New Adventure

[ventrman]

DW and I started our new Adventure yesterday. I have never pulled a 5th Wheel before. It is a learning Experience. We learn from our Mistakes. When we got to Ringold, Ga I misjudged a Turn and I smashed up the side Panel Door on the Steel Barrier at a Gas Station. I made an Insurance Claim. It is still towable. We were headed to a Campground in Savannah, GA. We are currently at the KOA in Calhoun, GA. Now the first thing we are doing is to go to the Camping World in Pooler, GA to get the 5th Wheel repaired. I will post an Update later.

[rtazz17]

Timay wrote:
Your post finally got me off my butt and registered! Been lurking for some time now...first post:

milo wrote:
Having been a SBDI & CDL Examiner for over 15 yrs, I have different reference points on the vehicles we drive to use when turning & when backing. Makes turning & backing easy. One just needs to find those points on what ever your driving & or towing.

So, how does one find those reference points? I think it's a great idea, but I have no idea how to implement it.

Thanks!

Tim

like driving your car.You know how close you are to the next car or wall by knowing your vehicle and looking at reference points on your vehicle.Rv is the same.Look where your tires are in relation to the curb etc when you begin your turn for starters.Experience will dictate what you use for your reference points.

[Timay]

Your post finally got me off my butt and registered! Been lurking for some time now...first post:

milo wrote:
Having been a SBDI & CDL Examiner for over 15 yrs, I have different reference points on the vehicles we drive to use when turning & when backing. Makes turning & backing easy. One just needs to find those points on what ever your driving & or towing.

So, how does one find those reference points? I think it's a great idea, but I have no idea how to implement it.

Thanks!

Tim

[milo]

Having been a SBDI & CDL Examiner for over 15 yrs, I have different reference points on the vehicles we drive to use when turning & when backing. Makes turning & backing easy. One just needs to find those points on what ever your driving & or towing.

[Allworth]

Ours was the wheel skirt on the driver's side. Second trip out. Traded the trailer two years later; still without a skirt on that side.

Several years later we found a gas station canopy that was high enough but had light fixtures hanging WAY down in the middle of the lanes. Luckily my wife had jumped out to go inside and yelled soon enough to warn me about a foot short of ripping either a light fixture or my A/C off.

You never stop learning.

[Ramblin_Recks]

TakingThe5th wrote:
I have convex mirrors on my TV and I adjust them so I can always see my 5er tires when I'm in a turn, and I've developed a habit of checking them all the time. That habit has saved the day several times. Hope your repairs go well and you enjoy your trip.

I do the same thing, and that got me wondering maybe I should affix another convex mirror so I can see the roof line of my 13-4 inch roof as we maneuver around campgrounds.....:h

Sorry to hear about your accident.

Reck

[ken_burke]

ventrman wrote:
DW and I started our new Adventure yesterday. I have never pulled a 5th Wheel before. It is a learning Experience. We learn from our Mistakes. When we got to Ringold, Ga I misjudged a Turn and I smashed up the side Panel Door on the Steel Barrier at a Gas Station. I made an Insurance Claim. It is still towable. We were headed to a Campground in Savannah, GA. We are currently at the KOA in Calhoun, GA. Now the first thing we are doing is to go to the Camping World in Pooler, GA to get the 5th Wheel repaired. I will post an Update later.

Well, buckle up. This may be your first "adventure", but it will not be your last. You can count on more adventures. We have been full timing for 4 years, and have had significant problems. Once a chain link gate did not stay open, and closed on our travel trailer. I looked back and saw a bunch of junk on the road. We tore off the side of the trailer that cost the insurance company $6000 to fix.
We have had 2 tire blow outs until we got new tires. I now use tire minder on the wheels, and an IR gun to tell the temps of the wheel bearings.


When backing up we hooked our auning and it had to be replaced. Be as careful as you can.

[TakingThe5th]

I have convex mirrors on my TV and I adjust them so I can always see my 5er tires when I'm in a turn, and I've developed a habit of checking them all the time. That habit has saved the day several times. Hope your repairs go well and you enjoy your trip.

Incidentally, you want to keep an eye on those gas station canopies as well. Most of them are high enough, which is the also the proem because it's that rare low-slung canopy that will get you big time. No, not a personal experience-it was a goofy cable strung between two posts that almost got me good.

[Jim-Linda]

If you have body damage, I don't think CW would be the place to take it.

Jim

[the_bear_II]

Sorry about the first crunch...hopefully that will be the last one. A tip is to begin the turn once you see the tires of the 5th wheel at or past the obstacle.

X2 Practice in an empty parking lot.

[fj12ryder]

Before I pulled ours any distance I spent the day in a large parking lot with several orange cones. I practiced turns and backing and using the mirrors.

However unless you pull one every day you're still liable to forget to turn wide enough, so what you did is not too unusual. At least it wasn't too bad.