RV'in for Dummies!

[wepinegar]

Reading this thread has been great fun! My DW always wonders why I am so concerned about not knowing exactly where this road might go! The most fun was getting off Sky Line Dr in VA (still owned our first class C) and the sign at the bottom of the ramp said something like "Not Recommended for RV's" - I said "How bad can it be? it is a state route on the state map?" Well, we bottomed out the tow bar 3 times in the middle of the road in the middle of narrow switch back turns!

Then the lost Motor home story reminded me of our first trip in our New Bounder - first class A. We were on the way back from CO to MN - had a large state park in NE. Pulled in well past dark (it was November after all) - the park was huge and not well signed - I think we stopped to read 3 or 4 maps just trying to find the camp ground. Found it and couldn't figure out which was the right directions to drive, but finally found a pull through to use. Went through the process of setting the brakes, auto leveling, putting out the slides etc. Got out to connect the electric and panicked - the front wheels were about 4-6" off the ground! We made it through the nite, but had a hard time finding our way out the next day!

[hochmuth1957]

Originally Posted by Mrchips

Oh do I have a story to fit in here....LOL We try and camp all year long at least a weekend per month in the winter. While we were stationed in New Orleans (lived in Slidell) we would often just run into MS an use state parks, but we would not leave the house until 6PM or so once DW got home from work. That would always put us in the campgrounds after dark. Anyway we went to a state park (I think it was called Little Black Bear State Park)we had never been to (towing our car). We had called ahead and they told us to just pick any spot we wanted and then go tell them the next day. So we get in the park and decide to unhook the car and let DW drive around and find a good site and then drive back and lead me in. So I unhook the car and she takes off, BUT we never checked to see if the cell phones worked. So she is gone for what seemed like forever and then she finally gets back to where I am sitting with daughter and dogs in the coach. She is frustrated becasue it is PITCH BLACK outside and she can't figure out the campground or the sites. WELL I get aggrivated and say come on I will go with you. We leave the coach running, daughter and dogs inside. (daughter is about 14 at the time) DW and I start driving around the campground and did I mention it is PITCH BLACK outside and there are ZERO campers....NONE...LOL We finally just said to heck with it let's pick a spot and worry about it in the AM.......So we start back to the coach and guess what......we have no idea where the coach is, the park is HUGE with lots of roads in all directions and did I mention it was PITCH DARK outside. We could not find the coach, and we had no phone coverage to call our daughter to tell her to turn headlights on or something...LOL Almost an hour and a half later we stumbled onto our coach sitting there in the PITCH DARK.....LOL I got in and went to a site, backed in, plugged in, set up and spent the night. What we realized the next morning was that we had a great site and the weekend turned out to be one of the best weekend outings we have had. We had the entire state park to ourselves, the temps were cold, the fire pit was great, the skies were clear and we had a great time......EZCEPT for losing the coach, our daughter and the dogs for a couple hours.....LOL, Hey it happens.

Did something similar back when we still had a TT. Long story short, bunch of delays out us into campground at 2 am on one of those pitch black nights. Drove around a little, could not see anything then decided to pull into an empty spot under the only pole light that was still on. Didn't even know or care at that point if it was a camping spot or not. Figured we could move in the morning if need be. In the morning turns out we were in fact in a really great camp site overlooking a river we did not even know was there. Great week.

[topdownman]

Years ago back in the early 80s we went camping with some friends at Lincoln State Park in Indiana. They had one of those old 70s model Winnebago Warriors with the big green W on the side. We found a campsite way after dark and got parked. It's a BIG park and it was completely full.

I decided to take a shower so I gathered my stuff and walked away from the campsite. I figured when I came back I'd just look for the big green W. The shower house was a good piece away. When I came out, I realized just how MANY motorhomes were there with big green Ws on the side. It took me almost an hour to find my way "home".

[Turbofans]

I'm new to the rv thing..these are too funny! Made my day.

[Mrchips]

Here is one from a couple weeks ago. It was not me and I feel really bad, but it happens. We were camped next to another coach, actually a couple spots open between us. His toad was parked behind him. They spent all morning getting ready to leave and his final mission was to move his toad from behind the coach so he could back out. These are pull in sites. Anyway he moves his toad, we chat for a few minutes I walk back to my coach (but still outside) and he goes to his to back out. Then all of a sudden a terrible noise and I look up and he had run over his car that he had just moved out of the way. Not only had he run over it, he was actually backed over the top of the hood and litterally pushing the car backwards. I took off toward him screaming and finally got him to stop. He comes out of the coach wondering what all the screaming was about when I got him to walk back and look. He stood there for a second, said a couple choice words then said, well hell, I can't even yell at my wife cause I moved the car. Unfortunately it rendered his car driveless as it crushed the hood, puntured the radiator and broke a tie rod end from putting side load on the front and pushing....Not a funny story by any means, but I do think about it and laugh becasue if it can happen it will happen.

