In defense of checklists

[Goal15]

A week and a half ago we came back from a seven day trip, unloaded propped open the fridge door and neglected to turn off the fridge or the propane. Went back Saturday and the freezer plate was cold and some propane had been used. So we are creating a new coming home checklist. Hopefully using up the propane was the only downside to this oversight

Thoughts?

Dana, the dumb. lol


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[RangerJay]

We've all bin there, done that ......

Don't beat yourself up - checklist or no checklist it is easy to find yourself bypassing something.

Checklists are a good idea till your routine becomes second nature - after that your need for it will diminish.

Genuine culprits are often well-intentioned visitors who want to chat just when you are hooking up or unhooking - Airstreams are magnets for this kind of attention - and you are guaranteed to forget something.

The other big culprit is being in a hurry - never a good idea - stepping up the pace to beat the weather or hit the road make it incredibly easy to miss even the big things.

A good habit to get into is a final (slow) walk-around the inside and outside of the trailer when you are "finished" but before you pull out on the road.


Jay

[Goal15]

We do pull out walk arounds without fail but need to tighten up on our putting the AS up after the trip protocol obviously

Dana


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[Rocinante]

Oh yeah, we're checklisters. Too much to remember, too many chances to bust something if we're not paying attention.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Goal15

A week and a half ago we came back from a seven day trip, unloaded propped open the fridge door and neglected to turn off the fridge or the propane. Went back Saturday and the freezer plate was cold and some propane had been used.

That's why the School of Hard Knocks is different from any other school. First you take the test, THEN you get the lesson!

[PKI]

There is no substitute for a comprehensive checklist. If only we had one. We keep adding to ours, but there seems to always be something we miss or is not on the list. Guess we just need more sperience.

[MrUKToad]

Personally I'm not a fan of checklists, although I concede that others find them essential. When we started out we had checklists, but discarded them when we'd become more familiar with the processes involved, and we've not really had any issues. A final walk around before getting those wheels turning has been the best way of making sure all was well, even after rest stops on the road.

My one permanent reminder is a little white ribbon that I hang on the lid of the propane tank cover when the gas is switched on. I don't like to travel with the propane on so, when I'm doing that final walk around, I can see that if the ribbon is in place then I've not shut the gas off.

We all find the best way of doing things when we're traveling so there's no single correct answer to this; do what suits you best.

[Wayne&Sam]

I have a checklist of all the checklists I need.


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[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

I have a checklist of all the checklists I need.

Isn't that kind of like looking up the word "dictionary" in the dictionary?

[lsbrodsky]

Yeah, in fact my mother always told me to look up the spelling in the dictionary and I never could understand how to do that if I did not know how to spell it!

I made checklists and laminated them, asking my wife to use the inside checklist while I use the outside. Then I found, with my second checks, that even though she had a checklist, she was skipping items on it. So now, I have to do a second check of everything before getting in the truck. What is the point of the checklists, again?

Larry

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

Yeah, in fact my mother always told me to look up the spelling in the dictionary and I never could understand how to do that if I did not know how to spell it!



I made checklists and laminated them, asking my wife to use the inside checklist while I use the outside. Then I found, with my second checks, that even though she had a checklist, she was skipping items on it. So now, I have to do a second check of everything before getting in the truck. What is the point of the checklists, again?



Larry

Larry

Not to upset your domestic bliss, but THAT doesn't sound like a checklist problem lol

Dana


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[sroach]

Sounds like an opportunity to make a reality good Airstream iPhone checklist app.

[Goal15]

Oh I have two of those. I guess I should have labeled thread a Beware Get Homeitis


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[AudioMike]

Checklists for certain things are essential. As a pilot we have landing checklists that we have to follow on every flight we are told NOT to memorize those activities, but to use the checklist so that nothing gets overlooked.

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by AudioMike

Checklists for certain things are essential. As a pilot we have landing checklists that we have to follow on every flight we are told NOT to memorize those activities, but to use the checklist so that nothing gets overlooked.

I had a friend who was a pilot and even when we were traveling on the ground together,he always warned about get home itis and how it could lead to overlooking important safety issues.....

Dana

[Rocinante]

The other -itis we fight with our checklists is "get going-itis" (e.g. "C'mon, it's already 10:00. Didn't we check that already? Let's get going!")

To each their own. We salute those of you who don't want / need them.

For us, without checklists we'd sooner or later find ourselves up the creek without a paddle...or an awning, or an antenna, or maybe our trailer.

[StreamDog]

Inside checklist before rolling, I.e. drawers shut, pump off, etc. Outside list, I.e, stab jacks up, kitchen vent latched, door deadbolted, etc. On a long trip far from home, a what to bring checklist. Yes, you'll remember most things most of the time with routine. It's that one forgotten thing, one time, that may do you in.

[TBRich]

Checklists are good and they do come in handy...we have one for packing what we need to take on trips ... which is essential for us... When we begin to get ready for a trip I print it out and check off things as they are done or packed... it has evolved through time and we don't always take everything on it but at least we make conscious decisions not to take something rather than simply forgetting. Even then I seem to be able to forget things occasionally...like charger cords for the laptop, phone or camera. The upside is that once you do forget something, you tend not to forget it again!

We don't have a checklist for what needs to be done as we unhitch or hitch up, but we also each have our responsibilities...I get the outside things done and Greg gets the inside things done...and Abbey helps us both. Then we double check each other ... then don't move the trailer until we are sure we 100% ready for lift-off.

By the way, outside of unexpectedly using some of your propane...there is no real harm in letting your frig run for that long...

[PeterKV]

As a pilot, checklists are part of my life, as a rv park care taker I have seen the results of not using checklists, TV antennas left up and tore off when they encountered pecan tree branches, power cords left plugged in and then ripped out when the rv pulled foreward, steps left out, stabilizer jacks left down that were bent when the rv went over a speed bump, tongue jacks left down, tv cables left hooked up and then ripped out of the rv when the people drove off so for me checklists are important but everyone has their own ways and in the end the person operating the rv is the person responsible for the rv.

[fwjumper]

In addition to inside and outside checklists, we used to make lists of things to pack, especially before a longer trip. Sometimes, the list would get pretty long so we started making a list of things we would leave at home. Made for a shorter list!