We have had our share, but haven’t damaged any equipment. That said we have had plenty of equipment failure. We were on the Side of a mountain on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park looking for the perfect campsite when the wiring harness that controls the diesel injectors got hot and failed. This was 3 days after replacing a E4OD transmission in Spearfish SD. We were broke to begin with so $3500 for a transmission was mind boggling to us. I was serious when I said to my wife “#&@# it! Just let the whole rig roll backwards down the mountain”!! $2500 ($6000 total transmission and wiring harness) and 2 weeks later we were on our way home to Kansas City. I’m glad you guys were able to get out of the situation with minimal damage to both the equipment and your sanity. I have a question. We are getting our first 5th wheel this spring. We are towing with a 6.5’ (short bed) mega cab ram. We are searching for real world experience with a variety of hitches. How do you think your Anderson performed in this situation...and do you think a different hitch would have been better? We have towed travel trailers for 20 years so any input would be greatly valued. Thanks in advance. Just so you know, there is way more to this trip and it’s failures. Car rentals ($$$), me spending the night in a hotel in Fort Collins built for honeymooners cuz the truck was towed, son and nephew fighting and almost falling over the mountain, daughter and niece finding a wrapped and drowned dog in Dillion lake and the list goes on. I’ve threatened to write about and get it published. Somehow, my wife managed to hold this whole fiasco together. If hadn’t been for her there would be a burned out 1995 Ford F-350 with travel trailer attached somewhere in CO with a family of 6 thumbing back eastbound on I-70.
We drove up to Giddings (a 6 hour drive) to buy a new camper. It was late so they rushed us through the buying process. After we bought the camper we drove to a near buy campsite to rest for the night and make the drive back home the next day. Well we were new to travel trailers and I hooked up the city water to the black tank flush. I left it on and the Black tank bursted. 2 hours of ownership i ruined the tank and we were out of a black tank for 2 months on a Brand New RV. Horrible experience.
Hey, I’m out camping with my family and I noticed that I’m right next to one of your RV’s and saw your sign and I’m just checking out the channel but it seems nice
Oh yes, I’ve got one. 😂🤣 My GPS told me to go down the wrong road……to a dead end. I camp by myself so here’s this 57 y/o woman (at the time, that was 2 years ago) yelling at the GPS, telling it how stupid it is. When that solved nothing, I calmed down and then backed my truck and travel trailer up 3 and a half miles, to the beginning of that road. Then I had to back onto a busy 2 lane road. No one would let me out so I put out my cones and flashing triangle lights, stopped traffic, backed out, collected my stuff, waved thank you and left. Yeah, that was fun!!
After 8 years the worse experience we’ve had was due to a piece of crap Rand McNally RV GPS. We had set it up correctly with length and height of our truck and 5th wheel, etc. We were going to a campground in the mountains of North Carolina following the GPS. We are baby boomers so we know how to read a printed map. My wife is an excellent navigator. Unfortunately the printed mad wasn’t very helpful in that area. We were directed to take a left on a decent looking road. It was paved two lane road with trees and no shoulders on each side. After a mile or two it abruptly turned into a gravel road. There was no way I could turn around. So we kept going and then the road and it turned into a one lane track weaving around the mountain. I probably had two feet of clearance in the side. My wife was almost in tears. We could only go 10-15 mph for a couple of miles. But the good Lord and 20 years of being a police driving instructor got us through it. The gravel road ended as we turned in to the campground. I was spent and actually had to sit in the truck a few minutes to collect myself. When I checked in I asked the lady why they has such a terrible road leading in and she looked at me in astonishment and said that “road” was a Jeep trail and that no one had ever brought an RV through it. I honestly don’t know what we would have done if we had met another vehicle. The next day I trashed the GPS and purchased a Garmin version. The Rand McNally one almost got us killed. By the way we have a Grand Design about two feet longer than yours. Bottom line is like you, keep a cool head and think it out. Know your rig, truck, and abilities. And prayer never hurts.
What a story! Oh my goodness, thanks for sharing! I've heard people say they go on Google Earth before each trip and check out the "lay of the land" before beginning. We have done that a couple times- especially when trying to see if a parking lot will accommodate us. Might have to do it more often. Did you see our video about our gas station awning incident? If not, here it is: th-cam.com/video/nfvQjZkI7R0/w-d-xo.html
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez made a film in the 50's called "The Very Big Trailer" and wherever they went, disaster followed. It was a comedy played for laughs. I think life should be lived for laughs. We all live and learn... we are all human and we all make mistakes. So many of these comments are negative, sneering, finger-wagging know-it-alls who should simply thank you two for having the courage to share your very human side with us. I wish I had your freedom to go and see the world. Due to health (not related to Covid) and financial reasons I can't right now but I will soon. Risk is the flip side of reward. Stay safe, never take chances and you will not enjoy life to the fullest... Thank you for sharing your lives with us..
Thanks so much! You are so right, life is meant to be lived and the best way to get through it is to look on the bright side, and look for a laugh. And we have seen that movie - it is great!
Heavy equipment owner here. Thanks for sharing your story. I learned one thing from your experience. Have a good woman next to you. You guys set the standard. Thanks
I just gave a little class to a few 5th wheelers last month. They arrived after dark due to an accident on the interstate. It's pitch black and of course the crowd came out to watch. Thankfully, God sent them next to me. Truck driver "Million Mile Club". So I backed it in for them. My lesson is: buy 2 strands of led rope lights. You can line them up and give yourself a lighted runway to back into. It makes night backing soo much easier and stress free in the dark of the night.
Wow, I love that tip! We actually have two strands of rope lights. So glad you were there to help those folks last month. We try to do the same for others in need. Looking forward to seeing you in a campground someday.
@@LizAmazing lol My brother in law is so bad at backing his 5th wheel that he will no longer go to a park unless it's pull through. I swear I'm starting an RV driving/backing school. I'd probably make a fortune. 😂
Thank you for sharing. Love your videos because they are honest and show the real life of an RVer. You two are a great couple and very calm with difficult stuff.
