Forgot to latch

Ok, tough to admit but I forgot to latch my roof down. Twenty miles later a trucker pulls up next to me, honks and points up. I pull over and the front is fully up. I don’t notice anything immediately wrong.

Anybody else want to admit they’ve done this? Results?

Yep! I latched the driver side down and then got distracted and never latched the passenger side. The worst part is right off the start of the trip a guy in a Tacoma passed me and was pointing up, I pulled over and walked down the driver side and saw nothing wrong so proceeded to drive a few more hours... assumed he was just admiring the camper. The next person that pointed up I finally realized something must be wrong. No damage to report.

Hey-it's easy to do! Over the years we have had several threads on this and like subjects. After almost 13 years of toting around my pop-up, you would think I'd have my stuff together, a never fail series of never-fail steps to follow to make sure I don';t forget to do something important during set up, and pull down. Well last fall I forgot to latch her down-except for the interior back latch-and that's what saved me! However, the last last step in my break down process, is always to make a quick stop a few miles down the road and walk around the truck/camper (again) to make sure all is well and I did not forget anything-and that was where I caught it! From what I can remember,, the dog alerted as a truck drove by or something as I was doing my latch down in place and I lost my concentration and missed a step (ain't it wonderful to get old and fall apart )!

Anyway guys, all I can say is make a list, and set up a routine you follow every time, and still sometimes you forget something-it's human nature. Remember how the army thought you how to do something? Tell you how to do it, -repeat it, repeat it again and one more time-repeat it. Hey at least you did not drive off down the road with the top still up (something we all have done before) .Have fun it's all part of the WTW experience !

Smoke

I forgot to latch once when I was way back in the woods. As I was making my way out, I kept hearing this click, click, click and realized it was the latch making the noise. Stopped and latched er' down before anything got damaged. Got lucky on that one.

The latches used on our camper have tabs to allow some sort of safety clip or hat pin. We use a stainless steel small carabiner-like clip. After feeling them get under my feet while driving I now religiously clip them to the ignition key ring. If they're still on the key ring then they're clearly not where they need to be for driving any distance.

Thanks for the stories. I guess I’m not alone! Time for developing my own foolproof check system.

Got distracted leaving Devils Tower NM. Drove one hundred miles through WY at 70+ mph before stopping for gas and noticing. No damage but the wife and I both double-check now. Bright side: I don't worry too much about wind damage anymore.

Had the front passenger side latch come undone on recent trip. Wife heard it rattling and I pulled over at next exit to find it had nearly unscrewed itself. Thinking of putting some cement in the last thread to keep it from falling off should this happen again.

Alan

I have what I call the "Idiot List" which covers what I take camping with us and it is basically a reminder of what should be on-board and what I need to take with us, right down to the cell phone charger and TP. When we are getting ready to depart a camp ground and we think we have everything, I make what I lovingly call the "Idiot Check". While I have now pretty much remembered to lower the three front panels on my CO Alaskan before removing the piston pins and releasing the top to come down, I know there is probably more to it.

Here is a suggestion; remember the plastic door hanger at hotels that said "DO NOT DISTURB" on them? Maybe we should get one of them to hang on the rear view mirror in the truck cab that has a printed out list of things to do before leaving taped onto it. Things like toilets, propane tanks, water connections, BBQ grills, trash, clotheslines, shovels and of course for you guys with soft pop-ups; latching them down all around should be on there.

Kinda like the pre-take-off or pre-landing checklists pilots use even with 10,000 hrs in any type of aircraft.

Hey, think of the number of insulated coffee cups people set on the roof to get into their car on the way to work that end up at the first stop sign or on the freeway onramp.....and they do that five times a week!

I also have the old draw latches that need a pin to lock. They are kept in a small box on the driver's seat when the roof is up. I'd have to sit on the box to drive away.

I put colored ribbon flags on the steering wheel for other reminders: pick up leveling blocks, latch refrigerator, remove rear step . . . Since I've driven away more than once with one or more of those things undone.

alano said:

. . . Thinking of putting some cement in the last thread to keep it from falling off should this happen again.

Click to expand...

A medium threadlocker like Loctite 242 would work (don't use Loctite 271, you'll never get them to move). But you will probably be better off with a jam nut.

jim

In the fire service we had what we called the Golden Circle. You would always walk the golden circle before moving the fire engine.

I use the same approach. I not only check latches but for shore power cords, grey water bucket, lpg tank valve and anything that might have blown or been moved under the vehicle.

I also have a yellow velcro strip that I wrap around the top of my steering wheel when I deploy the camper. After my golden circle is complete I wrap it around the center column gear shift. I do this every time that I can't just drive away, like in the driveway while shore power is hooked up. Can't tell you how many fire engines have pulled shore power cords out of the wall.

