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Gene · 05-24-2015, 03:53 PM

I'm glad I have a front hitch on the truck—it could come in handy for the day when I find myself where I can't turn around, plus because of mystical forces, it makes it impossible for me to ever get myself in that situation.

Once Barb wanted to see what the ski area at Sun Valley looked like, so we thought we were on the right road, but it just went on and on, so I backed into a narrow little road and managed to get turned around—that was early in our trailer travels so it was new. Even earlier—first weeks we had a trailer—I pulled into an Arizona gas station before we crossed into Cal. with its high prices, but it didn't seem there was room to pull forward. Cars were lined up at every pump, all wanting to get less expensive gas. I had to back out between cars and the faces of the drivers as I slowly backed onto the road were fun to watch because they all looked like they were at a horror movie. In a town near Banff, the only gas we could find was in a small station on a busy, narrow street. I could get to the pump, but not beyond it, so I had to squeeze backwards between a dumpster that looked larger than was possible and cars waiting for gas and then across both lanes of the street to get turned the right way. I couldn't have done it without Barb stopping traffic and keeping me aware of where the trailer was.

I've had campsites that it took me forever to get into because I was tired and hadn't done a lot of backing for a while. One in Cody, Wyo., went very well until I realized I was in the wrong one, then it took me forever to move over to the next one (there were no barriers between them). And my driveway has not quite enough room to turn around and back into the space next to the garage. Sometimes it takes a few minutes, sometimes 20. I'd have to move a couple of dump trucks worth of dirt to make it easier.

We've been stuck behind accidents where there were only narrow, bad driveways to turn around. In central BC the road was blocked and a cop told everyone waiting the investigator wouldn't get there until the next day. The road would remain closed. After a very long wait, someone figured out how to get around it via a bunch of dirt roads. The dust made it hard to see more than 10 or 15 feet past the hood. Everyone was driving too fast and too close together because we were now hours late. I wodnered when the guys coming the other way would show up and someone would start a massive pile up, but we got most of the way back to the highway before opposing traffic showed up. Somehow, no accidents. In recent years cops close roads for hours and hours to investigate and many, many people are stuck—especially in places like Colorado and BC where there are few alternatives. On an interstate it can be impossible to turn around with a trailer.

But my greatest fears are the dead end, or worse, the road that turns out to be the wrong one and gets narrower and narrower and there is no place to turn. It becomes dirt and then it starts hailing and the road is getting muddy … and slippery. On one side is a 100' sheer drop, no trees to stop you and a raging river undermining the embankment you are on. Hopefully I'll have wifi there so I can put the rig up for sale, you pick it up.

Somehow, I've never backed into anything. I know it has to happen if I back up enough times.

Gene

andreasduess · 05-24-2015, 05:44 PM

I check every gas station on google earth before considering using it. I feel for that guy.

Bill M. · 05-24-2015, 05:54 PM

I wonder what he had to say about the GPS that sent him that way?

DHart · 05-24-2015, 06:04 PM

I know that street in Cannon Beach... a lot of them dead end at the beach just like that one. Guy must have been new to Cannon Beach and paid a bit of a price for not doing his homework.

Like many of you, we use Apple Maps and Google Earth constantly to actually SEE what we might be dealing with.

Once while trying to enter a campground with out 44' diesel pusher, towing a Chevy Avalanche, we took a wrong turn down a one lane drive that dead ended. Of course, you can't back up while towing a vehicle behind a motorhome. So, I detached the Avalanche and backed the coach out of there. Fortunately, there wasn't an audience and there were no other cars to deal with. I sure feel sorry for folks when there is traffic and onlookers to deal with. NOT fun. It is more than worth it to do your homework before proceeding down a questionable road.

Protagonist · 05-24-2015, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

Once while trying to enter a campground with out 44' diesel pusher, towing a Chevy Avalanche, we took a wrong turn down a one lane drive that dead ended. Of course, you can't back up while towing a vehicle behind a motorhome. So, I detached the Avalanche and backed the coach out of there.

