Newbie's Lesson Learned the Hard Way

So you may know for my previous posts we had a challenge getting our Elkridge delivered from our dealer who will remain nameless. Today we got the 5th wheeler out of storage to practice basic operations. Our dealer review lasted 45 minutes with no practicing of hitching and unhitching and no water hook up, etc so we needed to study ourselves.

So we get the 5th wheel out of storage and the battery is dead. No we don't have a battery disconnect switch and didn't even know about them until today. Hitched up and silly us we raised the landing gear just a tad off the ground because we didn't want to drag it when testing the connection. Sure everything worked fine until we made a turn and bang we were disconnected. Not too much damage just to the tailgate.

Happy ending, a team from Temecula RV rescued us and showed us the correct way to hitch and disconnect and what to look for so we do have the correct connection.

Yes we learned a lot today and it was very stressful. I'm going to keep reading all the excellent posts and keep learning for all of you.

Hi Hannah and Dan,

Sorry to hear about your troubles today BUT you were doing excatly what you should be doing-practicing.
You certainly aren't the first and you sure aren't the last to have problems hitching up.
Just remember, all of us have had our first time and were newbies-for some of us it was a long time ago and for some us not so long ago.
Soon it will no longer be stressful-the biggest stress you will have is who is next to you at the rally

Sorry you learned the hitching the hard way.Glad to hear you had very little damage. We have had fivers for about 10 years and luckily have not had that happen to us yet-but for the chance that it could, I just ordered a bedsaver this weekend for safety.I think it is cheap insurance for the chance it could happen.

Hello from one newbie to another.

Dittos to what SouthernNights said. If you read some of my post you'll see some of my learning experiences. I've learned a lot these past months and I still feel pretty green. There is always something new. In spite of it all, Amy and I are enjoying all our traveling experiences.


Take your time. One the best advices I was told was to take a 2 to 3 short weekend trips nearby at first. If something goes wrong, you'll not be to far from home. And don't be afraid to ask your RV neighbors at the parks. They can be a wealth of information. Of course, I come to this forum a lot too.

Don't feel too bad, we did the same thing. I look at the crease in the bed of the truck as one of the most valuable learning experiences

Hannah and Dan, so sorry it happened. Well remember that Im real close to your storage lot. Call me if you need help. There are "NO" dumb questions. Bob

After I dropped my unit, I learned that you can get tailgates on Craigs List and ebay for about $75-125.

Glad it was the tailgate and not the bed ($$$$).

Nobody should be afraid to ask questions, ask all you want. We're all year to help each other. I'll be the first to help at any campground but the person that needs the help has to ask otherwise most seasoned RV er's will just watch. Ask, ask, ask, we won't get tired of it.
Gary

Remember the greatest excitement for seasoned RVers is to sit outside and watch people come in, get out, argue, back in, yell a little, unhook, argue, set-up, yell and get frustrated and then they disappear inside for awhile. Sometimes it is almost comical. But if you want to make friends and you are unsure about how to do something, just ask. You will have more than willing helpers, I guarantee and will make new friends in the process... Happy Camping

jmgratz said:

Remember the greatest excitement for seasoned RVers is to sit outside and watch people come in, get out, argue, back in, yell a little, unhook, argue, set-up, yell and get frustrated and then they disappear inside for awhile. Sometimes it is almost comical. But

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That may be fun to watch - but it doesn't come close to watching the antics at the local boat ramp!

Now there is a location you can charge admission too

Sorry to hear about your problem. As I posted just the other day dropped my fiver on the bed last week. Going to purchase a bed saver and have added a few things to my check list.

Ted

Sooo True

porthole said:

That may be fun to watch - but it doesn't come close to watching the antics at the local boat ramp!

Now there is a location you can charge admission too

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Boy is that true!! When we lived in Orange Park, FL we would go down to the ramp on Drs. Lake ( Off the St Johns River ) on Sunday evening, just to watch the boaters come in off the lake.

After a day consisting of sun, water and usually cool "beverages".....it was amazing to see some of the things that can happen getting a boat onto a trailer!

Hannah and Dan,
You dropped the ball my friends. We had gone through several lessons and you asked me for driving and hitching tips for our next tip and you never got ahold of me. Feel free to call anytime so hopefully I can pass back on to you all my several mentors gave to me. It's called giving back. Sorry about your mishaps. We all have some really good stories of mistakes and accidents. It's part of the program. Good luck, you will catch on.

Thanks for all the great comments and words of encouragement. Keep posting and emailing us with tips and lessons. We are going to try again on Monday and hope we have a better day. Oh if we were only smart enough to know the questions to ask, lol.


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