[Cooperhawk]

Okay, I can tell this one because most of the victims are gone now. My Uncle had a Minnie Winnie some years ago.

We had a large extended family, (fifteen brothers and brothers in law), and they and all their sons took over a resort in Minnesota. (No longer in existence). My Uncle, who I am fond of, brought his RV so he wouldn't have to bunk with a brother. ( I never liked that part myself). We had taken over almost all the cabins in the resort, but one or two were still occupied by strangers.

So okay, I'm sitting out front of our cabin enjoying the morning sunshine when my Uncle emerges from his RV clad in a robe with a towel over his shoulder smoking a long black cigar. He nods good morning and I nod back. He enters an open cabin and I assume he's going to use their shower so as not to have to use his in his RV. Why not?

Except, unbeknownst to me this is not one of our cabins. A little while later a nice looking middle aged woman walks over to the cabin and enters. Okay, probably not good. I hear a scream!

A couple minutes later my Uncle re-emerges from the cabin and non-nonchalantly strolls back to his RV still with his big cigar. This time he does not nod or greet me, he just strolls back.

The incident was never mentioned again.

[Mr LeMans]

OK, so forever my kids had always wanted to go on a trip in a motorhome, and in my best Dad procrastination voice I always said "uh-huh, someday." Well I finally realized that "someday" was TODAY or never, as my oldest was graduating HS. Another story for another time, but I ended up buying (not renting!) but buying, a 22 year coach--a 92 Holiday Rambler that my youngest immediately named "Harvey-the H is silent"

Now, I'd never even been IN a motorhome, much less driven or used one. Go on a 2500 mile round trip to FL as a shake-down cruise in a 22 year old coach? Why not? What could go wrong? So we loaded up (I made sure I had every hand and power tool I could think to bring) and off we went.

It was 101 degrees at O'Hare airport officially when we left. Our coach showed 109. About 11 miles from home, on the interstate, it got warm. REALLY warm. 'Uh, Dad, the air's like, not working, ok? Better turn around. "

Great. No air. No generator either. (Mod Edit)? I pulled over and tried to get the gen to start. No luck. It's really hot in the cockpit of that thing with acres of glass to grill you. So, I called the dealer, loaded for bear. He asked me how much gas I had? Uh, maybe 1/8 of a tank.
"Why so little gas when starting a long trip?" Uh, it's cheaper (a lot
cheaper) once you get out of the Chicago area. "The good news, the dealer said, is there's nothing wrong." You pros know what's coming.

Yep. The gen shuts off if the gas tank gets too low-under 1/8 tank in this case. "Just fill'er up and your good to go. The gen will fire right up, and you'll have all the A/C you want!"

Of course he was right. I was so aggravated I filled up at $3.84/gal!

Our first night, we got in late. Hot and HUMID. PHEW! Anyway, got hooked up, everything worked great. Put the air on, pulled the curtains, took a shower--heaven!

Next morning, got up at 6, stepped out and nearly fell on my face. No
steps. Huh. What's up with that? Not really critical, so I unhook, and check around the coach, climb in and start him up. Uh, I tried to start him up. Nothing. Just dead. Then I noticed how when I turned the lights off with the split toggle switch, I only turned the headlights off and, yep, left the parking lights on. The steps were my first warning.

Damn. 6 in the morning, no coffee, no battery. But wait! I'm a genius, the coach has another battery to run the inside. Duh, I'll just unhook it and put it in the engine bay, and away we'll go. So, I figure I'll unhook the coach battery, and think, man, if I had a long jumper cable I could do this without taking the battery out. OK, you pros know what's coming again!

I went inside to get my smokes, which fortunately were on the dashboard and I saw the "AUX START" toggle switch. Huh. Start what? I wonder. Switch on, turn key, engine fires up! Kids! your father is an RV genius!!!!

Well, we survived the first 30 hours. We're almost out of IL on the way to Disney. Gotta be all downhill from here....

More later,

Frank
(Mr LeMans)

[Mrchips]

Originally Posted by Mr LeMans

OK, so forever my kids had always wanted to go on a trip in a motorhome, and in my best Dad procrastination voice I always said "uh-huh, someday." Well I finally realized that "someday" was TODAY or never, as my oldest was graduating HS. Another story for another time, but I ended up buying (not renting!) but buying, a 22 year coach--a 92 Holiday Rambler that my youngest immediately named "Harvey-the H is silent"

Now, I'd never even been IN a motorhome, much less driven or used one. Go on a 2500 mile round trip to FL as a shake-down cruise in a 22 year old coach? Why not? What could go wrong? So we loaded up (I made sure I had every hand and power tool I could think to bring) and off we went.

It was 101 degrees at O'Hare airport officially when we left. Our coach showed 109. About 11 miles from home, on the interstate, it got warm. REALLY warm. 'Uh, Dad, the air's like, not working, ok? Better turn around. "

Great. No air. No generator either (Mod Edit)? I pulled over and tried to get the gen to start. No luck. It's really hot in the cockpit of that thing with acres of glass to grill you. So, I called the dealer, loaded for bear. He asked me how much gas I had? Uh, maybe 1/8 of a tank.
"Why so little gas when starting a long trip?" Uh, it's cheaper (a lot
cheaper) once you get out of the Chicago area. "The good news, the dealer said, is there's nothing wrong." You pros know what's coming.