I've had to do that with my Airstream Interstate pulling a toad. Having to unhitch to turn around wasn't embarrassing at all. Missing my turn and ending up at the dead end in the first place was a lot more embarrassing than having to turn around.

As for the guy in the video, the saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." That's wrong. If you keep trying the same thing over and over, you will get the same results over and over. That's the cornerstone of all science and anyone who has taken high school physics or chemistry should know it. The saying should be, "If at first you don't succeed, try something else."

kb0zke · 05-24-2015, 07:00 PM

"The saying should be, "If at first you don't succeed, try something else."" Very true.

I wondered why he didn't back into that driveway that he pulled into. Maybe there was something there that would have prevented him from backing in very far, but it would have been worth a try.

The bigger question, though, is why he tried driving there with a trailer in the first place.

switz · 05-24-2015, 07:25 PM

The reason the flashers work on the trailer was so I could back up a quarter mile on a one lane for a missed turn......

On 8 May, 2015, I was returning from Paradise, TX on two laned Highway 380 in West Texas. It looked bad ahead (totally black at 4:30p with rolling clouds), the cell phone suddenly announced a tornado alert and to seek shelter and suddenly the storm chasers came speeding towards me and said to turn around, a tornado was coming. It was not a wide road, but I managed to get turned around and beat feet east bound.

The rig is about 53' long.......

Plasma800 · 05-24-2015, 07:45 PM

holy cowsers lol... i guess we've all been through a little here and there.

We took a wrong turn in our 40' moho, with car attached. Google maps LOOKED like it should have been a real road, that connected to another, that would have made a loop for us, BUT once we turned on it, there was a sharpish incline, then the road became dirt, then narrower dirt, then a low hanging overhead power line. SHOOT

I couldn't get that car off for anything in the world. It was bound up tight on the incline, and I had no where to go. I spent 40 minutes pushing the car forward back, , turning the wheel..... it was terrible..... suddenly the claws just gave loose, and off it went. youch... that's when we learned to turn on "satellite view"

DHart · 05-24-2015, 11:21 PM

Ah yes, satellite view is the ONLY view that really matters... well, other than "hybrid", which I use pretty much all the time. And, then again, things do change between when the sat photos were taken and the present! RV life presents some significant challenges at times, doesn't it!

We work through them, learn some things (hopefully), and the future goes ever so slightly smoother... or, it should, anyway.

Plasma800 · 05-25-2015, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

Ah yes, satellite view is the ONLY view that really matters... well, other than "hybrid", which I use pretty much all the time. And, then again, things do change between when the sat photos were taken and the present! RV life presents some significant challenges at times, doesn't it!

We work through them, learn some things (hopefully), and the future goes ever so slightly smoother... or, it should, anyway.

That it does! Wish other drivers understood this...

Gene · 05-25-2015, 12:15 PM

I didn't look at the video and didn't know it was Cannon Beach. Having stopped in Cannon Beach many times, I know to stay on the highway with the trailer and only go to the campground, unhitch and then drive somewhere. But everyone has to go their the first time. I know it is easy to miss the exit from the highway and get turned around and twisted inside out there trying to find the campground.

Gene

Fly at Night · 05-25-2015, 01:02 PM

The next vacation: Hotel room? Oh.....yes yes yes yes!

andreasduess · 05-25-2015, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I've had to do that with my Airstream Interstate pulling a toad. Having to unhitch to turn around wasn't embarrassing at all. Missing my turn and ending up at the dead end in the first place was a lot more embarrassing than having to turn around.

As for the guy in the video, the saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." That's wrong. If you keep trying the same thing over and over, you will get the same results over and over. That's the cornerstone of all science and anyone who has taken high school physics or chemistry should know it. The saying should be, "If at first you don't succeed, try something else."

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

Skater · 05-26-2015, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

I know that street in Cannon Beach... a lot of them dead end at the beach just like that one. Guy must have been new to Cannon Beach and paid a bit of a price for not doing his homework.

