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Not so obvious - things to remember

Gonzo42
Explorer
Explorer
1. Slide out switch is interlocked with parking brake. Yes there is a notice next to the switch that the brake has to be on, but I had forgotten...and who reads the notes anyway? My bad.

2. After filling the fresh water tank, all of a sudden the water pump ran continuously. I was perplexed and checked whether the faucets, both hot and cold were working plus the toilet did flush. Seems I left the water inlet switch in the FILL position and I had forgotten to return it to the NORMAL position.
MOTHER SHIP Winnebago View 24H (2007 Dodge Sprinter 3500 Chassis, 2008 Body)3.0 L M-B Diesel V6 bought used with 24K miles. Toad: ROCKY the Flying Squirrel.
14 REPLIES 14

DavidandDayle
Explorer
Explorer
I made a set of reminders out of plastic spring clamps and key tag labels. I clamp the reminders on the sun visor and when we pack up I take them off and put them on the power cord and the water hose and whatever.
David and Dayle

j-d
Explorer
Explorer
OFDPOS wrote:
Now every time we go to take off no matter what, we BOTH do a walk around.


River Edge Campground Fairbanks Alaska: Caravan of Dutch Star Diesel Pushers took up about a third of the sites. When they left, the WATER was out. One had left the hose connected and uprooted a goodly part of the campground's water plumbing.

Anyhow, DW and I are living on borrowed time. So far, we haven't done some of the stuff listed here. We don't have slides to worry about and we don't hook up CATV or put a dish out. Haven't lost an antenna, or even forgotten to retract the leveling jacks.

But let me contribute a near miss: Deployed Leveling Jacks on the Concrete Pad at home. That part was OK, but the dicey part was I hadn't made sure the jack's footprint was clear of the Shore Tie Cable that I'd run under the coach. Luckily it was.
If God's Your Co-Pilot Move Over, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100 218" WB

OFDPOS
Explorer
Explorer
TripleClamp wrote:
Forgetting to close the easy open drain on the water heater, water shooting out all over the place.

Don't have any of these but a good idea:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/rvminders-set-of-10/66688


We have something similar to those , only they say Remove Before Flight !On the back we wrote what item its for.
Anything that unloads, unwinds, opens or closed that should be open has one.
Each time something is used, opened , closed etc the tag gets taken off and is put on the drivers seat.

Now every time we go to take off no matter what, we BOTH do a walk around.

Since my wife doesn't read these very often I get to blame her. lol
While parked in our driveway shore line hooked up to side of garage.
I was inside the MH . Wife does a complete walk around "stepping over" the shore line and says yep everything's good !
I go to back up and the shore line cord slings out of the socket and slaps the front grille . I slam on the brakes , it had pulled the electrical box loose inside the compartment on the MH and pulled the wall socket box off the side of the garage.

After some choice words, I go out and repair the damage, to this day she still says she wasn't to blame.
So now we use those Remove Before Flight labels and we BOTH do a complete walk around before the MH moves an inch.

TripleClamp
Explorer
Explorer
Forgetting to close the easy open drain on the water heater, water shooting out all over the place.

Don't have any of these but a good idea:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/rvminders-set-of-10/66688
2011 Coachmen Freelander 32BH
2013 Honda CRF450R

Gonzo42
Explorer
Explorer
I have a copy of the DVD movie RV, with Robin Williams. Its such a classic we have to watch it over and over.
MOTHER SHIP Winnebago View 24H (2007 Dodge Sprinter 3500 Chassis, 2008 Body)3.0 L M-B Diesel V6 bought used with 24K miles. Toad: ROCKY the Flying Squirrel.

Blutoyz
Explorer
Explorer
navegator wrote:
Some time ago we were in San Antonio at the camp ground, so propane tank needs filling, unhook water, electric, sewer and stow rear jacks, head to the filling station and the attendant tells me that the wife needs to be out of the RV, so she gets out and goes to sit and read her book on a bench in the unoccupied space adjacent to the filling station on the right side of the RV.

