My last outing was a disaster

[ArveeBob]

We originally bought our BC for an extended 2 week trip to Sturgis SD.On that trip we hauled the Harley and used the kelty tent as well.All in all it was a true learning experience in RV camping, as we were tent campers for years.
On our most recent trip was just a couple weeks ago to a national forest here in WA where there are no hook-ups but water and bathrooms are available.Rough roads for about 10 miles to the spot where we stayed.
Upon arriving I open the doors to the BaseCamp only to discover that the Harley was laying on it's side and gas had spilled inside.My mistake for not securing it properly.I hate it when there's nobody to blame for things going wrong.After getting the bike upright and removed from the trailer we dealt with the gas smell by dousing the floor with a 5 gallon bucket of water and the smell disapated within a couple hours.
It rained like nobodys business throughout the entire weekend.If you ever been to Washington you know this isn't necessarily abnormal.However this rain was bigger for some reason.I guess thats why they call it a rain forest.It was nice not to be in a tent and the secure feeling of the trailer was a bonus.
lynn opened the vented windows to offer fresh air after the gas episode and one of them fell off and broke.DARN IT! I just knew this was gonna cost a small fortune not to mention the inconvenience.must have been the heat in easten Wa on last trip comprimised the glue on the hinges.
Oh last but not least this is when i decided to bump my knoggin so hard that it bled through my hat.
Other than that it was a great trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
ArveeBob

[Xbob2]

Glad you had a great time!!!
Bob

Originally Posted by ArveeBob

We originally bought our BC for an extended 2 week trip to Sturgis SD.On that trip we hauled the Harley and used the kelty tent as well.All in all it was a true learning experience in RV camping, as we were tent campers for years.
On our most recent trip was just a couple weeks ago to a national forest here in WA where there are no hook-ups but water and bathrooms are available.Rough roads for about 10 miles to the spot where we stayed.
Upon arriving I open the doors to the BaseCamp only to discover that the Harley was laying on it's side and gas had spilled inside.My mistake for not securing it properly.I hate it when there's nobody to blame for things going wrong.After getting the bike upright and removed from the trailer we dealt with the gas smell by dousing the floor with a 5 gallon bucket of water and the smell disapated within a couple hours.
It rained like nobodys business throughout the entire weekend.If you ever been to Washington you know this isn't necessarily abnormal.However this rain was bigger for some reason.I guess thats why they call it a rain forest.It was nice not to be in a tent and the secure feeling of the trailer was a bonus.
lynn opened the vented windows to offer fresh air after the gas episode and one of them fell off and broke.DARN IT! I just knew this was gonna cost a small fortune not to mention the inconvenience.must have been the heat in easten Wa on last trip comprimised the glue on the hinges.
Oh last but not least this is when i decided to bump my knoggin so hard that it bled through my hat.
Other than that it was a great trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
ArveeBob

[klattu]

Sounds as a un-eventful trip...
Next time put more effort into having the adventure.

[HowieE]

Yes when it rains you can expect a flood. We had ours.

On our last trip south the trailer door locked just when the grand kids decided they had to stop. At first I thought it was the dead bolt because the spring that positions it had failed some months ago. This failure caused the dead bolt to move from the unlocked to locked position depending on road vibrations. The dead bolt responded to the key but that did not unlock the door. Now what? I got a coat hanger and worked it in through the front window to unlock the window and sent my granddaughter in through the window. She was not able to unlock the door so I went in through the front window and had the same results. Now What? After a bit of thinking I realized I had cut holes over the door hinge bolts some time ago to adjust the door. Time to remove the door. After removing the door I found the tongue on the door latch had broken off and remained in the closed position.

Now I had a door with no latch and a dead bolt I can't trust. Time to drill a hole in the thumb latch on the inside of the dead bolt and hold it in position with a small bungee cord.

Later I may post more details about the 1/2 gallon of ice cream that was melted on the kitchen floor when we stopped for the the night. the bolt that came out of the couch when we attempted to put the grand kids to bed, the crushed wheel chuck, the welds failing on my arm chair, the tongue box door coming off, and the trailer coupler dropping a chunk of metal on the ground and requiring a replacement when we got home.