Like many of you, we use Apple Maps and Google Earth constantly to actually SEE what we might be dealing with.

Once while trying to enter a campground with out 44' diesel pusher, towing a Chevy Avalanche, we took a wrong turn down a one lane drive that dead ended. Of course, you can't back up while towing a vehicle behind a motorhome. So, I detached the Avalanche and backed the coach out of there. Fortunately, there wasn't an audience and there were no other cars to deal with. I sure feel sorry for folks when there is traffic and onlookers to deal with. NOT fun. It is more than worth it to do your homework before proceeding down a questionable road.

Yeah. I got into a situation with my B190 while towing a car where I had similar problem, without the luxury of being able to back up. Not fun. I managed to get myself extricated without having to unhook everything, but I was almost at the point were I thought that was going to have to be the solution. I was able to back up the rig just far enough to make the turn and get out.

The reason I got into that mess? I got sloppy - I didn't have a GPS at the time, and I quickly looked at the directions, and just figured I'd know when to turn, etc. Bad idea. I missed one turn, so I had to make a U-turn (no problem, street was plenty wide there), only to learn later that I could've kept going and not had to U-turn. Then I missed a second turn and misjudged the place I decided to turn around in. I am now a lot more careful about route review. I always had been before, and never had a problem, so I think I just got overconfident. My lesson: Not only check out the route, but at least take a quick look at the potential alternates so you have an idea of the lay of the land in case something goes awry - the planned road could be closed for construction, an accident, or you just plain miss it.

There's a bridge by us that occasionally has major traffic accidents on it (it's actually two bridges - one two lanes, one three lanes, and neither direction has any shoulders), and any kind of serious accident tends to shut down one of the two bridges. For the people behind the accident who can't get through, they have the cars turn around and drive off in the reverse direction. Then, those of us who can't turn around would have to back off, potentially for several miles. I worry we'll be one of the ones that have to back off, which is better than being involved in the accident. I can do it - not saying how long it might take - but it's not something I want to experience. Then, of course, I'd be on the wrong side of the bay with a huge traffic jam to deal with, so even that wouldn't be a huge win.

Msmoto · 05-26-2015, 06:47 AM

OK, this looks like it is about our admitting the errors of our ways. And, not being out of the loop, several years ago with my 44' moho, plus 3' of motorcycle on the rear, I pulled into a driveway about 50' wide, but with a 12' median with small turn arounds very so often.

The gate was closed to where I intended to go, so, carefully, backing to and fro, I got the moho turned around and got out of the place. One nice thing about some of the big moos is the 55º cut of the steer wheels, making things like the above possible.

Somehow I am learning...slowly.

DHart · 05-26-2015, 11:32 AM

I'm thinking it's a lot easier to jockey a 44' motorhome (without toad on the back) around than to jockey a 30' Airstream around. Their big and they don't bend in the middle, but they handle surprisingly well, especially in 3-, 4-, and 5-point turn arounds. I will find out when my AS arrives in July.

slowmover · 05-26-2015, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

I'm thinking it's a lot easier to jockey a 44' motorhome (without toad on the back) around than to jockey a 30' Airstream around. Their big and they don't bend in the middle, but they handle surprisingly well, especially in 3-, 4-, and 5-point turn arounds. I will find out when my AS arrives in July.

Depends on the wheel cut.

Some tricky situations with a tractor-trailer are easier than with a straight truck. But not in general.

J. Morgan · 05-26-2015, 08:42 PM

A person might be surprised where a big vehicle can get into when it is necessary.

X New Yorker · 05-26-2015, 08:57 PM

And that folks is another reason I have an Interstate! That could/would be me.

Gene · 05-28-2015, 11:57 AM

The solution is to get our the chain saw with a carbide tipped chain and cut the trailer in half, then out some locks on one side and a hinge on the other—presto, an articulated trailer. I would cut between the bedroom and shower/bath rooms or between the main part of the cabin and shower and bath. I guess I need another axle at the rear too. It could work for a MH too. I'll put that on my schedule for 2025.

Gene