My oh crap moment

[Ford truck guy]

While driving to FL last week, I had an oh crap moment..

Our last stop we used our antenna, when leaving I was 100% sure that I put it down..
we were going down 95 when someone in a pick up pulled along side me pointing to the roof..
My stomach dropped, i thougt I had the dredded roof bubble!!
Since we had our bike rack on, I could not access the ladder so I sent my kid up. I told her to go to the front of the trailer and look for a bubbles and or signs of the membrane flying in the air. She yelled down to me no everything's fine everything looks great ,,,, by the way why didn't you put the antenna down?
Turns out it was sticking, i crank it up and down a couple times and finally it went all the way down .. so the number one thing to do when I get home is to lube it up nicely ..

[r time soon]

Glad you didn't strike something low and tear the antenna and roof apart. Remove the black hex nut on the antenna base. Lube the gears and down the shaft hole with a good silicone spray. The Winegard manual specifically states not to use WD-40. WD-40 is not actually a lube but more of a penetrant. You might have to press down when re installing the black hex nut as if I remember correctly there is a spring in the stack somewhere.

Chris & Maria
2012 36RL

[Char & Steve]

Joe,
Years ago when our MH was new (2006), our first trip out we stopped at a CG for the night and I knew there was gas station about 1 mile down the road so told Char we will go there in the morning.
Next morning pulled into the station and antenna was up and stairs still out since I had turned the switch off so not to retract when door was closed. No damage but felt pretty small.

Best part here is we can talk about them and laugh!!!!!!!

Let's here everyone's OH CRAP moments.... we all have them!

Steve

[atom ant]

More than once I've left my Trav'ler satellite antenna up on the Redwood. I pull the shoreline before it finishes. I'm sure just speed alone would have eventually ripped that dish off the roof.

I pulled out of the garage this spring and installed a Wally in the MH. Got done, powered it down and did my usual shutdown of inverter, etc. Bad idea, I fortunately saw the antenna sticking up in the shadow right before I started back in the door of the garage.

[Foxfire]

I picked up my camper on its maiden trip drove to the campground about 35 miles away I must've made all left turns. When we were done Camping I went to pull out of the campground made my first right turn and yanked the emergency brake cord right out of the holder. It took a few minutes to figure out why the brakes were locked up.


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[Ford truck guy]

Originally Posted by Foxfire

I picked up my camper on its maiden trip drove to the campground about 35 miles away I must've made all left turns. When we were done Camping I went to pull out of the campground made my first right turn and yanked the emergency brake cord right out of the holder. It took a few minutes to figure out why the brakes were looked up.


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I did that with my very first fiver... pulling into Hershey for our company picnic, I was last one to arrive and had just picked up our brand new camper that week.. pulling into the spot and it happened....... I was thinking I was trying yo crush a car or something....

[mhs4771]

At least you didn't do any damage. Shortly after getting our '16 MB we were at the PA GoodSam Samboree and when leaveing were staying closer to the electric poles because of the sag in the wires and were concerned about catching them. Were waiting for someone else to pull out then took off making a right turn to get on the road, well tail swing caught the Electric Distribution box on the pole and took out our back side window and put some good scratches in the side. Talk about being Sick, as the RW was on just over a month old at that time.
Very stupid and expensive mistake and if I had only glanced in the Left Mirror I would have seen that we were to close. Oh well it all be fixed.

[johnboytoo]

Actually, the traveller will handle interstate speeds!
I found out on the redwood

Way back when we had the 26 gallon fuel tank in the ford pulling the redwood...
I'm pulling in to fuel up after 4 hour drive down to houston and JUST before I pull under the cover, a nice guy caught up to me and says your sat is up

Would have ripped it off for sure...
THEN, with no genny, had to go find a place to plug in to power it down !

we are like thinking back to how did we make it this far ?

but my REAL oh 'shucks' moment was hurrying to hook up at storage area in the rain and pulling out and the redwood drops on my tailgate ! no genny, no batteries (when we were all discovering that the disconnect did not disconnect)
how do I raise the 5'er ?!?! it was fun !

[spindrift]

Geez, I've never made a mistake...

[piper guy]

Like Johnboy - when we first had our Redwood and I had a short bed F350, we had a Super Slider Hitch. Hated that hitch as far as hooking up, never gave you that warm fuzzy feeling that it was locked. In any case, running late, starting to rain, trying to beat a thunderstorm. Backed in, heard the click, Tracy and I both glanced at it and thought hooked up. Pulled forward , it held during brake check, then as I pulled I watched the trailer slide back. Stopped but too late. Wanna know what a 2012 Tailgate costs ? I can tell you.

