Rookie move.... Again!

[Anmacc2]

Okay, I've been RVing for forty years! Yet, every trip DW and/or I make at least one stupid rookie move. This time I didn't tighten down the hatch on my LP tank cover and it blew off. Never anything major, thankfully. But always one!!! Please tell me I'm not the only one!!!

[Old-Biscuit]

Listen, after RVng for forty years and you are still getting the 'wiggle and flash'.....who cares about the rookie mistakes :B

[Veebyes]

Must have setup over a thousand times but still go to put leveling boards under wheels on the wrong side every once in awhile.

One would think that getting something as basic as that would be automatic without thought by now.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Anmacc2 wrote:


Okay, I've been RVing for forty years!

It's OK to be green, but don't be evergreen!

Just keep working on it..;)

~

[CavemanCharlie]

I just don't use a propane tank cover so that solves the problem of it blowing off. I just keep the tanks and holder spray painted up nice.

[CavemanCharlie]

Dog Folks wrote:

pira114 wrote:
Amateur hour as far as mistakes go! Try this one:

One of my favorite spots is very un-level front to back. Front needs to be pretty high to get level. So the ground slopes down towards the truck. See where this is going yet?

Yup, I forgot to chock the wheels. As it was coming off the ball, it started rolling right at me and my wife. We caught the trailer (not really). A 26 footer ain't light, especially a 1987 Wilderness. We both took a good hit, but luckily the truck is what really caught it. Snagged the trailer hitch on the bumper. Chocked the wheels, used a jack to get it back where it belonged, and then looked around to see who was laughing.

Now THAT'S a stupid mistake.

GO one better. True story.

O.K. Here is the rest of the story, but I’m not proud of it.

It was the first summer we were retired maybe our fifth or sixth stop since hitting the road. Now we have been camping on weekends and vacations for over thirty years, and owned 4 travel trailers before this one. So we knew all about full time living. Yeah right. Thinking back on those days my wife and laugh hysterically at how naïve we were.

Pulled into a campground checked in, got our site assigned. Had a long straight back in to the site. Checked it all out before starting in. Well, the site LOOKED level. My wife and I used our radios, got the trailer backed in one swing. Man we are good!

She said I ‘m going inside to set up. I replied that I would set up the outside and unhook. Take safety chains off, Unhook the electrical plug. Jack up tongue to relive pressure on WD bars, and remove. Lower tongue, release latch and raise tongue to dis engage off the ball.

That was when the trouble started. The tongue came off the ball and the trailer started rolling away from the truck, at a pretty good clip, towards the back of the site and a 20 foot drop off.

Know what? You can’t stop an 8,000 pound trailer from rolling by grabbing the tongue and hanging on. The trailer just drags you! Wife is screaming, over and over, from inside: “STOP!” Well, I tried; after all I grabbed the jack didn’t I?

After about ten feet the jack dug into the soft dirt enough to stop the trailer. Wife comes out of the trailer and we had a discussion about why this happened.

Today, when we enter a campsite, I drive and my wife guides me. When the trailer is in position, I am not allowed out of the truck until my wife sets the chocks. I also have to put the truck in neutral first to prove nothing is going to roll.

Oh yeah, the wife now sets up the outside. I do the inside.

I did something very similar.

I had a TT once with a single axle. I unhooked went inside and walked toward the back of the trailer. When I did the front of the trailer came off of the ground and started to roll down the hill toward the lake, WITH ME INSIDE IT.

I ran the the front of the trailer where the door was and that caused the jack to come back down and it dug into the dirt. Thankfully, the park was almost empty and no one saw it happen.

[Dog_Folks]

pira114 wrote:
Amateur hour as far as mistakes go! Try this one:

One of my favorite spots is very un-level front to back. Front needs to be pretty high to get level. So the ground slopes down towards the truck. See where this is going yet?

Yup, I forgot to chock the wheels. As it was coming off the ball, it started rolling right at me and my wife. We caught the trailer (not really). A 26 footer ain't light, especially a 1987 Wilderness. We both took a good hit, but luckily the truck is what really caught it. Snagged the trailer hitch on the bumper. Chocked the wheels, used a jack to get it back where it belonged, and then looked around to see who was laughing.

Now THAT'S a stupid mistake.

GO one better. True story.

O.K. Here is the rest of the story, but I’m not proud of it.

It was the first summer we were retired maybe our fifth or sixth stop since hitting the road. Now we have been camping on weekends and vacations for over thirty years, and owned 4 travel trailers before this one. So we knew all about full time living. Yeah right. Thinking back on those days my wife and laugh hysterically at how naïve we were.

Pulled into a campground checked in, got our site assigned. Had a long straight back in to the site. Checked it all out before starting in. Well, the site LOOKED level. My wife and I used our radios, got the trailer backed in one swing. Man we are good!

