RV "Oops" Stories

Without mistakes, we wouldn't be human. We wouldn't have stories to tell. Without mistakes -- of others or myself -- I wouldn't have stories to tell.

RV Oops Story One... Many years ago as I was having my breakfast while a neighbor in the RV park was hooking up his fifth wheel. Seemed to be a lot of talking going on while the hook up was in progress. I was pretty much concentrated on the crossword puzzle and my morning shake.

That was when I heard the kerplunk/crash (or what ever the sound was). Looked out the window to see the front of the fifth wheel resting on the truck beds rails. Of course there was sheet metal damage. Lots of it. The talking stopped. When I looked out there was the unmistakable expression on the guy's face. It said.... Nothing that could be printed here.

Conclusion.... Chatting and hooking up is not a good idea. Not a good time for multitasking.

RV Oops Story Two...At an Elks Lodge the power and water spigots were along the fence. Back up to the fence to get shore power. No lines on the gravel to indicate parking location, etc.

The only other guest in the lot was a coach about 34 feet long. I heard the coach start. With a gasoline engine, there wasn't a lot of noise to bother me. Glancing through the window I saw that he had pulled away from the fence and shore power. However, the power cord and water hose were being dragged along. Never saw that method before. Perhaps it makes it easier to roll and store. Or maybe not. That was when I noticed the water pouring out of the faucet. The end of the hose had ripped off.

Next thing I noted was the "towed" was being driven up behind the coach. The guy got out of the "towed" and saw the power cord and water hose. At that time he realized that they were from his coach. Then he looked back at the "shore power" to see the water coming out of the faucet. He walked over, turned off the water and unscrewed the hose end. As he started to walk back to the coach with that hose end in his hand, he appeared to have another moment of inspiration. He looked in the direction of my trailer and then flung the hose end back to the fence. He proceeded to coil and stuff the power cord and hose in the coach's bay. After hooking up the "towed", he left.

Conclusion... Have an RV check list. Or at least look at the list.

RV Oops Story Three... How about my "oh oh" moment. My experience goes back many years. Even though the trailer was outfitted with rear-stabilizers, they were rarely deployed. As the only occupant of the rig, my movements weren't noticed as I walked around.

On a very windy day and parked on a concrete slab, I seemed to be experiencing motion sickness. So I set down the rear stabilizer jacks. After several days, the black/gray water tanks were full. Easy enough to hook up, dump and return to the site. Hitched up and pulling away, the campground neighbors were waving and pointing, but with the diesel engine I could not hear them. I waved back. It was then that I heard that distinctive sound of steel on concrete. Oh oh.

The stabilizers couldn't be retracted after that bending. Removed them and put them in the dumpster. Been without them ever since. Dramamine might be a better solution to rear stabilizers.

Conclusion... Rear stabilizers should be placed on a four inch block. Or don't use them.