What`s your most boneheaded RV moment?

[2naEagle]

I have several myself.

This one happened to me a long time ago. Had a 24' trailer jacked it up pulled all the wheels got new tires. Put wheels back on lugs finger tight (had the old Dexter axle lugs) got side tracked. 5 miles from home Big Bump and wheel passes me on the drivers side.
Got lucky pulled over got the tire and took one lug off the other three and back on the road.
Had a hard time finding those Dexter bolts (back before internet).

[Woodworker]

Not so much an rv bonehead move but it involved doing something for our camping experience.
I decided to try and make a sign with my wood sign making kit to attach to a light post to set out when we go on our camp trips.
I bought the pvc, paint, the light fixture and so on. Because the fixture didn't fit exactly into the pvc tee I bought I used the available screws to secure it and then to keep the rain from pooling in the gap or running down into the stand I neately caulked the gap between the fixture and pvc. Everything was painted and the wood sign I made was attached. Only one thing left to do, attach one more sign below that one. In order to get the correct length I wanted I held the second sign below the wood sign. Forgetting, or just not thinking I turned and took a step over to my work bench to grab the cutters to cut the chain to length. Well the section of the floor were the base of the post was resting is not exactly flat. As I turned back around to cut the chain the light pole had already began its decent to the garage floor, and not in my direction.
After I stood it back up there was that last, rub it in my face piece of glass that fell out of the fixture. At that point I just had to walk away an leave everything as it was.


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[kndspd]

Hubby was having trouble lining up tow vehicle (Lincoln Navigator) with TT hitch. Got very frustrated and decided on a complete realignment. Threw it in reverse, backed up way to fast, and ran over a metal fire pit ring which promptly flipped up and put a huge dent in the back of the Navigator. All with lots of other campers watching.

[North of 49°]

This past weekend we were camping, with DW inside reading her book and I was outside grilling up some chicken for supper. The air conditioning was on in the trailer as was the stereo and a few other things, when suddenly I heard the telltale sound of a breaker popping and the A/C stopping, and the fridge switching over to gas. Uh oh, I thought, so I went over to the power pedestal and checked the breaker there. It was on. Everything in the trailer is running on battery power except the A/C, microwave and television. All of our breakers and fuses seem to be good, so DW wanders over and asks the neighbour. His power is good, so we go to the campground office to talk to them. The guy on duty is alone, but when his relief comes in in an hour, he'll stop by and see what he can do.

So we go back to our site and neighbour comes over. "Do you have a circuit tester?" I do, but it's at home. "Did you check the breaker on the back of the pedestal?" There's one on the back? "Yeah, here it is." *click*

I check the trailer and everything is back to normal. This particular pedestal is a combo 30 amp/50 amp, with a dual breaker on the front for both the 30 amp and 50 amp receptacles and a master breaker on the back -- which apparently I didn't know even existed. We thank the neighbour for his help, he pats our dog and goes back to his site.

About half an hour later it happens again. Something is wrong here. I switch both the fridge and water heater over to gas and reset the breaker, while playing with the idea that the power supply is good enough for the A/C and all of the other incidentals, but another load that's heavy enough, like the water heater, comes online, then it's enough to pop the breaker.

The part attendant arrives and I discuss this with him. He can't do too much because it's working, but we thank him anyway, he pats the dog and leaves.

So we left the water heater on gas for a while until the evening got cool enough that we didn't need the A/C, and then switched everything back. It's strange that we had no problems for the first half of the weekend, but it happened during the second half. My theory is that it was warmer on that particular day, so the A/C was running more than it did before and drawing more current, plus the pedestal was in full sun all day to warm it up even more. And who knows how old the breaker is? I know they do wear out over time.

[Camper_bob]

I got a new one (or more) on our maiden voyage in the 29MV.

I hooked up my YJ (our toad for this particular adventure) to the MH, just as I have a few times before on the back of the truck. I hop in to put the transfer case in neutral and transmission in 5th (as per the manual). I throw the levers where they're supposed to be (I thought) and call it good. We get to the first stoplight and start to take off and the YJ is "chugging". Uh oh, something's not right, I must not have gotten the TC in neutral. Pull over, fire up the Jeep, start to let the clutch out and sure enough, engine lugs; the TC is NOT in neutral. I reach down and pull the TC lever smartly back and it clicks into the right position, let the clutch all the way out with trans in 5th and get a nice smooth idle. That's it, got in neutral this time for sure!!

I realized that's why you tow 4-down with the trans in 5th. In the short distance to that stoplight, I had attained 60 mph. I shudder to think what would've happened if I'd had it in first!!

On the way home, I didn't pay attention to how I routed the magnetic brake lights and lost the pigtail. Oh well. Luckily LEOs left me alone the rest of the way home that day.

Both were the best kinds of boneheaded mistakes; nothing expensive broke beyond repair, and our trip was still intact!

