Things you've learned the hard way
- Thread starter craig333
- Start date
chnlisle
Post Master
Ok if confession is good for the soul here goes. I was driving back home from Ventura and ran into a CHP check point at McGrath State Beach. The cop waved me over and after he cleared the traffic he came over to me and asked to get out of the truck. He stood beside me and pointed to the camper and asked "Is it supposed to be like that?" I forgot to secure the latches and the front was up and blowin' in the wind.
If that wasn't so bad I managed to do the same thing with the new Hawk and drove from Lake Shasta to Los Gatos on the 5 that way. I thought the excessive buffeting was just heavy Sacramento wind. The good news is no damage either time.
Field testing done!
If that wasn't so bad I managed to do the same thing with the new Hawk and drove from Lake Shasta to Los Gatos on the 5 that way. I thought the excessive buffeting was just heavy Sacramento wind. The good news is no damage either time.
Field testing done!
Stan@FourWheel
Senior Member
WarpathEngineering
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2006
- Messages
- 101
A real bone head move
To revisit this old post!
I'm pretty new to truck campers, in fact I'm brand new and mine has been apart for the better part of a year now. I just got the thing recovered with new siding, clamped the unfinished top back on it and drove it home to my house to start working on the interior this weekend. Didn't want to drive around town with it with the side liner only attached to the roof so......I tried to take it off the truck.
Has anyone ever tried to rotate their truck tires using the camper jacks? It doesn't work so well with the camper moaning and poping. It took my brother, who lives just next door (thank God!) to come over and say that the whole truck, camper, jacks and all looked to be leaning kind of funny. I had forgotten to remove the camper tie downs!
The ones I had put on just 30 minutes before!
I'm sick at the thought of how bad I may have #@%^ed the camper up by the noise it was making, I almost can't bear to look inside. I just had to lower the jacks and walk away!
All I can say is these things are built so tough that even a bone head like me can use them (I hope)!
To revisit this old post!
I'm pretty new to truck campers, in fact I'm brand new and mine has been apart for the better part of a year now. I just got the thing recovered with new siding, clamped the unfinished top back on it and drove it home to my house to start working on the interior this weekend. Didn't want to drive around town with it with the side liner only attached to the roof so......I tried to take it off the truck.
Has anyone ever tried to rotate their truck tires using the camper jacks? It doesn't work so well with the camper moaning and poping. It took my brother, who lives just next door (thank God!) to come over and say that the whole truck, camper, jacks and all looked to be leaning kind of funny. I had forgotten to remove the camper tie downs!
The ones I had put on just 30 minutes before! I'm sick at the thought of how bad I may have #@%^ed the camper up by the noise it was making, I almost can't bear to look inside. I just had to lower the jacks and walk away!
All I can say is these things are built so tough that even a bone head like me can use them (I hope)!
Stuff not to do...
I just thought of a couple myself....don't leave your nice new fleece jacket hanging over the lawn chair next to the campfire when you go into the camper for dinner esp. when you are crossing the border on a trip to Mexico the next day.
Don't be a nice guy and pull out the step for the Federales when they want to inspect the inside of your camper......I lost two this last trip to Mexico. Forgot to put them back in due to distraction of trying to communicate in my pathetic Spanish. Plus I kept aa batteries in one of the bins close to the back door.....they always find them and want to buy them from you.
Brian
I just thought of a couple myself....don't leave your nice new fleece jacket hanging over the lawn chair next to the campfire when you go into the camper for dinner esp. when you are crossing the border on a trip to Mexico the next day.
Don't be a nice guy and pull out the step for the Federales when they want to inspect the inside of your camper......I lost two this last trip to Mexico. Forgot to put them back in due to distraction of trying to communicate in my pathetic Spanish. Plus I kept aa batteries in one of the bins close to the back door.....they always find them and want to buy them from you.
Brian
benburnett
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2006
- Messages
- 771
rotating tires
The good news is that it sounds like you didn't do any major damage. The little that you might have is repairable. Give me a call when you get a chance.
The good news is that it sounds like you didn't do any major damage. The little that you might have is repairable. Give me a call when you get a chance.
OP
OP
craig333
Riley's Human
To revisit this old post!
I'm pretty new to truck campers, in fact I'm brand new and mine has been apart for the better part of a year now. I just got the thing recovered with new siding, clamped the unfinished top back on it and drove it home to my house to start working on the interior this weekend. Didn't want to drive around town with it with the side liner only attached to the roof so......I tried to take it off the truck.
Has anyone ever tried to rotate their truck tires using the camper jacks? It doesn't work so well with the camper moaning and poping. It took my brother, who lives just next door (thank God!) to come over and say that the whole truck, camper, jacks and all looked to be leaning kind of funny. I had forgotten to remove the camper tie downs! The ones I had put on just 30 minutes before!
I'm sick at the thought of how bad I may have #@%^ed the camper up by the noise it was making, I almost can't bear to look inside. I just had to lower the jacks and walk away!
All I can say is these things are built so tough that even a bone head like me can use them (I hope)!
Ow, hope its okay. On my old camper (the heavy beast) I couldn't change a flat just with a bottle jack, I had to use the camper jacks to help.
I'm pretty new to truck campers, in fact I'm brand new and mine has been apart for the better part of a year now. I just got the thing recovered with new siding, clamped the unfinished top back on it and drove it home to my house to start working on the interior this weekend. Didn't want to drive around town with it with the side liner only attached to the roof so......I tried to take it off the truck.
Has anyone ever tried to rotate their truck tires using the camper jacks? It doesn't work so well with the camper moaning and poping. It took my brother, who lives just next door (thank God!) to come over and say that the whole truck, camper, jacks and all looked to be leaning kind of funny. I had forgotten to remove the camper tie downs!
