What`s your most boneheaded RV moment?

[Crabman]

Mine was when we were on our way home with the new TT. We picked up the unit from the dealer and camped in it the first night about 30 miles away to give everything a good tryout. The next day on our way home a guy pulls up beside me with his window down yelling something. I roll down my window and he says frantically "Your steps are down!" I look in the mirror and sure enough he`s right, and I thanked him. Now keep in mind I`m on the Garden State Parkway in North Jersey, 6 lanes each way and I`m in the middle lane in very heavy traffic. Not fun.

I slowly worked my way over to the right lane and eventually found a shoulder wide enough to pull over and fold up the double fold out steps. I had been through several toll booths and its a miracle I didn`t clip off those steps on the cement sides or on another vehicle since those lanes are not real wide. We had stopped at a rest stop earlier, went inside the TT and I must have forgot to fold up the steps. I`ll never do that one again, now I do a walk around but did leave the outside shower hose dangling last month! I guess I`ll blame it all on a feeble mind. That`s mine, anybody else like me have a weak and or embarrassing moment?


-Lee

 

[Boss Wagon]

My first RV was a 1975 Winnebago Brave D-21. It had a very cantankerous Onan LK series generator that was a bear to start. The dashboard switch would cut off the generator, but would never work to start it.

One day, while preparing for a trip my wife went to work cleaning up the inside while I took care of the mechanical junk. I decided to run the generator but could not get it started. I troubleshot the danged thing for about an hour and then it hit me. I checked the dash switch and bingo, it was off.

Needless to say once I flipped the switch, and returned to the exterior start switch, she fired right up. Just another case of overlooking the obvious! Boy did I feel stupid...again.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Hmmm... I've got a couple...

Like getting done with breakfast and leaving the coffee pot on the stove and drive off. Surprisingly enough I didn't tip it over...

Forgot to close a sliding window and had the blinds blowing in the back corner...

Trying to level out a older 76 Dodge Jamboree and drove over the top of the level boards.

Camped out in freezing weather ran out propane in the night and had my hair freeze to the window trim. (Yes I had long hair down to my waist at the time)

Forgot to lock the fridgerator door and had my food scattered all over the floor on the first hard turn...

I've go more but... :hihi:

 

[OurJayco]

We took delivery on our new TT in April (Some snow in Minnesota). Our PDI went great. We video-taped it on our camcorder and we wrote notes on a note pad.
Our first camping trip with our first TT took place in Duluth, MN. It is a 2 hour drive from our house in Minneapolis.
We made the trip up to Duluth and found out real quick that our first campground was not what we read in books and brochures.
Anyway................I got the truck and TT backed-up in our site.
We are very excited about our first camping trip in our first TT.....
In the excitement...I did not place the chocks between the tires on the trailer.
As you can imagine, this is a mistake on my part.
Our First trip, first trailer, by ourself, in a place new to us, on a lake.
When I disconnected the trailer from the truck, the trailer started to roll away..........down hill.............towards the BIG lake...........Rather fast!!!!
I grabbed the tongue of the TT and told my wife to back the truck up so I can re-connect everything and save our trailer. :error:
She was not sure what to do! As it turned out, the tongue jack came off the block and stopped the trailer from rolling off in to the lake.

We now have a rule..............Chocks set between the tires BEFORE we disconnect.

I hope everyone gets a good laugh from our mistake. However, I hope all of us can learn from this as well.

 

[FPM III]

I have more than one (but that's not unusual for me)

Let's see...

• My 2009 GMC has a 2-1/2" receiver and uses a slide-in adapter to reduce it to 2". After I remove the 2" hitch platform, I forget to remove the 2-1/2" to 2" adapter. Sometimes, I've rode around for days before I finally notice it's still in the receiver.
• Forgot to snap the retaining straps on the sliding door for the bathroom and sliding doors for the bedroom. Damage varied from none to finding the door completely out of the track and the cover for the thermostat knocked off by the moving door.
• Disconnected the pop-up from the truck but left the safety chains connected. Then tried to move the truck forward.
• Didn't close refrigerator and freezer doors (with cans of Coke sitting on shelf in fridge) before taking trailer in for state inspection. The cans fell out onto the floor and one can ruptured. Didn't find the sticky mess until weeks later.
• Failed to set rear stabilizer jacks on pop-up while setting up. Then went inside and walked toward rear of trailer. S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E !!!
• Left electric for HWT on and plugged in trailer with empty HWT. Fortunately, I caught this mistake before any damage occurred.
• Forgot to attach breakaway cord to truck. Then drove for about 150 miles with it dangling on the road.
• Didn't install travel bars in slide-out.
• Moved trailer while tongue jack was still down. Luckily, no damage as there was an 8" x 8" block of wood under it.
• Didn't lower one end of awning before going to bed. It rained. The bulge from all the water that had accumulated almost made the awning look pregnant. The weight caused the aluminum tube to warp.

That's about all that comes to mind for now. But I'm sure there's more; especially if I ask my wife.

 

[clutch-FRF]

Forgot to latch the refrigerator door and lost most of the contents on the floor.

Our Montana had a slide out pantry and most of the contents were dumped.

Spent the night in a wide spot near Jackpot Nv in 19* weather. I didn't bring the generator and the batteries died in a few hours.

 

[Crabman]

I feel a little better now knowing I`m not the only one. Keep `em coming.

