get the facts before you go - RV-Dreams Community Forum

huck · RV-Dreams Community Member

get the facts before you go

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ouch! I guess it's one of those life lessons we all learn eventually.

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

We carry a small pruning saw and often stop, crawl on the roof and cut back a limb or two. We became experts on roof repair the first summer. Since then we either remove the obstacle or back up. It is easier to back up 40 or 50 feet than repair the roof.

We have had few problems on the road but many of them were self inflicted in not being ready to handle the problems.

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm not so sure you could accurately get the facts in a lot of cases. We've been in plenty of parks that rated the site for a 40' RV but the road to get to it was very very tight for our 34' motorhome. The folks manning the phones for RV parks are frequently not RV drivers and can only tell you what they've heard from others. When things get too tight we get out and look and my DW gets on the walkie talkie to guide me through.

It might be an expensive lesson to learn but the ultimately responsible party for preventing damage to the RV is the person holding the steering wheel. In other words, don't move unless you know you're clear of all obstacles.

rvingft · RV-Dreams Family Member

G.O.A.L. is a truck-driver's acronym for Get Out And Look ...and that's what Terry & I do before we pull any rig into a spot we can't see before we get there. Many RVP have so many twists & turns getting to the spots there is no way to see a clear path until we are right there.

Trucking companies put that little GOAL on a sticker in small letters on the bottom of the rear view mirrors to remind drivers to Get Out And Look. Sometimes we just want to get the parking process over quickly that we forget to GOAL.

Carrying a small limb saw will be a great tool to have on board, even tho climbing on the roof before you even get into a spot is a hassle, it's better than a roof repair.

A set of walkie talkies is another tool we wouldn't travel without. If we have to park at the office and walk all the way down to spot-check, that's what we'll do - if we can't see clearly to the lanes and RV spaces. Some RVP will have a golf cart that they will take you in to pre-spot where you want to park. You can also get a better handle on how level a site it when doing a spot check before pulling in.

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

Amen on the walkie talkies and GOAL. Also we check out forest campgrounds just in the truck if we aren't sure or don't have any information from someone other than a website. Visited Coeur D'Alene last month Wanted to camp at a NF campground but spent the first night in a RV park spending the afternoon checking out the 3 local NF campgrounds. Good thing, one was on one of "those" roads, one was 30 miles and at least 1hour from anything we wanted to do in the area, and one had recently been covered by mud and it was now raining cats and dogs. Needless to say we spent the next few days in an RV park, even though at another time we may want to hide out in that remote campground.

With the check it out first plan we have found to fantastic hide aways in Northern Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico so far. OK so the fantastic is from people who love to dry camp for weeks on end.

Larry

huck · RV-Dreams Community Member

This was on the word of the park ranger that the site was ok for our rig. As far as walkie talkies, we use them but a tight squeeze is a tight squeeze. We had make arrangements to be camphosts here for 3 months. It was the camphost site that we were pointed to. As for looking at it, we did. Still tried.

Howard · Host

We love that state park. When we arrived, we walked the main campground loops and determined there was no way we could get through there safely. It's definitely tight. smile

Fortunately, there are about six large sites (62 - 68) outside the main campground loops and we were fortunate to get one of those.

Just wanted folks to know there are a few sites at the park where clearance isn't an issue. It's a very remote park and worth visiting if you are into nature. But it's a long way to go if you have a large RV and the big sites aren't available. smile

RVPAINTER · RV-Dreams Family Member

We refuse to be under "over-hanging trees" and specify this when checking into possible RV parks.
From what we have seen most parks we have encountered do not prune off "Dead Limbs" - they just wait for them to fall - some are way high up and not easy to prune.

Give us a cement pad (grass on the sides or gravel - if possible) and no tree closer than 15 feet and no tree taller than 12 feet!

We are in Nova Scotia now - Hubbards Beach RV Park and asked to see our site B4 checking in - overhanging trees - we asked for a different site - no trees and here we sit - nothing buy sky overhead - cloudy sky - but it's sky!!!!

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sometimes it's nice to have trees and shade. But I agree that falling limbs can be a problem. I saw one that punctured a rubber roof. The limb wasn't very big, maybe half inch in diameter, but it was pointed at one end and fell just right. While not fool proof I usually look for dead limbs before accepting a tree site. The main problem is the mess on the roof when get ready to pull out after extended stay. But in hot weather I prefer the shade to help the air conditioners keep the rv cool.

melvonnar · RV-Dreams Family Member

I've learned to ask before I start trimming; some rangers get real nasty if you trim the trees; even if there hanging low.

Jwar · RV-Dreams Family Member

melvonnar wrote:
I've learned to ask before I start trimming; some rangers get real nasty if you trim the trees; even if there hanging low.

I mounted two flood lights on the roof at the back a class C. was great for backing at night. Not only could I see tree limbs but could see about 100 ft behind the rig.

But had a problem with these exceptionaly bright lights, one night about thirty years ago, The car folowing behind with very bright hi-beams, I flicked my headlights several times to no avail for perhaps two or more miles, so I turned on the back lights, hoping he would get a clue to dim his, he then turned on his red light LOL. The officer did not give me a ticket, but was a bit miffed to say the least. Moral to this story is....I havent had road rage since LoL.

John

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

LOL!!!!!!.........................like it john

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

melvonnar wrote:
I've learned to ask before I start trimming; some rangers get real nasty if you trim the trees; even if there hanging low.

I carry tree trimming tools with me - a small folding saw and pruning shears. When there are small tree branches touching the rig after I back in I just trim them back myself and hope I don't get caught! The one time I asked was at a state park in Illinois and was told I absolutely could not trim that branch in the road that had just ripped off my TV antenna. The workers were unionized! They never did trim it and I wound up having to leave the site going the wrong way around the loop to avoid the branch.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I keep a laser tape onboard...and always do a walkthru or drivethru before I take the rig in...........I keep saying Im going to add a forward camera on the roof and run it back to the monitor so I can see the lowboys before the hit!!!!!!

Jwar · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lucky Mike....That is a fantastic idea, why couldnt a camera be mounted on the a/c.....I think it would work great....but then....the first time I needed it....would be the first time I didnt turn it on LOL...been there..done that

I only had one accident in my life, was driving a low boy, and dxx... I wish I had lowered that back hoe mast about three inches more. Can chuckle about it now, but at the time I couldnt LOL.
It was a brand new Cat 4/4 backhoe with 3 hours on it, did $27,000 worth of damage to the back hoe and the Cal Trans bill was over $7,500 for damage to the overpass, of which was given to me, as being the driver I was responsable. My boss was following me in the pick-up. Sounded like a shotgun blast as I was just getting the KW into 11th gear on the freeway. I dident loose any chains or binders as I hit it drove the mast into the wood deck, .. and luckley did not get fired for it,... but then... my boss loaded it LOL. Oh yeah, the material for the damage was $223 for materials to fix the concreate patch of the overpass, the rest was labor. Any how it was a pucker switch moment LOL

I never even got a chewing out for it....but the next day there was a note taped to the inside of my windshield, PUT YER BRAIN IN GEAR, BEFORE DEPRESSING DA CLUTCH

John