All in all it was a great trip but I am beginning to think 150,000 plus miles is taking a tool on my trailer.

[klattu]

Now thats camping

[sempi2]

Thanks for all the "good" stories. As we are loading up for the Steens Mtn Rally.
Wonder what fate has in store for us?????????

[memgrove2000]

Well sorry to hear all th bad news and stuff, but on a brighter side. We went out last weekend and stayed dry ALL WEEKEND!! (no rain) We are happy for this because for the last two and a half to three years we have had rain EVERY WEEKEND OUT!!! Yes we are happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[davidz71]

Well, I can definately say that I have had a few trips with problems. In my '77 Excella 500 31' it was a blown tire coming back from AZ. where she was purchased. That cost me 4 new tires and several feet of new sheet metal behind the curb side rear tire as well as straightening out a bent outrigger. Then there was the first outing with my wife and a short in the 30 amp plug caused electrical problems preventing me from running the AC in over 90 degree weather. My '86 Sovereign 25' had a brake failure on the street side front axle on the way to Fredericksburg, VA. for a wedding which led to overheating, bearing failure, a cracked drum flange, a blown tire and $1,800 worth of outer/inner fender damage. It pretty much wiped out the day and a half I had set aside for sightseeing prior to the wedding.

I guess I can't complain because I have spent 4 days on two seperate occasions within the last two months fishing, riding jet skies, eating good food with three good friends and their wives/girlfriends. These activities make up for the bad times.

[CanoeStream]

Two weeks ago as we entered Glacier National Park I said something about the views being hazy on a given afternoon. Susie though I said something like, "This shouldn't be so easy."

Susie responded that we would get through anything. Boy was I confused!

[Mexray]

I asked my spouse, riding shotgun, "we need to turn left, right?" "Right" she replied. Being the obedient pilot that I am, I turned right, onto a dead end street, with no turning space...

As diplomatically as possible, I offered that we probably should have gone, left...to which she replied, "That's what I said, left."

'Left' and 'right' have now been omitted from my vocabulary when behind the wheel of the TV!

PS: Several 'colorful' words have been eliminated from the above 'discussion' for brevity...

[bullydogsmom]

Originally Posted by Mexray

I asked my spouse, riding shotgun, "we need to turn left, right?" "Right" she replied. Being the obedient pilot that I am, I turned right, onto a dead end street, with no turning space...

As diplomatically as possible, I offered that we probably should have gone, left...to which she replied, "That's what I said, left."

'Left' and 'right' have now been omitted from my vocabulary when behind the wheel of the TV!

PS: Several 'colorful' words have been eliminated from the above 'discussion' for brevity...

We have had many of the same "colorfull" discussions in our travels. We have know solved the problem by using the terms "your way" meaning, left and "my way" meaing right. Works for us and no more "colorful discussions!

Annette

[Friday]

Originally Posted by ArveeBob

I just knew this was gonna cost a small fortune not to mention the inconvenience.

Actually, we lost the front window to a rock, and it was 'only' $99... I imagine the side windows aren't much different, and much easier to install without having to glue them in...

[3streams]

It's not camping if you don't have to deal with something! We used to have a '05 CCD (with those nice spring loaded locks on the inside) and as we took the dogs out for the last walk of the evening apparently one of the leashes caught the spring trigger and locked the door... which we didn't find out till we returned from the walk at around 11pm. We were in RURAL North Carolina and there was no lock smith to be had at 11pm... so which window do you break? The big one that opens up alongside the door- or the little one underneath that doesn't (the porthole one)??? Well we went for the little one- and after cleaning up glass on the inside of the trailer (the break of the spray covered the goucho) I had the window taped up and we finally got to bed around 1am or so. The following week when we took it to the dealer- he said "Oh- you should always break a window that opens." the ones that don't require removing panels and are thus MUCH MORE expensive to replace! Lesson learned- and now that we are all vintage with our trailers it isn't an issue- they are easier to get into and if anything the door and locks don't work