Stupid is as Stupid Does ....

[Lloyd]

This was posted on the Thor forum and I found it amusing to say the least....

"Had I not watched this with my own eyes I would no have believed it.

Camping last Friday and a rental RV pulls in across the way from us with two couples in it. After watching them try to back in for a few minutes Myself and another camper offered to help. We were told to mind out own business....okay sorry for intruding have a nice day, stop over for a beer later if you like, just trying to be friendly.

So back at my site, guy next to me and I grab a cold one and sit back to watch the show.

Finally get it backed in after 20 minutes. One gentlemen puts on gloves and proceeded to hook up to the sewer. Not sure what the issue is but he hooks up the freshwater hose and proceeds to wash out the sewer hose by placing the freshwater hose 2-3 feet inside and shakes and swirls it around. Gotta make sure those sewer hoses are clean. He then shoves the hose up the sewer connection on the rig a foot or two with the valve open to clear that out. Water flowing all over the ground.

I think we all know what's coming next......

wait for it.............

He hooks the same freshwater hose right up to the RV city water input. Takes off his gloves and with the job well done, heads inside. I'm sur for a nice clean glass of water.....

[Pro BSer]

That had to be at least a 2 or 3 beer show

[TDG]

Why didn't some one take a video could have charged to see it

[harley]

guess I will not rent an rv...or will bring my own hose and some bleach...

[KingFisher]

I read that identical post on the Forest River forum, that poster gets around.

[Loneoak]

Sometimes people make this stuff up, post it in different places and this is how urban legends are born. Not saying that this is what happened here, but it could have.

[Lloyd]

That's very true, but, I have seen some folks out there myself that were pretty short on camping/RV knowledge.


We were in West Glacier KOA years ago, when I noticed a couple in a MH rental. They were having trouble.
I asked if I could help and they commenced to telling me all their trouble. I don't remember all of it, but one of the things that stuck in my mind was they didn't know how to work or use the fridge, or the furnace. They had purchased an ice chest and was trying to keep their food in that.
I lit their fridge and showed them how to keep it running on ac or gas.
Some what in their defense, the rental agency hadn't shown them anything about that unit.
This was their dream trip of a life time. Neither one of them had ever RVed before.

[Loneoak]

There is a huge learning curve when it comes to RVs. And you never stop learning.

[campingcpl]

Not the first time I have heard or seen something like that.

Was at a state park sitting outside the trailer watching some weekend warriors trying to get an older travel trailer backed into a spot. After about 15-20 minutes they decided to drive around to the other road and drive through the trees and make it a pull through. It gets better, after unhooking the truck one of the guys pulls out a 24" level and puts it to the side of the trailer to check the level from side to side and then proceeds to set it on the step of the trailer to check level from front to back. After they finished a couple of beers they figured the trailer was level and then proceeded to unload. The back of the truck had a refrigerator a small freezer, a grill and the kids bikes. The trailer had about a truck load of fire wood inside it that had to be removed before they could get into the trailer. Both my wife and I just had to shake our heads watching them pull log after log out of that trailer and some were probably a good 4'-5' long. Then watching one of the ladies sweep out all the bark and dirt out of the trail made both of us just cringe!

[Papa-T]

I was camping at the beach one year and this younger couple backed at TT next to us and started setting up in the dark. I thought I would be nice so I turned on my Scare lights so they would have light. About 20 minutes later I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and there stood the young couple. The guy said " Could you turn off those lights, their bothering us". I said really, I turned them on so you could see. I shut the door. About two hours later I turned them off.

[Pro BSer]

It's a dang good thing an intelligence test isn't required to go RVing, many would never get started. We do live and learn. Common sense is nice but not required.
The rest of is try to learn from other people's mistakes.

[CFun]

When we finally made the move from tent camping to owning an RV, our first purchase was a hybrid with the tent ends. I spent hours with the dealer at our delivery inspection asking him to show me how to hook things up and turn things on, and I took lots of notes and photos so I would get it right when we were out on our own.