Hi Wayne! Thanks so much for your kind words! We sure were lucky in our incident at Idyllwild. Thanks for watching and welcome to our channel. See you in the next video.
This situation was just so crazy in that we did everything right including researching the campground but we still had a bad and stressful day. We just may get a smaller rig, who knows.
The best part is that you two stayed calm with each other...I have a 37’ FW and so I know how it is sometimes with small parks...it’s all part of the journey, but you CANNOT let it get to you and then give “it” to your spouse....
Hi Rich! So very true. We have to remind ourselves of that sometimes. But that day was a win! Hope to see you at a campground someday. And here's our video about other campers having a bad day: th-cam.com/video/KKJHP2O1cIQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi you both are great role models for the RV community. Plus for all those couples who including my husband and I who need a little reminder as you said we are a team together, not to take your stress out on each other and take that breather. We all have those good days and bad days however its all about how we handle it together not against each other. Good advice and thanks so much for sharing as we often say the good, the bad and ugly. Stay safe and happy travels.😊
I love this, Laura. That's so true. We were glad we didn't take it out on each other. I think two factors really helped: One, when the curvy drive up the mountain got too stressful for Paul, I took over giving him a needed break to re-charge. Two, arriving at 2pm relieved us of any time-stress. We know what a pressure cooker it can be to arrive at a campground just before dark. Thanks for your comment and big hugs to you!
Great advice! Love the part about making sure to "celebrate!" We have to remember that if these are our biggest issues in life, we are doing just fine! Great video!
We were in New York just outside of Manhattan headed to Long Island to a campground. In New York tracks and trailers cannot drive on their Parkways. We had contacted the campground prior to heading there and they gave us directions on how to stay off the Parkways. So we started out from up State New York to Long Island. We made one mistake and took one turn too early and ended up on a ramp onto the Parkway. We were sitting at the end of the ramp with a curved tunnel in front of us that said the clearance was 12’. We needed 13 ft. 12 inches. So here we sat in the middle of the ramp at 4:00 pm about a mile from Manhattan and couldn’t go anywhere. After sitting there for about 20 minutes and trying to figure out what to do with cars go over 8n the grass blowing there horns at us, a State Trooper pulled up. Super nice guy, said what can I do to help? He asked if he stopped traffic would our rig fit under the tunnel. My husband told him no we need over 13 feet clearance. So he said if I stop traffic on their ramp can we turn our rig around,(our rig was 38 ft. Long), and then he would stop traffic on the other ramp for us to get going again. So that is what we did and we were back on our way to the correct exit. That took right out an hour out of our trip and a huge amount of stress.
Oh my goodness, that sounds so stressful. I don't think there would be enough paper bags for Paul to breath into to help get through that. Great story and so glad it had a happy ending, thanks Carole!
We have been RVing about 30 years. Started with a beat up 68 GMC van with a blown-up engine and built it into a little weekend camper. 4 rigs later, we now have a 2011 32’ Bay Star we purchased last year. Pam and I are retired and have done many trips and a few 3 to 4 month trips but not "full-timers". Tip #1 when you arrive at your camp site and YOUR WIFE ASKS ”DO YOU WANT ME TO WATCH BEHIND YOU” always say yes. We pulled into a campground at South Lake Tahoe I said "no this is the same site we used last time". I backed right into a big pine tree, luckily the rig was a class C on a 78 Dodge with a big diamond plate rear bumper, (no damage except ego). #2 When we arrived at a campsite with several obstacles I put out orange traffic cones and a few smaller "bike coarse" size cones marking turning points obstacles and stopping points. # 3 we don’t use them often but the little FRS radios make communication simpler and looks better then a bunch of "arm waiving and hand whorling". Although that can be kinda fun to watch. I found the Midland brand radio works very well. Safe travels 🙏🏼🇺🇸
Thanks so much for this Greg. Yes, it's always good to have the co-pilot get out every time you are maneuvering. Yikes about that pine tree! Great idea about the safety cones! Thirty years RVing is awesome. Paul and I look forward to meeting you around the campfire one of these days!
@@LizAmazing I worked for the U.S. Forest Service in California for 15 years. They had a "RULE" if you have anyone in the vehicle with you they must get out and spot you. Saved me a few times but there was one time I was alone. I had backed into a nice spot to have my lunch. When I was done, I had a clear view in front of me and pulled out. However, as I pulled out I turned right to get onto the road "BAD". I had parked next to an old dead tree stump on the passenger's side, but 20 minutes later I had forgotten about the stump and couldn't see it. Well I side swiped the tree stump, and put a nice dent in the middle of the passenger's door! One person talked about firing me, but it was pointed out that I had worked for them over 10 years without any accidents.
@@LizAmazing Its ok Happens lol only reason I dont do the same is I was on Grateful dead tour driving a 40 foot bus from 18 to 25 ..Takes a bit to get used to the giants...Dont give up...Keep on truckin
Gosh some mean comments on here. Thank you guys for putting out your mistakes so others can learn from them! I don’t know what you could have done differently with that tree work and no place to park the rig to scout out the site! Love your channel!
Thank you so much for your comment! We really appreciate you and are glad to have you with us. Yes, it's not easy sometimes to share our mistakes and mishaps so publicly, but we know this video has helped others. Thanks again for being with us!
I've been RVing most of my life. Starting in travel trailers and working up to a 36' fifth-wheel and now back down to a 20 ft. travel trailer. The big rigs really are not well suited to mountainous, forested campgrounds. They have height and length issues that complicate matters and are cumbersome. I think if you're going to go big, then be prepared to limit your available options to more open spaces. If you want greater freedom and choices then go smaller.
That's a very smart observation. Often these remote locations were built in the days of smaller tow behind campers. Not big rig friendly at all! Thanks for your comment.
