What is your favorite 'oops' story?

[Protagonist]

I haven't owned my Airstream long enough to accumulate any noteworthy "Oops!" moments. Must admit, I'm not looking forward to my first one, either, but I am looking forward to looking BACK on my first one! Shouldn't be long, though; I've got almost back-to-back four-day camping trips planned for Mardi Gras week, at two different state parks north of Lake Pontchartrain. If I don't have an "Oops!" moment during one trip or the other, I'm doing something wrong.

As anyone who watches action/adventure movies knows, the only functional difference between a disaster and an adventure is whether you get a good story out of it afterward.

[Skater]

I think my one oops moment with either camper would be leaving the awning out in a bad sudden rainstorm in the B190. The frustrating thing was that I wasn't that far away from the camper (if you're familiar with it, I was camping at Knoebels, the site was near the coaster, and I was in the park when the storm hit - I would've gotten wet, but I KNOW I could've been there before the collapse, if I'd just thought of it).

It severely damaged one of the awning arms. The B190s have a "case" awning, and of course that one being manufactured in 1991 meant no parts were available for it any more. I was able to get a friend to weld the aluminum arm back together for me, fortunately, so the awning was usable after that. After that I was very, very careful with that awning.

The worst part was that, with the natural shade, I probably didn't need the awning in the first place. I now think about that every time I go to put the awning out.

[beckybillrae]

My first AS was a 1976 Overlander that I polished up to a mirror finish. I took my daughter & her friend camping shortly after I finished the polish job. I was proudly cruising down the highway & commented to the girls about so many people pointing at the trailer as they passed us (with much pride, I might add). As I made the turn off the interstate, I saw why they were all pointing.....the storage locker door was flapping in the wind! No damage to the rig....only to my ego. It was like I had a pack of laughing hyenas with me! And, no, I've never heard the end of it!

[Exsys]

Not my story but one I read in a magazine that would apply to anyone doing restoration. A man was requested by his father-in-law to build and install cabinets in his motor home. Being very meticulous and cautious, the job was completed and everything looked great but something was a little off. After doing some measuring and checking he discovered that while he used a level to ensure everything was line up, the motor home itself was out of level. All of the cabinetry was installed out of level/plumb with the motor home and he had to tear everything out and start over. Ouch. It is hard enough to do the first time. I will never forget that story and will make sure that does not happen to me.

[dekew]

Here's our (unfortunately ongoing) list of things to NOT do again - Glad to know we're in good company

Leave awning out in surprise rainstorm, wake to bang and knotted aluminum... Check

Leave front jack foot sitting at campsite only to remember it 300 miles later... Check

Remember that plastic on plastic slides AFTER using a new-fangled plastic replacement jack foot with plastic leveling block... Check

Wonder why the trailer doesn't fall onto the ball while hitching up with stabilizers down... Check

Follow GPS down an impossible-to-turn-around-on dirt road, dent A/S rear trying the impossible... Check

Convince self "that leak isn't so bad" just before pushing on aluminum and watching water spit out the sides...Check

Load the fridge door with heavy beer bottles just before a trip, enjoy smell and cleanup for nights to come... Check and check!!!

[GAT]

Restoring my first Airstream and dumb as a bucket of dirt about them. Bought a new frig . Talked to a service tech so I could put small screw through the side cabinet into the side to make sure it was secure. A 1/64 drill bit directly through a 1/32 freon line. I cut the side out to find that was the only line. One in a couple million chances. The next day bought a new frig.Costly lessons you don't forget.

[polarlyse]

I read some of these stories and I, of course, think NOT ME, never. But what goes around does come around and my time has come. Last fall I winterized my trailer by draining all water and blowing all the lines and I left the hot water tank drain valve open. The other day when preparing to head south I put some water in the fresh tank but did not charge the system. I would leave that final task until we were south of the colder weather. Anyhow, in southern Va I decided to pump water through the system so I turned the pump on and went to the sinks to vent the water through the systems with no luck. Just a dribble with the pump going like maddddd. I was sure I was getting air somewhere so was playing with some fittings trying to find it with no luck. Well, it turned out I had neglected to shut the hot water tank valve so I promptly pumped "ALL" the water out of the tank. That accounted for the pump sucking air in. DUH. What was I thinking. From now on I think I'll leave a note to myself on the sink faucet reminding me to close the valve.

"So that's my story and I'm sticking to it".

[mojo]

As an addition to the lock out stories, we we're preparing to leave the campsite and do a final check around to make sure we didn't leave the steps down or hatches open, etc. The trailer had been locked and trailer keys stashed in the car. Car was hooked up and the engine running. We carry an extra key fob for the car in my DW's purse just in case I misplace mine. Well she opens the car door and tosses her purse in the car where it lands just right to trigger the auto lock button on her key fob. So we're outside with the trailer and car locked and the engine running blocking the exit road.

A call to Good Sam road service had us back on the road in about a half hour along with some rather perturbed campers who were blocked in by us. So have spare keys stashed somewhere on the outside for travel trips.

[cloudflier]

There are so many, where do I start....
The time we were backing up in the dark and drove the rear corner straight into a fence post just high enough (2-3') to make a sizeable dent, frustrated, we went inside, turned on the water and the water filter blew water and charcoal everywear, said screw it and headed home only to come across a herd of elk running along the highway--they must have heard about our bad night and luckily turned left into a field and not right into our path.

Then there was the time I left a bottle of olive oil in the pantry unsecured, and let's just say the underbelly was well lubricated.

Or like some other folks, went up and over a rediculously high pass in CA to find that our beer had been shaken up so much it exploded all over the coach.

And how 'bout that time my husband went to jack up the A/S and missed, jacking up the water pan instead.

It's all part of the joy of Airstreaming!

[noreen]

Originally Posted by cloudflier

And how 'bout that time my husband went to jack up the A/S and missed, jacking up the water pan instead.

It's all part of the joy of Airstreaming!

Im not admiting nuthin. But tell your husband dont feel lonesome. Sal.

[JodyoD]

Love this thread!! How entertaining!!
My first REALLY big mistake was to buy something that needed SOOooooo much work! Shoulda done more research! LOL
Second mistake was raising the jack all the way up and taking off, only to find out you're supposed to take the wheel off too...
Since I'm a newbie, that's it so far! So keep posting so I won't have to do EVERYTHING the wrong way!!

[Mrs.Mod]

Just this week, we went camping at a local lake for our very first trip in our AS. My husband is a pro at taking a one-person job and making it a two-person job. It's not that he can't do things, he just loves having me assist him. We park, I open up the trailer and start setting up a few things while the hub starts unhitching. A few minutes later he calls "Honey, come here. I need you to pull the truck away."
So even though he is much closer to the driver seat of the truck, I come out walk allllll the way around the truck, hop in the driver seat, put it in drive, ease on the gas. I suddenly gathered from the pyschotic screaming behind me that the trailer was still attached. I'm usually a really good double checker. Such things you just need to check with your own eyes. But this time I relied on shoddy male-female communication.
Our 3 year old son, and 6 month old Lab pup rolled off the couch, splattered on the TT floor. Geesh.

Again, I blame the husband for this one. For taking a one-person job and turning it into a two-person job and also for making a fabulous first impression on the other campers who naturally had no problem staying away from us.


This Saturday, we are leaving for 5 nights in Oregon, about a 10 hour drive. Plenty of time for more 'oops'.

[Mrs.Mod]

P.S. This is a fantastic thread topic. Makes us newbies feel a little less awkward.

[overlander63]

Admonishing a complete newbie about forgetting to raise the tongue jack before departure. Then hopping in my truck and doing exactly that...