I think the most important thing to make sure you do is CLOSE THE VENT.
Leaving this open can destroy it.
We haven't not latched all latches but have forgotten to un-latch one right rear
and it caused a stuck roof issue had to cut a small V in the top edge.
All is well though.
It's easy to forget things for a lot of reasons.
I like the idea of leaving oneself a reminder like the ribbon,as we "age" we forget things.
Frank

Been there, got about 15 minuets down the road at 65 to 70mph and a trucker honked and was pointing. I also thought he was admiring the rig. He kept at it so I pulled over. The front was fully up. Initially I did not notice any damage, but later I noticed a slight bow in the roof. Doesn’t seem to have any adverse effects. Always triple check now, lol.

Casa Escarlata Robles Too said:

I think the most important thing to make sure you do is CLOSE THE VENT.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Now I don't know if it is marketing hype or not but several vent manufactures state that their covers will work at highway speeds when fully open. Because of this I have made it a habit of opening it fully when I open it (unless for rain).

They say a a good man knows his limitations. I know its only a matter of time.

I started putting lightweight hitch-pin clips on my latches sometime last year after occasionally finding a latch off the upper hook when I stop. The latch was sometimes just angled out a bit (but off the hook) and sometimes flopped down.

I've not mentioned it before because I'm not sure they solve the problem. I've not had it happen since but I've also paid closer attention to latch adjustment and haven't yet put many miles on with them in place.

I pull the clip off and then temporarily store it on the flipped-down latch as shown in the third photo.





After reading this thread it occurs to me I should keep them on the driver's seat instead of storing them on the flipped-down latches (Thanks, JaSAn!)

And given it's easy to damage the roof by forgetting to UNlatch one of the latches, I need to be sure I have all six when I leave them on the seat.

Park, circle the rig pulling SIX clips as I open the latches, drop them on the truck seat before even unlocking the camper door.

These lightweight clips came from my local Ace hardware's hitch-pin-clip drawer near the towing gear (not the regular hardware drawers).

There may be a better solution. I was hoping to find a plastic version of the hitch-pin clips, perhaps without as big a loop.

Edited 4/15 to add:

I found a container for the clips this morning and added reminders....



.

I started putting lightweight hitch pin clips on my latches sometime last year after occasionally finding a latch off the upper hook when I stop. The latch was sometimes just angled out a bit (but off the hook) and sometimes flopped down.

I've not mentioned it before because I'm not sure they solve the problem. I've not had the problem since but I've also paid closer attention to latch adjustment and haven't yet put many miles on with them in place.

I pull the clip off and then temporarily store it on the flipped-down latch as shown in the third photo.

After reading this thread it occurs to me I should keep them on the driver's seat instead of storing them on the flipped-down latches.

And given it's easy to damage the roof by forgetting to UNlatch one of the latches, I need to be sure I have all six of them when I leave them on the seat. Park, circle the rig pulling SIX clips, drop them off before even unlocking the camper door.

HitchPinClip0.jpg

HitchPinClip1.jpg . HitchPinClip2.jpg


The clips came from my local Ace hardware's hitch-pin-clip drawer near the towing gear (not the regular hardware drawers)

There may be a better solution. I was hoping to find a plastic version of the hitch-pin clips, perhaps without as big a loop.


.


Love the collective wisdom on this forum! My garage door has about 1.5" of clearance above our Hawk [two vents, rack w/solar panel] and I leave the latches released over the winter to 'un-compress' the corner folds of the side panels and have in past opened the vents a couple of inches. Backing out of the shop with them open would be a disaster.

My system, not as cool as velcro strap and clips, is a 4x5 card set in console in front of my speedo: "Vents/Latches".

As I grow 'more seasoned' I find myself leaving lots and lots of notes to myself!

I am finding as a age that I think a lot about the 'here after'. I go out in the garage, stop and wonder 'What am I here after?'

Timothy McGowen said:

In the fire service we had what we called the Golden Circle. You would always walk the golden circle before moving the fire engine.

I use the same approach. I not only check latches but for shore power cords, grey water bucket, lpg tank valve and anything that might have blown or been moved under the vehicle.

I also have a yellow velcro strip that I wrap around the top of my steering wheel when I deploy the camper. After my golden circle is complete I wrap it around the center column gear shift. I do this every time that I can't just drive away, like in the driveway while shore power is hooked up. Can't tell you how many fire engines have pulled shore power cords out of the wall.

Click to expand...

Right on.
The engine training I received as a FF1 became an invaluable asset, I still do the GC as a matter of habit.

Great ideas. Thanks for the discussion.

Timothy McGowen said:

Agreed. Now I don't know if it is marketing hype or not but several vent manufactures state that their covers will work at highway speeds when fully open. Because of this I have made it a habit of opening it fully when I open it (unless for rain).

They say a a good man knows his limitations. I know its only a matter of time.

Click to expand...

That may be true Tim but I only crack mine.I am not to sure about fully open and don't want to find out.
Frank

I'm very good at the external stuff. I still arrive at my destination to find the pantry stuff all over the floor

I guess you missed this thread http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/7398-done-something-really-stupid/?hl=stupid