In this column, we share 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!
Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories! Every week I wonder if it will be the last week for the column, but you wonderful readers continue to send in your and other’s RVing “oops” stories. Please keep submitting your stories to keep this column going!
14-point turn at trailhead! Don’t follow the GPS!
Chuck B. wrote about the good and the bad times with his GPS. He wrote, “Bad: Smith State Park, CA, Redwoods, GPS sent us to a dirt road to find a campground. Looked iffy, dropped the toad, and drove up the road. Dead end, but we could see the campground across the creek. Back to the rig thinking would have to reverse six miles down the road. Helpful hikers told us that this happens often and we could get turned around at the trailhead lot. Moved trucks, lots of help and a 14-point turn later we were out.
“Good: I-15 south of Temecula, GPS suddenly changed the route to take a 30-mile side road detour. I decided to take the detour. A plane crash closed the 15 for over 10 hours.”
Hysterical honeymoon chaos
Cynthia B. and her husband were definitely newbies when it came to showering in her parent’s RV. She wrote, “Hubby and I borrowed my parents’ Class C motorhome for a trip to Lake Louise in Canada. Neither of us had any actual experience with all its bells and whistles. For instance, we had no idea that the fresh water tank needed to be relatively full before stepping buck-naked into the shower. For reference, the said shower was in the far back corner of the RV.
“We had traveled north through Idaho the previous day. This was 50-plus years ago, so we hadn’t made reservations at an RV park. When we got tired of driving, we pulled into one along Highway 95. It appeared to have replaced an old drive-in movie setup. We arrived at our allotted parking spot by driving over rows of humps meant to raise the front of a car for a better view of the screen. We must have slept like the innocents we were that night.
“I was awakened the next morning by cries for help from the rear of the RV. My DH (dear hubby) had begun the Navy shower we’d been told to take by wetting down, turning the water off, and then lathering up his entire body. Sadly, when he turned the water back on, expecting a warm rinse, there was no water! Needless to say, he was not a happy camper when I found him in the shower stall looking like a white sudsy caricature of a human form. Even his eyes were covered in suds!”
“As it happened, this was a pretty rudimentary RV park. To fill the fresh water tank, I needed to drive the rig to the nearest faucet. After throwing on some clothes, I drove over at least five of those earthen humps to reach the water. I heard yelps of ‘Slow down!’ as hubby was sliding and being thrown from wall to wall in the rear of the RV.
“Stopping the motorhome at the faucet, I searched for and found our hose, hooked it up, and began to fill the fresh water tank. Surely all would be well now, right? I can still see myself leaning against the side of the motorhome laughing ‘til the tears came, because, though wet, that water was icy cold. The hollering from the shower didn’t stop for quite a while.”
Getting down a narrow dirt road in a 4-wheel-drive Jeep is definitely different than in an RV
Neal D. sent us this warning about just relying on a GPS. He wrote, “DW has a group of college football tailgating friends. All decided to get together about halfway between football seasons at the lake house of one of the couples. The couple assured us that RVs almost as large as ours go past their house ALL THE TIME.
“I failed to follow the admonition of several writers and subscribers to RVtravel.com to ALWAYS check out one’s intended campsite using Google Earth. Instead, I inserted the lake house address into our RV GPS and drove away. The nearer to the lake house, the less road we had.
“Finally, we were three miles from our destination when the GPS said to turn onto a rutted, narrow dirt road and I screamed ‘NO!’ in reply. We unhitched the towed Jeep and DW reconnoitered the road between the turn and the lake house. She returned, saying she had no trouble in the 4-wheel drive Jeep, but agreed the RV would never make it. We found a nice site in a campground about 45 minutes from the lake house and safely parked the RV there and commuted to and from the lake house for meals and activities. I think that I will always consult Google Earth before booking a campsite or traveling to a destination.”
The slide was still out!
Thelma T. writes that they started driving away from the campground when her husband looked in his rearview mirror. “We have had an RV since 1995 with, fortunately, no major mishaps so far. Recently we were packing up after an overnight stop when I decided to take the dog for a last walk while I dumped the trash. When I got back my husband had the MH running, the jacks up and he was ready for me to check the lights on the tow vehicle. All was good and I got in and buckled up for the trip home.
“As we pulled out of the campground my husband looked out the passenger side mirror and realized the small bedroom slide was still out! Fortunately, the shoulder of the road was wide enough to pull over and retract the slide. A reminder to do a double-check as we leave.”
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!
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We always have either the TomTom GPS or the one in our Ford pickup on when traveling in unfamiliar territory. AND, we always buy Delorme Gazetteers for ANY state we’re going to travel in. The Gazetteer always has the final word. You can see miles and miles of roads with the Gazetteer. Unlike the GPS which shows you a few miles at best. I’ve only had to back up our trailer almost a mile once, to learn that lesson!
Thank you, Nanci! 🙂 Great stories and lessons! I attended Dave Helgeson’s Google Earth seminar at the Knoxville, Tennessee RV show in February, so I now have no excuses to not use it as an aid to booking campsites. 🙂 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