I could have killed or seriously injured myself

[Midwest Ed]

Can we make a list of things one should NEVER do, preferably based on experience. Regrettably, those that did not survive their accident can no longer post so feel free to list something you've never done but needs to be on the list. Some things seem obvious but maybe not to everyone.

I'll go first. I recently drained my water heater but forgot to depressurize it first. When the plug finally loosened up it shot across the garage and I was immediately and completely drenched. Fortunately, the plug didn't strike anything vital (or anything) and the water was not hot. I could have been seriously injured and/or burned.

There are tons of lists containing things to do. This would create a list of things NOT to do.

[NMWildcat]

This should be a good thread!
First thing I drill into anybody with me is to NEVER get between the truck and the trailer during the hitching/unhitching process. For bumper pulls (where you have to get in between to complete the hook up), the driver is the only one who can perform this function.
Have been several accidents on the farm that could have been avoided by paying attention to this rule.
Another rule is only one person helps me backup when we get to a site, all others (usually grandkids) stay in the truck. The truck doesn't move if I can't see that backup help in the mirrors.
Had a friend trap his wife between the trailer bumper and a bushy tree once. Didn't hurt her other than scrapes, but he never did that again!!!

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Midwest Ed

forgot to depressurize it first. When the plug finally loosened up it shot across the garage and I was immediately and completely drenched. Fortunately, the plug didn't strike anything vital (or anything) and the water was not hot. I could have been seriously injured and/or burned.

You definitely dodged a bullet. Glad you're ok.

[jimmarako]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Had a friend trap his wife between the trailer bumper and a bushy tree once. Didn't hurt her other than scrapes, but he never did that again!!!

Did he finish her off the next trip, or did she finish him off?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Midwest Ed

I'll go first. I recently drained my water heater but forgot to depressurize it first. When the plug finally loosened up it shot across the garage and I was immediately and completely drenched. Fortunately, the plug didn't strike anything vital (or anything) and the water was not hot. I could have been seriously injured and/or burned.

Been there, done that...got the wet t-shirt (literally) to prove it.


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...tml#post519851


One thing that can kill you (and unfortunately has) is to bump your stove knobs to on. I keep this one in my tips thread for new RV owners:


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ml#post1290610

[rjshiflet]

Originally Posted by wmtire

One thing that can kill you (and unfortunately has) is to bump your stove knobs to on. I keep this one in my tips thread for new RV owners:


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ml#post1290610

This very thing happened to my wife and me during a stay in our fifth wheel several years ago. Thankfully the alarm started sounding and our noses did too. Stupidly we started opening windows and trying to get the gas out of the trailer rather than evacuating. But I knew evacuating would likely mean the trailer blowing up for certain.

During our rushing around I noticed one of the gas outlets wasn't turned off but rather was turned to HIGH.

Dear Wife later remembered she had been wiping down the stove with a rag after dinner and evidently knocked it out of position.

Thankfully that was a one-time incident and hasn't been repeated.

[moose074]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

This should be a good thread!
First thing I drill into anybody with me is to NEVER get between the truck and the trailer during the hitching/unhitching process. For bumper pulls (where you have to get in between to complete the hook up), the driver is the only one who can perform this function.
Have been several accidents on the farm that could have been avoided by paying attention to this rule.
Another rule is only one person helps me backup when we get to a site, all others (usually grandkids) stay in the truck. The truck doesn't move if I can't see that backup help in the mirrors.
Had a friend trap his wife between the trailer bumper and a bushy tree once. Didn't hurt her other than scrapes, but he never did that again!!!

X2 you stole mine, on to serious though. We hadn’t had our first travel trailer for long. I had just backed it up into the backyard after a trip. The hitch was in a bind I was one the passenger side and the wife was walking on the driver side. So I tell her the hitch has a bind in it and pull it forward. That’s exactly what she did she got in it and moved forward about 10 feet. Well I was still between the truck and trailer thinking she was going to just pop it in drive. Lucky there was enough room on the tongue for me to catch a ride.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

This should be a good thread!
First thing I drill into anybody with me is to NEVER get between the truck and the trailer during the hitching/unhitching process. For bumper pulls (where you have to get in between to complete the hook up), the driver is the only one who can perform this function.
Have been several accidents on the farm that could have been avoided by paying attention to this rule.
Another rule is only one person helps me backup when we get to a site, all others (usually grandkids) stay in the truck. The truck doesn't move if I can't see that backup help in the mirrors.
Had a friend trap his wife between the trailer bumper and a bushy tree once. Didn't hurt her other than scrapes, but he never did that again!!!

This is esp. true on a slope. I know of a young man locally that was unhitching a hay wagon on a hill, he was trapped between the tractor tire and the wagon. It was his last mistake. This can happen with a camper as well.

All we have is hills here.

[Oaklevel]

Believe it of not I had to rescue a camping neighbor from his awning. He was retracting a manual awning and got his arm caught in one of the arms. He was in serious pain.

I heard him yelling for help.

[RUTROAD]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Been there, done that...got the wet t-shirt (literally) to prove it.


