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After 6 motorhomes and two travel trailers we have done a lot of stupid things. Here are some tips on what to do and what not to do based on our experiences.
When building something the old adage is measure twice and cut once. With an RV, we try to check everything at least twice before we move. Sometimes, haste causes problems.
#1. The "taking off in a hurry without really checking the rig problem."
Last winter we were in Blairsville, Georgia, for a few days for some medical testing with our doctor. Late Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for our area. Since we were down to half a tank of diesel and about a quarter tank of LP, we decided to hotfoot it to the local LP dealer and fill up the tank and also get our diesel fuel topped off at the same time. That way we would be prepared for any storm and be able to keep warm. Just as we started to button up the rig to move, Libby got a call on our cell phone from her doctor in Atlanta, scheduling an appointment for the next week. After the call, she needed to go to the local hospital to pick up some records to take to the specialist with us. All of this excitement interrupted our normal pre flight routine. Instead of taking a deep breath and starting over, we just moved. Libby left in the car, I started the engine and began to move from our campsite. Oh no, the jacks were still down. The rig has an alarm that goes off when the jacks are down and if the rig is put into gear, the jacks begin to retract automatically. However in cold weather hydraulic jacks don't move very fast. I made a nice furrow about 10 feet long at the campsite before I figured out what was wrong.
Okay, off we go, the jacks are up. As I was driving down the road, I noticed the shadow from the rig on the side of the road. Guess what, I left the satellite dish up. I pulled off the road and cranked it down. Then, when I was at the LP dealer, I found our Tiffany vase which sits on the table when parked, on a chair. I had forgotten to put it away. Luckily, it did not break when it rolled off the table onto a chair. So much for preflight checklists.
#2 How to cause a commotion in a campground.
We were in a nice Coast to Coast park in Oakhurst, California, just outside of Yosemite. The morning we were to leave, I was out doing my preflight checks. Normally, one of us hooks up the car and puts our Brake Buddy on line and the other follows up with a safety check to be sure everything was done correctly. This particular morning, I told Libby that I had it all handled. As I was working on the toad, a fellow came up to ask me something. Instead of continuing my task, I stopped to talk to him. Of course, because I interrupted my routine and did not have the usual recheck by Libby, I forgot to put the Tracker transfer case in neutral. As we drove away, I knew something was wrong. About 30 feet of tires skidding across the road, I figured out the toad wheels were not turning. Of course, several guys in the park were running after me yelling things about our toad. Never interrupt your routine. If you do, start over and do the whole thing again. Always have your partner check what you do. Normally, Libby hooks up the car and I check her. Don't let your male ego get in the way of common sense.
#3 How to make friends with folks who have a sensitive nose.
The dreaded sewer hose failure. It has happened to us twice. Once in New York with our 85 Winnie. The dump valve on this rig hung below the coach just aft of the wheels. When crossing a dip, you had to hit it at an angle or the valve hit the ground. I forgot. We dumped a full black water tank all over a gas station driveway in upstate New York. It was quite fun.
The last time was in our '98 Winnie. We were at a rally in Tennessee in 1999, when I decided to use my clear elbow that I had just bought at Camping World. Of course, it wasn't molded properly and it popped off as soon as I pulled the black water valve. This is one of those times when you look around to see if someone else is watching. The remedy here is to dump the gray water first when using a new fitting. That way if it's defective, you only have water to contend with. After you know it works properly, go back to the black water and then gray water routine.
As a follow up to this problem, I have seen several people pull up to a dump with outside valves and just pull the handle, spilling raw sewage all over the dump station. This is not the way to dump. Use your sewer hose every time.
#4. Lets unhook in the middle of a road.
Actually, we have never had to do this, but we have pulled into parking lots and gas stations where we had to unhook the toad in order to get turned around. The moral is, if it looks too small, it probably is.
#5. Check and recheck.
Before we move, I walk completely around the rig, checking the jacks, the antennas, the bay doors, the toad hook ups etc. I do this everytime, (with the above stupid exceptions) before we move the rig. We check lights, pull the rig forward a little to make sure the toad is really in neutral and then I do it again. I now make two complete circuits of our motorhome and toad before we leave the campground. It saves embarrassment and damage later on.
#6. Water hose woes.
We carry disinfectant to spray on water connections. Several times I have watched people leaving a campsite take their sewer hose and put it over the water bib. They do this to wash out the sewer hose. I guess they don't consider what they might be leaving on the hose bib for the next person. This not only inconsiderate, it is a dangerous health hazard. Please do not put your sewer hose over the water faucet. Disinfect before you connect.
#7. Refrigerator Defrosting.
Since we are all spoiled by frost free refers in houses, it comes as a shock to many that RV units have to be defrosted. We picked up this handy tip somewhere on the road and it works great for us. When Libby decides to defrost the refrigerator, she just turns the unit off when we go to bed. When we get up in the morning, the refer is defrosted and the food is still cold since we haven't opened the door. Its a no hassle way to do this. On the freezer side, she puts all the food in the refrigerator, turns off the unit and we go to breakfast, leaving the freezer door open. When we get back from breakfast, the freezer is defrosted and we just move the food back into it from the refer and turn everything on.
John and Libby Veach are full-time RVers, who maintain a website of their travels at TheRollingHome.com.
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