@@LizAmazing A few years ago, as a retirement present, I took my 35' Super C and a 25" enclosed car hauler (with a motorcycle and small car in it) cross country and back. It was a great trip that took a lot of planning due to the size of my rig/trailer. I called ahead and talked to someone about my size to be somewhat sure it would fit. Only 1 campground owner was a bit unrealistic on what makes a good fit. It was a small old campground that was quite beautiful near Port Ludlow, WA but not built for larger rigs. He had only one 60' spot that turned out to be a massive challenge to get to due to tight roads; trees and sharp turns. We got it in but Houdini was needed. I have since downsized to a 25' toy hauler TT that fits the motorcycle, pulled by my Ram 3500. Less stress, less maintenance and easier to manage overall. Not as fancy as the motorhome but still useful.
I sure hope your departure from this challenging location goes a lot better than your arrival! Thank you, Liz and Paul, for taking a very stressful event and turning it into a teachable moment for the rest of us - excellent tips as well!
Really good subject, I cant tell you how many times Ive been guided into a situation to put it nicely. Ive even had camp host guide me right into a incident. Ive learned to take it slow and easy always, and only trust myself. In the trucking industry you will find a sticker on most truck mirrors that read, GOAL, get out and look. This is a very good rule to live by and protect your investment.
GOAL! I think we even mentioned that in this video. It's truly a good rule. Yes, it's important not to listen to what other (well-meaning) people are telling you. The first day I bought my fifth wheel, the tech told me it was physically impossible for me to turn the truck enough to break the back window with the trailer. After I left the dealership, I proved him wrong that very afternoon! What I learned from that, is GOAL and, like you said, trust myself. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Happy and safe travels to you!
Agreed. Our standard practice is to check in and park. Then we ride the bicycles to pick out a site. What makes this campground unusual is there are ZERO places to park once inside the campground. The nearest is probably two miles before you get there. Feel sorry for people needing to unhitch their toad as their only option would be to block the road. Thanks for watching and stay safe!
We have a 30’ motorhome. We were driving on a narrow road in a campground. A lady in a little car meets us on a curve. We are going 5 mph. She stopped next to us and would not move onto the grass, insisting we move. Easier said than done. There are inches between us. I drive slowly and clip her rear fender. I did not know it. Her husband angrily chased us down. Slight damage to her car. No damage to our rig, at all. Not sure what would have done differently, except sit until she moves. I feel you anxiety.
I feel your pain. We had someone in a car meet up with us on what was not much more than a single lane road through a canyon and she expected us with our 35' 5th wheel to back up so that she could continue in her little car... Luckily for us she came to her senses and backed up a few feet, but not without letting us know how inconvenienced she was by the whole thing. 🤷♂️
Idyllwild. My Mom and Dad's favorite campground (God rest their souls) and had many extended family campouts there too (just a 100 or so of us). Beautiful place. Miss it since I moved to TN 28 years ago!
It is definitely one of my favorite campgrounds! I could live there year-round, I keep telling Paul I want to live on top of a mountain! So glad you have happy memories from there as well. And hello to you in Tennessee! I am from Kentucky and Paul and I are headed to that general area later this year.
Love how you go through the whole thought process. I have my girlfriend watch these videos so we can be on the same page of having a plan, especially if emotions run high. Thank you for taking the time to make these
This is the one of the best type of video. Sorry that you had issues, but others can learn so much by hearing how you dealt with this. Thanks for sharing.
We traveled with our 22’ Airstream to the Black Hills in South Dakota and had reservations to stay at a State Park. Just before climbing in elevation I plugged in the address on Waze...big mistake because apparently the “avoid tolls” was checked. Well the entrance to the State Park has a fee, so I’m guessing that is why Waze routed us into the park using back roads. First a gravel road that lasted about 10 miles...finally back onto a paved but very narrow two lane mountain road with severe drop offs. My wife made a keen observation that we were the only trailer on the road in both directions....I have to say, the views were incredible though. First tunnel we came to was carved through the granite mountain and was one lane....with the measurements posted I knew I should be able to make it so we went for it. But then we come to the second tunnel carved through the mountain and the width and height gave me only a couple inches of clearance, I even looked up the specs on my trailer to double check...this too was a one lane. Problem was turning around was not an option, to narrow. It was a very busy weekend and there were a lot of cars and people. A guy offered to go through and stop traffic on the other side. I had my wife get out in front of me to keep an eye on the clearance. I pulled my mirrors in and hoped for the best. We worked our way to the other side and as I came out, there were 20-30 people taking pictures of us and applauding. My wife and I were a nervous reck as we finally made it to the campground. I spoke to a Ranger there and he told me we came through the wrong direction (obviously) and that about five trailers a year get stuck in that tunnel! We basically parked and poured a drink.
Oh my goodness!!! That is incredible! Was that Needles Highway near Custer State Park? Here is our video taking our truck through there. So narrow that we felt it should be closed to vehicular traffic, or made one way. You guys are champions if you made it through there! Travel Update | Liz Got Sick | Fulltime RV Living th-cam.com/video/lErsUokIQ6E/w-d-xo.html
If I could post a picture here it would say it all. We were traveling from Georgetown to Myrtle Beach on 17 and blew a wheel bearing. We pulled into a place called Hobcaw Barony to get off the road. Thank you to that guy that pulled next to us beeping his horn and yelling out the window that we had smoke coming out of one wheel. AAA could not find us a tow. My wife is in hysterics at this point but I was able to stay calm and think. I called Camping World in Myrtle Beach, they weren’t able to help us but did give us the name of a repair shop. We called Larry’s Auto Clinic in Myrtle Beach and he knew exactly what to do. He called Corner Cars Towing who came with a lowboy and a tow truck. This all took a time period of about eight hours. We ended up spending the next two weeks in front of Larry’s Auto Clinic enjoying Myrtle Beach while Larry tried to find parts for an axle that the company didn’t make anymore. A Machine shop finally fixed our drum and we were able to make it back home. On our last day we took Larry and his wife Betty out to dinner to thank them for all of their hospitality. It was a hell of an experience but without the help of some very nice people could have been a lot worse.
Wow! That's such a great story with a happy ending. It really does take a village sometimes, people coming together to help one another. Reminds me of this video that an early commenter sent about someone who drove their fifth wheel trailer where it didn't belong: th-cam.com/video/icXipapYSmg/w-d-xo.html Also, when you said Georgetown, I immediately thought of Kentucky since I am from Lexington.
