jetboat
texas
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Joined: 12/08/2008
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Does murphys law live with you?
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345jeep
Fort Worth, TX
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Joined: 09/10/2009
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Are you being distracted and/or driven by a spouse ? It takes a certain amount of detachment from your passengers to stay one step ahead of the rig. This can help you keep from putting the rig into unfavorable situations. One in such a situation...STOP AND ASSESS before moving one more inch. Deploy your passengers to yell STOP if you are about to hit something.
Good Luck
In my 20s, I drove a 30' delivery truck and that is how I made the transition from tooling around in a little car to something that requires much more attention.
2010 Skyline Layton 190
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 5.7L V8 4x4 3.73 Axles
Me, DW, daughter, Golden Retriever and Goldendoodle
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Camping freak
NE Wisconsin
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Joined: 03/13/2009
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G.O.A.L = Get out and look. (I do it even if the boss says its clear) It is a clear sticker with red letters and is placed on the mirrors, they were sent to me by an insurance company for a few employees I had that seemed to hit everything in sight as well with a semi tractor. You want them pm me.
Truthfully take your time,slow down who cares if it takes 20 minutes to get backed in to a sight. Remember your not drivin a Toyota it takes room to manuever big stuff.
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forte88
Hemet, CA
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Joined: 08/17/2004
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Well, I didn't have as many as you, but on the maiden voyage on my first trailer, I about took off my roof with a big tree branch. It bent the awning, tore the rubber roof to shreds, and tore off the top of my fridge vent. I think damage was around 4 thousand dollars. Expensive first time out with the trailer. Then when I bought my first 5th wheel (about 3 years after the Travel trailer incident), on about the 3rd time out the rear end of my 5th wheel clipped my own brick retainer wall while pulling it out of my RV parking on the side of my house. That bent the rear stabilizer jack almost 90 degrees, and tore off the bottom half of the back of my camper.
Feel better now?
2006 Keystone Challenger 32tkb
2004 F350 Super Duty 6.0 Turbo Diesel Dually
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bsinmich
Holland, MI
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Joined: 11/18/2000
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Maybe your new insurance agent will know a driving school.
2003 Newmar Mountain Aire, Workhorse W22, & 2002 PT Cruiser w/Remco lube pump, Falcon 5250, & US Gear Unified Tow Brake
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Old Hammer Boy
Utah
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Joined: 08/02/2008
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Don't, repeat, don't try pulling a trailer!!!
I hope you will enjoy reading my journal about my bicycle ride, camping all the way across America at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/dean. We also RV in our '07 Starcraft Travel Star 23QB, pulled with a good old stout Isuzu Trooper. It works
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kjburns
Prescott, AZ
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Joined: 07/13/2008
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I ran our MH over some curbs and scraped the side on a rock during the first month. Since then I haven't bumped into anything.
I was kind of proud of myself on this trip. The backup camera went out and we're in a state park where all the sites are back in. I got into one site that's on a hill with a 45* turn while backing. We couldn't get a satellite signal there so we moved to another site. In both cases I got it into the site exactly where I wanted. I don't think I would have accomplished that feat last year with no backup camera. The exhaust on the new coach is easy to see in the mirror and makes a good reference point for locating the back corner.
2008 Winnebago Tour 40TD
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MotherOwl
Northwest Louisiana (ArkLaTex)
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Joined: 04/03/2004
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Let's see. I managed to pull the receptacle that the big cord plugs into out of the side of the trailer before I ever even took it out of the driveway for the first time. Was practicing hitching up, moving forward a few feet, backing up and unhooiking. Forgot it was plugged in. Oops! Moving on......I've backed into something low and bent a back scissor jack twice. Oh! And I've managed to get the cord that plugs into the truck caught in the hitching mechanism and sever it not once but twice. Think I've got that one figured out so it won't happen again. Bottom line is that these things happen.
Mother Owl
K-Z Frontier 2405
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shorthair
vancouver, wa. usa.
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Joined: 03/18/2004
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You can see it on a lot of semi mirrors
Get
Out
And
Look
A spotter can be a big help but only if they can communicate in words you can understand a poor spotter is worse than no spotter.
When traveling if you can not tell your passenger at any time what vehicle is on any side of you then you are not checking your mirrors often enough ( 10-15 seconds on average ).
Now the beating up part & not just for you but it has always fried my grits that with no training an RV'er could venture out on the highways with a rig as long as an over the road semi. I would really love to see an RV endorsement with a driving test a strict as the CDL test is complete with a full vehicle inspection , I believe it would save a lot of insurance claims & some lives every year.
Grew up on a farm so knew about equipment early but started driving semi's long enough ago that driving schools didn't exist when my new boss tossed me the keys said it was the grey mack & waved his arm towards the south L A's that way call when I was MT. Please remember there was a lot less traffic & I would not encourage anyone to do that now but that was how many of us learned.
* This post was
edited 11/21/09 03:27pm by shorthair *
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Tothill
BC
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Joined: 06/15/2007
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G - get
O - out
A - and
L - look
Best advice next to take a class.
I did not see if you have a spotter, but even with a spotter, you need to check yourself.
Spouse and I both drive and both spot for each other, we only use hand signals, which works for us. The spotter also wears an orange safety vest, which makes them more visible to other motorists, and lets them know something is happening.
Last summer spouse had to fly to Europe mid trip for a family emergency and I drive 1000 miles home with mil, two kids and the dog. All but one camp site was a back in site on the trip home. DS (13), was my primary spotter, but I got out to check every time. The mil was less useful than the dog, at least the dog would notice if there was a person nearby.
We live in an area with lots of big trees, it is as important for us to look up as to the sides, neither mirrors, nor back up cameras show what is above the RV, at least not the ones I have. We have a rear window and review mirror too.
We have a 27 foot class C. We can fit in two stalls on most flat lot parking lots, but do not attempt to pull in between vehicles ever.
Find a class, but until then, only travel routes you know and park where there is plenty of room.
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