Lessons learned the hard way

[janieD]

This is probably a thread topic already, but I didn’t see it so I made a new one. The adventure continues, but the latest one wasn’t the fun kind. Sometimes you just learn things the hard way.
This is only the second time we’ve setup, and we both follow check lists, although I find myself making edits as I go along. When it came time to put the slides out, we crunched the living room slide against an open computer drawer that is part of the entertainment center at the back of the coach. It was entirely preventable by us (mostly), by PI, and by the dealer.
When we accepted delivery of the coach last November, we went over the drill for putting the slides out and in. Our check lists made sure that everything was stowed and all the cabinets closed before we pulled the slides in. But when we put them back out again, we just ran them out. In my mind, I think I made the connection of closing everything up before pulling the slides in, but if they were already in, then everything was good to go. Adding to this misconception was the cabinets we needed to be careful with were not visible (from the slide switches) with the slides fully in. You would have to walk to the end of the coach and peek around the slides to see if everything was clear.
But that’s not what we did, and everything wasn’t clear. During the trip to our new site, the computer door had fallen down and the tray had slid into the “keep clear” zone behind the slide. Crunch time.
Of course, I reconstructed the crime from the available evidence. During our last stay, we installed the laptop in its new home in the computer drawer made especially for it. But with the added weight of the laptop, the magnets for the door to the slide out computer tray and the single friction latch for the computer tray itself were not strong enough to prevent the heavier tray from sliding forward when the rig slowed down or stopped. And I drive this rig like an old lady. (When we hauled the coach home from the dealer, we didn’t see this problem with the empty tray.)
So we were remiss in not checking, and I can accept that., but I’ll also deal out some of the blame to the dealer for not suggesting we walk down and peek around the end of the slides before we put them out, and I’ll fault PI some for under designing the latches on the computer drawer, especially for a drawer in the critical slide zone that wouldn’t be visible with the slides in. This is the only drawer we have that uses magnets for the latch, and it just about falls open. Every other cabinet in the coach uses very stiff friction latches. A drawer that short that swings down would be hard to open with those friction latches, but maybe a latch would work. And the handle needs some more thought because it blocks opening the cabinet doors under the computer tray when the tray’s out. (It made taking the damaged tray out interesting since I couldn’t open the cabinet below it.)
The computer tray slides are totaled but easily fixed. No damage to the front swing down door (amazingly). The slide took a hit. It doesn’t seal tightly on the inside seal (against the coach wall) when fully out There’s a gap I can stick four fingers into (where the slide sealing surface was bowed out) and you can see where the seam behind the trim has pulled loose. The slide’s trim is also loose, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at it. The outer seal should keep us dry, so I don’t think it’s an emergency, but I’ll have to get it fixed.
Sorry this took so long, but it’s kind of therapeutic to get this out there. Hard to admit we screwed up, but it’s been so helpful reading about other’s screw ups, so maybe it’s our turn. I can’t imagine doing this without all you guys helping out.
And finally, one of my favorite quotes: “Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” Although I don’t think we’ll be making this mistake again for awhile.
janieD's DH -johnnyD

[rockintom]

Oh Big John........you're just getting started. We are on our second rig now and I wished I could tell you all the silly things we have done. Don't feel bad as it will get better, but if your moving the rig......you'll never ever get it down perfect. We've done about 60,000 towing miles and over 5 years of FTing. So we are not newbies...just today we got to Bryce Canyon and it 30* and snowing. Ms. Donna is playing with setting the rig up. She says "I can't seem to get it just right as far as level".....would you please finish it up for me......of course. I start mashing the button on the pendent and rig was jump around like crazy. What the He-- is going on?? I finally decided to start over, when I looked and she had put down the rear legs. Da--......Donna said I think I'll go inside and start setting up in there!!! See how stupid we are.....hope this makes you feel better. Misery loves company. Everytime you hook up and go......you learn something new.....even if something you already know! Don't let it get you down. I don't think most RVers admit to the stupid things that they do only folks like us do. rockin'

BTW.... did Janie tell you I recommend putting a 12V RV water pump in series in the white water hose on your set up to feed water in the rig? Maybe get one used or the like. Just a thought. rockin'

[MakinSmoke]

John,
Like they told you at the Dr's office when you were a kid..."this won't hurt a bit". We demolished a kitchen drawer soon after we got this rig. Now, Miss Jo moves the 4 slides out just enough to walk through and then checks drawers and cabinet doors before taking the slides all the way out. Hard lesson to learn but don't let it dampen your spirits. Stuff can be replaced.

