Ok, Time to Come Clean and Admit Our Screw-Ups

[Got_Dirt_]

Admit it - we've all done some pretty dumb stuff in the name of RVing. They say a wise man learns from his mistakes. I say a wiser man learns from other peoples mistakes.

So, here's an opportunity to be an honest man or woman and share our blunders in the spirit of alleviating another from undue suffering and shame.

To start it off here's just one of my recent faux pas.

During off season, I drain my hot water heater and remove the anode (don't ask why I bother, I just do). It rained so much here in California that water got into the opening where you screw in the anode and rusted up big-time. When it was time to get out of Dodge, I couldn't screw in the anode as the opening was so rusted. What a Dumb A$$!

Long story short, went to the homeless depot and bought one of these.


Click For Full-Size Image.

Cut some grooves so the crud had somewhere to go and voila! Home made thread chaser! Now i know this has been done by many before - it was a first for me and it worked out great.

Anyone else care to share?

[Campinfan]

rexlion wrote:
This reminds me of a joke. Someone once wrote, "We should all be humble enough to admit our faults. I'd certainly admit mine, if I had any." 🙂

That quote came from my wife.

[RedRollingRoadb]

chilly123 wrote:
Made my mistakes last season, going along the Oregon coast. Decided to stop at one of the lighthouses. The wife locked up the toad, getting ready to leave, I went to use the bathroom while she started up the toad and run through the transmission. I came out of the bathroom and we left. Went to stop at another place, got out and saw the headlights were on, told my wife she left the lights on. I walked back to turn them off only to hear the engine still running. Tried to open the door only to find it locked it's self??, the fear ran through us as we both realized that we didn't have a spare key??. Then we realize we are 30 miles to any town. Fortunately we found a lock smith in the town of bannon. The look on his face was priceless, as he exclaimed do you know your car is still running. I said yes henceforth that is why I am here, we now have a spare key for the toad. Same trip I also figured out not to listen to google maps, ended up on a logging road with the toad.

I do hope it was the town of Bandon!

[Toolguy5]

2015 during our winter trip South. When we reached Pennsicola Florida my check engine light came on in my 2006 2500 HD Silverado (Diesel). In stead of taking it to a GM dealer we took it to a nearby mechanic. Verified that one of the glow plugs was bad. Seeing how I had to have one replaced a few months earlier I said replace them all. That was second mistake. First mistake was taken it to him in first place. Well he broke one off. He ended up pulling head to get it out. I believe he did not torque head properly. On the way back home the head blew, stuck on I-65 for 4 hours waiting on Goodsam to send tow trucks.

[chilly123]

Made my mistakes last season, going along the Oregon coast. Decided to stop at one of the lighthouses. The wife locked up the toad, getting ready to leave, I went to use the bathroom while she started up the toad and run through the transmission. I came out of the bathroom and we left. Went to stop at another place, got out and saw the headlights were on, told my wife she left the lights on. I walked back to turn them off only to hear the engine still running. Tried to open the door only to find it locked it's self??, the fear ran through us as we both realized that we didn't have a spare key??. Then we realize we are 30 miles to any town. Fortunately we found a lock smith in the town of bannon. The look on his face was priceless, as he exclaimed do you know your car is still running. I said yes henceforth that is why I am here, we now have a spare key for the toad. Same trip I also figured out not to listen to google maps, ended up on a logging road with the toad.

[CA_Traveler]

Big screw up by parking under a cottonwood tree in a micro wind storm in a Colorado CG. The treetop 50' high and 4" diameter 15' hit the roof and scared the hel* out of us. That was the very bad news. The good news is that it landed flat between equipment and for whatever reasons did not damage the roof.

Guess how long it took us to move to a tree less site? Gorilla tape patched the holes in the A/C cover which was good for months. Later used fiberglass to repair the cover vs a new one.

[Walaby]

I dropped a knife and it cut my linoleum.

I suspect I have greater screw ups ahead of me.

Mike

[philandterri]

One of my many screw ups was when flushing the black waste tank. Forgot about it until water was running out the entrance door. Filled the tank out the commode down the floor out the door.
Also tore off my Max Air fan on a branch in the driveway.

