The Camper Chronicles


amywibbing

New Member
Happy Wednesday everybody!! So I thought I'd share another one of my brilliant moments with you all. The veterans can have a laugh or two. The rookies, well, I'm living proof we can learn the hard way and still have fun.

Islandgirl is one of my best friends, and she just joined the board. We have another girlfriend in our little circle, and we all now own RVs since I purchased mine almost two months ago. Whatever I'm embarrassed to disclose, Islandgirl will surely do for me, in a very entertaining fashion!!

So I've been out four times since the purchase of my 5th wheel. I've discovered that you must have a good coffee pot (if you're a coffee snob like me), anda slider hitch is just that. A SLIDER hitch. It slides for a very good reason, since you can't always tell if you are jacknifing until it's too late. That lesson cost me a cool $300. But, I know how to use my slider now!

Mymost recent lesson in RV'ing 101 cost me about $700. You know those pretty awnings theyput on your camper? They are so pretty, and they are really so very useful! Well, when they tell you to "slant" it, you better slant it. Our last outing in my camper was a couple of weeks ago. The girls and I are avid scrapbookers (some say rabid), and we plan a weekend about 3-4 times a year to go "scrap-camping".We holeup in the camper and scrap theentire weekend, trying to avoid sleep as much as possible.

Now, Islandgirl and I have somewhat mastered (knock on wood here) the art of towing and setting upour 5th wheels without our worried and dutifulhubbies. We tow out early, set up, let the kids burn off energy and the hubbies arrive to cart our progeny away for the weekend. The only drawback is I am still working, and the phone is my office.

On this, my inaugural hosting of the "ScrapCamp number whatever" I am working, and we setup,but I don't cock the awning like it needs to be. I'm in a hurry! I gotta go seea client! Islandgirl in her educated but "this your RV" voice says weoughta cock this thing... "yeah, I'll do it later". Two hours later, I'm in anoffice across town with clear blue skies. My camper, however is enduring the onslaught of an afternoon monsoon, right out of that clear blue sky. Islandgirl is hopeless, as she has all four of our progeny in my camper. She has forgotten about my awning.

Dear dutiful hubby (mine) arrives to wisk our progeny away, and IGirl tries to make it out of the RV. Yeah, you know what's next. My awning is now a swimming poolfor the local birdlife. She unsuccessfully tries tocock the awning, but it was too late. A wave of tsunamic proportions flooded the patio, washing everythingunder and away from the camper. Islandgirl barely escaped with her life. Just in time forHubby to witness. I, of course, missed the whole thing.

So two weeks later I have a brand new awning, and another story. I always manage to make the expensive mistakes. But it is kind of funny. Never again will I say "I'll do it later"!! Before I bought my camper, I was very very fearful of making mistakes, or forgetting something. Well, I've almost done it all (knock on wood here), and not only lived through it, but can laugh about it.

So this story is for all of the rookies!!!



Amy
 

amywibbing

New Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

Yes, sir, you are exactly right! After my first trip, I was feeling pretty sure of myself. The ironic thing? I had just finished telling my Mom that this was probably a very precarious time. You are relieved that you are doing so well, and feel pretty confident. That's usually when you make a mistake. And indeed it was!

We (all three families) are taking all the kids to Disney tomorrow for the weekend. I picked up the camper today, and immediately got back to the basics, twice! Mistakes are very good at keeping you humble!

Have a great weekend!!

Amy :)
 

night_train01

New Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

:laugh: :laugh: Iam not laughing at you I am laughing with you.......I am sure we can all collectively write a 1000 page novel on our RV blunders and learning curve mistakes. Enjoy your new awning....
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

Hey, Island girl, make sure you put the awning up if your not going to be there ...... winds come up (not even rain) that can rip it right off the camper including the medal framework......if your gonna be gone for 30+ minutes or longer, put it up.....seen go real quick....
 

Poppa

Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

Yup and don't get in a hurry to pull uyp and leave a camp ground be sure to double check everything.

Had and experience with everybody waving at me and I waved back till one guy banged on the side of Nellis belle and told me I forgot to unhook my water line. There was a 20 foo guiser at the spot I just left.

Didn't feel too bad as the maintenance guy that came to fix it said the week before a guy forgot to unplug his 50 cord and they had some real fireworks.
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

Make a check list and check it twice for setting up and for tearing down. Make a list for supplies. Make a lists for emergency stuff, pets, etc. Can never have too many list IMO.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

Do a walk around before putting it into Drive. Check under (jacks up), over (antenna down) and sides (slides in, nothing connected, compartments and awnings closed and locked)
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

If you don't put your awning up every time you leave, you probably need to buy some awning tie down straps. You attach them to your awning supports and stake them into the ground. They keep mild to moderate winds from turning your awning inside out. They are ok if the weather is mild and you want to run to town or somewhere close by, but don't trust them if a big storm with high winds is coming your way.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

I have an automatic awning retractor. It is set to bring the awning in if someone breaths hard, but leaves the awning out in gale force winds :)
 

Islandgirl

New Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

We have an awning retractor dectection system too! It's my husband and myself looking at the sky saying over & over....do you think it's gonna storm? :laugh:
 

cooneyjr

New Member
RE: The Camper Chronicles

Amy thanks for the awning tip. Here are my Chronicles
Well we loaded up for our maiden trip sweated like a dog loaded up and took off Bam blowout. Never changed a Trailer tire before but figured it out. Tires were two years old but no miles so I just went home called off the trip and bought a spare.
Sweated like a dog and reloaded (next day) and took off again Bam! another blowout this time it tore up the side of the camper. I return home cancel that trip and park it in my driveway and order 4 new tires. Well the next day I wake up and me and my wife are downstairs reading the newspaper and drinkink coffee when we heard thump! My wife said it sounded like someone pulled up in our driveway and hit our camper, well I looked outside and saw nothing so we went back to drinking coffee and reading the paper. About an hour later I walked outside and saw about a 6ft long tree limb sticking thru the roodf of the camper and about 4ft into the bedroom. Now I am in line waiting to get the roof fixed. Man if I would of known camping was this fun I would of bought one years ago.

Butch
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

Just think how bored you would be without a camper. Nothing exciting would ever happen :( Keep on the postive side :approve:
 

Islandgirl

New Member
Re: The Camper Chronicles

When Amy's awning crashed down (on me, I may add!).... we said..... Nothing breaks when you are sitting on the couch! I guess CooneyJr proved us wrong! :eek:
 
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