Yep. The gen shuts off if the gas tank gets too low-under 1/8 tank in this case. "Just fill'er up and your good to go. The gen will fire right up, and you'll have all the A/C you want!"

Of course he was right. I was so aggravated I filled up at $3.84/gal!

Our first night, we got in late. Hot and HUMID. PHEW! Anyway, got hooked up, everything worked great. Put the air on, pulled the curtains, took a shower--heaven!

Next morning, got up at 6, stepped out and nearly fell on my face. No
steps. Huh. What's up with that? Not really critical, so I unhook, and check around the coach, climb in and start him up. Uh, I tried to start him up. Nothing. Just dead. Then I noticed how when I turned the lights off with the split toggle switch, I only turned the headlights off and, yep, left the parking lights on. The steps were my first warning.

Damn. 6 in the morning, no coffee, no battery. But wait! I'm a genius, the coach has another battery to run the inside. Duh, I'll just unhook it and put it in the engine bay, and away we'll go. So, I figure I'll unhook the coach battery, and think, man, if I had a long jumper cable I could do this without taking the battery out. OK, you pros know what's coming again!

I went inside to get my smokes, which fortunately were on the dashboard and I saw the "AUX START" toggle switch. Huh. Start what? I wonder. Switch on, turn key, engine fires up! Kids! your father is an RV genius!!!!

Well, we survived the first 30 hours. We're almost out of IL on the way to Disney. Gotta be all downhill from here....

More later,

Frank
(Mr LeMans)

For some really STRANGE reason I am really waiting to here about the rest of this trip......

[Dramatic1]

It's about the adventure!
We followed a gps route once that took us through a neighborhood and than down a dirt road between some cranberry bogs and over a wood bridge that I would not have cross if I did not see a large bulldozer parked on the other side than through a 60 foot puddle that was almost up to my undercarriage only to end at a large rock that blocked the road into the campground . I had to back all the way out! Thank god we had no toad that day. Owners of the camp ground said we weren't the first.

[Dogpatch]

This one isn't about towing, but definitely about a "Dummy"! We were at Lake Pleasant RV park in Bothel Washington. I was looking up numbers to car rental agencies cause we didn't bring our car, when suddenly the A/C went out along with some lights. I looked around sure enough, many other things were out. I left the RV to check the pedestal, heard the neighbors A/C working and thought maybe I blew a Breaker. Got to the pedestal, saw my surge protector lights were on and breaker was still on. I turned it off and on anyway. DW says "it's still off" so I sat down in my recliner to ponder what to do next. Suddenly the power came back on. My thought was, resetting the breaker must have done it. A few minutes later, the A/C and lights go off again. (Mod Edit)?, I ask myself. So I went outside and did the same routine I thought fixed it before. Came back in, waited and nothing. So I get up, start looking at the breaker box. All breakers are on, but I switch them on and off anyway. DW says "What's going on, I'm dying here in this heat". I tell her "How am I supposed to know I'm not an RV technician"! So....I go sit down in my recliner to ponder my next move and everything comes back on. This is tooooo weird for me! I start on my car quest again and ........The A/C goes off again! I go out to the pedestal, all on, I go in the bedroom check the panel, all on. Some things like the microwave are flashing the time and the TV lights are still on. I ask myself....self, why would some be on and not others? Now, I'm thinking maybe a disconnect. I go over to the inside battery disconnect by the door and hit the button and Voila!!! Everything came on!!! I sat down and everything went off, so I turned around in my chair, hit the disconnect switch and it came on. I think I found the culprit.....it was me! Every time I sat in the chair or learned forward or back, the corner of the chair hit the battery disconnect switch and turned it either on or off.

[MSHappyCampers]

OK Les, you write the book, no wait, Mark you write the book, wait, MrChips, you write the book......aw heck, let's all write a chapter!

[MarkofSJC]

Ahhhh! And to think we PAY to have these misadventures happen to us!

I think that's why they invented cocktail hour ~ to soothe the nerves, and pull an audience together!

[Mrchips]

Oh I got plenty more chapters as I am sure most do.....LOL I love this thing we all call "camping"....

[Mr LeMans]

I'm happy to say, Mr Chips, that the rest of the trip was as smooth as a mill pond. At least, the stupid Dad tricks ended. Oh, there was the time the exhaust flange on the gen lost a bolt and sounded like thunder, and found some other minor things, but we survived them all and had a great time.

"Harvey-the H is silent" did yeoman's work, and passed through with flying colors. Happy to say we used him for 6 trips during the summer and he's now snug as a bug in a rug in a nice pole barn.

Happy Thanksgiving to all........

Mr LeMans