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cougar28's avatar
cougar28
Explorer
Jan 08, 2020

It could have went bad!

What's the single worst thing that you did or didn't do that could have really went bad but didn't?
Couple years ago first trip of the year. One of those spur of the moment trip-got in a hurry because getting off work late. Get home the DW already loaded most of the stuff. I jumped on the tractor and use the bucket to load and install the 5th wheel hitch. Get that done hook the rv up -do a walk around all is good and hit the road to the camp ground.
Get there all is good for the weekend- pack up head home. Get home park the rv in the carport-unhook and notice on a little table I have there my 4 hitch bed rail pins! Yep pull the rv 40 mile round trip with the hitch not pined to the bed rails.
  • I've only been RVing for about 4 years. Fortunately, I have not yet had one of those moments. I'll have to bookmark this thread just to remind me once in a while to take my time and double check everything.

    Coming home and finding the pins sitting on the table would freak me out.

    Mike
  • several years ago we were on a narrow 2-lane country road (no shoulders) in alabama. we were rounding a right-hand curve at approx 15-20 mph. at the apex of the curve we see that the right half of our lane is not there. no typical pothole. no pavement. period. approx 3’ wide, 20’ long and 6-8” deep. i slammed on the brakes but no way was i gonna stop in time. we rocked..twice. right front wheel went down and then back up before the right rear wheels went down. all i could holler to my wife was “hold on!” i won’t go into all the damage this caused but the pucker factor was significant.

    flash forward about a year. i had the damage to the slides, fridge mount, etc. repaired but not for a moment did i consider the tire alignment. the parking asst at our winter quarters was guiding us into our spot in Mesa, AZ when he suggested i take a look at my front tires. each had severe rubbing and tread loss and the steel belts were starting to protrude. shocked is an overused word but i was shocked. we put a lot of mileage on those tires since the encounter...central alabama to home (Chicago burbs), a trip from home to Dayton and back and then home to Mesa. lots of miles at interstate speeds. neither of my service shops alerted me and my pre-departure check of tires was cursory at best. i’ve decided to believe that most of the damage was done on that trip from home to Mesa but i have no one to blame but me and my stupidity. i had the front tires replaced (rears were ok) and a whole body alignment done. each side was approx 3/4 inch out of alignment. and i call myself a pilot. my pre-flights ARE thorough but after 34-seasons in the MH i became complacent. that will kill you.

    we were lucky. i shudder to think what could’ve happened...what i got away with...on the drive from Chicago to Mesa. my pre-departure tire inspections are a lot more thorough now.

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