[triplebvalp]

I haven't read all the posts so, sorry if this is a repeat by someone else. After our last camping adventure, I backed the FW into the drive, put the TV in park, got out and pulled the lever (on my Reese 16K Titan hitch) to unlock the hitch jaws. Didn't notice anything odd at that particular moment.


Walked to the basement door and retrieved 4 wheel chocks and put them under the FW wheels. Walked back to the truck to lower the tailgate and noticed the FW had slide off the hitch and into my tailgate, moving the tailgate about an inch.


I was unable to open the tailgate since it had so much pressure on it. Lowered the front landing gear on the FW and raised it far enough to take the pressure off the tailgate and opened the tailgate in order to finish the parking job.


Fortunately, it didn't bend the tailgate and I was able to re-adjust it back to where it needed to be. Moral of story …. ALWAYS chock the wheels of the FW BEFORE touching the hitch.

[Woodworker]

I always wondered about that. I used to drive a tow truck for a livin and we never towed anything without either the drive wheels off the ground or removing the driveshaft. I never understood how people drug vehicles behind their camper without tearing something up.

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I got a new one (or more) on our maiden voyage in the 29MV.

I hooked up my YJ (our toad for this particular adventure) to the MH, just as I have a few times before on the back of the truck. I hop in to put the transfer case in neutral and transmission in 5th (as per the manual). I throw the levers where they're supposed to be (I thought) and call it good. We get to the first stoplight and start to take off and the YJ is "chugging". Uh oh, something's not right, I must not have gotten the TC in neutral. Pull over, fire up the Jeep, start to let the clutch out and sure enough, engine lugs; the TC is NOT in neutral. I reach down and pull the TC lever smartly back and it clicks into the right position, let the clutch all the way out with trans in 5th and get a nice smooth idle. That's it, got in neutral this time for sure!!

I realized that's why you tow 4-down with the trans in 5th. In the short distance to that stoplight, I had attained 60 mph. I shudder to think what would've happened if I'd had it in first!!

On the way home, I didn't pay attention to how I routed the magnetic brake lights and lost the pigtail. Oh well. Luckily LEOs left me alone the rest of the way home that day.

Both were the best kinds of boneheaded mistakes; nothing expensive broke beyond repair, and our trip was still intact!

[North of 49°]

Originally Posted by Woodworker

I always wondered about that. I used to drive a tow truck for a livin and we never towed anything without either the drive wheels off the ground or removing the driveshaft. I never understood how people drug vehicles behind their camper without tearing something up.

It does happen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZFCHk1XCDY

[Woodworker]

Originally Posted by North of 49°

It does happen:

Holy.......! And he kept goin after knowing about it!!

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Woodworker

Holy.......! And he kept goin after knowing about it!!

What is really sad is that no one else told him.

By the way, When I park my trailer, 1st thing I ALWAYS DO is chock the wheels, then put my Tow Vehicle in neutral and let everything roll up against the chocks, put the Tow Vehicle in park and reseat the chocks again.
Never had my trailer roll after it was disconnected at all.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Woodworker

I always wondered about that. I used to drive a tow truck for a livin and we never towed anything without either the drive wheels off the ground or removing the driveshaft. I never understood how people drug vehicles behind their camper without tearing something up.

The others are right, stuff does get torn up sometimes if you're not careful. And that's the moral of my story; ALWAYS verify that the transfer case is in fact in neutral by putting the vehicle in gear and letting off the brake or easing out the clutch (my Grand Cherokee has an auto trans, so the manual says put trans in reverse, let off the brake and ensure there is no movement to verify the TC is in fact in neutral).

The Wrangler is actually pretty darn easy to flat tow without doing damage, and that's why you see so many of them behind motorhomes. My Grand Cherokee will be ever so slightly more difficult, but MUCH more expensive given all the equipment needed to do it right. Both are A LOT easier than DW's Acadia would be. All three vehicles are capable of being towed 4-down, but have different procedures to enable them to be flat-towed.

[Woodworker]

I'd probably be too worried to do that. Knowing me I would either unhook the linkage to the transmission and then the transfer case or just drop the drive shafts. I'd be worried the whole way something was goin to lock up.

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

The others are right, stuff does get torn up sometimes if you're not careful. And that's the moral of my story; ALWAYS verify that the transfer case is in fact in neutral by putting the vehicle in gear and letting off the brake or easing out the clutch (my Grand Cherokee has an auto trans, so the manual says put trans in reverse, let off the brake and ensure there is no movement to verify the TC is in fact in neutral).

The Wrangler is actually pretty darn easy to flat tow without doing damage, and that's why you see so many of them behind motorhomes. My Grand Cherokee will be ever so slightly more difficult, but MUCH more expensive given all the equipment needed to do it right. Both are A LOT easier than DW's Acadia would be. All three vehicles are capable of being towed 4-down, but have different procedures to enable them to be flat-towed.

