My first boneheaded thing

[Rock]

So now we r full timing waiting on new house. We r on a grass dirt lot 90% dirt. So today time to relevel for a more solid feel. Made sure nothing under FW or around slides. Checked three times. Queen bed and we each have alarm clocks plugged in. Cord plenty long so I did not unplug. Standing at bedroom door switch I bring in bedroom slide and hear a ripping noise. Stop and reverse. Where I am standing just enough room for wall socket to clear. Other side no way. Ripped wall socket from wall. Good thing I stopped as soon as I heard the noise. Shut down power and no damage done. Repositioned socket screwed back in and faceplate covered up old holes. Looks like new.
Rock

[Crabman]

Stuff happens! This appears to be a mild bonehead case compared to many in the bonehead thread.☺

[BigJohnD]

Ripped a cabinet door off like that once, but luckily fixed right then after straightening hinges.

If you RV, it will happen. I could write a book on mine. I laugh at most and proud to admit I've done some dumb stuff over the years.

[norty1]

Everyone has done some seemingly dumb things. Some may be to embarrassing to talk about.

I was trying to think back on the first thing and I think I pulled out of a campsite in a motorhome w/o unplugging the power cord. Luckily it did no damage to anything but my pride as I drug it thru the campground for a ways.

[BigJohnD]

Done that too norty, except out of my shop. Luckily had a spare Marinco inlet to replace the one that suffered casualty. Was leaving for a trip so thank goodness I had a spare to fix real quick. And that's still not the worst I've done.

[TCNashville]

Doing dumb stuff is part of the RV learning curve. I did the same as John, while deploying the main slide I ripped off the tv cabinet door and popped off the slideout fascia. With some new hinges and some glue I was able to piece it all back together and that's just ONE example, trust me. Screw ups are part of the deal and the deal is try not to repeat them.

[BigJohnD]

You ought to feel better now Rock. We've all done it at some point or another. It's what makes us "experienced" RVers.

[Grawe]

Rock, it's like getting the first scratch on a new car; now you have your story. We all have them and sharing helps others avoid our pitfalls. Welcome to JOF!

2015 Jayco Pinnacle FLSA & 2008 Chevy Duramax

Anxiously awaiting retirement where I have been told everyday is a Saturday

[bethcb]

We did the exact same thing but no damage. Bought wow m clocks w batteries. It's now on our checklist too.

[Rock]

Bethcb
Funny same FW same thing. Come summer when no longer working both clocks go in the garbage. Slides were extended for two months and all of them and level system worked great. Great rig for full timing till late summer
Rock

[bansai]

I put a nice fat scratch along the drivers side, running the length of ours at a private camp ground that had a bunch of little islands of trees in the middle of the road. The tree I hit looked like it was 2 minutes away from dying, it had obviously been struck dozens of times.

I still use a check list for setup / tear down which I think has saved me from doing anything truly bone headed yet, but I'm sure it will happen... especially now that I've jinxed myself.

[Dan]

You haven't lived until you drop your FW on your truck bed. :-)

[Rock]

That did not sound good. What kind of damage was done?
Rock

[Dan]

I was hurrying, got distracted, (those two things are the root of all evil in RV land, in my humble opinion) and landing gear was still a few inches off ground when I pulled the lever on hitch to unlock. Watched as rig did a slow roll off the hitch and "rested itself" on the truck rails, haha (yeah, I can laugh now, a little). As far as the FW, not a lot of damage, just a couple popped cap fasteners underneath by king pin that I replaced with screws and sealant. The truck rails were dented in, but I put a bottle jack under the rails and almost popped them completely out. Lesson learned.

[GustinWest]

I did the exact same thing by unlocking the fifth wheel jaws before i put down the front jacks, but thankfully for once I had put the wheel chocks behind the trailer tires in so it didnt come off and mangle my bed side rails!

[namusmc65]

I was opening the kitchen slide one day and heard a crack. Immediately stopped. The door under the oven had popped open and somehow got caught on the center island when it was opening. Cracked the door and split it out of kilter. Fortunately, that was all. I ordered a new cabinet door from Jayco and was able to use the old hardware. Lined up perfectly. Now before I start moving slides, I double check all the way around to make sure everything is where it is supposed to be. Out about $75.

[Camper_bob]

We carry a 5 gallon water cooler jug for drinking water. There is a perfect place to store it right in front of the bunks, secured in place by the bunk ladder. The problem is that it's also held in place by the slide when it's in. DW has been reminded MANY times (she's the one deploying the slide while I'm outside making sure it doesn't hit anything and plugging us in) to go back there and ensure the bottle and the ladder are clear before deploying the slide. Well, she can't seem to remember. So, one day I saw the slide stop mid-deployment and heard her say an expletive. I trotted around to see what was the matter, and she had crushed the bottle between the slide and the wall (again). Not a big deal, just popped a piece of trim loose, could've been a lot worse. I reattached with a couple finishing nails.

So I put a sticker on the slideout switch to remind her to check for clearance before deploying the slide. Still didn't work. So, now we just travel with the bottle wedged under the dinette table.

[Rock]

Ya I think just a little distraction throws the routine u have out the window than the problems happen. I have a quick check list and just added my progressive surge to it since I have the plug in one. I raise front landing gear just clear of ground, chock wheels and give a good pull test. But it still stays in your head about being locked. My hitch is super hard to unlock and lock the slider. When slid back and locked it is in my head what would happen if it was not fully locked and came sliding forward while in a backing turn.
Rock

[BigJohnD]

My toddler managed to tump over our 30+ pint dehumidifier early one morning. LOTS of water everywhere. But, like Servpro, we cleaned it up and it's like it never happened. Now I dump the dehumidifier BEFORE she gets up. She's since learned to leave it alone.

[RayPayne]

I've also had issues with realizing the hard way that some outlets can't be in use during slide movement.

After a few close calls and one wishing it was just a close call, I baby-proof all the high risk areas when I get an RV. Plastic outlet plugs in the outlets that will cause grief I if I forget to unplug, and baby catches on any cabinets and drawers that would cause damage if they were to open and then a slide was to go in or out. I do a few other things to keep from another major "oops" depending on the layout. But having lost a substantial chunk of vacation to a repair shop, I'm a little more paranoid now.