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Old 08-21-2017, 09:47 PM   #1
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Made a mistake

Well, I had a duh huh moment Friday. We were getting ready to leave for a weekend camping trip and we were in a hurry to get on the road. My wife starting getting the electric jacks up and I was locking compartment doors. I was getting ready to put of the back passenger side jack but she reminded me that I needed to unplug the power cord and put it up before I locked the back compartment door. I stopped and got the cord and never came back to the jack. My wife thought I got it so she didn't come back for it either. You know where this is going. I pulled out of my RV garage and up the driveway. We live on a hill so the hitch makes a lot of popping and creaking as I am coming up the hill and then turning onto the road. I didn't notice anything till I made my turn to get on the road. I looked in the mirror to make sure I wouldn't run the trailer off the edge of our driveway and I saw the jack hanging down. It had grass and rocks all over it. Bent it back at least 8 inches. It wouldn't move so I had to try to fix it or remove it. I decided to fix it. Got a couple pry bars and got started. I was pulling and prying and I think I even hit it a couple times. It was about 95 degrees out there and I had people driving by while I was trying to fix my mistake. I left marks of shame out of my garage and up the hill. Good news is, I got it where it would work and my friends at the campground didn't think it looked bad all. But I am going to have to replace or take it off and do more work because even though it works, it sounds like the motor is laboring more on that one. Hey everybody, learn from mistake. Go camping but don't break stuff!
Jeff
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Old 08-21-2017, 10:05 PM   #2
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I did the same thing. I now have a much better jack out of the whole ordeal!
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Old 08-21-2017, 10:06 PM   #3
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Hey, we're all human and we all make mistakes. Nobody got hurt which is what's important and it will never happen again.
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Old 08-22-2017, 01:57 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmurph View Post
My wife starting getting the electric jacks up and I was locking compartment doors. I was getting ready to put of the back passenger side jack but she reminded me that I needed to unplug the power cord and put it up before I locked the back compartment door. I stopped and got the cord and never came back to the jack.
Jeff, I'm assuming you are referring to the stabilizers and not a tongue jack itself?

Stuff like this happens. I am a card carrying member of the bent stabilizer club. Like you, I was in a hurry, and was actually taking mine back to the dealer for the only warranty work I ever had done on it. I retracted the front stabilizers, but forgot about the rears. I used the electric tongue jack to raise the trailer so I could connect it to the truck. I noticed this jack was even noisier than normal and was hearing some popping/creaking noises. I then realized where the popping was coming from, albeit too late.

I had bent the rear stabilizers bars out pretty good. I was able to raise it enough to make the trip to the dealer, and they went ahead and fixed them while doing the other warranty work.
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Old 08-22-2017, 02:33 AM   #5
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I try and treat the preparation to get on the road like the pre-flight of an aircraft. We all have a routine we follow and if I am interrupted I go back to the very beginning and start over. It is more certain than figuring out where you were and possibly missing something.

That being said, we added a WIFI extender antenna to t=what used to be our crank up TV antenna mount. I have forgotten it twice because it was new, on the roof, out of sight and not in my routine, I placed a red piece of cloth over the slideout switch to remind us to crank it down because the crank cannot be operated with the slides in, sort of like a "Remove Before Flight" flag placed on various parts of an aircraft that are locked while A/C is parked.
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Old 08-22-2017, 02:41 AM   #6
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Yeah I would just replace the jack, I like my stuff to be good and look good but that's me. I think that most here made a few mistake also, I know that when I was putting in a shower head in our bathroom I had to drill a little hole for the screw to go in.

Well I was suppose to had stop in the hard plastic so guess what I kept on going until I drill a 1/8 hole in the side of my TT. I was not a happy camper but it all got fix and yeah I did learn. Lol.
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Old 08-22-2017, 04:20 AM   #7
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Stuff happens. Make a checklist and follow it. Your wife won't have to remind you about the power cord because it's on the list. You won't check off the jacks until they're done. If you get distracted, your checklist will tell you exactly where you were.
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Old 08-22-2017, 05:42 AM   #8
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I too have done things like this, wife interrupts your routine and its all over.
So I always do a last walk around before I move the trailer. look up, down and all around.
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Old 08-22-2017, 06:00 AM   #9
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I try and treat the preparation to get on the road like the pre-flight of an aircraft. We all have a routine we follow and if I am interrupted I go back to the very beginning and start over. It is more certain than figuring out where you were and possibly missing something.
Ditto - to the point where once I was picking up our previous trailer from the dealer and a well meaning service guy started talking to me, so I stopped and talked. He encouraged me to keep working while we talked, and I told him "No thanks, I'd rather make sure I don't miss any steps. I don't allow myself to be distracted during the hookup service."