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...tml#post519851


One thing that can kill you (and unfortunately has) is to bump your stove knobs to on. I keep this one in my tips thread for new RV owners:


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ml#post1290610

Last year my myself and granddaughter getting ready for the first trip of the year, detailed the RV. I did the outside the wife did the inside. Cleaning the stove she bumped the knobs to on position. I kept asking if she had the egg salad in the fridge I smell eggs. Checked the fridge knope. Started the RV off to the gas station. RV filled with propane a oncoming driver blows through a red light narrowi missed us. SO GREAT FULL TO BE HERE.

[bplantcjf]

Great thread. It should be mandatory reading for all new owners. Here is another one..... if your trailer gives you a tingly feeling or feels "fuzzy" when yo touch it unplug it from the electric service. You have a 120 volt issue you need to get fixed.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by bplantcjf

Great thread. It should be mandatory reading for all new owners. Here is another one..... if your trailer gives you a tingly feeling or feels "fuzzy" when yo touch it unplug it from the electric service. You have a 120 volt issue you need to get fixed.

We keep that one as a sticky in the electrical subforum:


https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...-rv-89191.html

[cboss]

For those that use X-chocks. I once forgot to remove the X-chock before moving the TT. My DW was standing off to the side and when I moved the TT the X-chock shot out like a bullet!. If it had hit someone it would have broke a bone or at a minimum caused a painful wound.
BTW: I gave my X-chocks away!

[PenJoe]

We have camped for over 40 years with a fair portion in motorhomes. We were nearing home on our final trip when we were caught up in stop and go (mostly stop) traffic. DW went to the kitchen area. Traffic inched ahead and I nudged the gas pedal, enough to throw her off balance. She fell, bruising her ribs. She was in pain for several weeks. In our travels, we have used our sea legs while the MH is in motion without incident. I failed to tell her that we would be starting to move. The instance when there was little danger is the one time we let our guard down. And DW suffered for it.

[avid108]

While my wife was checking us into a park, I began unhooking the toad. I squatted down, for some reason, unlocked the tow arm opposite of me first, then pulled the hitch pin on my side, and then unlocked the arm on my side.

As soon as I unlocked the arm on my side, the Jeep began rolling forward, with me squatted between the Jeep and MH and having nowhere to go. Luckily, the opposite tow arm stopped it when the Jeep rolled forward enough to take the slack out of it.

Lesson learned - no matter how flat the ground appears, always set the parking brake before unhooking. In this case, the ground appeared level, and it never even crossed my mind that I needed to set the brake. I have not forgotten it ever since, though!

[Comanchecreek]

Good thread on safety. It's the "evil" "distraction" that cause many problems while RVing. We all get into a habit when setting up, or knocking down. Most of the accidents happen when we get distracted from our routine. The dog is running loose. The neighbor comes over to chat while setting up. It goes on. Stick to your routine and beware Murphy's Law. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

Regarding the X Chock story above, people need to realize that X Chocks are for trailer stability only. I do not use them without regular wheel chocks already in position to actually hold the trailer. There are a number of tales told here where the trailer has rolled in a steep situation when only X Chocks are used. If there had been wheel chocks also the above story may have had a different outcome.

[RussPastuch]

This should be a good thread!
First thing I drill into anybody with me is to NEVER get between the truck and the trailer during the hitching/unhitching process. For bumper pulls (where you have to get in between to complete the hook up), the driver is the only one who can perform this function.
Have been several accidents on the farm that could have been avoided by paying attention to this rule.
Another rule is only one person helps me backup when we get to a site, all others (usually grandkids) stay in the truck. The truck doesn't move if I can't see that backup help in the mirrors.
Had a friend trap his wife between the trailer bumper and a bushy tree once. Didn't hurt her other than scrapes, but he never did that again!!!

DON'T take instructions from ANYONE but your co-pilot. I had a friendly back me into a ditch once.

If you can't see and can't hear your co-pilot, DON'T MOVE.

If you are unsure of clearances, stop and check yourself.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

Regarding the X Chock story above, people need to realize that X Chocks are for trailer stability only. I do not use them without regular wheel chocks already in position to actually hold the trailer. There are a number of tales told here where the trailer has rolled in a steep situation when only X Chocks are used. If there had been wheel chocks also the above story may have had a different outcome.

Yep, we have several threads on this, and even though the manufacturer of x-chocks specifically state that their product is for stability and to be used in conjunction with wheel chocks, there are always the doubters.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by jimmarako

Did he finish her off the next trip, or did she finish him off?

LOL! Oh, he is still alive, but when he pulled forward so she could escape he was as close to death without dieing as you can get, and that was just from the look she gave him! He was definitely fetching and catching for her the rest of that trip

[D W]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

This should be a good thread!
First thing I drill into anybody with me is to NEVER get between the truck and the trailer during the hitching/unhitching process. For bumper pulls (where you have to get in between to complete the hook up), the driver is the only one who can perform this function.
Have been several accidents on the farm that could have been avoided by paying attention to this rule.
Another rule is only one person helps me backup when we get to a site, all others (usually grandkids) stay in the truck. The truck doesn't move if I can't see that backup help in the mirrors.
Had a friend trap his wife between the trailer bumper and a bushy tree once. Didn't hurt her other than scrapes, but he never did that again!!!

Probably the most important thing to remember! Every time my bride hops out of the cab to ground guide me I tell her "If you can't see a mirror I can't see you", and "If you have to check something on the other side STOP ME, go check, then come back into view".