 

[rescuebub]

Did pull my hybrid TT over a plastic wheel chock once, wondered why it didn't want to move, found out when I heard it crack! lol

 

[Crabman]

That reminds me I have a camping buddy who has a Starcraft hybrid. Fall of 09 we camped in a site next to him and when he was leaving he forgot to unhook the power cord from the pedestal. The cord pulled tight and broke. He won`t live that one down anytime soon...

-Lee

 

[clutch-FRF]

Driving down the road with our 8ft pickup camper and wondering why the guy behind me was flashing his lights and blowing his horn. It seems that I forgot to close the door of the camper.

 

[Terry-JAY]

Hastily hooking up the 7 pin only to go around a sharp corner and the trailer brakes locked for a second...got out and found my cable sliced in half....several fuses blown and 6 feet of electrical tape later and I was going again....

 

[Spike99]

One fall 2 years ago, I "pack up" our seasoan site TT for the winter months. Slide in, internal stuff removed, shore power cords removed, 12V battery removed, windows / door locked, etc. etc. I'm walking away, turn my head and take a final look. Ready to thank "our lady" for another great summer season. I'm looking and notice its antena is still up. Then, I turn - to drive way. What? Its antena is still up? With our average 4 feet of snow and ice during the winter time!!!! Darn. Gotta re-install its 12V battery, power its slide out back in - to gain access to is manual antena crank. Lost time - for something I should have noticed - before putting its slide in the 1st time... Lesson learned the hard way....

.

 

[Tanker42]

After picking up my camper from the dealer, I stopped at a campground to try it out. When I tried to leave, I forgot to remove the chocks. They worked well because the camper didn't budge! Now, I have a checklist.

 

[namusmc65]

ONe of our first trips out with my 2001 unit left the awning out all nice and neat and level. Big rain storm during the night. Got up the next morning and went to go outside and could not open the door! the rain had filled the awning and stretched the material so bad it sagged down and blocked the door. Lucky for us we had a second door in the bedroom and I managed to wiggle out that door! once i drained the water off, the awning was not too sagged but the main rod was bent into a u shape and was not going anywhere. I finally put the outriggers down to support the main rod and then hung on it in the middle bouncing up and down to get the rod a little more straight. Fortunately, that is one time my weight came in handy. Thank god no one was around taking pictures however! We did save the awning and it was still there ten years later when we traded it in. NEVER AGAIN

 

[yogi154]

Good Ones,
Mine right here where we are parked in Aransas Pass Tx. Last year we pull in Raining and blowing. I get into my spot hook-up Electric amd Water ( I'll get the sewer later ) Ok go up and pay. (wait did I say I just hooked up a manifold for the water with the black tank sprayer) Yep you got it, luckly I super flushed the black tank. Well the over flowed toilet wasn't bad. Marti saved the day by shutting off the Water. We just needed to wash All the Towels. Well could have been a lot worse. I took the Manifold off !!!

 

[bulldogs116]

Shi*&^% FULL

It was our first trip never owned a Motorhome. I had a Winnebago and was leaving a Penn State Football game hung over and completely hooked on RVing...I stopped to get gas and noticed a Rv Store down the road. Went and beings it was Sunday they were closed. I was now in an Industrial Park and figured I would save gas mileage if I emptied 40 gallons of grey shower water.

I got out and pulled the Sewer Valve!!!!next thing I know I am seeing toiletpaper and footlongers flying. I was gagging and yelling to my wife. I dumped my whole black tank on some poor company's loading dock. I was scared I was going to be arrested by the DEP or something.

It was awful, the only good news was I did then empty my grey tank... I even returned my new sneakers the next day at the mall. I couldnt wear them knowing what they went thru... I wet wiped and sanitzed my ass off and drove home... I was not home 15 minutes and my label maker was out marking clearly shower water and **** pipe...

We still laugh till this day...

 

[Snake Plissken]

Prior to buying our TT we used to rent a pop-up and go camping. We drove 2.5 hours and finally arrived ready to set up and get something to eat. After backing in and pulling forward a dozen times (with some "discussions" between my wife and I) to get the camper where we wanted it I unhooked and started leveling it. That's when my wife reminded me we didn't fill the camper with water when we pulled in.


I hooked back up and go to the water source to find that it was full of water from the last person that rented it and I had pulled the camper 150 miles full. :hihi:

 

[Boss Wagon]

Most Embarrassing RV Moment

What has been your most embarrassing RV moment?

Mine was when I pulled up to the dump station, pulled the sewer hose out of the compartment and had it disintegrate in my hands. The plastic had separated from the wire as I pulled it out.

I am glad it did that before I hooked up and opened the black valve! Lucky for me the camp store had one in stock at a decent price. Had they known, they could have charged me alot more!

 

[Shin Pond Hunter]

Twenty-two years ago, my new girl-friend and I had taken my motorcycle over to Martha's Vineyard for the day. Time passed quickly and we ended up missing the last ferry off the Island. Not sure if you are familiar with the Vineyard in the summer, but, you NEED hotel reservations; thinking I'm pretty smart, I grab a tent from an Army surplus store and head for the campground on the beach. As I turn onto the access road for the beach campground, I hit sand. Sand at the beach - go figure! Stopped us dead in our tracks and sent us down an embankment. Thank heavens we were going slow and had soft sand to break our fall. Kinda killed the romantic mood for the night. But, all ends well - I married her seven years later...

 

[clutch-FRF]

Nothing like a happy ending.