Just when you think you have checked everything

[Mark_and_Linda]

When you think you have checked everything, check it again! Last weekend I was on my way home from 10 days of camping at Defeated Creek Campground near Carthage, TN. I decided to take highway 70 to go home instead of the interstate. I was tooling down the road, looked in my rear view mirror and saw the emergency exit window glass blowing in the wind, like a wing. I was lucky that the rod did not poke a hole in the screen. When we were camping the DW wanted some air flow in the bedroom area so I opened the window and then thought I had closed it the next day. I did not make sure the rod was properly hooked back in the bracket. Something else to add to my checklist.

[mudpuppi]

WOW! Glad I'm not the only one! I hate those type of windows. Unfortunately, it was late at night when we hit the road so I never saw the window depart from the trailer (hope it did not hit anyone). Did not know until we got home and the DH opened the door and then told me that we needed a new blind cause one had fell apart and was all over the floor in pieces. My first thought was how could that be? Ended up replacing with an upgraded combination escape/slider window which is much better secured and since you can slide open for air you don't touch the emergency exit latches.

[pointbrze]

Mark and Linda wrote:
When you think you have checked everything, check it again! Last weekend I was on my way home from 10 days of camping at Defeated Creek Campground near Carthage, TN. I decided to take highway 70 to go home instead of the interstate. I was tooling down the road, looked in my rear view mirror and saw the emergency exit window glass blowing in the wind, like a wing. I was lucky that the rod did not poke a hole in the screen. When we were camping the DW wanted some air flow in the bedroom area so I opened the window and then thought I had closed it the next day. I did not make sure the rod was properly hooked back in the bracket. Something else to add to my checklist.

I'm a solo camper, so when I have camping visitors they always want to help. It's hard for me to tell them "no," so I give them something simple, like "police" the campsite for any trash, etc. I will have to make sure I check both windows with emergency rods.

By the way, we LOVE Defeated Creek Campground. Spent the first week of August out there!

[janechucknicode]

Mark and Linda wrote:

Lantley wrote:

opnspaces wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I had that same flapping wing issue on my prior TT. For some reason the bar would not stay secure. I ended up securing it with a cable tie! So much for the emergency escape!

Did you really permanently disable you emergency exit window? :E I just picture one of those night club or textile factory fires where the exit doors were chained shut.

I did read on here where someone uses a large binder clip to hold the rod latched. It seems like these would do the same job, and be easily removable if an emergency happens. link

Yes I secured the arm with a plastic zip tie.:o
I could have cut it off to exit in an emergency. Nevertheless the zip tie would have potentially delayed my emergency exit!:S
I have since traded that TT zip tie and all.:W

This makes me think about my airplane days, I need to use some breakaway copper wire on mine to make sure it is securely fastened. We used it on the emergency stuff.....

I drilled a 1/8" hole in the bar. then inserted a tent wire stake for a keeper. Works great to sleep wth the window open and prevents it from flipping open and slaMMMING down to wake you up.
Cheers

[Mark_and_Linda]

Lantley wrote:

opnspaces wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I had that same flapping wing issue on my prior TT. For some reason the bar would not stay secure. I ended up securing it with a cable tie! So much for the emergency escape!

Did you really permanently disable you emergency exit window? :E I just picture one of those night club or textile factory fires where the exit doors were chained shut.

I did read on here where someone uses a large binder clip to hold the rod latched. It seems like these would do the same job, and be easily removable if an emergency happens. link

Yes I secured the arm with a plastic zip tie.:o
I could have cut it off to exit in an emergency. Nevertheless the zip tie would have potentially delayed my emergency exit!:S
I have since traded that TT zip tie and all.:W

This makes me think about my airplane days, I need to use some breakaway copper wire on mine to make sure it is securely fastened. We used it on the emergency stuff.....