She said I ‘m going inside to set up. I replied that I would set up the outside and unhook. Take safety chains off, Unhook the electrical plug. Jack up tongue to relive pressure on WD bars, and remove. Lower tongue, release latch and raise tongue to dis engage off the ball.

That was when the trouble started. The tongue came off the ball and the trailer started rolling away from the truck, at a pretty good clip, towards the back of the site and a 20 foot drop off.

Know what? You can’t stop an 8,000 pound trailer from rolling by grabbing the tongue and hanging on. The trailer just drags you! Wife is screaming, over and over, from inside: “STOP!” Well, I tried; after all I grabbed the jack didn’t I?

After about ten feet the jack dug into the soft dirt enough to stop the trailer. Wife comes out of the trailer and we had a discussion about why this happened.

Today, when we enter a campsite, I drive and my wife guides me. When the trailer is in position, I am not allowed out of the truck until my wife sets the chocks. I also have to put the truck in neutral first to prove nothing is going to roll.

Oh yeah, the wife now sets up the outside. I do the inside.

[mgirardo]

In 10 years of RVing, I've only had one rookie mistake, knock on wood. I left the TV antenna up. Camp host flagged me down at the dumpster to let me know.

-Michael

[wannavolunteerF]

I need to buy new screws for the LP tank hatch as I left mine undone on a trip last year. I put regular screws and wing nuts, but they are much more aggravating than the screws that were on the tank, so I really want to replace them. Just got to go to dealer and ask him to order the right ones.

[kyle86]

Anmacc2 wrote:

GoPackGo wrote:
When I am unhooking or hooking up, I do not want anyone around. I need to concentrate. I don't want to talk with anyone or answer any questions. .

DW and I do it together. The pro is its half the work. The con is we're never quite sure as to who did what. Also DW thinks it fun to, to, to..... How do I say this..... Wiggle and flash as we work to keep it interesting. Fun yes! Distracting yes! Efficient no! 😛

PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! .... The LP door that is 😉

[Anmacc2]

GoPackGo wrote:
When I am unhooking or hooking up, I do not want anyone around. I need to concentrate. I don't want to talk with anyone or answer any questions. .

DW and I do it together. The pro is its half the work. The con is we're never quite sure as to who did what. Also DW thinks it fun to, to, to..... How do I say this..... Wiggle and flash as we work to keep it interesting. Fun yes! Distracting yes! Efficient no! 😛

[Anmacc2]

pira114 wrote:
Amateur hour as far as mistakes go! Try this one:

One of my favorite spots is very un-level front to back. Front needs to be pretty high to get level. So the ground slopes down towards the truck. See where this is going yet?

Yup, I forgot to chock the wheels. As it was coming off the ball, it started rolling right at me and my wife. We caught the trailer (not really). A 26 footer ain't light, especially a 1987 Wilderness. We both took a good hit, but luckily the truck is what really caught it. Snagged the trailer hitch on the bumper. Chocked the wheels, used a jack to get it back where it belonged, and then looked around to see who was laughing.

Now THAT'S a stupid mistake.

WOW!!! That really did make me feel better about myself. You're a good friend! :W

[pira114]

Amateur hour as far as mistakes go! Try this one:

One of my favorite spots is very un-level front to back. Front needs to be pretty high to get level. So the ground slopes down towards the truck. See where this is going yet?

Yup, I forgot to chock the wheels. As it was coming off the ball, it started rolling right at me and my wife. We caught the trailer (not really). A 26 footer ain't light, especially a 1987 Wilderness. We both took a good hit, but luckily the truck is what really caught it. Snagged the trailer hitch on the bumper. Chocked the wheels, used a jack to get it back where it belonged, and then looked around to see who was laughing.

Now THAT'S a stupid mistake.

[NoVa_RT]

After a few times not securing doors, leaving something on the countertop, or not putting the fridge on the proper setting, I took a few minutes to put a Departure/Arrival Checklist on my cellphone, and I now make fewer rookie mistakes. Studies show that Checklists reduce errors - that's why pilots & now operating room personnel use them.

[GoPackGo]

When I am unhooking or hooking up, I do not want anyone around. I need to concentrate. I don't want to talk with anyone or answer any questions.

So far this has worked. The few times that I have been interrupted were the times that I almost made a mistake or forgot to do something.

Also, when I am finished hooking up, the last thing I do is a complete walk around of my 5er, looking at everything. And I take a look at my hitch from behind the tailgate to make sure everything looks good there too.

And I am NOT in a hurry.

[mlts22]

I did have my LP gas cover go flying... but that was when opened it, and found that over the summer, it became an apartment complex for a hive of wasps. Thankfully it was cold weather, so they were not active. My reaction tossed it a good distance for something as un-aerodynamic as that cover.