Epic Rookie RVer Fails !!!!

[Dave27]

This is really an amazing thread. I appreciate people being willing to share their mistakes and how to avoid them. This is our third season with a fifth wheel. We do ok backing up, but I feel like we could do better if we could communicate more clearly and precisely. We struggle to have a common understanding of what needs to be done, and we need to have the vocabulary to convey it. We get by with frequent stops and consultations. I am interested in learning how people are using hand signals. Could someone share some examples?

Thanks,
Dave

[FT4NOW]

This is really an amazing thread. I appreciate people being willing to share their mistakes and how to avoid them. This is our third season with a fifth wheel. We do ok backing up, but I feel like we could do better if we could communicate more clearly and precisely. We struggle to have a common understanding of what needs to be done, and we need to have the vocabulary to convey it. We get by with frequent stops and consultations. I am interested in learning how people are using hand signals. Could someone share some examples?

Thanks,
Dave

I mentioned earlier we use walkie talkies; we charge the batteries the day before we leave. We don't use cell phones since we don't get reception at certain places we like to camp. We discuss the parking plan together after looking at the site and I show my wife where I plan on putting the trailer. We keep communication simple, she says looking good to mean don't change anything or she will say driver side or passenger side if the trailer needs to go in that direction. If there is something behind me she will either say stop or how many feet remain until I need to stop before hitting it. If I don't hear her constantly say something I stop and assume the radio lost communication and get out to talk to her. We've tweaked it over the years and this works best for us.

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[Bill Davey]

I am interested in learning how people are using hand signals. Could someone share some examples?

Thanks,
Dave

Here's the system that has worked for me. DW knows she must ALWAYS be able to see my face in one of the truck mirrors. Use one arm to indicate which way the back of the trailer needs to go. For example: arm straight up = trailer straight back; arm pointing to either side = trailer needs to go in the direction of the arm. If you watch Top Fuel drag racers on TV this is the system the crew chief uses to direct the driver back to the start line after the burnout. The other arm is waving in a "come on back" motion as long as motion is needed. Once the trailer is close to the desired position, both arms are held overhead with the hands spread to approximate the distance remaining. As the trailer gets closer, the hands get closer until hands together = stop right there.

[Partsman]

I have one, I haven't even pulled out of the dealer parking lot. When we were leaving the dealer my salesman had helped me back up to the trailer. Everything looked fine, the jaws of the hitch shut the handle popped into place. I plugged in and hooked the brake cable up. The salesman showed me how to retract the jacks, went over a couple things shook hands and got ready to leave. Now this wasn't the first time I had pulled a fifth wheel, but it was raining and my new trailer. Well we went to pull forward and crash! I look in the mirror to see my brand new trailer sitting on the bed. Evidently the the jaws closed but didn't lock. Luckily since it was a sliding hitch, the pin box landed on the rails of the hitch and stopped any damage. Now you could not put your hand in between the bottom of the trailer and my bed rails, but it did not hurt anything. It did scare the crap out of the wife and I. Hopefully this will be our one incident!

[bertschb]

Thanks for sharing your close call @Partsman. I learned a tip form a neighbor at an RV park right after we bought our first 5th wheel. He said before driving away, I should only raise the front jacks a couple inches off the ground, set the trailer brakes manually then try to drive away slowly. If everything is good, raise the front jacks all the way, check everything one more time and only then do you drive away. I thought that was overkill at the time but after reading so many stories like yours, this is what we do each time we leave.

[powerscol]

No more bike rack and no more fence

On my old unit I was backing it into the front yard to try and sell. I thought I had plenty of room doing it myself. Then Emma, my GS started barking, and I felt backing resistance. Checked mirrors and could not see any issue so got put an looked. Got to the back and found the rear mounted bike rack wrapped around the corner post. So got back in and pulled forward and felt a strong tug. Turned out I had snagged the chain link fence and pulled about 100' loose - and guess who was standing there with tail wagging at the gap. Yep she took off for a romp around the subdivision. Fortunately no trailer damage. Put bike rack in trash, and my new unit has a rear camera now.

Other issue was putting two dents in the overhang belly not paying attention to the drive into and out of the gas station.

