I did it! Advice for others
Early in Sept. I was setting up in a camp site. I got backed in with no issues. I got the lynx levelers out and placed 4 of them, 2 under each tire on the curb side.
All was well but my son showed up and I had already pulled the pin and so I took a minute to talk to him. In the mean time the tires on the door side were chocked. I had the jacks down within a qurter in of touching my lynx leveler, 2 under each jack pad. I leave that much in case I have to get under the pin if it wont pull and I wont bend my jacks. This will change now. All the way down now and if I have to get under the pin a little more I will raise the jack a quarter inch. Anyhow, While talking I heard the curb side slide go out and my wife was operating it. As the slide reached the end of its travel, it jarred the 5er just enough that it began a series of events that nearly cost me my arm. I had my arm resting on the truck rail and out of the corner of my eye I saw the 5er start to slide back. It just brushed my arm and landed on the rails. There was no immediate damage but by the time I went to the jacks to lift it, the box began to collapse. Luckily I had put the jacks down enough that the ground took some of the weight. End result, 2500.00 damage. My deductible was 1000.00. My left arm priceless! I consider myself as experienced with towing anything, big, small wide, heavy and more than 18 wheels. But even the experienced can get complacent or distracted. I knew when he stopped I should have just finished my setup but I have COPD and it was an opportunity for me to catch my breath. So for the newbies or the experienced, when setting up, once the pin is pulled wheels chocked or not, it should be start to finish non stop when you pull the 5er pin. Especially if you have one side chocked and the opposite side on levelers. It creates a pivot point causing just what happened to me! This was a first for me in all my years of towing and it will not happen again. Just wanted to share so someone new or experienced doesn't lose an arm or their life. In the end, I told my wife that I was just sick over the truck, my baby! She was also upset and felt bad because she insisted we try that spot. None of this was her fault. She did everything just like always. I stressed for a half hour or so after I got set up and nearly two hrs later she is still stressing and concerned about the deductible and if the truck could be fixed. I told her that I was over it, stress is gone and that I was going to sit down here, crack open a cold one sit in my lawn chair and watch the lake and the world go by. When it gets too dark, I will come in and watch some television, and later go to bed and close my eyes like always and get a good nights sleep. In the morning, I will call GEICO and go from there. Less than 2 minutes on the phone and I was set up at their express repair in my area, the body shop warranties the work for as long as I own the truck. I took it in, got the estimate, set up repairs for Oct. 13 for a week. Two days after the insurance call, I have a check in the mail for 1400 and some odd dollars. I will pay my deductible upon picking up my truck and away I go. No stress, no fight with insurance, I have a loaner vehicle and I don't even have it as a first thought when I wake up, nor as a last thought at night! Life is good!
All was well but my son showed up and I had already pulled the pin and so I took a minute to talk to him. In the mean time the tires on the door side were chocked. I had the jacks down within a qurter in of touching my lynx leveler, 2 under each jack pad. I leave that much in case I have to get under the pin if it wont pull and I wont bend my jacks. This will change now. All the way down now and if I have to get under the pin a little more I will raise the jack a quarter inch. Anyhow, While talking I heard the curb side slide go out and my wife was operating it. As the slide reached the end of its travel, it jarred the 5er just enough that it began a series of events that nearly cost me my arm. I had my arm resting on the truck rail and out of the corner of my eye I saw the 5er start to slide back. It just brushed my arm and landed on the rails. There was no immediate damage but by the time I went to the jacks to lift it, the box began to collapse. Luckily I had put the jacks down enough that the ground took some of the weight. End result, 2500.00 damage. My deductible was 1000.00. My left arm priceless! I consider myself as experienced with towing anything, big, small wide, heavy and more than 18 wheels. But even the experienced can get complacent or distracted. I knew when he stopped I should have just finished my setup but I have COPD and it was an opportunity for me to catch my breath. So for the newbies or the experienced, when setting up, once the pin is pulled wheels chocked or not, it should be start to finish non stop when you pull the 5er pin. Especially if you have one side chocked and the opposite side on levelers. It creates a pivot point causing just what happened to me! This was a first for me in all my years of towing and it will not happen again. Just wanted to share so someone new or experienced doesn't lose an arm or their life. In the end, I told my wife that I was just sick over the truck, my baby! She was also upset and felt bad because she insisted we try that spot. None of this was her fault. She did everything just like always. I stressed for a half hour or so after I got set up and nearly two hrs later she is still stressing and concerned about the deductible and if the truck could be fixed. I told her that I was over it, stress is gone and that I was going to sit down here, crack open a cold one sit in my lawn chair and watch the lake and the world go by. When it gets too dark, I will come in and watch some television, and later go to bed and close my eyes like always and get a good nights sleep. In the morning, I will call GEICO and go from there. Less than 2 minutes on the phone and I was set up at their express repair in my area, the body shop warranties the work for as long as I own the truck. I took it in, got the estimate, set up repairs for Oct. 13 for a week. Two days after the insurance call, I have a check in the mail for 1400 and some odd dollars. I will pay my deductible upon picking up my truck and away I go. No stress, no fight with insurance, I have a loaner vehicle and I don't even have it as a first thought when I wake up, nor as a last thought at night! Life is good!