When the gas is finished I head to the office to pay, I go back to the RV and climb in and take off, I completely forgot that the wife was out side, go back to the site and started hooking everything back up, hooked water, sewer and I am pulling the electric cord out when the wife comes up and asks me if I had forgotten something back at the filling station, that's when I realized I had driven off, lucky me the station is in the park 1/8th of a mile from the spot, that cost me two dinners at a nice restaurant until she forgave me, now I make sure she's inside before I take off!

navegator



Classic!!!
She may be old but she is paid for (the rig that is)

Gonzo42
Explorer
Explorer
Another little fun thing happened this trip.

As is my usual routine I had the propane tank topped up. As I was about to leave I noticed that the gas light was flashing on the reefer. Immediately I checked the stove and it wouldn't light. Seems the tech that filled the tank left the main valve closed.

Got the stove then the light but it was quite some time later that the blinking light went off.

Have to check now every time I get the thing topped off.
MOTHER SHIP Winnebago View 24H (2007 Dodge Sprinter 3500 Chassis, 2008 Body)3.0 L M-B Diesel V6 bought used with 24K miles. Toad: ROCKY the Flying Squirrel.

klutchdust
Explorer II
Explorer II
I use a slide lock on my front slide. On the control panel next to the slide in/out switch there is a key, I hang the key on the slide lock itself so there is no guessing if I removed the lock. Yup, I forgot once.

navegator
Explorer
Explorer
Some time ago we were in San Antonio at the camp ground, so propane tank needs filling, unhook water, electric, sewer and stow rear jacks, head to the filling station and the attendant tells me that the wife needs to be out of the RV, so she gets out and goes to sit and read her book on a bench in the unoccupied space adjacent to the filling station on the right side of the RV.

When the gas is finished I head to the office to pay, I go back to the RV and climb in and take off, I completely forgot that the wife was out side, go back to the site and started hooking everything back up, hooked water, sewer and I am pulling the electric cord out when the wife comes up and asks me if I had forgotten something back at the filling station, that's when I realized I had driven off, lucky me the station is in the park 1/8th of a mile from the spot, that cost me two dinners at a nice restaurant until she forgave me, now I make sure she's inside before I take off!

navegator

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
We don't have any lists for loading our RV.

We keep our RV completely loaded (except for clothes and food) all the time with the same items, regardless of the type of RV trip we might go on. Being ready for anything, anytime, with our rig keeps our life simple as far as having to remember stuff or maintaining lists for the stuff. Two exceptions are the RV's main tool box and the RV's first aid kit...we move them back and forth between the RV and home when traveling/not traveling.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

CharlesinGA
Explorer
Explorer
I have a Brother label maker, so I make lots of labels, black or white on white or clear, or whatever. The slide out on mine did NOT have any warning about the parking brake, so I made a nice label to inform the user. I added a PI HW30C to protect the electrical system and it came with a digital read out remote. I did the error codes on a label right above the remote so I don't have to look them up.

Front overhead cabinet closest to the coach door has a red on white "First Aid Kit Inside" and a red cross on it.

I have disabled or removed a couple of items. Waste tank heaters were peeling off. I removed them and capped and stowed the wires. Labeled the switch INOP and small lettering (Heaters Removed).

Charles
'03 Ram 2500 CTD, 5.9HO six speed, PacBrake Exh Brake, std cab, long bed, Leer top and 2008 Bigfoot 25B21RB.. previously (both gone) 2008 Thor/Dutchman Freedom Spirit 180 & 2007 Winnebago View 23H Motorhome.

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
My daughter and son-in-law made check lists for A) packing, B) setup and C) shutdown.

cgmartine
Explorer
Explorer
The black tank on my Fleetwood Tioga has a rinse outlet to flush out the tank. Once, at campground, I emptied the tank and opened the water for the rinse cycle. I forgot to turn it off, and after some 20 minutes, I was sitting nearby when I heard and saw a torrent of water cascading from the roof of my motorhome. The black tank had filled up with water and it rose up thru a vent tube to the roof of the motorhome. Luckily, it was all clean water and no one was around to see it.

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
Gonzo42 wrote:

2. After filling the fresh water tank, all of a sudden the water pump ran continuously. I was perplexed and checked whether the faucets, both hot and cold were working plus the toilet did flush. Seems I left the water inlet switch in the FILL position and I had forgotten to return it to the NORMAL position.


The corollary to this one is forgetting to turn the pump off when going to refill the tank, only to have it run the moment the fill valve is opened. Yep, I've done that once or twice.