Accidents do happen.
A couple of years ago I returned on Thanksgiving day and was parking my TT in a tight spot in storage. It's just me so no one to help me. Anyway while I was backing at an angle I felt a slight bump and sure enough the top corner on my TT had collected a seam on the roof of a MH. Nothing serious but damaged nontheless.
I was embarrased to think that I, with over a million accident free miles driving an over the road car hauler from coast to coast had just had a boo boo.
There was no one around so I wrote a note with my address and phone number and placed it in a baggie under the windsheild wiper on the MH.
Never heard anything for about 2-3 weeks.
Owner finally showed up and came to my home. I apologized for my stupidty and agreed to pay whatever it cost to get his MH fixed. I asked him to give me an estimate if it would be over $500 as I would turn it into my insurance at that point.
Well he took it to the shop and the repair was about $175 and so I wrote him a check for $200 and thanked him for being so nice and honest about the situation.
These folks became friends of mine and I often kid them that I had to pay for their friendship...
Accidents do happen...
Scott
2005 Dodge 3500 4X2 HO CTD Dually 6 Speed
2005 Springdale 266RELL GL
Reese HP Dual Cam
Prodigy BC
2 Honda EU2000i's
2 Lifeline 31 Series AGM 12V RV Batts
2006 Harley XL1200R
SP 2610 GPS
26" Samsung LCD HD TV
The Fireball wrote: Your experience is why I'm outside and watching when my campsite neighbor is arriving and leaving. Especially, when they are not using a spotter.
Yeah I would have normally done the same thing. I happened to be on the "throne" when it happened....just my luck.
Craig
2005 Providence 39J
2007 Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab Dingy
2002 EZ-Go Custom Electric Golf Cart
Thousand Trails & Coast to Coast Members
DW is always outside helping me back the mh or helping watch for objects when I am pulling out of a tight spot. We are one of those rare couples that tried the walkie talkies and found we do better without them.
She also points out every possible tree limb, pedestrian, merging vehicle, bump in the road while I am driving.
Show me your Flamingo Floyd's Mom and Dad
Tom and Lerinda
2005 Fleetwood Providence 39L
FMCA F340565
Rallies: 9 (so far)
Website: www.Feathered-Friends.net
I always use a spotter when backing. I also wait patiently if someone is backing into their spot. I was in Yosemite last year and stopped behind a guy backing his brand new 9paper plates) TT in, and he was having a problem getting the right angle. I remember when the first time I backed in and how nerve racking it was with everyone watching. Well, another car pulls in behind me and starts honking. I put my hand out the window and waved at the guy behind me to wait. I am camping and don't have any appointments to hurry off to, I am there to relax. I wonder how many backing accidents happen because folks just can't wait a few minutes?
Sorry to hear about your situation. My wife always spots when we are together. We had no radio for 20+ years and we got really good with hand signals. And she always stays in view of one of the mirrors. Now we have a backup camera with a mic, but she feels silly yelling signals to the back of the coach. So she still uses the hand signals most of the time. When she or I have a question, we stop, get together and check out the situation.
Backing is the bane of truck drivers, I can't tell you how tiring it is to climb in and out of that tractor on a 98F degree Louisiana coast day with 98% humidity, takes it right out of you. But with a 53' trailer you can't see over or around (box van), that's the only choice. Good training for RVing.
The main thing is to not be in a hurry. I don't know why we all get anxious over it, but we do. Mentally, I mean . . TIME TO GO! Cars have made us bad drivers since we have to use them all the time, even for the most mundane things of the day. And we jump into them to relieve stress, just drive around ("Honey, got some errands to run").
RVing means that we haven't gotten rid of those bad habits (like the posts where folks explain they'll compromise their own and others safety -- speeding up past safe maneuevering speeds -- in order to "not be a traffic hazard"), and it's hard to mentally be at a slow speed.
Driving a big truck one learns to crawl around lots. The only time one is "moving along" is on the Interstate past the first few miles of getting to speed (I drove some slooow trucks). That mental break, keep it in mind, is very helpful. A car is "fast" wherever it goes, a rig is only "moving along" on the highway.
I have to stop for awhile if I'm tired from a long day behind the wheel, walk around a bit, before I start backing my 63' rig. Am not always smart enough to do it, and those are the times backing is the worst.
Same with leaving. I'm always slower to pack up than I think I will be, and mentally I'm getting ahead of myself. I have to really clamp down on the "TIME TO GO" feelings to do a good, easy job on departing.
Our son should have his pilots wings in a couple more months (USMC), and it helps me to think about all the checklists that pilots go through. Can't just hit the brakes at 12,000 AGL and descending hot. My father (another pilot) taught me this (and about RVing), but I have to run the list and remember that I am the slowest rig on the road for safety reasons, and I can only crawl in and out of that seat to check and re-check my clearances.
Some days I'll crank it around two obstacles, blind side with three words from the spotter, and others I'll cut a corner on a 75' pull through.
That's another, and the last thing: I've had men driving bid trucks 30-years tell me (plenty of times) that some weeks you can back blindfolded, and others you look worse than a new guy.
* This post was
edited 05/29/08 08:43am by '68Monaco440HP *
'68Monaco440HP wrote: Backing is the bane of truck drivers,...
Some days I'll crank it around two obstacles, blind side with three words from the spotter, and others I'll cut a corner on a 75' pull through.
That's another, and the last thing: I've had men driving bid trucks 30-years tell me (plenty of times) that some weeks you can back blindfolded, and others you look worse than a new guy.
Thanks for show me truckers are not super-human driving machines. I jumped from driving a small SUV to a 32 foot Class C to a 63 foot (with toad) Class A in less than a year. I had no previous experience with anything so big.
It has been quite a steep learning curve. Living in the mountain West adds another dimension to driving a 42,000 lb. brick around. I have my share of scratches and close calls over 16,000 miles. I know I am still perfecting my skills and will for a long time. Most campgrounds are quite a challenge...especially when folks have their TVs sticking out into the road. Makes for some interesting manuvering.
Thanks again for sharing. It helps us newer folks put things in perspective.
2008 42' Tiffin Allegro Bus, Xantrex RS3000 Pure Sine inverter, Garmin 2730 GPS, Cobra CB, Toad-2001 Acura MDX, Blue Ox base, Blue Ox Alexus LX towbar, SMI Silent Partner.
Offline
Online
