If you need more air-flow ventilation through your RV, we recommend power vent fans. Don’t do as this poor fellow did. In a tight parking lot with his 40-footer, he “forgot how much of his trailer there was behind his axles.” Use the arrows on the image to click through to see more.
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Well, one thing good. That light post protector proved its worth!
And then along came a long-haul driver…
An RVtravel.com reader also got his rig in a “tight squeeze” at a refueling stop. Robert B. says his family changed rides, buying their first travel trailer after having been Class A motorhomers. On their first trip out, relates Robert, “I turned left between the two gas islands and was shocked to see my trailer hugging the left island, tires up against the curb.” It’s a pickle that many of us can relate to!
Backing up, driving forward … nothing helped. It only made the situation worse. Happily, a long-haul driver stopped in. Following the driver’s advice, they unhitched the trailer from the tow vehicle and, using brute force, the truck driver lifted the trailer tongue off the tow ball and pushed the trailer backwards several feet. After that, the driver hopped in the tow vehicle and maneuvered it off the curb.
Here’s a picture of Robert’s rig, “after we got out of our ‘scrape’ and got safely camped.”
If you’ve seen, witnessed, or had your own “RV boo-boo” moment and have a photo to share with others, let us know. Fill out the form below, and put “boo-boo” on the subject line. Be sure to link your photo with the attachment tool on the form. Your “ventilation” will help us breath easier in future issues!
Other stories by Russ and Tiña De Maris
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I did the exact same thing at a fueling stop. the square post used to protect the pumps caught the edge of the back wall and three of the sides came off the rest of the 5th wheel. it took some brute force, a wedge, and a couple of big lag bolts plus a lot of gorilla tape to make it roadworthy to get home for the lengthy repair.
my solution was to act on what my wife said when we first got our rig. fueling is the most stressful part of the journey. i replaced the puny 26 gallon tank on my ford f-350 with a 50 gallon tank. shame on ford for selling towing vehicles with such a small tank. and shame on me for not acting sooner. now we almost never have to refuel for a day’s drive. rest stops are now our only stop along the way and those are a lot less stressful.
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this! Tail swing gets a lot of folks. Another is road crown. When they pull over to the curb they wipe out any signs that are there. Anyone pulling trailers should let a long time pro give them the tips they need.
Many thanks to the truck driver for helping out a fellow American.
Gorilla tape to the rescue!🤪😀
I see a toy hauler in that man’s future!
Far to many people hook up to a trailer and forget the combination does not behave like the car/truck does by itself. As any newbie truck driver is instructed, you’re not driving the truck, you’re driving the trailer! The truck is just the tool used to drive the trailer!
Well said!!!