We got into a camping site on the Forrest Service in Wyo with a 5th wheel but could not get back on the road without the pickup clashing with the camper. Luckily we had a slider hitch and gave that a try and we barely made it out. Another time we were going down a road to a camp site and were pulling a small trailer carrying a UTV behind the 5th wheel camper. We got about a quarter mile in and couldn't make it past some tree branches. Ended up having to unload the UTV and moving the utility trailer off the road by hand. Backed all the way out and then backed all the way back in. Put the utility trailer back on the road and hitched it by hand and reloading the UTV. Thank goodness nobody else was traveling the road at the time. The tip you gave of pre scouting your route is very sound advise. Many thanks!!
We have a 37 motor home + an 21 flatbed car hauler trailer. We only go to resorts/parks that have big rig pull through only. It's all about the research before getting to a place
Exactly! That's why we were so surprised. This was just one of those cases, like we said in the video, where we did everything right and still so many things went wrong. Thanks for watching and commenting and we will see you in the next video. Happy travels!
Remember you two are on the same team .no need to start fighting over nothing . You hit on something very important , Don't be to picky when selecting the site . I choose an easy in and out over a great view anytime . Driving around inside a park can get stressful very quickly . Watching you two is a hoot .
Hi and thanks Daniel! We are glad you enjoyed our video. We try to be informative AND entertaining! Here is our latest video: th-cam.com/video/wCKPbhRhfRE/w-d-xo.html
I agree Daniel, it's a real hoot to watch them. I have been watching them and reading the comments now for over 2 hours. I am too OLD and have heath problems to do what they are doing, so I really appreciate being able to see such things.
We did the RV thing a few years back...had a nice 2003 Dodge Cummins 4door long box, 30 foot bumper pull RV. After a few years I had enough.....Pick up gone....RV gone, it just wasn't for us...but Iam glad so many enjoy it....lord do I see a lot of RVs on the road these days.
Yes, I remember a few decades back when it seemed only old people were RVing, now everyone is doing it. In fact people under 30 are the fast growing segment. Glad you gave it a try, Brian!
I respect both of you for sharing uncomfortable/unpleasant situations that you have been in. Since you have (e)bikes, and weren’t certain of this particular campground, I would have suggested that you park your rig in a safe area near the entrance of the facility and ride around the grounds observing potential obstacles before encountering them with your rig. You can make a much more informed decision and It certainly is much less stressful already knowing what’s ahead. We don’t carry bicycles when we’re RVing, so if we encounter a situation like this, I/we will frequently walk the campground before taking the rig. It’s just a suggestion that, for us, takes the stress out of “not knowing” what’s ahead.
Right. That is our plan and has been from the beginning. This particular Campground had no pull off area inside the campground. In fact, you would half to park in a pull off about 5 miles before the entrance. We feel sorry for anyone with a class a and a toad.
I've noticed signs that are put up a past the point of no return are not that uncommon. I recently had to back up about a quarter of a mile (luckily it was straight) because of a bad sign. I believe part of the problem is the people putting up the signs know where they are going and the people trying to follow the signs don't. Hope that makes sense. I especially like signs for turn outs, you know...a wide place in the road where you can stop and take pictures or whatever, they put the sign at the turnout and there is no way to get stopped or slowed down enough to make it.
So glad to hear about both of you knowing how to drive and pull an RV. You two are a team and I believe all teams should know each others jobs. It’s a safety issue for me. And can come in handy when there is an emergency, Happy Trails
Absolutely! That's something I feel passionate about. I met a couple camping across from me in a Class A last year. When she mentioned she was afraid of driving the rig, I suggested she at least learn how in case of an emergency, say her hubby gets stung by a bee or something. They both went pale-- turns out hubby is allergic to bees. They decided to go to a parking lot on the way home just so she'd know how to do it. I mean, you sure don't want to drive it for the first time in an emergency, right? Sounds like you two are also a great team!
Reminds me of the days I used to patrol Idyllwild as a sheriff's deputy. If my memory serves me right, you were actually in Pine Cove, outside of Idyllwild. Great scenery.
Yes, we were in the Idyllwild Campground Resort in the town of Pine Cove. It's truly a gorgeous place. Once we got set up we extended our stay to a month! Glad you know the area, I would have been happy to stay there forever!
@@LizAmazing By the way, in case you ever go back, there are other great parks in Idyllwild, one right in the center of town, which is more accessible, and including the one at Lake Hemet.
Been there. Using your leveling boards under the front wheels will lower the rear bed. Alternate them as you slowly crawl out of the situation. Don't succumb to peeps screaming at you to get out of their way. Just have to out smart the rig with some physics. LOL. Love your channel, btw.
Thanks, Bob! That would work and we do have leveling blocks with us. It was also a hard right angle corner. I think we would have needed a few volunteers to help pull that off. Something to think about for sure- thanks again!
We were pulling out of a gas station with our 26.5 class c pulling 20 foot enclosed trailer. Pulling out you can't see the end dips.. We got high centered on the trailer hitch, blocking in and out semi traffic. We have 3 ton handyman jack and 2 ton floor jack. Our thought was to jack up the trailer and unhook.. well we where trying to jack the RV and the trailer.. We tried to get the ball to unhook, nope wasn't happening. Luckily had AAA they came out got weight off the RV hitch so could unhook, he then hooked the trailer to his truck and pulled it into the parking lot so we could hook back up.. just as we where hooking up a pickup pulling a uhaul did same thing but luckily he was able to get out himself..
Oh my goodness. That sounds stressful to be stuck like that. Glad AAA saved the day! Here's the one where Paul called AAA: th-cam.com/video/nfvQjZkI7R0/w-d-xo.html
We were in Escalante, Utah at a small RV park for a few nights with no cable tv hook ups. We were using the antenna for the few channels available. When I went to crank it down, it did not seat properly so I went up on the roof to adjust. Coming back down I forgot to fix the folding ladder back up to upper section of the ladder. When we left it was dragging behind the motorhome. Stop for gas and had to back up to get to the diesel pump. That's when I realize what I had done; snap the bottom section right off.
