Useful Links

Gone4Good · 06-21-2010, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1

We have tried to drive off with the television antenna up though - twice. Another RVer flagged us down.

The antenna is sneaky! Now, every time the antenna goes up, a note goes on the steering wheel.

REWahoo · 06-21-2010, 06:36 AM

I started to pull out of our campsite without releasing the parking brake on the toad. Fortunately it was on grass and I noticed the extra drag immediately. I've heard tales of grinding off the tires and wheel rims before some passing motorist brings the smoking disaster to the RV driver's attention...

Gone4Good · 06-21-2010, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

I've heard tales of grinding off the tires and wheel rims before some passing motorist brings the smoking disaster to the RV driver's attention...

or catching fire that spreads to the R.V.

REWahoo · 06-21-2010, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gone4Good

The antenna is sneaky! Now, every time the antenna goes up, a note goes on the steering wheel.

The antenna handle is a great place to hang the ignition keys when the antenna is up....

RonBoyd · 06-21-2010, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1

We have tried to drive off with the television antenna up though - twice. Another RVer flagged us down.

Twice for me also. The first time I was flagged down inside the Park. The other time, discovery was made four hours later when stopping to fuel up. I tried without success the "note on the steering wheel" and the "keys on the crank" ploys -- for various reasons this failed. With a Class B, it is so easy to simply get behind the wheel and drive off after unhooking.

The only solution I found that worked was to discipline myself to walk completely around the unit before driving off. This should be Rule #1 in any event. The same principle is involved in making sure all doors and drawers are latched... and no open containers sitting on countertops -- don't want to talk about that either. Oh! and that the Coffee Pot is secure... we are on our second.

audreyh1 · 06-21-2010, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

I started to pull out of our campsite without releasing the parking brake on the toad. Fortunately it was on grass and I noticed the extra drag immediately. I've heard tales of grinding off the tires and wheel rims before some passing motorist brings the smoking disaster to the RV driver's attention...

One of us is always outside when the other pulls out of the campsite - gotta inspect for clearance you know. We do tests to make sure toad is following freely. Also always check the toad lights.

Only once did we have a problem - didn't get the toad in neutral. DH figured it out right away when nothing would budge.

On the antenna - now it is always checked when center sliding door locked down and when fridge checked for security of contents.

We're both very cautious and put a lot of effort into checking before taking off. Old fogeyhood or not.

Our toad tires are monitored on our RV display - all 10 tires (including RV) have pressure and temp sensors. That way if we have a flat we know it.

Audrey

Nords · 06-21-2010, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Maybe its because we have a small, simple trailer, but we have never had issues with remembering to get things sorted before we take off. Maybe it is a sign of impending fogeyhood for you guys?

Another sad case of ERs not staying mentally sharp...

REWahoo · 06-21-2010, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

Another sad case of ERs not staying mentally sharp...

I suspect what we are seeing here is simply the result of brewer having been very fortunate to date. I seriously doubt any RVer can remain perfect for an extended period of time - but then I'm not too mentally sharp, so take it for what it's worth.

Nords · 06-21-2010, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

I suspect what we are seeing here is simply the result of brewer having been very fortunate to date. I seriously doubt any RVer can remain perfect for an extended period of time - but then I'm not too mentally sharp, so take it for what it's worth.

So the longer you ~~stay in the market~~ continue to RV, the higher the probability that something bad will happen?

Sounds like it's worth it...

Besides, Brewer's only vacationing with a couple of preschoolers. What could possibly be the chances of sleep-deprived attention lapses or getting distracted at a critical moment?

M Paquette · 06-21-2010, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

"Burned into your heads" is fine, but it's always worth the extra minute (and a lot cheaper) to read over the list before you put it into gear.

Ha! The very first thing that popped into my mind when I read this was "No more written checklist? Memory is more fallible than they think. They're gonna get bit."

Sea tales: We had an auxiliaryman line up the diesel from memory. It's amazing how long that diesel ran on inboard air, with the induction system still closed. (Yo, chief, shouldn't that little circle be lit?) When inboard pressure crossed 500 millibars and falling, all hell broke loose back in Engineering from 'low vacuum' alarms. (The delta between the vacuum bits and the engine room was what the gages and alarms sensed. The vacuum bits were fine. The partial vacuum in Engineering triggered the alarms.)

"Recently, on a 637 class boat, failure to use written checklists resulted in..."

ls99 · 06-21-2010, 12:23 PM

Can always install an ignition interlock. Inhibit starter while antenna is up. Yeah, it could be a pain and another point of failure.

REWahoo · 06-21-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99

Can always install an ignition interlock. Inhibit starter while antenna is up. Yeah, it could be a pain and another point of failure.

Already have an ignition interlock for extended slides and jacks down, so what's one more...

ls99 · 06-21-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Paquette

"Recently, on a 637 class boat, failure to use written checklists resulted in..."

Gee, the CO2 alarms did not go off? Kinda like when enterprising submariners had a still going to make some moonshine.

brewer12345 · 06-21-2010, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

I suspect what we are seeing here is simply the result of brewer having been very fortunate to date. I seriously doubt any RVer can remain perfect for an extended period of time - but then I'm not too mentally sharp, so take it for what it's worth.

Probably true. I imagine I will screw something up at some point. The fact that I have no slides, genset, bells, whistles, etc. helps a lot as well.

Nords · 06-21-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99

Gee, the CO2 alarms did not go off?

I'll bet the diesel really sucked down the CO2 levels... as well as the O2 levels. And once the right valves got opened, I bet the ride back up from 500 millibar was just as painful as the ride down.

I just hope that no one happened to try to flush a toilet while the pressure in the sanitary tank was higher than the pressure in the rest of the boat. But let's not get into how I learned that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99

Kinda like when enterprising submariners had a still going to make some moonshine.

Heard at a Captain's Mast after a similar incident on one of my subs: "But, sir, the oranges were going bad anyway and we wanted to experiment with making an alternative fuel!"

Westernskies · 06-21-2010, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

I started to pull out of our campsite without releasing the parking brake on the toad. Fortunately it was on grass and I noticed the extra drag immediately. I've heard tales of grinding off the tires and wheel rims before some passing motorist brings the smoking disaster to the RV driver's attention...

Try a kneeboard, with an aviation-style pre-flight checklist...
Just don't start the rig without the kneeboard in place- clip the keys to it.

REWahoo · 06-21-2010, 05:22 PM

My experience is every RVer develops their own individual system to prevent most problems from happening. Of course some systems take longer than others to develop.

As an ex-aviator I do have and use a pre-departure checklist. After my little "oops", it was modified to include insuring the toad transmission was in neutral and the parking brake was released....