The first couple trips out with it we were extremely disappointed in the number of bugs that were getting in the tent ends and the first good rain we had a bunch of water come in the rig. On our 4th trip out a very friendly and experienced RV'r asked me if we were having those issues, and I told him we were and I asked if it was common for the hybrid trailers. He said he was pretty sure I was set up wrong. I have to admit I got a little indignant with him and insisted I had it set up right because it was exactly what the dealer showed me, but I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to try following his suggestions. Never had a problem again with that trailer from that point on.

When we picked up our Sunset Trail the kid doing our PDI kept giving us bad information about to hook stuff up and use the equipment and I kept correcting him and cringed thinking about all the new RV owner's that were taking his word and who were now set up with things not working correctly or breaking down faster.

[BMVillines]

I have lost count how many times I have seen a motorhome take off without putting their tow behind back in neutral.

Also get a kick out of watching people darn near rip their knee caps off unchaining their EQ hitch bars without taking any tension off them.

We sold our last 5er to our neighbors under the condition that their maiden voyage was with us. They were new to the RV life, happy to get them started on the right foot! However, now my wife fears they will want to go camping with us all the time...

[sleepyT]

Unfortunately I think there are too many new owners that have never been given a PDI by the dealers...I say this because of some of the questions that new forum members who have just bought their first TT or 5er have asked...The questions are so basic you just know they have never had the dealer do a PDI with them...Also those who have a basic knowledge of electricity and plumbing will find it a little easier to be a RV owner...IMHO...

[COCamping]

We traded in a popup for a fifth wheel last fall. I almost decked the sales lady we were working with when she came over to tell me that the rails were bent on our pull out king size bed and it was keeping her from fully extending the bed and therefore it would lower our trade-in value. Our popup was in pristine condition when we pulled onto the lot. So I went over to see what she was talking about. Turns out she didn't put the L shaped supports in place before pulling the bed out. I sternly told her that those NEED to go first and she dared to tell me I was wrong the supports go on afterwards because some other guy showed her on the other bed. I managed to get the bed back in, showed her how the supports go in place and got the bed back out. No visible damage to the rails, they were just twisted under the weight before. I was shocked that this woman works at a dealership and was telling me, the owner of the trailer, that I didn't know how to set it up.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear she's actually broken other people's trade-ins trying to evaluate them.

[woodwalker]

Originally Posted by sleepyT

Unfortunately I think there are too many new owners that have never been given a PDI by the dealers...I say this because of some of the questions that new forum members who have just bought their first TT or 5er have asked...The questions are so basic you just know they have never had the dealer do a PDI with them...Also those who have a basic knowledge of electricity and plumbing will find it a little easier to be a RV owner...IMHO...

I know the problem is with the PDI. The dealer runs through it and even if they take their time the new owners are so overwhelmed that they do not grasp everything

[Burgy]

We have friends joining us on our next trip. First trip after moving up from a bone stock popup. He's been peppering me with questions and I've been offering suggestions.

When i see folks struggling at a camp ground always offer to help, usually its just a 2nd set of eyes as they back in. I like helping. Would love to run a campground one day.

[travelin texans]

Had a newbie ask "if the park had hot water", I said yes in the bath house, but not at your site, the dealer had the water heater bypassed so he burnt up the heating element on their maiden trip.

[sleepyT]

Originally Posted by woodwalker

I know the problem is with the PDI. The dealer runs through it and even if they take their time the new owners are so overwhelmed that they do not grasp everything

This is why I have always suggested to forum members that are going to pick up a new RV to RECORD the PDI as the dealer goes over each item on the PDI list...That way they can go back and see how to address any item they might have forgotten...

Someone on this forum gave me that advise before I did the PDI for my first fifth wheel...Don't do what I did...Forgot to make sure I had a empty 8MM tape in the camera...

[johnboytoo]

We actually used both our phones while doing the pdi on our coach...
it came in handy from two perspectives !!!

One thing I asked the wife to remember is to stop the recording at the end of each 'system' then restart so it wasn't one big video...

on the subject of You had to be there to believe it...

We were at a city park that only had Water and Electricity, so Sunday afternoon at the dump station I pull up behind this trailer and she's dumping the sewer... knew she was real classy because she DIDN'T USE A SEWER HOSE !!!!!

yep, dump it on the ground and rinse it down the drain !!!!

I went around that dump station as I called the office and dumped elsewhere!