Yikes! That was probably not a good moment right there at the gas station. But a good story for around the campfire. Safe travels to you and wishing you less of those OMG moments!
Situations happen and we all learn from it. Knowing the limitations of your rig are important to know. What’s the clearance of the truck and camper? Those elevation changes can get the best of us. Park should have signs though. For us the biggest headache are other people. Our rig is 42’ and we went to a Thousand Trails and the park said to try a certain area. It was a one way in, one way out and had a tiny little turn around. People were parked on both sides of the road and no way even a small rig could turn around.
Yikes! That sounds like Pacific City. That campground has places you would not want to go down for sure! I don't know what our clearance is above the truck rails but I think it's at least six inches. Thanks for watching and commenting!
What an adorable couple! We have found ourselves in some tight situations as well - especially with boondocking. Narrow, bumpy and often steep gravel roads are the norm - we do our best to use ALL of the same tips that you have described here. Well... except show up before dark, as that has happened a few times. Great video. Ha - the sewer hose?? What’s that?? We have what we like to call “the poop noodle” 😂🤣😂 (5 things we learned in the first 30 days of rv’ing)
I imagine with boondocking you may have to scout things with the Jeep beforehand. Have you ever been out in the middle of nowhere and then have someone park RIGHT NEXT to you? We have the whole campground to ourselves, practically. Yesterday someone parked their big rig SO close to us they are literally blocking the sun. UGH! Well now we will have to watch your poop noodle video!!! p.s. did you like our shirts in this video? ;-)
We have scoured with the Jeep and that has been helpful, but some of the terrain is still sketchy no matter what. It does offer some seclusion tho!! Nope, no one has parked right next to us, however we did park in a public gun firing range once 🤣🤣 Shirts look great!
Had my sewer hose dragging down the freeway, yep. Two men pulled alongside & let me know & I was thankful they did! Got stuck in a gas station/restaurant that I absolutely could NOT maneuver out of, because while I was getting diesel, a couple cars did a terrible job of parking, and my planned exit route was blocked. Truckers in the restaurant came out to help by blocking the entrance so I could use it as an exit. I've had to circle the block to get into gas stations at the right angle. When I first started out, I'd get embarrassed and flustered when in a jam, but not any more. Gotta go with the flow LOL.
Exactly! Glad to hear you are keeping on! When I was a solo RVer, I found myself getting very stressed but, like you, after a while that faded. I just reminded myself to stay focused on the task at hand and not worry about spectators. Thanks for your comment and happy travels!
TIP 1= WHEN PULLING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR CAMPGROUND THAT LOOKS SKETCHY, STOP, PULL OVER AND PARK, TAKE YOUR BIKE OR UNHOOK YOUR TRUCK AND DRIVE THE ENTIRE CAMPGROUND FIRST THEN YOU WONT NEED TIP NO 2,3,4,5,6 AND ALWAYS HAVE A DRINK ONCE YOU PULL INTO YOU SPOT BEFORE SETTING UP 😁😁👍👍
Great tip! And that's our typical routine to get on the bikes and scout it out. Unfortunately there are ZERO places to park inside the campground or on the approach to the gate. I don't know what people with a toad do. It's really crazy!
When we RVed I always checked Google satellite before entering wooded area. If I couldn't see the road through satellite, I wouldn't pull the trailer through.
I enjoy your videos . Have to say ,your set up looks sweeeeeet . love the bikes on the front . And the colors of the rig are great . Also the proportions are nice . Keep on rving and stay safe .
We live in Georgia. Once, earlier this year, we were going to a place we have been to before. In Cleveland Georgia. My wife asked if we needed the navigation system. I said no I know where we are going. It was 100% my fault. I took a wrong turn. Turned too early. The road got narrow and lots of curves up hill. No place to turn around. We just slowed down. Got very lucky. The road just made a loop and ended back on the road we was on. Set our destination in the navigation system.
Oh my! That was super lucky that you ended up back on the main road. These are the lessons we learn, right? Thanks for your comment and wishing you happy camping!
My wife is my navigator. I let her look at maps, GPS and tell me where to turn. I am just the driver and we do it pretty well. Also learned that instead of her aimlessly waiving a flashlight when I backing at night, I just call her and put her on speakerphone in the cab of the truck.
OMG! That was crazy! We will probably skip that park based on our size. Glad all turned out well. It is nice to have 21 days to recover after a long and stressed day. We’ve had our issues, especially getting locked out while trying to turn in to a park. Ann started directing traffic to help in the mean time. Lol! But we survived and people are so nice to help.
Hi Drew and Ann! There are a few places here for your rig BUT you'd have to remember to drop your toad a couple miles outside the campground because there are ZERO places to do that here. Of course you'd be taking the risk that the few sites here would be available. It IS a very special place though. Idyllwild is worth the drive to see the top of the mountain and the village. Probably a little more than an hour from either Wilderness Lakes or Palm Desert. Happy trails to you and looking forward to seeing you again in 2021.
I drove up a winding road that got worse with each turn so I tried to turn around in a wide spot. After a frustratingly long time of getting out to see how close I was to a drop off and then moving another few feet, I decided to go further up the mountain. It was getting dark by then, so I just pulled off onto the next wide spot I found and “camped” there. The next morning I was refreshed and it was light out and I had a much easier time of getting back down. I’m glad you had each other and didn’t damage your rig too much.
Hi Peg! Good for you for stopping when it got dark. I guess the longer we do this life the more stories we will have, right? Stay safe and hope to see you on the road next year.
Fun listening to you guys. We have learned a lot over the years. 18ft, 3500lb camper + F250 makes easy towing and easy manuvering. But you are a full timer and I understand your bigger rig. We like to get deep in the woods and I did an axle flip kit to get more clearance. Works good until high cross winds. It's just not heavy enough for the extra height so I had to put it back. It's paid for so we don't want to trade. Like you, we know our limitations. Happy camping!