He took the hint, wrapped up the conversation and stood silently watching the remainder of the process.

Too many things can happen - and generally I work outside and the DW works inside when we're packing up. She's got her list of things in there, and the outside things are my responsibility.
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Old 08-22-2017, 06:14 AM   #10
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Yup......we've got our routine too.

It's affectionately called the "Blue list" and "Pink list".

Then we check with each other before take off.
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Old 08-22-2017, 06:22 AM   #11
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Yup......we've got our routine too.

It's affectionately called the "Blue list" and "Pink list".

Then we check with each other before take off.
We also have our own checklists. I really like the blue and pink lists!

Marty
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Old 08-22-2017, 06:37 AM   #12
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Good advise about the checklist.

I've found that my blunders usually occur when someone or something distracts me, or if I let myself get in a hurry. The second one I can control so I just try not to put myself in that position. I don't use a checklist but I'm going to start.
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Old 08-22-2017, 06:54 AM   #13
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Ditto - to the point where once I was picking up our previous trailer from the dealer and a well meaning service guy started talking to me, so I stopped and talked. He encouraged me to keep working while we talked, and I told him "No thanks, I'd rather make sure I don't miss any steps. I don't allow myself to be distracted during the hookup service."

He took the hint, wrapped up the conversation and stood silently watching the remainder of the process.

Too many things can happen - and generally I work outside and the DW works inside when we're packing up. She's got her list of things in there, and the outside things are my responsibility.
X2^^^^We use precisely the same division of responsibilities, it makes sense to us too!

Perhaps the Service guy learned something too. Ive been at this a long time and never stop learning.
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Old 08-22-2017, 07:15 AM   #14
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The only times I have made mistakes is when I am distracted. My 10 year old son loves to help me do things and a the couple of times he has help me tear down I have overlooked something. I finally just had to say nobody helps me tear down. He helps me setup so he is good with that. Most of the time if my wife and I drive seperate, I just send them onto the house so I can be by myself and take my time.
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Old 08-22-2017, 07:34 AM   #15
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Made a mistake

Distraction is definitely bad. I camp alone, and often, both strangers and friends try to be helpful. I always struggle to say "no thanks" without offending. But if I save time by having help, I just end up spending it by triple checking because I feel like I've forgotten something! I get shoved out of my "zone" [emoji12]
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Old 08-22-2017, 08:23 AM   #16
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The only times I have made mistakes is when I am distracted. My 10 year old son loves to help me do things and a the couple of times he has help me tear down I have overlooked something. I finally just had to say nobody helps me tear down. He helps me setup so he is good with that. Most of the time if my wife and I drive seperate, I just send them onto the house so I can be by myself and take my time.
My suggestion is to get him involved with the tear down list as well, teach him that there is a sequence and get him interactive. He will LOVE to learn "how it is done" from his dad.
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Old 08-22-2017, 08:23 AM   #17
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We've all made some kinda mistakes either from being distracted when performing our routine or just getting in a hurry and skipping a step.

Each person has their own routine of doing things, and me being the helpful person that I am, want to help, but I know enough to know that I can be more hindrance than help, so if I see someone that looks like they're struggling I just go over and tell them that I'd love to help if they need it, but I don't want to be in the way, just holler if they want any help. And then I get back out of the way.

I also don't watch them because that makes some people nervous.
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Old 08-22-2017, 08:31 AM   #18
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I absolutely detest threads with titles like "Made a Mistake". And no, I ain't saying why.
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Old 08-22-2017, 08:33 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by kenandterry View Post
Yup......we've got our routine too.

It's affectionately called the "Blue list" and "Pink list".

Then we check with each other before take off.
it's such a necessity...
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Old 08-22-2017, 08:39 AM   #20
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It happens and hopefully we all learned...
That 'final walk around' before you jump in to head out, is invaluable.
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