Is it just me being an idiot or are there others out there
Packed up the van ready for the off, just the last thing to do which is to connect the van to the car and hey I forgot to shut one of the rear windows. Jumped back in the van and went to the back and you guessed it the legs are up so my additional 100kg (too much beer) at the rear made the van tip down at the back.
realised just in time before it touched the deck at the back and dived forward to ballance it out, just in time..... fewww.
Must be others out there that have done something simular.
Cheers
Richard
------------- If you Don't ask, you Don't get..............
Easter - Alton Towers
May - Aveniemore
Summer - South West London (theme parks all Around)
September - Not Sure
October - Blackpool (Yet more Theme parks and attractions
Life is a Roller coaster and we will be on loads this year...
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
The same thing happened to us when we went to pick our van up last year. Dealer, myself & wife being shown all the bits and bobs at the handover...........
"and down here Sir is ... whooooaa!"
------------- Converting from canvas was the best move ever!
happened to us when we looked round a van at a local dealer. We didnt realise they hadnt put the back legs down and daughter and I sat on the rear transverse bed only to find we tipped backwards. Wasnt funny at the time, but we laugh about it now.
------------- Thistledown Easter
Nantcol June
Domaine du Verdon Castellane and Etoile d'Argens Frejus Aug
I did one better. Hitched up and set off down the drive only to hear a horrible grating sound. Got out and went to the rear of van to find the rear steadies all bent and mangled.It was a long time ago and expensive. 2 new steadies and a ear bashing of oh.
------------- live for today as tomorrow ma never come.
Yep done that (Not the driving off with the steadies down) I've driven off with the caravans handbrake on, Thought to myself it wasn't this heavy before pulled over still took me 5 mins to realise even with the smell of burnt rubber and two nice black lines down the road had only gone not even quarter of a mile.
I think you have to make some small mistakes in order that you can pass them on as "must no do's" to other new 'vanners.
Also done the handbrake thing but thankfully realised when the car bearly moved, thought the car was knackered at first.
Keep them coming.
Cheers
Richard
------------- If you Don't ask, you Don't get..............
Easter - Alton Towers
May - Aveniemore
Summer - South West London (theme parks all Around)
September - Not Sure
October - Blackpool (Yet more Theme parks and attractions
Life is a Roller coaster and we will be on loads this year...
I usually do all the hooking up and towing myself but this year we moved sites halfway through holiday so DH put the towing electrics in etc. Road lights wouldn't work on caravan checked everything in panic as relay switch went on last car on day we went home, wasn't that he put it in upside down. He will not live that down believe me. we've only been caravanning for 16 years.
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Have seen most of whats been said, including someone trying to drive away with mover still engaged. I try to avoid the mistakes by remembering what i've seen happen. But I did once forget to unhook the breakaway cable. The "dog-clip" end was straightened out, and the handbrake was hard to release.
I always leave people alone when they are unhitching/hitching-up, unless they clearly need some help, as it is easy to distract them.
We went to pay the balance for our van and arrange delivery and thought we'd just have another quick look, as you do. It didn't occur to us that the dealers would have parked it without the steadies down - it was OK when I got in and walked to the front and my husband stayed at the back, but when he said "look at this" was when the trouble started!
We also did it on a campsite when we were hooking up and he told me to move the car forward a bit but hadn't told me the jockey wheel wasn't down.
I did it again on my own the first time I went away totally alone.
The other thing I did was forget the van was up on levellers, I couldn't see them in the grass and mud, and pulled the van right over the high end. I wondered why it was so hard to move it and thought it was just stuck in the mud.
I think you have to make some small mistakes in order that you can pass them on as "must no do's" to other new 'vanners.
Also done the handbrake thing but thankfully realised when the car bearly moved, thought the car was knackered at first.
Keep them coming.
Cheers
Richard
With mine the car is a Landrover Discovery possably why i was able to move with the brakes on caravan Swift Rapide 12/2 lightweight Tows beautifull (when hand break released lol
Recently, in France on a rather uneven pitch, a fellow Brit had his jockey wheel (hard rubber type) stick in a rut and, when he tried to turn the van using the mover, the tubular leg of the jockey wheel bent instead of the wheel changing direction. This was probably because the wheel was too far extended.
I once had this happen on a pitch with deep gravel (although the tube did not bend because the it wasn't excessively extended). I have since changed to a wheel with a pneumatic tyre, and carry a spare inner tube for it.
I bet no-one has ever tried to hook up a caravan to a tow ball which still has the cover on! Except numpty here on the very first outing, wondering why the hitch wouldn't go on properly. Evntually the penny dropped....
In my defense I have to say it was the first time I had ever hitched up anything by myself, not even a trailer had I towed.
It was difficult to get the hitch off the rubber cover, but a lesson well learned! LOL!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Fess up whos done it?
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