Hi Frank! Well after this we wished for an 18ffooter!!! Your rig would be perfect at Idyllwild campground. If you are ever in the area, check it out. We loved how quiet it was, although we were there in off-season and had the place to ourselves the last two weeks. Happy travels!
this is why we have kept our rig to a manageable and i guess i must say smaller size. there has been so many times when i have been in a campground and the larger rigs cant get to the nice places or have so much trouble,, this is why we leave our HOUSE behind and take a nice comfortable size camper. over the years we have found we dont need the large 5th wheel units and have downsized, it was the best thing we ever done!!...easy...no stress.... and the best sites!! yall be safe and good luck!!
Yep- sounds like you found a winning combination! I started out full timing in a camper van and that was far too small. It’s always a balance between size snd practicality when doing this fulltime. Stay safe and happy camping!
Great job Liz and Paul. You guys can do anything together! Great messaging... Stop, take a breather and then get back at it. Well, who doesn’t love a good old RV obstacle course? Lol.
Hi Maarten! Thanks so much for your comment and your support! We love hearing from you and appreciate your input. We are expecting 8 inches of snow right here on the mountain top! It might be time for hot chocolate. Thanks again and stay warm up there in Canada.
People who have never driven an RV have no idea how crazy it can be. Great tips and congrats on no fighting. Winner! It is awesome to have a good partner that you can count on. I think that if you RV long enough such experiences are inevitable at some point. Later they make for good stories and great videos. LOL I drove up a gravel road looking for the welcome station in West Virginia at some gorge. My class C was sliding backward down the road. Finally got it to stop and got out to find my back tires inches from a 6' deep ditch. My 80+ mom was the only person with me. It was scary!!! I went to the welcome station and asked a ranger to come and direct me as I backed up. Ranger Rick was the hero for the day! I did not stop to take a break. West Virginia may be for lovers, but it wasn't for me. I got the heck out of there. Who wants to look at a stupid gorge anyway? LOL Safe travels my friends. MWAH!
I love it, Lynn! What a great story! So glad the Ranger Rick could help. And, you're right, these experiences make for good stories! MWAH, right back atcha and send some of that warm Texas weather this way!
Oh no. That could not have been a good day. At least it wasn't a black tank. My sewer outlet broke on a rock that was laying on the road inside a tunnel. When I got out, I had black water coming out! I wadded up a ball of tinfoil in there and it actually worked!
Thank you. 1 year and my wife and I will camp way more and travel more and further. A 42’ DRV and F350 4x4 4 door has me trying to learn the pitfalls of going new places. We camp a lot but only within 300 miles of home for now so thank you very much. I watch all your videos.
Oh hi! Thanks so much for watching our channel! Your DRV sounds lovely, I know they are very well-built. Definitely check before booking that a campground can accommodate your big rig. Hope to meet you on the road!
I’m sorry there are such mean comments. I personally appreciate learning through the mistakes of others, and ourselves. We’re just got our first trailer and it’s nice to see people being honest and let’s us know trials we will face! Thank you for sharing!
Funny I just read something yesterday, where someone commented, "It's good if we can learn from our mistakes." And someone else responded, "It's better if we can learn from someone else's mistakes." I say, "Amen to that."
Some friends, Dave and Roe, from Fate Unbound, use a trick that helps in a tight spot. They dehitch, and then reposition their truck and rehitch to pull the trailer out.
Had my dad pick me up off the Appalachian trail while I was thru hiking. He drove 15 miles down a single lane dirt road in his 35 foot class A plus his Honda Accord in tow. The tree cover was low at times so we couldn’t go more then 35 mph. He was sooo mad! That was four years ago but now looking back that was a great trip! I got off the trail for a few days and we went to DC where we saw Bruce Springsteen in concert! It was incredible!
Sorry to see that happen, you two are a great team. My wife is laid back like that, I'm kinda like oh well,what do we do. Suggest dropping pin box a hole or two to get more clearance between tailgate and camper
Hi Larry thank you so much for your suggestion. We didn't even think about that and that sounds like a great idea! Paul is walking outside right now to look at our pin box, LOL!
The comments about this video are hilarious. So many perfect drivers out there, yet they never seem to be on the road when I’m driving. But my story is in Pasadena and my co pilot turning me down a dead end residential street. Wife was in full panic mode. I said no problem and just proceeded to backup 3 city blocks, stop the traffic back out onto the main road and away we go. Never ever does it make sense to get mad, it never makes things better. I’m lucky I have tons of experience backing up trailers so this whole incident was over in less than 5 minutes. Only thing I would ad is, if you can drive in you can back out, it might be a last resort but it can always be done. To the yippers I have over 2 million miles, no accidents not even any serious issues to speak of, but every time I drive I learn something or at very least get to brush up on some skills. The fact that they took their time and worked it out is, at least in my mind, a sure sign that they are more professional that most of the drivers on the road.
Great story! And thanks so much for your comment and wise words. We do get some self-righteous folks who call us out. We always say: everyone makes mistakes but we aren't afraid to put our out to the world so others can learn. Happy travels to you and hope to meet you on the road someday!
Great video Paul and Liz! One of our first camping trips this year in our new 5th wheel, we did everything correct backing our RV into the site. But... we couldn't get it unhitched! For 2 hours, we tried. The hitch lever wouldn't pop out at all. We've since learned that 'tension' occurs and you sometimes have to put the truck in reverse just to relax the hitch and the lever will pop out easily. I'm blessed to be married to a woman (35 years) that is extremely detailed oriented and keeps us on our toes. Love your channel. Keep up the great work!
Awww, Harry, thanks so much for the kind words. Glad you are enjoying our channel. We are having fun making these videos. My first fifth wheel had the traditional hitch and it took two hours to unhitch it the very first outing. After a day of driving it was almost too much. Happy you two figured it out, you sound like a good team.
Wow Liz and Paul, You two saved the day by being on your toes. You don't assume too much but always double check. Great story tellers too. Yay! Love your videos!
