Boneheaded RV Mistakes you’ve made...

Squerly · 07-15-2019, 01:04 PM

I searched the forum but didn't find an existing thread, so I'll start one. Feel free to add your most foolish boneheaded RV mistakes. At the very least, we can all laugh about disaster being avoided.

And maybe, just maybe, your boneheaded mistake will help someone else avoid making doing the same thing!

Squerly · 07-15-2019, 01:04 PM

I was moving the RV to a spot by the barn that was close enough for the RV’s power cable to reach the 50amp service I use for my welder. It's pretty tight in there and I was moving a few inches, getting out to inspect the results, then getting back in and moving a few more inches.

While exiting the coach, I felt my finger hit the door lock and it moved a little. Not much, but enough that I thought to myself to be careful of that so that I don't end up in trouble someday.

I checked my progress and deciding I was far enough in, I went back to get in the coach. You know what’s coming next, right? The door is locked, the engine is running, and the key to the door is on the key chain in the ignition.

I'm locked out of my running RV and I have NO key to get back inside!

Yes, there were some anxious minutes ahead as I wondered how to get back in. At home when my wife locks me out (emmm, I mean when I lock my keys inside) I can crawl through a window or something, but not on the motor home.

I took my pocketknife and fiddled with the lock, but that wasn’t working. I tried several other implements but none of them worked either. And then, while I was looking in my toolbox for a miracle tool, I saw the keys to the toolbox hanging there. And believe it or not, with a little wiggling, they unlocked the coach!

So yes, I’m headed to Walmart today to get some spare keys.

The Gritz Carlton · 07-15-2019, 01:24 PM

"Initial Purchase"...haven't found a fix for that yet.

Squerly · 07-15-2019, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

"Initial Purchase"...haven't found a fix for that yet.

Most of us learn from our mistakes...

sroyer · 07-15-2019, 01:58 PM

Was planning to move coach from one driveway to other to wash it. No where in instructions for vinyl tire covers does it mention " remove before moving coach" ....they then needed a washing , too

Bob Denman · 07-15-2019, 02:39 PM

Always make sure that you've down a downhill grade to the park's sewer connection...

99dart · 07-15-2019, 03:54 PM

Soon after buying ours we would turn key on without starting the engine to level up. Then, forget the key was on, go nutz trying to figure out why the slide wouldn't work! :O

99dart · 07-15-2019, 04:06 PM

Oh, and closing slide on a portable heater at the foot of the bed!! Noooo, there wasn't enough clearance idiot! Smashed the heater and popped the little relay under the bed. (that I didn't know existed)

rick kirby · 07-15-2019, 08:36 PM

Not closing the black water valve before putting the cap back on..
Went to boondock, then had to empty the tank, which emptied into the compartment..
Gag reflexes hit overdrive.

JimOIB · 07-15-2019, 08:44 PM

I was in a hurry pulling out of a campground and didn’t retract the stabilizers all the way. Coach was buttoned up and ready to go and when I turned the ignition key I was woken fully by alarms. Walked around the coach for 20 minutes to see what I missed. Finally in desperation I went back pressed every button in the coach with the ignition on until the alarm stopped. DOH. I’ve since slowed down on buttoning the coach and watch my sailor language outside the coach - got some strange looks from other campers and the cat.

Sweetbriar · 07-15-2019, 08:59 PM

The ladder on the back of the coach sticks out a lot further than you think and so does the roof eave for a single store home.

And that's all I have to same about that.

PAtrailtrimmer · 07-15-2019, 09:18 PM

Amazing how strong the ladder is, but when caught between an RV and a tree it can bend a bit.

airforceret · 07-15-2019, 09:33 PM

The concrete pad looked level enough so I dropped the landing gear and pulled the handle on the 5th wheel to pull the truck forward and the camper started slowing moving backwards away from the truck on it's own. Luckily the wheel chocks were handy to drop behind the moving tires and stopped it from going any further. New procedure became Chock, Drop, and No Roll.

Bob Denman · 07-15-2019, 10:13 PM

For those of you who have your sewer drain set up to "drop-down" for usage:
Did you ever swivel it back to the upright position, and then forget to cap it off, AND close down the valves?!?

(Most of my bestest errors seem to involve poop...

