:49:02 AM
-- Edited by Dogpatch on Tuesday 22nd of April 2014 07:51:59 AM
CJSX2fromCT said
04:50 AM Jan 3, 2015
Time to bring this 1 up to the front of the line again.....Don't be shame let's hear them.
gypsymaus said
08:46 AM Jan 3, 2015
LOL I am loving this thread! I decided to visit the forum with coffee in hand this morning. I haven't stopped laughing and fondly smiling at the memories of the last 7 years.
CJSX2fromCT said
04:56 AM Jan 4, 2015
Come on class of 2014... Let's hear it....
DebbieM said
02:16 PM Jan 4, 2015
One of the Class of 2014 here - 6 mos, Knock on wood, we're still good! (so far...)
Bought tire covers and put them on... no biggie... I noticed though that on the slideout track underneath that passes over the tire covers... The cover was getting grease from the wind blowing it up against the track.. SSSOOOOO thinking I'd be smart and place a rag on top of the cover to keep it clean and free from grease. Went to mow the lawn, closed up the sliders and on the main slider with the couch and table it started closing oddly.. When fully in it was ajar on the end near the door... so reopened the slides and I noticed it was not opened fully on same end..... Then it HIT ME... CHIT.... went out and looked and YUP the rag got caught up in the gear and track causing it to jam up some on that side.... UUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGG!!!! Well upon further inspection at the mess and wondering HOW to get this fixed BEFORE Cheri gets home... I see that the 1"x1" square tubing that conects the 2 gears...... (Well let's just say on the end near the door)..... was twisted and split.... UUUUUUUUUUGGG!!!!!! Now I'm racing thinking how the heck am I going to really fix this added problem before she gets home...... Got it apart and see that it is actually 2 pieces of tubing... 1 slides into the other... Started looking on line and making calls to try and find a replacement piece and GUESS who walks in the door.... UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGG!!!!!!..... Well the Dr. said I might be seeing out of 1 eye in afew days and the other 1 will take alittle longer to open from the swelling, and I have a apooinment with the dentist on Tues. for upper replacement.... no j/k To my surprise she took it rather well.... have a place looking into getting the tube on Monday... Moral of the story.. A 2 cent rag and a little grease spots is yet to be determined in $$$$$$ UUUUUUUGGGGGGGGG....
Chris,
Heh....
....with regards to the quote in your signature area, I'd say that was very true at this time.
We all live and learn with these things. Sometimes they are expensive fixes and sometimes it is more damage to the ego than to the RV. When we first got our Mobile Suites, and had been putting things away in a cabinet over a peninsula counter curve, Jo had to use a two step step stool to get things in where she wanted them.
Yep....you guessed it. The first time I went to pull in the kitchen slide, it caught the step stool against the kitchen counter and we heard a loud noise. But all was well. The dealership did a good job of re-anchoring the cabinet. Now, when we prepare to pull in slides, each of us goes through the coach separately to verify nothing will get caught.
All that said, keep in mind that your "lessons" may not be over, but most anything can be fixed, but it is harder to fix the human body.
Hang in there. We live and learn and add more things to our check list for preparing for travel.
Terry
On his trip home, Dale forgot to close the bathroom door when he brought the slides in and heard a crunch. Luckily it was no structural damage, took him about 3 hours to fix it once he got it home.
We live and learn from our mistakes.
Sherry
Experience is directly proportional to the amount of equipment ruined. ;c)
Best Regards!
-- Edited by Old Snipe on Sunday 5th of May 2013 04:55:57 PM
After washing the side of my Rig I left the ladder leaning up against the awning canister. An hour so later I decided to put out the awning, guess what the ladder did.....it kept the back end of the awning from coming out, caused the fabric to unfurl unevenly on the tube, and ended up causing me to not have a useable awning for two months....Finally after driving around with duct tape holding things together, I managed to work on it with some tech at a repair shop, it took us one hour, we unfurled it, tugged on it, scratched our heads, and finally fixed it....lesson learned when your done with ladder put it away....
Gosh, now that I mention it we shouldn't be on the road!!😂
Sherry
Pulled up for a boondocking Kinda nite.....Didnt shut the motor home off and rushed to take the dog for a Walk...........on the way back from walking the dog I noticed the coach MOVING!!!!!!.....So I take off on a run and trip over the dog leash , down the embankment I go and then I here the Crash!!!!