[Cloud_Dancer]

You go to class and you learn the book. Then, you go to lab,......and THAT'S where you learn about life. Then, you get a job,....and learn how to cover up your screw-ups.

[Crabbypatty]

I never really had a screw up over the road but i have had my share of breakdowns. Tire side walls cracking, trailer brakes failing, fuel pump shorting out, front axle going. But my biggest was leaving my water hoses and extention cords home going to a cg where the mast are far away. After a trip to Wallyworld in another state, now I have two of everything....

[BobsYourUncle]

nomad.297 wrote:

Through all of my time at this site, Bob has had the best stories. I read everything I see posted by him because it is never time wasted. Bob is a humble man and is not afraid to make fun of himself. I wish I could be more like him.

Bruce

Thanks Bruce 🙂

May as well add a couple more....
Already mentioned here by a couple others, I too pulled the cork on my HWT when it was hot and under pressure. The tight turn on that big honkin anode rod should have been an indication that it was under pressure. Nope, not smart enough to figure that out. Almost broke my wrist when I tried hanging onto the 18" flex bar with the socket and the rod shot out like a missile. Of course I was right in front of it and lucky it spared the jewels, but I had to walk across the street to retrieve it. Then there was the big wet stain on the front of my pants and all that white gooey shcmoo all over me...

Forgot to latch the fridge door once... (OK, more than once) Got to my destination and most of the contents of the fridge were all over the floor. Eggs rolling around, jars of stuff, and nothing was broken, nothing that is except a full glass jar of pickled herring! :E Little rollmops and lots of juice all over the place. Ugh, that smelled bad for a while.

Left a roof vent open once, drove through Edmonton in a blinding thunderstorm, stopped for a break and had a lovely mess all over the table and floor and other stuff. Not sure where the vent lid got to but I'm sure it was on the highway a hundred or two miles back. Had to get up there in the pouring rain and tie a garbage bag around the thing until I could find a new lid. Used that as an excuse to put a Fantastic Fan in the hole instead.

Somebody mentioned a basketball hoop... Hmmm - yeah me too! Pulled up in front of a buddys house in Kelowna BC to pick him up for a fishing trip. Didn't see the neighbor kids hoop thing sticking out into the street. So I adjusted the angle of the hoop for him with the side of the TT. Put a big scrape and dent in the siding. Kid could now do a slam dunk easier with the nice bend I put in it for him. You're welcome! That was about 8 years ago. Pulled up in front of the same house last fall with a friends TT in tow. Saw the hoop this time. Same hoop, still in the same place it was last time I hit it. Same bend in it I put in 8 years prior. Made sure I didn't run into it this time. Not my TT, friend would be choked if I scraped it!! And besides that the kid is 8 years older and can reach the hoop easier.....

I love the RV lifestyle!!

[jplante4]

et2 wrote:
Put in my credit card and started pumping. After about 6 or 7 gallons I noticed the pump price was about 10 cents more than their advertising. I stopped pumping and went inside to inquire. They claimed they forgot to change it. I told them I wanted the advertised price. Not gonna happen.

This happened to me at a local station. They're supposed to change the road-visible last. When I went inside to pay, I mentioned that the board price was 4 cents lower than the pump price. He threw some change at me and said "Here's the difference." I told him that I could have called the attorney general and reported him, and next time I will.

[mdcamping]

Ever see a Truck & TT driving down town Pittsburgh PA? well that was me 10 yrs ago when I missed my exit, with white knuckles managed to find a hotel parking lot. Hotel attendant was kind enough to draw up some directions to get me back out of the city and back to the open roads!

Mike

[bbaker2001]

Have to chime in differently
45 yrs ago 5 months into marriage, and in USAF as avionics.
Had pulled a radar unit from EC121 to work on with my new wife watching.
My DW asked if it could be a fuse.
I replied I have a tech book to use. Unfolded 4 ft of pages to start tracing symptoms to impress wife. 3 hrs later found the fuse.

[N7SJN]

DW had one and I had another forgetting to make sure that the cargo doors were secured before moving the rig. Both required new doors, when they open at 60 mph the hinges just can't take the strain.