[Mark_and_Linda]

Taplep wrote:
Been there done that. Make sure you check the seal at the top of the outside window. When I had my 'bird wing' episode, it bent the outside frame (you could barely notice a gap) and allowed water to leak into the trailer. Ended up replacing the window instead of caulking since it sat under the roof gutter.

Need to go over mine again just to make sure, thanks for the info.

[flamingo139]

We just completed our second long distance trip with our tt. We have set up the same routine: wife inside, me outside. I just typed up a checklist to use in the future. Happy trails.

[herbhofmann]

BAMA_57 wrote:
At least you caught it before anything was damaged. On our first trip with our TT a lady pulled along side and told me I was about to lose our bicycles. I had mounted a bike rack at the rear bumper and the bikes were bouncing off the back of theTT. If she hadn't warned me no telling what I would have torn up. :S

I had the same thing happen. Back around 2003 we bought our first TT- a 1973 18ft. Prowler. I thought I was brilliant when I found one of those 2" receiver attachments and mounted it to the rear bumper of our Prowler. Didn't know that it wasn't a 4" square tube- it was a flat piece of sheet metal bent 3 times and spot welded at the inside bottom edge (and had 30 years to rust!). No one bothered to honk and let me know that the bike rack had twisted the bumper down and that my daughter's bike now had only 1 1/2 wheels! If I hadn't had the window down and finally heard the noise, who knows what damage would have been caused. I have visions of the Griswald's dog leash hanging from the bumper (think National Lampoon's Vacation LOL).

[Akeru]

This happened to us! My DD didn't latch it all the way or it "popped" out of position. I lost the screen, which I assume was knocked out by the handle. A couple of noodles were sucked out the window. Our entire trip we were on a busy road...and no one notified me we were losing things out the window!

I was lucky enough to find a salvaged replacement screen at a local CW.

[Lantley]

opnspaces wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I had that same flapping wing issue on my prior TT. For some reason the bar would not stay secure. I ended up securing it with a cable tie! So much for the emergency escape!

Did you really permanently disable you emergency exit window? :E I just picture one of those night club or textile factory fires where the exit doors were chained shut.

I did read on here where someone uses a large binder clip to hold the rod latched. It seems like these would do the same job, and be easily removable if an emergency happens. link

Yes I secured the arm with a plastic zip tie.:o
I could have cut it off to exit in an emergency. Nevertheless the zip tie would have potentially delayed my emergency exit!:S
I have since traded that TT zip tie and all.:W

[Lantley]

opnspaces wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I had that same flapping wing issue on my prior TT. For some reason the bar would not stay secure. I ended up securing it with a cable tie! So much for the emergency escape!

Did you really permanently disable you emergency exit window? :E I just picture one of those night club or textile factory fires where the exit doors were chained shut.

I did read on here where someone uses a large binder clip to hold the rod latched. It seems like these would do the same job, and be easily removable if an emergency happens. link

Yes I secured the arm with a plastic zip tie.:o
I could have cut it off to exit in an emergency. Nevertheless the zip tie would have potentially delayed my emergency exit!:S
I have since traded that TT zip tie and all.:W

[opnspaces]

Lantley wrote:
I had that same flapping wing issue on my prior TT. For some reason the bar would not stay secure. I ended up securing it with a cable tie! So much for the emergency escape!

Did you really permanently disable you emergency exit window? :E I just picture one of those night club or textile factory fires where the exit doors were chained shut.

I did read on here where someone uses a large binder clip to hold the rod latched. It seems like these would do the same job, and be easily removable if an emergency happens. link

[opnspaces]

Wow, one more thing to check before I depart. Glad it didn't damage your trailer or screen.

[profdant139]

We have a checklist that we check just as we are getting ready to roll. But sometimes we forget to look at the list. Sigh.

[dodge_guy]

I lost my exit window somwhere in southern GA or northern FL. My daughter must have bumped it while she was sleeping. We left very early in the am and i did not see it. Those windows are $$$$!