I get up thinking the worst .....brush myself off and check the dog.....long story short , the coach hit a 55 gallon trash barrel and it lodged under the front bumper stopping the coach from going down the same embankment!!!!!.....lifted the coach with the levelers to get the barrel out of there.....Lesson learned very close to the hard way!!!!!!!...(R.V was not in park!!!)
P>S
Dont try this at home.....the driver of this vehicle is a trained professional R.V Idiot.....no animals where hurt in the making of this documentary..(poor Nikki)...and as far as I know ...no-one saw or taped this event...(There is a God)
-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Monday 6th of May 2013 05:35:57 AM
Oh, Mike. We didn't need a taped version. Your description was enough to fill in the pictures in my head.
I'm still laughing.
Oh, and I'll describe mine later, perhaps with a picture to better illustrate my issue with a 26' travel trailer. I have spoken of it before.
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Monday 6th of May 2013 07:49:46 AM
OK,
1. Never pick up a 20 foot full sewer hose at the connection you made with a 15 and 10 foot hose! It was a good thing no one else was in line at the dump station that day and that there was a close shower.
This was really 2 mistakes rolled into one event. This was our first time at a dump station. The dump station access road was on a hill with the actual dump station sloped down and away from the road. I pulled up next to the dump station with the truck, set the brakes and turned off the engine and got out of the truck. I walked back to the RV dump outlet and removed the sewer hose, connected it to the RV and streched the 15 foot hose out and was still 5 feet away from the dump station. So I got out the 10 foot hose coupled them together and then fitted the hose to the dump station. Went back to the RV and opened the black water drain. That's when I noticed that the RV ws actually down hill from the dump station. I contiued to dump the black and then the 2 gray tanks as most was going in to the dump station. This is when it getts unly! The waste water had quit flowing and the clear hose connection at the RV was still completly full so I couldn't disconnect and "run" the waste water down. I went to the connection between the hoses and lifted it up to try to empty enough water to allow me to disconnec from the RV. I was really surprised as to how much the hose weighed! Ayway I got the hose up to my waist and the hose came out of the connection blowing waste water all over me up to my head. I continued to finish and put away the hoses and then took a shower and put on clean clothes. It was a good thing we were the only people at the dump station that morning! Bye the way, if I had just moved the RV closer to the dump station by 10 feet the RV would have been up hill to the dumpstation and I would have not needed the extra hose. Lesson learned: Don't be lazy!
2. When parking the tow vehicle, remember that the slides will fill most of that "nice space to park the TV". We don't like to arrive at a new CG after dark, but this once we did just that. We were in a hurry to use the last little bit of light and get set up. I disconnected the truck and decided that the area next to the 5er was perfect to park the truck in. I hurried around to the other side of the RV to get the water and electic connected when I heard a crunch! DW was also in a hurry to get the slides out and she didn't look to see if there were any obstructions, like our truck. Actually there were no obstructions before I parked the truck there after she was inside the RV. I came around the back of the RV just in time to see the rear dually fender pushed in to the truck side wall. I yelled and at the same time DW realized there was an issue too. It's a good thing the dually fenders are plastic, so no big dammage that some touch up paint couldn't fix.
Wished I could have taped it; Americas' Funniest may have liked it!!
As promised, not necessarily my first goof, but one of significance that may be a warning to those with travel trailers.
In 2004, we took our 26' Salem LE to our favorite campground in Colorado. The road to that campground can be accessed by either of two turnoff places. The first one is right on a curve, so the edge of the highway is higher than the the access road, so if one takes that turnoff, the trailer wheels drop over the edge of the highway before the rest of the trailer clears the roadbed.
This first picture gives you an idea of how far back from the wheels the step for the rear door is located.
Well, as we went over the drop-off, the rear steps caught on the roadbed and was jammed back at a strange angle. It did absolutely no damage to the trailer itself, but it really bent the whole step back to where it was unusable.
When we got into the campground and I found out what had happened, I got out my ratcheting come-along and used that to pull the step back forward. While I got it forward, I was unable to get it to where the step was usable, so we had to always use the front steps.
This image shows that rear step after I had attempted that "repair."
So, lesson learned was to never take that turn-off again and to always watch for dips and drop-overs that may cause damage and make sure that I took those at a proper angle to avoid the same mistake.
Oh, and if you don't know what a Come-Along is, here is a picture of one of them. This one happens to be a 1 ton capacity because of its "loop back." Without the loop back of the cable, it would only be a half-ton capacity winch.
