Silly Mistake?

[Gagakev]

And have you made one?

Loaded up last Wednesday ready for the off, turned up on site and the front locker was not locked not even with the catch across. Must be starting to loose my mind.
(by the way walked the van twice before the off checking windows and lockers )

 

[Gabsgrandad]

And have you made one?

Dozens!
But I didn't choose to call myself 'Gaga' -- PS -- 'Up' in Scotland now without the wheels for waste water! Just on our way to see the Falkirk Wheel. Thought we'd do Scotland this year as my passport has expired. (Shall we need it next year????)

 

[paws]

Sounds like its confession time....!

About 7 or 8 years or so ago, I was getting ready to go off in the van so used the winding handle to raise the steadies, and when I was done, placed it against a handy tree, whilst I concentrated on hitching up.....

I guess you can figure out what happened when I arrived at my first nights stop..... yep, no winding handle in the front locker where I should have returned it immediately I had finished using it....( the darn thing was still resting gently against the tree that was by now over a hundred miles away!)

I had never made the mistake before and I hope I'll never make it again! Thankfully a fellow 'vanner very kindly lent me his spare handle (overnight until I could buy a replacement) as he had done the same thing himself a few years earlier... so he, like me, now has two winding handles!

Ah well, a good lesson learnt.... I'm off in the van again in about an hour or so's time so I hope I won't repeat the same mistake.... carrying around winding handle number 3 would be just too much!

Happy Caravanning to all
Regards
paws

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I have 2 means on board for winding the steadies - one is the normal handle and the other being the battery drill.

 

[Thingy]

Drill every time.

One of my worse moments was pulling the van off the slight slope of our drive (our motor mover had been on three vans and we had bought it second hand). I began to realise the motor mover was stuggling and asked the missus to give it a gentle shove from behind. What came next was fits of laughter, I still had the hook up cable plugged in and even now it was being stretched.

Others were:

thinking I had left the motor mover remote behind, swearing and grunting as I pushed the caravan up a ramp by hand to level it. Three days later, we found it, in madams handbag.

turning up at a site a week before we had actually booked.

Leaving the heki open on one of those real humid nights, and then sleeping through a thunderstorm. It wasnt the Theakstons Old Pec to blame......honest.

 

[FrintonMike]

I once tried to drive away with the mover still on the wheels and wondered why the van did not move. Now when I engage the mover I place the handle on the drivers seat as a reminder to disengage the mover before I move off

 

[Dustydog]

Two years ago pulled off the drive with the mains cable still connected. Fortunately the plug pulled out the house socket. No damage.

 

[CyberCynth]

There must be an awful lot of us out here who have made the same mistakes, I have certainly tried to drive off with the motor movers still engaged. Doh!

 

[Mel]

We had a motorhome for a while. We managed to drive off with ONE of the streadies down. Could have understood it if it was both of them, but one?

mel

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

You are all silly-billies aren't you? I wonder what it's like to be perfect?

I have proved (twice) that break-away cables work !! Unhitched the van and electric cables then pull the car forward - whoops, forgot the break-away cable.

 

[Sproket]

What wrong here

Coupled up ok, lights checked, lockers & windows checked, walked away & took another look, hmy: :blink: :woohoo:

Now I always walk away from the van & look at it from a distance to see if anything is amiss

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Aerial not lowered.

 

[Sproket]

And ?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Rear steady hanging

 

[Gagakev]

Aerial not lowered.

Done that as well hmy:
Chap who was next to me was running across the site at me waving his arms around, very nice man.

 

[Sproket]

Yes it's so very easy to miss completing things if you get distracted, but i suppose if i had managed to get off the site about half a mile down the road is railway crossing and if the steady had caught whilst going over it the back end of the van would have been torn out.... hence why I now walk away & take another look from a different angle...
It only takes two mins but can save a fortune in potential repairs.

 

[Thingy]

It only takes two mins but can save a fortune in potential repairs.

Amen to that!

 

[crazyguider]

Tried to level off the van one Easter, but forgot to tell oh that the rear steadies were down...loud clunking sound followed by swearing as the handle came off the jockey wheel winder. I always double check now,

 

[FrintonMike]

Nearly forgot but this year was asked to do something whilst unhooking and when I went back 20 mins later to move the car forgot that I had not finished unhooking. Luck was with me as all I had left to do was the breakaway cable which was not as expensive replacement as it could have been

 

[johnandrew70]

There must be an awful lot of us out here who have made the same mistakes, I have certainly tried to drive off with the motor movers still engaged. Doh!

Your not the only one there, I made 2 deap tracks in the gravel at our storage area when i forgot to disengage the mover. hmy:

 

[Gafferbill]

What wrong here

Coupled up ok, lights checked, lockers & windows checked, walked away & took another look, hmy: :blink: :woohoo:

Now I always walk away from the van & look at it from a distance to see if anything is amiss

........you could just ask the photographer for a second opinion

 

[Di3]

Glad we are in such good company!!! Made two silly mistakes ths year!!! - First one at Easter friends first trip out so showed then the pre checks before pulling off for home, windows shut and locked, sky lights down and locked all steadies up etc, etc, Both pulled off and luckily had two cars with us so was behind both vans - friends van perfect. Ours doh!!! Small skylight over kitchen still up!!! Friends did laugh.... but said its one of those easy mistakes that can catch you out. Second mistake hitching up for trip down to Stowford left OH to do steadies etc and yes you've guessed it left one steady half way up...... luckily I happend to see it just before it hit ground on the drive.................I'm blaming age!!!! We all live and learn might have to go back to my laminated sheet of checks that I can tick off on wipe off after complete!!!

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

We're not the only ones - Click here

 

[Gagakev]

To date there has been 390 views on this topic and only 22 replies, that means taking into account double/treble viewings by the posters there are at a guess a minimum 200 perfect vanners out there :lol: :lol: :lol:

Or are you embarrassed

 

[Dustydog]

To date there has been 390 views on this topic and only 22 replies, that means taking into account double/treble viewings by the posters there are at a guess a minimum 200 perfect vanners out there :lol: :lol: :lol:

Or are you embarrassed

Ok. I confess to another.
30 years ago I didn't tighten up the jockey wheel clamp. It must still be amongst the heather on Rannoch Moor.