)

Long & Winding road · 07-15-2019, 10:18 PM

About two weeks ago I thought we had a major gas leak.

The propane alarm was going off and the entire RV had strong odor. I turn off the gas, open the windows, turn on the fan then came back about 20 min later.

I was so upset that I had a leak and was thinking of what it could be. Then I was sitting at the dining room table and looked at the stove. Somebody must have knocked the knob slightly and it leaked gas (very poor location for knobs anyway).

So from now on that will be the first thing I check (after I turn off the gas and vent RV to be safe).

And about a week ago I posted here that I could not retract my Awning. Well I had the Engine running to cool the RV down with Dash air and it would not let me retract it. I spent an hour trying to figure that one out.

bjones3211 · 07-15-2019, 11:17 PM

So this is what I did
I have a 32 foot class C and I needed to dump the poop in the place where I went They had some steel post marking it off they were about 3 foot high and I pulled up alongside of it no problem dump the poop out no problem went to pull out it was clear on the right side of the couch there was plenty a room to whip it around and go back out but forgetting that are 10 feet of my class C is on the backside of the rear tires everybody probably already knows what happen next
the back in swing around to the left and right in to one of the polls luckily all it did was bust out my running lite and left a mark on the back of my coach but I think twice now whenever I’m turning on I’m parked close to something

pavemike · 07-15-2019, 11:49 PM

I posted this story last year regarding GPS and the use of the brain...or lack of.

I was taking my Vegas to a service center on Wednesday to have my Hellwig Sway Bars installed. I had never been to this center before (highly recommended from several people) so I loaded the address in my RV GPS. Near the service center, the GPS told me to make a U-turn and arrive at my destination. As I started the U-turn, I noticed that new construction had just been completed across the lane and it was no longer possible to make that turn. So...I used my brain and went across the lane onto the adjacent road thinking I would find a place to turn around. Oh, I forgot to mention, I had my Jeep Wrangler in tow as well. As I drove down what turned out to be a dead end road, only found one possible place to turn around at the entrance to a trucking company parking lot. It was a narrow entrance/exit but I saw a sandy area by the entrance that other trucks use as an expanded turn lane. As I said, sandy...very sandy. I figured that if 18 wheelers could make that turn, so could I. NOT using my brain, I attempted to make the turn. Two hours later, after breaking several straps belonging to a very nice truck driver and then some very heavy chains and a boom extension fork lift, I was finally back on the road to travel the 500 feet to the service center. Yes, the Vegas and Jeep bogged down in the sand all the way to the body. The tires and exhaust were buried. I found out later that they pull large RVs out of this sand almost daily. Guess I'm not the only one that forgets to use the brain in conjunction with the GPS. Lesson learned and I admit, it is kinda funny

99dart · 07-15-2019, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rick kirby

Not closing the black water valve before putting the cap back on..
Went to boondock, then had to empty the tank, which emptied into the compartment..
Gag reflexes hit overdrive.

Our old MH would leak a little between empties. Same results!

Chucke · 07-16-2019, 12:13 AM

We took a little trip down to Myrtle Beach to meet up with Family. We met up at Myrtle Beach travel park and had sites next to each other. Keep in mind its the Beach its flat. Well I unhooked the car and as I did my cousin said where is your car going. I didn't place transmission in park and out of no where it started rolling out of the camp site. I couldn't move fast enough felt like I was in one of those dreams where you move in slow motion. Got the car stopped and decided then and there don't care if out in a 300 acre field in the middle of Iowa, transmission in park before disconnect!

99dart · 07-16-2019, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chucke

We took a little trip down to Myrtle Beach to meet up with Family. We met up at Myrtle Beach travel park and had sites next to each other. Keep in mind its the Beach its flat. Well I unhooked the car and as I did my cousin said where is your car going. I didn't place transmission in park and out of no where it started rolling out of the camp site. I couldn't move fast enough felt like I was in one of those dreams where you move in slow motion. Got the car stopped and decided then and there don't care if out in a 300 acre field in the middle of Iowa, transmission in park before disconnect!

Helpful hint I discovered. You can pull the extension lever on the tow bar arms to relieve tension on the pins, rather than trying to move the car. Guess how I know...

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