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First time happening

GHOST1750
Explorer
Explorer
I was driving North on Interstate 5 in Ca. and a FED X semi passed me and honked. My wife said :why is he honking" I checked and I was well on my side, then he started flashing his rear lights. I checked all mirrors but nothing showed so when I got where it was safe to pull off I did. Walked around to the back of the coach and checked the tow. Everything looked good until I stuck my head around the back of the coach to check the left side. One of may basement doors was open. Thanks FED X. God protects fools and drunks and I don't drink.
Just Don and a Chiuahua called Dulce
2003 39' Tradewinds LE
2002 Cavalier tow
Korean Veteran, USAF
FMCA F357981
CC4C
GOOD SAM

Life is a journey, not a destination !
32 REPLIES 32

hipower
Explorer
Explorer
Sometimes mechanical failures are the cause, but most times I find that things like many have described here are simply human error. Or possibly not taking time to do that last slow walk around, while checking all of things we are sure we did correctly. I grab every compartment door to assure myself that they are closed and latched securely. Grab the tow bar arms and look at the pins, etc. Just to make sure and yet there is always that one time when you miss something and when you look back you realize you were just plain dumb or in too big of a hurry to get going.

Like most things in life, it's not if you have ever done these things, it's usually a case of when are we going to do these foolish things. It's just life, hope for the best and deal with the rest.

down_home
Explorer II
Explorer II
TV antennas? Left our up a few times but caught it before leaving campground excpt once. Hit some limbs but didn't damage it.
Today pass a MH on I24 headed east. Half his antenna was sticking kinda straight up and flopping a bit. I don't know if the other wing was now through the roff or broken but the shaft sure was bent over or broken.
Left the awning over the door out in Shreiveport, fortunately Rally Staff stopped us a we were about to go by office.
Yes we do the walk around, once each or twice together.
Last year new tires on toad. Well it was bound to happen left trans in park.
About 10 ft from all four tires or rich black rubber on the surface.
Yes we check each other on that too but....
In Michigan let the power cord from coach drag. Road ground it it just about clean half. Always carry extra bungie cords to make sure power and air hose is tight to hitch arms.
We have seen coolers, lots of folding chairs, black water totes, sewer hoses, bicycles,wheel covers,assorted stuff from one of those rear hitch load platforms, or whatever they are called. About the only thing we haven't seen is a set of false teeth. A water hose dragging from a compartment.
Almost forgot we lost some quilts, wife made and some other things on I24 or 65. Bay door on passenger side opened.
It pays to have your CB on sometimes.

atperci
Explorer
Explorer
Coming back from seeing the eclipse in Oregon last year, we were in far Eastern Oregon trying to avoid all the post-eclipse drive home craziness (friends of ours were stuck in a traffic jam for almost 12 hours.) We were some of few that went way out of the way (at least 150 miles, by my guess) to avoid that traffic. On one stretch of two lane highway a 30'ish foot fifth wheeler past us, as he did we noticed his A/C shroud flapping in the wind. About 5 minutes later we come across the remains of that shroud strewn across the highway.

Well, we got to the only gas station within a hundred miles or so and that same fifth wheel is in line in front of us. As he's having his gas pumped I get out to let him know what happened and hear him talking in a rather annoyed tone to the pump attendant.

Needless to say, he didn't take the news of his lost shroud very well, muttering some profanity under his breath. I didn't care, I could tell it wasn't directed at me, as I walked away I said "You're welcome" and I hear a mumbled, straining to be as pleasant as he could possibly muster, "Thanks."

I would at least like to think that maybe my courtesy helped change his attitude from that point forward. Maybe.

Oh, by the way, our friends stuck in traffic jam arrived home about 30 minutes before we did, having left about the same time. They slept in their car on the side of the highway for 3 hours, while had about 7 hours of sleep in our motorhome. The joys of RVing!

atperci
Explorer
Explorer
We were driving North from San Diego a few years ago going through L.A., my wife had taken the road to make a run by Randy's Donuts (a favorite stop the kids love to make) and I was heading up I-5. We had disconnected the car before the 5/405 split and I stowed everything, or so I thought.

About half way to Calabasas, a just past Disneyland, I noticed a young girl staring at us in a car as it past the MH. She made a motion that I didn't quite get at the time. When we stopped to hook the car back up, I found out that I never securely attached the safety cables after I disconnected them from car.

I had been dragging them behind me for over 60 miles and the only person that bothered to even try to tell me this? An elementary aged girl riding in the backseat of her parent's car. I wasn't surprised, after all it is L.A.! I did wonder if she actually noticed it or did her parents. In which case they must have said thing, but didn't bother to let me know.

Oh well, the cables are still useable, the road rash just made them nice and shiny.

Cocky_Camper
Explorer II
Explorer II
That is good that someone was behind you to warn you. We were going to Darlington for the NASCAR race. We had my parents motorhome, my grandpaw was following in his motor home, and a friend going with his was following him, which was a few miles behind. When we stopped to eat, the friend asked if we lost any green chairs. I didn't have green chairs and my grandpaw didn't say anything. We got to darling to set up camp, and my grandpaw didn't have buy one chair out of 6 that was in the basement storage compartment. Needless to say, his door wasn't latched. And my grandpaw even said a car was blowing the horn at some point, and he just assumed the driver was mad because he was doing 50mph on a 55mph road.