[Roux 'b Doux]

Being very new to camping in anything but a tent, I have only had time to go out once since getting my popup with only one problem but not a goof. However I have been doing a lot of work on the Beast, so...

Just the other day I was trying to remove the goo left from the removal of the decals, with difficulty. I had a brain storm, or phart, depending on your view point, and decided that the adhesive remover I got for the floor would possibly work. I did this without testing a small corner or other not noticeable place. It did work, but is also somehow, while removing years of grime and the goo from the vinyl, turn the area cleaned a lovely sage green. Probably a bad thing.

Knowing me and Murphy's relationship to me, I'm sure I'll have more goofs soon. Just give it a few weeks, months at most and you will undoubtedly be reading more from here.

[txbonds]

After making fun of all the pictures of people dragging their slinky hose down the road, we had someone flag us down one day and sure enough I was that guy. The bumper end cap fell out and I was dragging about 18 of 20’ of slinky hose by the time I got stopped. Had to toss it too as the road scrapped holes all in it. Boy was I embarrassed but get a good laugh these days and try never to laugh to much at others incidents lest they happen to me too.

[Woodworker]

Had a pop up for years. Goof Off and Oxyclean where my best friends. Oxyclean on the canvas works great and doesn't affect it at all

Originally Posted by Roux 'b Doux

Being very new to camping in anything but a tent, I have only had time to go out once since getting my popup with only one problem but not a goof. However I have been doing a lot of work on the Beast, so...

Just the other day I was trying to remove the goo left from the removal of the decals, with difficulty. I had a brain storm, or phart, depending on your view point, and decided that the adhesive remover I got for the floor would possibly work. I did this without testing a small corner or other not noticeable place. It did work, but is also somehow, while removing years of grime and the goo from the vinyl, turn the area cleaned a lovely sage green. Probably a bad thing.

Knowing me and Murphy's relationship to me, I'm sure I'll have more goofs soon. Just give it a few weeks, months at most and you will undoubtedly be reading more from here.

[Roux 'b Doux]

Originally Posted by Woodworker

Had a pop up for years. Goof Off and Oxyclean where my best friends. Oxyclean on the canvas works great and doesn't affect it at all

Even though I avoid Oxyclean on principle (commercials make me crazier) I'll give it a try when I get there, meaning that part of the scrubbing. Goof Off goes on the list to try.

Goo-Gone just melted the paint on my 1/2 door, you'd think I'd learn to test a product first.

Murphy has a bed in my spare room, he's a constant visitor.

[Woodworker]

Maybe it was Goo Gone I was thinkin of. It worked good for me when I removed what was left of the Viking decals. It did remove a little of the "crud" that was built up from being pounded by the sun and through age but the new decal covered it just fine.
Good luck with it, I remember those days of cleanin all too well. But after about 6 yrs the canvas looked just as good as when I bought it so it was worth it.

Originally Posted by Roux 'b Doux

Even though I avoid Oxyclean on principle (commercials make me crazier) I'll give it a try when I get there, meaning that part of the scrubbing. Goof Off goes on the list to try.

Goo-Gone just melted the paint on my 1/2 door, you'd think I'd learn to test a product first.

Murphy has a bed in my spare room, he's a constant visitor.

[spook]

Finally made it through this entire thread! So now, it's my turn with just one of so many boneheads:

Our first outing with our first TT it poured down rain all night. I slept easy having done my homework and knew the awning needed to be tilted down on one end. The following morning I realized I had not tilted the awning quite far enough to shed all the water. There was a small pool at the far end. I asked my middle son (a grown man now, probably 13 at the time) who happened to be standing at that end to pull that side down further. He did... and promptly received about 3 gallons of water directly to the face! I sincerely felt awful for the oversight of not thinking to fully explain to him why I had asked him to make the adjustment.

We laugh about it to this day, but whenever he tells the story he starts by explaining how Dad ever so cleverly set him up for a good soaking.

[travelingjw]

Wow, should have read your post first. I did exactly the same thing. Why didn't you tell me????

[TxLoser]

I topped myself on our last trip. We we’re on our way home and decided enroute to change plans and spend a night or two at a state park on the way. Before committing, I wanted to drive the campground. We did that. Then, after looking at google maps, decided to check out the beach area. A narrow two lane. Water on both sides and a small loop to turn around at the end. Looks good on google.

That ordeal ended with my wife walking behind the trailer on her phone to communicate with me in the Arkansas heat for a good quarter mile as I backed up the truck and fiver. Trying to avoid pedestrians and stopping to allow cars to go around me from both directions.

Turns out that two lane was packed with cars on both sides and the turn around had so many vehicles, there’s no way I could have made it around. The good news is I saw the impending disaster at the turn around coming. That would have been much worse.