This is probably the best TH-cam channel on Rv'ing. You guys cut to the chase and give great info. Thanks for your 26RD 5th wheel review as well. I hope I can find one for sale that is taken care of as good as yours was. Also how was it being solo and pulling it around on your own? Thanks again and safe travels and keep the videos coming!
That is so nice of you- thank you! I loved having the 260RD and it was almost perfect. Since I bought mine they've added autolevel-- this is HUGE and I highly recommend as you no longer have to level by hand using blocks and carrying around a level. I had to be on my game on travel days. I double and triple checked everything. Definitely have a checklist! Here's a video of me hitching it up by myself: th-cam.com/video/LB5Z8IPXtug/w-d-xo.html
You shouldn't feel bad about something like that. Small accidents are going to happen no matter what you do. I've only damaged two RV's in 45+ years. I tore the Awning off a 40ft. pusher when I wasn't paying attention, and on my OWN property I tore the toolbox off my Truck pulling my 38ft. 5th wheel around. Mine dipped in the other direction than you did, so the front of the 5th wheel came down on my bed. Bummed me out...but hey, I'm careful, so if something happens? I'm not to bummed. You can only do your best and pay attention. With as many miles as you guys have, you really have done great driving that rig.
My husband uses Google Map and looks at the satellite image in advance when unsure about a campground. Just a thought. We love learning from your RV adventures! 🙌
@@LizAmazing I'm a mapping expert, did it for the U.S. Forest Service for 5 years, and used satellite shots whenever I could. The detail in those satellite shots are not always so good, but better than nothing. They are improving them every year though.
Get yourself a 32’ Class A and pull a Jeep. When you check in, unhook the Jeep and drive to your site to scope things out. Go back to check in and get the motor home. You’ll be amazed how maneuverable you can be. Towing this monster fiver just doesn’t make sense. 32’ motor home allows you access to about all parks and room for the toad. Wrong turn onto a road you can’t turn around on? Unhook the toad and one person drive it while motor home drive backs the single unit. You two aren’t gonna get any younger and your current rig is going to be more of a headache than you know.
We wish it were that simple. This video was about even though we did everything right, we still had things go wrong. As we say in the video, we researched this campground and our RV is not too big for it. Watch the video and you'll see what went wrong. Also no place to unhitch at all. With a Class A, you would have to unhitch your toad probably about 5 miles before the campground entrance. Otherwise no options. We typically park and ride our bikes to scope out the campground but that was not an option as no place to park the rig.
I found you guys like most I presume, by accident, but I liked the first one so much I kept watching them. This is the 4th or 5th one that I have watched. Love them. I have spent most of my life camping. I lived in Northern California and got into fishing and hunting, and camping of course was just a part of it all. You asked if we had any good stories to share? And seeing this video with you guys at Camp Idlewild reminded me of an experience that I had many years ago. My father-in-law was a great fisherman and hunter, taught me almost everything I know. He had his favorite spots to go to but when I had the chance I would take him to NEW places. Well one time we were going deer hunting and "I" was driving so I convince my father-in-law we should try this new place way up North West of Redding CA near Trinity Lake. Well I didn't know the area either and I was towing a 17 foot trailer. My father-in-law didn't have anything like this, he only had an old pickup with a SMALL camper shell. So we got into the area we wanted to go hunting, found what appeared to be a good area on the map. Found the roads ok but they had, had a little rain the night before, and I said "No problem we will just go until we find a wide spot and make camp there." Well I kept driving and driving, the road was wide but the further we went the wetter it got. The center was dry but eventually even it got wet too!! Finally after two miles we decided we could not go any further. We never found a wide spot in the road or even any roads off of this road! SOOoo I ended up having to back up over a mile and a half before I could turn around. When it was all over I had a very sore neck. I could not use the side mirrors because the air was kind of misty from the previous rains and the outside mirrors were fogged up! So I had to turn my head and look out the window on the driver's side. I had to go SLOW so I spent about a half hour+ backing up, looking out of the driver's side window! I am now 78 years old and have some bad health problems, so I CANNOT do 95% of the things that I used to do. Therefore, MY TIP is enjoy everything that you can do NOW, while you still can...
You two are great. Hope my wife and i run into you someday. Sorry, that didnt come out so good considering. My wife and i are just getting into the rv thing so we are really enjoying all the vids on youtube. Lots of tips for new people. Thanks again and happy trails.
The KOA in outter banks, nc. If you think some of that was tight this was the most ridiculously tight camping ever. Like so tight I had to wait till three separate neighbors moved there cars to move from my sight. And every turn with my 44 foot fifth wheel I was inch’s from campers, cars and golf carts. I had to drink after I backed into my site I was so stressed
But it was the best beach camping we have done this far in our journey we were maybe 200’ from the ocean on the other side of a dune it was so amazing. But opt out of a dune sight and choose pull through you won’t want to slap who ever built the park 😂
Yes! Oh my goodness. Glad you had alcohol on board, we sure were! And we can relate to finding tight sites right on the beach. This video shows super-tight sites that were just steps from the ocean...but so tight many people couldn't put their awnings out! th-cam.com/video/A7iZyf9jqhk/w-d-xo.html
Your right I think,,,, but someone who boughts a large rig, and they like it and enjoys the space, it would a hard thing going back to a small box. We have small 18 footer, and we enjoy and deal with it ( oh we have our problems parking). What we have learned, my wife and I are partners, like they pointed out ( easy to yell out you partner). I love there videos because they are real people.
This video right here. I love 5th wheel over bumper pull, but this is pretty much the only reason I don't pull 5th wheel very often in our hilly terrain.
Yep. It would have been an interesting experiment to see the difference. I bet the worse that would happen would be dragging the hitch. Great point- thanks!