Terry
What we did find was RV Dr George in Sacramento, CA. He does Rv salvage, has tons of parts. Fixed our awnings in 45 min for only $130. Everyone else wanted $400 +, 2 weeks to get parts, then labor. Great place for parts.
To all be safe....
I didnt turn the recliner the right way before putting in the dining room slide. Now the trim around the slide custom fits the handle on the side of the recliner. oooooops.
So far, three days in, it is the only thing that has been "redesigned".
And you Mark! When did you have this unfortunate dump incident?
You guys have me laughing my head off!
Thanks for the tips!
I use a checklist that I laminated & fasten it the steering wheel. My RV has an auto retract slide, which means if I start to drive away it comes in by itself. That one has saved me a few times. I have driven off with the TV antenna up. Worst thing I saw was a guy with a brand new Truck Camper drive off with his jacks down. And he was on concrete. To say it was ugly was an understatement.
Last year I was driving through the small town of Santa Maria del Oro, which is near Tepic, Mx. It was a Sunday and there was lots of traffic. While watching the oncoming traffic on the narrow street, I did not notice a Telcel sign sticking out from a building a bit farther than it should. I clobbered it with my slide awning and it came down which a big bang behind me. There was a cop behind me. He looked at my rig, looked at the sign on the ground, looked at the "closed" Telcel office, shrugged his shoulders & put the sign in front of the door and waved me on. I guess he figured Carlos Slim could afford it. It cost me $300 to replace the awning when I got home. It had been previously damaged a year earlier in Napa, CA because some bozo in the highways department had mounted a sign alongside a right hand turn lane at only 11.5 feet, so it needed replacing anyway.
-- Edited by telco on Thursday 13th of June 2013 08:57:31 AM
A friend of mine owned the company who made my RV. It has soemthign called command seating which you can see a picture below. He very proudly showed me his new addition one day, a beer can holder next to the chair so you could reach round to the fridge (on left)without getting up and grab one. He was somewhat embarrassed when he pulled in the side and we heard it crunching, so even experts can make a mistake
Now at the end of our 1st year FT, I find that those sort of repairs are common for us. Don't worry about it as it is just a part of life on the road in an RV.
Ruth,
No guarantee of this as I've not had the same experience, but Dale's flashlight might be down in the basement area and behind the sliding doors. At least, I think I remember others over on SOITC saying that the pocket door was in that area. I'm not sure how the 2010's are, but some earlier versions would lose the door into the basement if it dropped off.
Terry
Put sissy Velcro on your residential refrigerator doors to hold them closed while driving they 101 degree heat in Palm Springs area. End up with broken eggs, flour, milk, sugar, pickle relish, beer, wine, soda, sausage, pork tenderloin, AND JESSE'S FAVORITE PIE all messed up and cooked on the kitchen floor! Yeewww.
Now that we have a lock, refrigerator bars on EVERY shelf I still bungee it closed just in case.
Also cramming every nook and cranny with stuff you think you'll need and leaving a trail of stuff at campgrounds from Arizona to Washington (and we're still off-loading!)
Sherry
Meanwhile, a very kind neighbor bought him a "trailer warming" gift, a battery operated screwdriver with a built in flashlight!! The guys thought it was hilarious, I'm never going to live this one down.
That IS hilarious!!
Sherry
I see lots of these kinds of things happening in the RV in the future...
My very first BooBoo was about 4 years ago. (1st one of my many confessions to come) I learned that a class A RV swings wide like a logging truck when pulling out of the campsite.
Ask me how I know....
I keep telling my wife that if she weren't in bed at the back end when I pulled out, we would have cleared that boulder for sure!
Sounds like 2 mistakes in one, underestimating room needed to maneuver and worse.... suggesting(indirectly) that your wife's weight made the difference in ground clearance!!!
ON edit,
You made a third, though it wasn't a newbie mistake,... forgot to switch the "mouth/brain switch" to "think before speaking" mode.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Saturday 29th of March 2014 12:17:17 PM
Jodee
Jim
Our only newbie mistake so far was when we pulled into our first campground with our new-2-us 5'er and followed the golf cart guide to our site. He was going slow and we were pulling with the Volvo in 2nd gear and had to make a sharp corner. We swung wide, cut hard, and followed him about 100 yards down to our site with other campers looking and pointing at us. When we got close to our site, our guide looked back and started waving his arms and yelling at us to stop. We then realized we had pulled the breakaway plug out at the corner and proceeded to drag our trailer 100 yards with the wheels locked up cutting ruts in their gravel drive. We took a pretty good ribbing from everybody for the next couple of days. Thank goodness the campground owners were understanding!!
