Share your "Learned the hard way" stories
02-27-2019, 08:06 PM
#11
When I was a younger man, I used to race snowmobiles. After one particularly long day out on the lake, I was in a hurry to get to the lodge for the trophy ceremony. I loaded up my sled, pulled up to the lodge, and ran inside, figuring I’d tie the sled down after I got my trophy.
Well, the whole point of having the trophy ceremony in the lodge is to keep you there as long as possible so you spend money on food and drink. After what seemed like eternity, I finally got my trophy and headed for home. About 5 miles down the highway, It felt like the trailer hit a bump in the road. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw my 2 month old ZRT 800 fall off the back of the trailer.
Its a sickening feeling watching your sled sliding straight down the highway behind you and slowly start to turn to the side. “It’s gonna flip, it’s gonna flip” I said. Fortunately, it didn’t. The funny thing was, I had plastic ski boots under the skiis, and a piece of plywood cut to fit under the track to protect the ice picks that were installed. The snowmobile gods had mercy on me that day. The plywood was still under the track right in the middle of the highway.
Tie down your load.
Well, the whole point of having the trophy ceremony in the lodge is to keep you there as long as possible so you spend money on food and drink. After what seemed like eternity, I finally got my trophy and headed for home. About 5 miles down the highway, It felt like the trailer hit a bump in the road. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw my 2 month old ZRT 800 fall off the back of the trailer.
Its a sickening feeling watching your sled sliding straight down the highway behind you and slowly start to turn to the side. “It’s gonna flip, it’s gonna flip” I said. Fortunately, it didn’t. The funny thing was, I had plastic ski boots under the skiis, and a piece of plywood cut to fit under the track to protect the ice picks that were installed. The snowmobile gods had mercy on me that day. The plywood was still under the track right in the middle of the highway.
Tie down your load.
02-28-2019, 06:01 AM
#12
If you have tandem axles have two spares! Luckily it's always been someone else's horse trailer that suffered this one, but often what takes out one tire gets two.
You can never have too many tools along on cross country trips. We have repaired everything from simple tire changes to bearings and electric brake wiring and fender housings. We usually carry on longer trips things like cordless drills, a large bit set, assorted sheet metal screws, wire nuts, spool or two of wire, bailing wire, tin snips and more other stuff than we usually need but it's all because one of us has needed it at some point. Since we often travel in a group or at least same route on the same day we have help if we have a problem.
You can never have too many tools along on cross country trips. We have repaired everything from simple tire changes to bearings and electric brake wiring and fender housings. We usually carry on longer trips things like cordless drills, a large bit set, assorted sheet metal screws, wire nuts, spool or two of wire, bailing wire, tin snips and more other stuff than we usually need but it's all because one of us has needed it at some point. Since we often travel in a group or at least same route on the same day we have help if we have a problem.
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02-28-2019, 06:34 AM
#13
Senior Member
My trailer is a car hauler style with ramps that slide under the back. Make sure the latches that hold them in are set. I let a coworker borrow it and I didn’t set the latches. Luckily he noticed them sliding down the highway and nothing got hurt.
02-28-2019, 08:14 AM
#15
Starting out in life, i didn't have much money. Bought a used '95 GMC 2500 long bed, single cab base model, gas, for $1500 (got an amazing deal from my dad, it was his company's work truck). I needed a couch and had someone giving away their old couch. I drove to pick it up and threw the entire couch in the back of the bed. I was so impressed that the couch fit AND i could close the tailgate, i just jumped in the truck to drive it home. What i didn't realize was...even though the couch was secure, the cushions were not.
Half way home i see this person behind me flashing their brights and honking at me. I pull over and realize he has been dragging my cushion for about a half a mile. I pull it out from under his car to realize one side of the cushion is melted from his exhaust and the other has pretty bad road rash.
That's when i learned about couch covers!
Next thing i learned was about car insurance. The truck was used as a work truck for all 100k miles. Pretty banged up, but the engine was solid. Still the best running engine i've ever had in a vehicle. I figured i would fix anything myself if it broke so i only put liability insurance on it. If anyone backed into it or anything, i'd just learn to fix it. Saved me $12 a month.
2 months later, truck was stolen. Thieves gutted the entire truck. ....did NOT see that coming. It was worth around 5-6k at the time.
Lesson #2...don't cheap out on $12 a month. get full coverage. Man, i miss that truck.
Half way home i see this person behind me flashing their brights and honking at me. I pull over and realize he has been dragging my cushion for about a half a mile. I pull it out from under his car to realize one side of the cushion is melted from his exhaust and the other has pretty bad road rash.
That's when i learned about couch covers!
Next thing i learned was about car insurance. The truck was used as a work truck for all 100k miles. Pretty banged up, but the engine was solid. Still the best running engine i've ever had in a vehicle. I figured i would fix anything myself if it broke so i only put liability insurance on it. If anyone backed into it or anything, i'd just learn to fix it. Saved me $12 a month.
2 months later, truck was stolen. Thieves gutted the entire truck. ....did NOT see that coming. It was worth around 5-6k at the time.
Lesson #2...don't cheap out on $12 a month. get full coverage. Man, i miss that truck.
02-28-2019, 09:42 AM
#16
Senior Member
More likely applicable to a utility or sled trailer than an RV, but if you've got a significantly asymmetrical trailer tongue, don't assume that you can go as far to one side as you can to the other. Three-dimensional surfaces (e.g. upwards/downwards driveways, pulling over a curb, etc) can also affect clearance.
My sled trailer had a long-enough and narrow-enough tongue that I could jacknifie it to one side, to the point where I'd run out of safety chain (I think—something was mechanically limiting further angle, and it wasn't trailer/truck contact). I figured this out with some very careful approaches to that angle a couple of times, including getting out of the truck and looking as I got close.
Then I was trying to shoehorn it into the driveway, which involved going to the limit on the other side, where the spare tire carrier was. I got to replace one taillight and put a hole in the bumper from the protruding stud for the tire mount.
My sled trailer had a long-enough and narrow-enough tongue that I could jacknifie it to one side, to the point where I'd run out of safety chain (I think—something was mechanically limiting further angle, and it wasn't trailer/truck contact). I figured this out with some very careful approaches to that angle a couple of times, including getting out of the truck and looking as I got close.
Then I was trying to shoehorn it into the driveway, which involved going to the limit on the other side, where the spare tire carrier was. I got to replace one taillight and put a hole in the bumper from the protruding stud for the tire mount.
02-28-2019, 10:11 AM
#17
Senior Member
02-28-2019, 05:38 PM
#18
Senior Member
The power pole at the north end of my alley can make a nice dent in the awning if you drive in from the west and take a sharp turn. Note to self: go around the block and come in from the east.
03-04-2019, 10:16 PM
#20
Member
Thread Starter
My father-in-law once attempted to move an upright piano. He got it loaded in the bed of his truck and thought that it was heavy enough that it wasn't going to go anywhere. According to my wife, the sound and sight she witnessed was just like it was out of a cartoon.