Note: Next week may be the last column of our readers’ RV “oops” mistakes. We need more of your experiences to continue. We must have an incredibly mistake-free group! Please fill out the form below and share your “mistakes.”
Thanks to those who have shared thus far. I have nodded my head in agreement and laughed out loud with some.
In this column, we are sharing some of the not-so-brilliant things we, the RVtravel.com staff, and you, our readers, have done while RVing. We hope that in addition to a chuckle or two, we can learn from others’ RVing mistakes and not make them ourselves!
Please leave a comment in the form below with your own RV mistakes and “oops” moments. There have to be many among both our seasoned and newbie RVers…
What is that loud screeching?
Polly F. wrote in about an unusually loud screech. She said, “We neglected to put our trailer stabilizers up. We heard loud screeching when we hit the pavement in the campground. All four stabilizers had to be replaced at great expense.”
Sometimes it is just funny to watch
Jim S. wrote to us about getting to watch this. “I witnessed this: The local Air Force base rented out little Casita-style trailers for service personnel.
“We watched as two large airmen pulled into the campground and proceeded to set up. They unhitched the trailer but did not chock the wheels. The site wasn’t level, and when they both walked into the trailer they made the mistake of walking to the rear of the trailer, lifting the hitch off the ground. The trailer started rolling down the hill with them inside. Watching those two trying to squeeze through the door at the same time with panicked eyes was hilarious! Then trying to stop the trailer was funny, too.”
Guaranteed to make you LOL
John S. shares his hilarious dump station story, just try not to LOL (laugh out loud)! “Here’s my DSD (dump station disaster) story. It was the summer of 2022. We were at the dump station at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area near Yankton, South Dakota. I hooked up the dump hose, making sure the connection was secure. I put the clear elbow on the end of the hose but forgot to put the orange extender thing on it. It’s the part that makes sure the hose stays in the drain hole.
“I gave the black tank valve a good tug and then stepped over the hose to access the gray tank valve. At this point, the pavement around my feet was dry. About two seconds later the pressure of 30 gallons of ‘nasty’ lifts the hose out of the drain hole. The hose now has become an angry snake whipping back and forth. I yell out verbal sentences that should never be used in public.
“I now step over the hose to reach the black tank valve. To accomplish this I have to place one foot in the ‘stuff’ on the ground. I expound more verbal comments. I shut off the valve and attach the correct end to the hose. I finish the job after using about a million gallons of water to clean up the mess I made.
“Thankfully, there was no one around to see this disgusting disaster. After I was all done and getting ready to drive away, a young lady walked up to me and asked me if I had any idea how to dump the tanks. I told her ‘I don’t have a clue.'”
Just add a light over the hole
Wayne B. wrote us about a miscalculation and another almost black dump disaster. He wrote, “I have been RVing for more than 20 years and have been fortunate to avoid major mishaps. Once while trying to air up my tires, I miscalculated an overhanging arm and put a hole in the camper. Easy fix to just add a light over that hole. Recently on our first trip with a new Class A, I almost had a real stinky mess. When hooking up, I placed large rocks over the sewage hose into the discharge pipe. When I went to dump, the pressure blew the rocks off and the discharge end came out. Fortunately, I had my hand on the black valve handle so I could promptly close it. I now own two types of devices to ensure my hose stays in place.”
Please share your RVing “oops” mistake story
Humor can be the best medicine and mistakes the best lesson! Have you had some unfortunate “oops” mistakes during your RVing adventures? We would love to hear them. Please fill out the form below and include a photo if you have one. Thank you!
##RVT1136
In both the black tank dumping stories it helps to SLOWLY open the valve, that way the flow gets going without the blast. Lol
Seeing this happen to others, I open my GRAY tank first a bit to make sure all is well, then close it & slowly open the black tank!
Snoopy
It also wet lubes the drain pipe to aid in the black tank flow..
dumpbuddy.com
Thank you, Nanci! Merry Christmas! 🙂🎄🎁
While most all RV waste connections on the RV seem standard in the industry and most all waste hose and hose connections are similarly of standard design, why cannot there be any standardization in RV parks and campgrounds for waste connections? Every single place I travel is different, height (it don’t run uphill), pipe diameter, pipe threads, location. It is like a box of stinky chocolate; you never know what you are going to get. I suppose it is a good thing Mother Nature provides us with rocks.