Mike
OOOPS! Walked in , and of course, once the BLACK TANK flush filled up the black tank, the water was shooting out of the (take a guess?) toilet! (Good thing we always clean the toilet and empty tanks, and all that came out was clean water, I guess this is one way of looking at the glass "half full" rather than "half empty")
What a lesson. Trust me, we always DOUBLE CHECK that our water hose is inserted into the right hole.
Okay, now that we're all revealing our innermost embarassing moments, here is another bomb.
We went camping in southern BC. Finally picked the best of the worst sites left. I got everything set up and got to the task of hooking up our sewer, water and power. (The story actually starts the week before we left) I had gotten a new black water cable put on the gate valve for the sewer on the RV.
Squatting in front of the wash bay, I unscrewed the cap on my sewer to hook up the sewer hose and to my shear horror, filled my water station compartment full of the foulest smelling conglomeration I had ever come across.
You guess it...100% raw, unrefined sewage. Yes that's right. That nasty word nobody wants to say let alone have to deal with...(edited). It's obvious that the newly installed cable didn't close the gate valve.
This is a BIG problem.
Even more so when I noted that my rubber gloves, my savior from what would have made the handling of the situation a bit more bearable were laying in the bottom of the compartment.
Both My wife and Daughter yelled out in unison, "What is that awful smell?"
They thought our dog had dropped a bomb but couldn't find any evidence.
I yelled out "Don't worry about it, I've got it under control!" Trying not to bring unwanted attention.
"Ya right", I think to myself. I felt like every camper in the resort now had their eyes on me as the smelly conglomeration glooped onto the ground. I quickly hooked up my water hose and washed down the compartment, hoses, controls and accumulated pile on the ground.
In a few minutes, it was gonna be nothing more than just another memory ingrained in the annals of my holiday experiences.
Bonnie asked me if I wanted a drink. I said "yes". She said "are you ready to have dinner"? I said "Give me a few minutes"!
So it was decided (by some outside source) that a shower was going to be needed!
After the needed shower and rinse, I couldn't find my shaving bag with all my travel/bath accessories. I asked my wife where she might have put it.
She replied "I didn't see it".
Having been with My wife for about 18 years, this usually means that she had it and put it somewhere and doesn't remember where she put it.
This set in motion a search not unlike that of an FBI investigation. I tore apart the RV in search of the black bag and came up empty handed.
Suddenly, my hopes and visions of looking like "Adonis of the Campground" were hopelessly dashed.
Now, I know that most of you out there wonder what my secret is for looking and smelling the way I do when you see me (be nice now) but, the secret is simple and can be described in one word..."Product".
I know most of you guys will never admit it, but if we all laid our shaving kits on the table exposed for the world to see, I can bet there would be a cornucopia of products in there that would make most women envious! Hair products, skin products, shaving products, medicinal products and the list goes on.
Not having this with me for 4 more days is going to be a BIG problem!!!
Without this bevy of transformation aids, it can turn any man into looking like a Hobo in a matter of a couple of days. I (and my face) have become accustomed to using an electric razor. I embarked on this method of shaving for one simple reason. I'm a bleeder! Anytime I have tried to use any type of sharp object to remove the hair on my face, I look like I just ran into "Freddie Kruger" in a dark alley. I probably use a whole roll of toilet paper trying to stem the bleeding.
As for the rest of the things required, my wife offered me the use of her things, (naturally she remembers where she put them) however, this presents a whole new set of problems. I use non-scented soaps so I don't smell like a lilac tree or a rose garden. As for anti-perspirant I again opt for a more manly scent than something floral. The shampoo part wasn't that bad however, without Gel, my hair will look like a Jimmy Hendrix do - A frizzed out, uncontrolled ball of hair.
So, I embarked on the inevitable, making use of what I could, doing without what I could and buying what was available from the resort store (which was minimal). But Hey! We're camping and roughing it.
Somewhere my situation fits in with this description. Looking at the other patrons at the resort, it would appear that they too, forgot their shaving kits!
-- Edited by Dogpatch on Tuesday 22nd of April 2014 07:49:02 AM
-- Edited by Dogpatch on Tuesday 22nd of April 2014 07:51:59 AM
LOL I am loving this thread! I decided to visit the forum with coffee in hand this morning. I haven't stopped laughing and fondly smiling at the memories of the last 7 years.
One of the Class of 2014 here - 6 mos, Knock on wood, we're still good! (so far...)