I was driving home from the beach a few weeks ago, and happened to look in my mirror, and my awning pull down rod was still hanging in my strap lapping in the wind as I was going 60mph. No one warned me about that. Thank the good lord that it didn't come off and go through a windshield and that I saw it. This was about 30 miles after departure.
2004 Sea Breeze by National RV - 8341

Former Coaches:
2006 Keystone Zeppeline 291 - TT
2000 Aerolite Cub F21 - Hybrid TT
1991 Coleman Pop Up

Formerly known as: hybrid_camper

Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Explorer
xctraveler wrote:
Too may experiences both from me and for me over 17 years and 220k miles. Most recent an "executive" Prevost was parked next to me in a rest area and I noted a compartment door was open. I spoke to a passenger and he couldn't be bothered. Then I saw the driver in his seat and got his attention. He came out and closed that and checked all the other compartment doors before stopping to thank me.


Depending on what year the Prevost, there is a warning on the dash to tell you that a bay door is open (don't ask me how I know) :S

It will also tell me if a window is open. We only have four windows that open on the 'house side', two in the living room and two in the bedroom and they are electrically operated.

MM.
Mr.Mark
2021.5 Pleasure Way Plateau FL Class-B on the Sprinter Chassis
2018 Mini Cooper Hardtop Coupe, 2 dr., 6-speed manual
(SOLD) 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach, 45 ft, 500 hp Volvo
(SOLD) 2008 Monaco Dynasty, 42 ft, 425 hp Cummins

MetalGator
Explorer III
Explorer III
imgoin4it wrote:
If the hinge on bin door is on the front of the door that opens horizontally as opposed to vertical , the wind while driving will keep the door โ€œclosedโ€, at least it will look closed from the rear view mirror. Now when one stops, turner a corner or just goes slow enough it will open.


I had this happen to me recently. I was driving on the interstate in the right lane when a car came up to me and started pointing towards the back of the motorhome. I looked in the mirrors and didn't see anything but pulled over. Once I started to slow down the door (horizontal as you described) started to open. I had driven about 10 miles at the time and never saw it in the mirror. The wind kept it closed for the most part.

Burch
2018 Miramar 35.3 Motorhome
3 fur kids (Monty, ZuZu and Pinto)
Rainbow bridge (Murphy, Petie, Lola)

fishingbob61
Explorer
Explorer
And if all of you had a CB radio and it was turned on. That is why we should bring CBs back and monitor ch 19 for truckers and ch13 for RVs
Bob and Sue
51 years camping
2005 Fleetwood Bounder DP
2004 Chevy. Tahoe

xctraveler
Explorer
Explorer
Too may experiences both from me and for me over 17 years and 220k miles. Most recent an "executive" Prevost was parked next to me in a rest area and I noted a compartment door was open. I spoke to a passenger and he couldn't be bothered. Then I saw the driver in his seat and got his attention. He came out and closed that and checked all the other compartment doors before stopping to thank me.
Paul
2012 Phaeton 36QSH on Freightliner Chassis with a Cummins 380 pushing it. 2011 Cherry Red Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with US Gear Unified Tow Brake System. Check out my blog
FMCA 352081 SKP# 99526

handy2sum
Explorer
Explorer
a bit delayed from initial post but... went for a "test drive" last week after DH made a few adjustments to steering. All seemed fine as we drove down our hill (~1 mi of narrow curving road)and turned left on the main road. As we made a right turn at the intersection heard a loud noise. As DH pulled to side of road about half a block from intersection he said basement door on driver's side opened (could see it in the mirrors) - I said sounded like more as I headed out the door. There was our joey bed - the one that goes all the way through - in the middle of the road/intersection. As I started running for the intersection saw fellow in pick-up pull over and drag it to the sidewalk. He jumped back in his truck and waved as he drove off. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers. And thank goodness this happened at low speeds and nothing and nobody was damaged/hurt. Still not quite sure what happened or how the latch mechanism on the tray slide got past all the catches/stops/blocks. No matter, we have now added positive blocking to all slide out basement trays to be used when traveling!

road_glide
Explorer
Explorer
I'm perfect. I always check all bay doors before moving locked and loaded. I know I'm perfect because underway my wife keeps asking..."Did you check the doors".."Can you see the doors" "Are any doors open".... ๐Ÿ˜›
2003 Safari Sahara 350HP Cummins ISC Allison 6 speed
Model 3753 - Triple Slide
2002 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 toad

hoosiermark
Explorer
Explorer
Followed a large class A and noticed something flopping around under his front engine compartment when he turned. Tried flashing the lights but he did not stop. Since we were on a very slow 2 lane highway, I passed him, sped up and then put my four way flashers on and stopped. I got out of the car and walked back to where he would stop. He slowly pulled up as I was pointing under his rig. He opened his window and I told him something was loose. When he figured out I had good intentions, he hopped out and found his auxiliary air hose had come unclipped. You got to love country roads where you can stop in the middle of the highway.

happy-2
Explorer
Explorer
After a while you will develop a system so before you pull out you will walk around and check your tow hitch, all your bay doors are closed tight, antenna is down, all jacks up thump all tires, and make sure you haven't left anything behind, like Surge protector,presure regulator.Travel Safe.

Passin_Thru
Explorer
Explorer
My entry door came open once in a parking lot. A friend caught it and just shut it and said OK Go! I was a little embarrassed.

No one can give you dirty looks, you're born with them.