Am I the only stupid one???

[Dee]

I can only confess this since none of you know me personally (and you won't tell my kids , who worry about me camping alone anyway).
A couple of week ago, I arrived at my destination with the sky turning dark and a rainstorm looming. Not wishing to get soaked, I hurriedly unhitched, leveled up, and connected water and electric, then jumped in the camper just as the sky let loose. Still in my urgency mode, I hit the slideout switch, and CRAAACK!!! out bowed the facer board on the slideout because even though there is a bright orange tag hanging from the lock bar, I had forgotten to remove it. Fortunately, I stopped the slideout before further damage was done.
Long story short, I just got the camper back from Camping World and the repair only cost $150, which was actually a pleasant surprise.
Two questions I have for you:
1. Do I even need to put that lock bar in anyway? Camping World wouldn't directly say yes or no. Only saying that some people never use them.
2. Has anyone else ever pulled a dumb stunt like that? I might not feel so bad if I knew I had company. And it does give me some sense of comfort that my
late hubby once pulled out of our shed with the TV antenna up and the top of the door peeled it off. That one cost us $300.

[JudyJB]

I was smart enough to pull my car out of the garage before the door was fully open (many many years ago) just two days after my then-husband had done exactly the same thing, so timing is everything.

My big dumb thing was worrying about the humming noise coming from under my bed so turning off the breakers until the noise stopped. (I thought some motor, maybe my furnace motor, was running when it shouldn't.) A few hours later my lights started to get dim even though I was hooked up to electric. I guess I figured the lights knew how to switch over to 110 when I was plugged in. Turns out I had shut off the converter that was supposed to recharge my battery from the 110 connections.

I won't tell you about the pole in the campground that cost me $600. The good news is that everybody does some really dumb things, especially when you are new to this. And, I also kept that from my kids.

You should read some of the stories on other forums about guys not seeing any sewage coming out of the pipe so getting a flashlight and putting their faces up close to the opening, with obvious results.

Can't help with the lock bar because my slides don't have one, but I am sure someone can.

[etexlady]

I was driving a rented motor home several years ago (well, many years ago) and was pulling in to get gas at a very large station/convenience store. I let a totally unknown man wave me in to a pump under the covered roof. Of course, the roof was too low and the terrible sound was the A/C on top of the motorhome being hit by the roof edge. That man immediately jumped in his vehicle and left. Damage was not too bad, the unit was just dislodged and had to be reset, but we couldn't use the A/C until it was fixed. Good thing we were in Colorado and didn't need the A/C.

[monik7]

My slides require a key to be turned on in order for the slide switch to work. The key was attached by the manufacturer to a strap on each slide lock bar, so the lock bar must be removed in order to take the key and engage it. The only danger is I have to make sure both lock bars are removed because once the key on one lock bar is turned on, you can activate both slide switches. But I still believe having the key attached to the lock bar is a good thing. I always tell myself when I'm removing the first bar that I have to go remove the other lock bar before using the key.
Sandi

[Birdie]

First a disclaimer! I never put in writing the "stupid" things I do. You have had your first 'Ah, crap!' Everything is up the hill from here on!

Now on to the slides and lock bar. My Winnebago has three slides and three lock bars. When I was going through my new owner walk thru at the Dealer's business place, the technician told me what the bars were for and then said something like, "unless you specifically ask, I will not show you how to use them. Why? Because, Missy, sooner or later you WILL forget and it is very costly. Instead be sure you use the key to turn the power slide control to the "off" position."

That is what I do and have always done. The bars are laying in that, why is this here, space between the stove and back of dinette, catching dust. You should do what you are comfortable with doing. Sandi is very disciplined! Birdie is somewhat haphazard!

[monik7]

Sandi is very disciplined! Birdie is somewhat haphazard!

My father wasn't a rocket scientist for nothin'.
Sandi

[Acadianmom]

I don't have a slide so can't help you there. I did manage to put a mail chute through one of the side windows because I forgot the coach was wider than the cab on my motorhome. Someone had to come unbolt the box to get it out of my window. That wasn't at all embarrassing.

I frequently read about people breaking cabinet doors because of the slides. It looks like the manufacturers would make things where you couldn't do that. Makes you wonder if the people that build them have ever camped.

Martha

[Wanderer2]

Well you ladies have made me laugh and that is a good thing! I can't wait to see what I pull when I get an rv. I do enough stupid things at home, so it should be interesting..

[MelissaD]

I'll just say we ALL have had our moment. It's just that some "moments" are more expensive than others.

[Olive6001]

Winter 2014, Karen and I went out to AZ for JudyJB's GTG. It was one of the coldest winters recorded, and often below freezing until we hit NM. We spent one night in Fort Stockton where it was 12F. I was so cold and even with two small electric heaters and about a ton of covers, I couldn't get warm. The floor was truly cold as ice. Even Karen couldn't figure out why the rig just wouldn't get warm. Well...a few weeks before I'd had a fan installed with a cover. So when the vent is open, no light comes in (especially at night ) Just before we pulled out, I realized that the back of the rig (only 22ft) wasn't as cold as one spot in the front. I looked up and Voila! The vent was open and had been for the entire trip. Oh yeah, I can be a special kind of stupid.

For all of you whom I have threatened with bodily harm if you ever told this story, I take it back.

[IrishIroamed]

Not Stupid ~ just learning.

I'm in the same learning situation myself, so it will only be a matter of time. Whatever the dumb things (yes things) will be, I just hope I can get myself out of whatever situation I put myself in.

[Dee]

Thanks for the laughs, ladies. I feel better already. I'm thinking the solution to my problem is yet another of those famous "forgetful old lady post-it notes". I will put a small sticker with LOCK BAR? written on it right on the rocker switch that controls the slide out. I already have a note card I use when breaking camp that reads ANTENNA DOWN, PICTURES OFF WALL, etc. It's hell to get old.

[IrishIroamed]

... I already have a note card I use when breaking camp that reads ANTENNA DOWN, PICTURES OFF WALL, etc. It's hell to get old.

Only 1 note card!?!? I have a list and my Rand McNally GPS has a checklist too. I use both.

[Pooker]

Oh, it's becoming fess up time, is it? Well, a few years back my DH and I had a much larger motorhome with 3 slides. Only an RV manufacturer would consider having 3 totally different ways to lock the slides into position. The smallest slide, in the bedroom area, had a type of deadbolt switch right beside the switch to move the slide in or out. You couldn't do anything until that bolt was released. Good solution. The large living room slide, however, had some sort of board that, according to our owner's manual, you laid across the top of the slide when it was in and that prevented the slide from "falling" out. We never found that board because I'm sure the original owner forgot it or was afraid he would forget it and threw it away. Since the rig was driven without the slide "falling" out, we never even considered putting any type of board up there. What a stupid idea! The third slide had some sort of straps to hook into a fixture in the carpet. We didn't use that one either. My son explained that slides run on motors. The motor doesn't run backwards. I can also say I have heard stories about slides coming out while a rig was driving, but in my 40+ years of RVing, I have NEVER actually met anyone who had it happen. Not to say it never happened, but just that it must be quite rare if it's not just one of those legends people tell to scare newbies.

You all know I had Flitter for quite a few years and she was driven up, down, around, back and forth every type of road and her slide was never secured with a separate lock! I made other dumb mistakes, but closing or opening a slide and doing damage wasn't one of them.

Pooker

[chalet05]

I'm not 'fessin' nothin' besides it would take all day to post it!

I have always wondered why some rigs have slide locks and others don't. Two 5ers and the truck camper - none with locks.

Nikki, it is good to see you post on here!!