[Stillwater]

or you can have a box of kleenex fall down unnoticed and land behind the slide facia or surround and when the slide goes out.....the kleenex box only crushes so far before it tears the facia right of the slide. Don't ask why we know that!

[BookIIRoadtrash]

John, don't be hard on your self. One must remember that manufacturing pushes the product to get done and those folks are not given lots of time to adjust all the drawers and cabinet doors. You might want to make an appointment at the factory and have them do that. I did and I had a few minor adjustments that they did too. The lesson you learned you will never forget. Now this spring I started the water heater on electric, with in an hour I remembered I had not put any water in it. So yes I burned up the element, so that cost me around $15 and my time. So even after ten years of this we still forget and make blunders. The worst one I did the trailer came out of the hitch and dropped on my truck. It totaled the truck bed $7000 and chipped the front end cap on my rig, around $4000 for that. Thank goodness for insurance and I did like Tom, traded it off.....oh yeah I once did not swing out of a tree branch and had to buy a new refrigerator vent. So as you can see the list can go on and on.

[Jim & Bona]

Originally Posted by MakinSmoke

John,
Like they told you at the Dr's office when you were a kid..."this won't hurt a bit". We demolished a kitchen drawer soon after we got this rig. Now, Miss Jo moves the 4 slides out just enough to walk through and then checks drawers and cabinet doors before taking the slides all the way out. Hard lesson to learn but don't let it dampen your spirits. Stuff can be replaced.

If you wanna get really p---ed at yourself crunch the kitchen drawer a second time. Someone who wears my shoes is sometimes a really SLOW LEARNER.

[Endeavor2BnC]

Just remember that the FT lifesyle is run in the SLOW lane. Every time we've sped up, s*** happens. Trees get in the way, cantelopes turn to juice , slide trim gets popped, back jacks get bent and more. Fortunately no one ever got hurt and every thing got fixed. We sure have slowed down though when we do things now. You definitely are not alone and laughter is a great cure for all the mistakes. Enjoy your travels.

Ask me someday, when we meet, about the guy with 6 burned up wheels.

[Endeavor2BnC]

Roseann says to remember that there are check lists and lists to check the check list and most of all there is "The List" that has all the things not on the lists. She constantly reminds me of that one most important list. It's the one I always forget to check.

[rockintom]

Originally Posted by Endeavor2BnC

Roseann says to remember that there are check lists and lists to check the check list and most of all there is "The List" that has all the things not on the lists. She constantly reminds me of that one most important list. It's the one I always forget to check.

And I thought I was anal. Rosie may have me beat on this one!! Remember I'm the guy who times his water back in his black tank after a dump and flush!

[LindaH]

Originally Posted by Stillwater

or you can have a box of kleenex fall down unnoticed and land behind the slide facia or surround and when the slide goes out.....the kleenex box only crushes so far before it tears the facia right of the slide. Don't ask why we know that!

I can top that one: How about the bottle of -- red -- wine that "someone" (she'll remain nameless) forgot to take off the kitchen counter? You want to talk about a mess when the slide opens and crushes the bottle! Fortunately, nothing was hurt (other than the wine bottle) and, amazingly, the red wine was able to be sopped up without leaving the carpet stained!

[rockintom]

Originally Posted by LindaH

I can top that one: How about the bottle of -- red -- wine that "someone" (she'll remain nameless) forgot to take off the kitchen counter? You want to talk about a mess when the slide opens and crushes the bottle! Fortunately, nothing was hurt (other than the wine bottle) and, amazingly, the red wine was able to be sopped up without leaving the carpet stained!

A bottle of red wine!!!! OMG, that's serious!!! Hope it wasn't Oak Poop...that would be a disaster!

Is it Happy Hour yet?

[Bruce and Jenna]

Computer tray.

Chair.

HP printer.

Correlle dishes - do you know they shatter into very tiny pieces?

Dropped trailer on truck bed with minor damage. Love that duct tape.

Ummm...that's all I'll admit to.

[janieD]

Thanks everyone. I think this helped John put it in perspective. We went to a minor league baseball game tonight, that always makes things better too!!