[TNFSolitude]

OK, this isn't epic but it was a rookie mistake that caused me about 15 minutes of grief thinking our water line had burst. This is our first night camping since getting the camper from storage. It had been winterized prior to storage. We are at the Tifton GA KOA after a long day on the road. Made longer than necessary because I75 traffic south of Atlanta had accidents and we had to take a detour. We typically stay in Cordelle but decided to push on, but take tomorrow off and play some golf. So, anxious to get my outside stuff done I hooked up the water, turned it on and told Nancy to turn on the inside faucets to purge the pink RV antifreeze. I'm staying busy and and 10 minutes go by and she asks if the water is turned on. I say yes and and loosen the hose a bit, yep there's water flowing. I listen under the camper and hear water running, jeez - is it filling the underbelly? Is that a bulge in the coraplast? Cripe! I tell Nancy I have to crawl underneath. I get a tarp to lay on, she's already making contingency plans. What a start to 3 months in Florida. Then, out of nowhere, I think - what about the utility center settings. Sure enough, everything is set for the winterizing. I turn knobs to city water, pull the fresh water drain handle and taadaa, there's water pouring out of the drain!
So, after 15 years of camper experience I can commit a rookie mistake. Lesson to be learned, slow down and do things in order.

[LV Naturist]

Don't feel bad Tom, I pulled a real boneheaded one this weekend. Vegas doesn't really get cold enough to do a full winterize, but I did drained all the water out of the lines. Just to be sure all the lines were drained, I opened the valves for the clothes washer connections so they would drain. Fast forward to this past weekend. So we're going to boondock at a friends house for the New Year and I pull the coach out of storage. I just finished filling the water tank, and then put the valves on city water to purge the air out of the lines, especially the water heater. I went inside to open some faucets and nothing is coming out? I knew I had turned the water back on after filling the tank and changing the valves, but thought I'd go outside and double check. That's when I noticed water pouring out of the garage door! WTH? You guessed it, the washer valves were still open and water was shooting out. Guess what I forgot to close after draining the system... Fortunately it's a toy hauler and the washer connections are in the garage. Squeegee and a mop to the rescue!

John

[orbiker]

Don't feel bad Tom, I pulled a real boneheaded one this weekend. Vegas doesn't really get cold enough to do a full winterize, but I did drained all the water out of the lines. Just to be sure all the lines were drained, I opened the valves for the clothes washer connections so they would drain. Fast forward to this past weekend. So we're going to boondock at a friends house for the New Year and I pull the coach out of storage. I just finished filling the water tank, and then put the valves on city water to purge the air out of the lines, especially the water heater. I went inside to open some faucets and nothing is coming out? I knew I had turned the water back on after filling the tank and changing the valves, but thought I'd go outside and double check. That's when I noticed water pouring out of the garage door! WTH? You guessed it, the washer valves were still open and water was shooting out. Guess what I forgot to close after draining the system... Fortunately it's a toy hauler and the washer connections are in the garage. Squeegee and a mop to the rescue!

John

I'll bet you have a clean garage John.
I have raised the front of our 380TH and washed the garage, but it was on purpose.

I work on coin washers and dryers in apartment laundry rooms. I disconnect one of the hoses and flood to clean the room. Many rooms even have a working floor drain to make it easier.
If you drain the hoses from the washer end into a bucket, you can reconnect them without have a freeze problem. That will release most of the water from the washer fill valves, which are vulnerable to breakage.
KEN

[JiMissy]

ok, here is one from the poop pile.

As long as we are baring our souls

It happened about 4 years ago.

My last rig was the first one I owned with a black tank flush, I had used it a few times but Missy had not, anyway I had told her that if she was going to dump the tank then she should hook a hose to the flush fitting and run a 15 minute flush. I forgot to tell he to keep the blank tank pull valve open when flushing. I have found out that is need to know info when explaining how the flush happens. Well I drove up and the ground under the bottom of the trailer was soaked, the bottom looked like a pregnant whale and she had fallen asleep without turning off the flush.
OK now the fun starts, I turn off the water, go up under the trailer to see if there is any damage when the bottom gives out with me under there. What a stinky situation, The cost for repairs was not much, a few fittings, the tank was still good, but the cost for the corrugated plastic I had to replace was quite a bit.
Note to self, when explaining how to flush a black tank, explain that you do not close the valve till the flush is finished.