The ones I had put on just 30 minutes before! I'm sick at the thought of how bad I may have #@%^ed the camper up by the noise it was making, I almost can't bear to look inside. I just had to lower the jacks and walk away!
All I can say is these things are built so tough that even a bone head like me can use them (I hope)!
Ow, hope its okay. On my old camper (the heavy beast) I couldn't change a flat just with a bottle jack, I had to use the camper jacks to help.
jimjxsn
Senior Member
WarpathEngineering,
Let us know what happened. Hope everything comes out OK.
Best of Luck!
Let us know what happened. Hope everything comes out OK.
Best of Luck!
Stan@FourWheel
Senior Member
Hey WarpathEngineering
when you feel a little better, you should take the camper off the truck and re-check the camper eye bolts.
there could be a chance that you ripped one or more out of the camper base.
we had a driver a few years back forget to remove 1 out of the 4 turn buckles.
he heard a loud pop as he was raising the camper off the truck, he ended up pulling the eye bolt out of the camper
but it can be fiexed and re-inforced pretty easy in most cases.
just call or e-mail if you see anything wierd and I can show you by pics & phone how to take care of it.
.
To revisit this old post!
I'm pretty new to truck campers, in fact I'm brand new and mine has been apart for the better part of a year now. I just got the thing recovered with new siding, clamped the unfinished top back on it and drove it home to my house to start working on the interior this weekend. Didn't want to drive around town with it with the side liner only attached to the roof so......I tried to take it off the truck.
Has anyone ever tried to rotate their truck tires using the camper jacks? It doesn't work so well with the camper moaning and poping. It took my brother, who lives just next door (thank God!) to come over and say that the whole truck, camper, jacks and all looked to be leaning kind of funny. I had forgotten to remove the camper tie downs! The ones I had put on just 30 minutes before!
I'm sick at the thought of how bad I may have #@%^ed the camper up by the noise it was making, I almost can't bear to look inside. I just had to lower the jacks and walk away!
All I can say is these things are built so tough that even a bone head like me can use them (I hope)!
when you feel a little better, you should take the camper off the truck and re-check the camper eye bolts.
there could be a chance that you ripped one or more out of the camper base.
we had a driver a few years back forget to remove 1 out of the 4 turn buckles.
he heard a loud pop as he was raising the camper off the truck, he ended up pulling the eye bolt out of the camper
but it can be fiexed and re-inforced pretty easy in most cases.
just call or e-mail if you see anything wierd and I can show you by pics & phone how to take care of it.
.
To revisit this old post!
I'm pretty new to truck campers, in fact I'm brand new and mine has been apart for the better part of a year now. I just got the thing recovered with new siding, clamped the unfinished top back on it and drove it home to my house to start working on the interior this weekend. Didn't want to drive around town with it with the side liner only attached to the roof so......I tried to take it off the truck.
Has anyone ever tried to rotate their truck tires using the camper jacks? It doesn't work so well with the camper moaning and poping. It took my brother, who lives just next door (thank God!) to come over and say that the whole truck, camper, jacks and all looked to be leaning kind of funny. I had forgotten to remove the camper tie downs!
The ones I had put on just 30 minutes before! I'm sick at the thought of how bad I may have #@%^ed the camper up by the noise it was making, I almost can't bear to look inside. I just had to lower the jacks and walk away!
All I can say is these things are built so tough that even a bone head like me can use them (I hope)!
Old Man Grumpus
Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2008
- Messages
- 18
My contributions to date for this subject are:
1. It wouldn't hurt to put a small sign or placard on both the rear panel and the front brace that reads: DOOR OPEN?
2. Don't pull on the rear panel black strap when lowering the back end.
1. It wouldn't hurt to put a small sign or placard on both the rear panel and the front brace that reads: DOOR OPEN?
2. Don't pull on the rear panel black strap when lowering the back end.
flinchlock
Senior Member
When removing the camper from the truck, unplug the 12 volt camper-to-truck cable before you totally drive out from under camper!
I only managed to destroy the plug and not the socket in the side of the truck bed.
Mike
I only managed to destroy the plug and not the socket in the side of the truck bed.
Mike
brett13
Lovecock
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2006
- Messages
- 1,026
When removing the camper from the truck, unplug the 12 volt camper-to-truck cable before you totally drive out from under camper!
I only managed to destroy the plug and not the socket in the side of the truck bed.
Mike
Been there too.
I find it easier to attach and detach the plug when the camper is jacked up and I pull forward less than 1 foot. Then I can reach in from the outside and do it. I have short arms and reaching through that hole is a PITA.
I only managed to destroy the plug and not the socket in the side of the truck bed.
Mike
Been there too.
I find it easier to attach and detach the plug when the camper is jacked up and I pull forward less than 1 foot. Then I can reach in from the outside and do it. I have short arms and reaching through that hole is a PITA.
Jack
Senior Member
When putting the camper back on the truck, do the reverse. It's not as bad as forgetting to unplug when taking it off, but it's still a pain in the neck to plug it back in through the access hole. Tip: use duck tape to hold up the rubber flap whilst plugging it in.
Stan@FourWheel
Senior Member
things you learned the hard way ...
... if you are going to have 60 or 70 mph winds in your area, be sure to
tie the camper down to something if it is not mounted on your truck
also, be sure to add the camper to your auto policy
most truck campers are NOT automatically insured on your
automotive insurance policy
.
... if you are going to have 60 or 70 mph winds in your area, be sure to
tie the camper down to something if it is not mounted on your truck
also, be sure to add the camper to your auto policy
most truck campers are NOT automatically insured on your
automotive insurance policy
.
Attachments
pvstoy
Senior Member
OUCH!!!!
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