Now with the Dually and the Comfort Ride it's a non-issue. The locking pin in the Comfort Ride can't be inserted till it's closed and locked.

[johnboytoo]

I went to South Dallas and bought a 'used' one for $400 IN my color WITH the step

didn't ask any questions about the source, but he had a good story about being a flat bed refitter ?!? plausible deny-ability

[travelin' texans]

I have the B&W Companion hitch & had taken it out to haul something, put it back & hooked up the RW & drove 3-5 miles & told Linda something didn't look/sound right so pulled over to find I didn't get the pin in the turnover portion & the entire setup was bouncing up/down 2-3 inches, one big bump & we would've lost the when works. MEMORABLE MISADVENTURES!

[hoosierguy]

We were staying at the Fort Knox, KY campground 4 years ago. We left early one morning while it was still dark. When we pulled out onto the highway, a couple of fellows pulled along side in a pick-up and told me that my satellite antenna was hanging out on the left side. I was really puzzled by the reference to satellite antenna as I have a satellite domed dish mounted in the center of the roof. When I got out to look, I discovered that I had at least remembered to crank down the off-air antenna, but, forgot to rotate it back to the storage position before cranking it down. So, it was hanging out over the side of the coach roof by 3 1/2 to 4 feet. It goes without saying that I was glad for a couple of good Samaritans telling me before I really got myself in trouble.

[Jeff&Karen39MB]

We were excited having retired 2015, spent a couple nights in Va Beach CG, and headed out for Florida with the wind at our backs. Spent the night in a campground ( Savannah Oaks RV)I 95 Exit 94 Hwy 204, GA and got up the next morning went through our check off or so I thought, pulled out and moving around park at slow speed, saw this guy running and waving, so we stopped and low and behold, I had hooked the cable wire with the Wingard Antenna and pulled it down while at same time damaging the base of the antenna, thankfully no roof damage.
Those people were so nice, they came out told us not to worry about wire, they would have the cable company come out and reinstall the wire and for us to have a great day and please come back and stay with them again.
Solved antenna problem by replacing with King system that is low to roof, now I never worry about hooking upright antenna and I've also learned to be more careful and check the roof better before leaving any campsite. Dumb Da Dumb Dum.

[Char & Steve]

Well....there were a few more with the old MH but my only Oh Crap Moments so far with the RW was:

First was pulling out of our driveway in the dark at 3am and snagged the brake cable and we stopped very quickly in the middle of a hard right turn in middle of the road. Took a few minutes to figure out what happened.

Second was we pulled off 95 at South Of The Boarder rest area and we used our bathroom. Char used it last and I was looking things over to make sure all was good. She thought I going to come around and close the door and steps. Guess what I forgot to do! We only got to the end of the parking lot and some nice people were waving at me pretty hard so we stopped to find what forgot. Once I looked in the mirror to turn I would have seen it hope.

Steve

[Ford truck guy]

I guess my BIGGEST OH CRAP moment happened after a long day of driving... I pulled into a campground. While I was navigating the campground roads, I mcame up to an elder man trying to hook up his toad in the middle of the road.. I had NO PATIENCE to wait, so I decided to back up and go another way...

Well, this kind ( I thought) man walked out behind me and started guiding me back,, as he is waving me back, i hear a CRUNCH !!

I toss it in park, and run back... He backed me into a tree limb. It broke the rear cap on my KZ Fifth wheel.. I was disgusted with myself for listening to someone else as I was backing up... It was my fault, but I still like to blame the poor old guy...

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

Actually, the traveller will handle interstate speeds!
I found out on the redwood

HAHAHAHA! Good to know John, sorry it was at your risk!

[Iceman1777]

Biggest Oh Crap for me was with our previous Montana. Was by myself backing into a COE campground, watching each side very carefully and so proud of myself when BAM. I plowed right into a concrete picnic table directly behind me that I never saw. Knocked the table from its foundation and busted some fiberglass on the rear cap. That's when I learned GOAL - get out and look.

The Redwood learning experience was packing the wine and booze in the overhead cupboards of the dining slide. First stop for the night and busted bottles and booze all over the carpet and recliners. So Big Red got a thorough carpet cleaning and we discovered a better cabinet and pool noodles.

[Iceman1777]

Oh, forgot about the time I pumped 1/2 a tank of unleaded into my diesel. Felt SO stupid but at least I didn't turn the key.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Iceman1777

Oh, forgot about the time I pumped 1/2 a tank of unleaded into my diesel. Felt SO stupid but at least I didn't turn the key.

I did clip the side of the building with the rear of my Montana, and I did put unleaded in my brand new diesel pickup with the Montana on the back, but no wine. I made up for it by going to sleep with the washer running in the redwood and the tank full and closed.