Liz and Paul, I've been following you for some time, I don't say much. I will turn 80 next month and I've wanted a motorhome for 20 years. Unfortunately, I"m married to a wonderful man, but he just loves being home. So-o-o-I don't get to travel or get a motorhome. It's okay, once I found TH-cam, I get to arm chair travel with several of you. I write books and my characters are always old, feisty, and full of adventure, usually in a motorhome. I joined several Rv forums and get great advice through them. Great people on them. So I have fun through my characters. I just finished my 10th book. I felt sorry for you trying to get settled in this park. Tom and Cherie had an incident where their 5th wheel dropped on the bed of their trailer because something didn't latch properly on the hitch. I cringed for both of you. What a sickening grind and thump. It's not as much fun to be a "wanna be Rver", but your videos help my old age a lot. Thank you so much for brightening my days. Keep on having fun and happy trails.
Hi Linda! Thanks so much for your comment, made our day. Paul and I are glad to have you with us on our journey. Thanks so much for your support and good cheer. See you in the next video!
Ours would need to be taken apart to go inside. But yes, having bikes on the front AND on the rear definitely limits our maneuvering ability! Usually we travel with just two ebikes, which does make it easier. Thank you!
Sorry to hear that. It's not for everybody. We've been to 29 Thousand Trails campgrounds so far and there is only one we don't like. We love it here at Idyllwild- now that we know where NOT to go.
@@LizAmazing we have been to 18 TT parks in the last year and there are only 2 that we won't return to. Our TT membership has been great for our full-time lifestyle!
With just me and my wife, I’m so glad we have a 29 foot fifth wheel! So easy to back up and turn around etc! Sometimes I think larger would be ok then I think about all these kind of videos and smile and have a beer! Sometimes smaller is better. I would love to see Luxe or DRV or even Montana make a 30 footer with all the goodies.
It's amazing (no pun intended) how much difference 5' makes! and we were just having a similar conversation about the lack of a high end 5th wheel in the ~30' range.
Oh Idyllwild. In the 60s, my family owned a string of cabins right on the main drag. We used to have family reunions there. Good times! Good RV stories.
I’m not being rude but if you are towing a 40ft 5er you should know that you absolutely have to research the roads into a campground and the campground itself.
Exactly! When you watch the video you'll see we did exactly that. This video is about how sometimes no matter what you do you can find yourself in a pickle. And we have some useful tips, too. Thanks!
Have you considered when going to a questionable, unfamiliar site to take the bikes off and scout the area? Might help you determine what the best route to take... or not.
Bad day at the campground? Tell us your stories in the comments.
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We have had our share, but haven’t damaged any equipment. That said we have had plenty of equipment failure. We were on the Side of a mountain on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park looking for the perfect campsite when the wiring harness that controls the diesel injectors got hot and failed. This was 3 days after replacing a E4OD transmission in Spearfish SD. We were broke to begin with so $3500 for a transmission was mind boggling to us. I was serious when I said to my wife “#&@# it! Just let the whole rig roll backwards down the mountain”!! $2500 ($6000 total transmission and wiring harness) and 2 weeks later we were on our way home to Kansas City. I’m glad you guys were able to get out of the situation with minimal damage to both the equipment and your sanity. I have a question. We are getting our first 5th wheel this spring. We are towing with a 6.5’ (short bed) mega cab ram. We are searching for real world experience with a variety of hitches. How do you think your Anderson performed in this situation...and do you think a different hitch would have been better? We have towed travel trailers for 20 years so any input would be greatly valued. Thanks in advance.
Just so you know, there is way more to this trip and it’s failures. Car rentals ($$$), me spending the night in a hotel in Fort Collins built for honeymooners cuz the truck was towed, son and nephew fighting and almost falling over the mountain, daughter and niece finding a wrapped and drowned dog in Dillion lake and the list goes on. I’ve threatened to write about and get it published. Somehow, my wife managed to hold this whole fiasco together. If hadn’t been for her there would be a burned out 1995 Ford F-350 with travel trailer attached somewhere in CO with a family of 6 thumbing back eastbound on I-70.
@@alandugan9310 you could also check out stretch my truck, and have your mega cab streatched to a longbed
We drove up to Giddings (a 6 hour drive) to buy a new camper. It was late so they rushed us through the buying process. After we bought the camper we drove to a near buy campsite to rest for the night and make the drive back home the next day. Well we were new to travel trailers and I hooked up the city water to the black tank flush. I left it on and the Black tank bursted. 2 hours of ownership i ruined the tank and we were out of a black tank for 2 months on a Brand New RV. Horrible experience.
Hey, I’m out camping with my family and I noticed that I’m right next to one of your RV’s and saw your sign and I’m just checking out the channel but it seems nice
Oh yes, I’ve got one. 😂🤣
My GPS told me to go down the wrong road……to a dead end. I camp by myself so here’s this 57 y/o woman (at the time, that was 2 years ago) yelling at the GPS, telling it how stupid it is. When that solved nothing, I calmed down and then backed my truck and travel trailer up 3 and a half miles, to the beginning of that road. Then I had to back onto a busy 2 lane road. No one would let me out so I put out my cones and flashing triangle lights, stopped traffic, backed out, collected my stuff, waved thank you and left. Yeah, that was fun!!
Lori! This is such an epic story! You win! Paul and I just can't even imagine. Whew!!!!
wow
Awesome! Glad you had the guts and persistence to do this!
Isn't it amazing what we can do when we have to? Kudos to you for getting out of that awful jam!!
My wise father always said “it’s not what goes wrong it’s how you handle the situation” ✌🏻🇺🇸
Very wise indeed. Thank you.
Very very true, dont forget to learn from all our mistakes.
After 8 years the worse experience we’ve had was due to a piece of crap Rand McNally RV GPS. We had set it up correctly with length and height of our truck and 5th wheel, etc. We were going to a campground in the mountains of North Carolina following the GPS. We are baby boomers so we know how to read a printed map. My wife is an excellent navigator. Unfortunately the printed mad wasn’t very helpful in that area. We were directed to take a left on a decent looking road. It was paved two lane road with trees and no shoulders on each side. After a mile or two it abruptly turned into a gravel road. There was no way I could turn around. So we kept going and then the road and it turned into a one lane track weaving around the mountain. I probably had two feet of clearance in the side. My wife was almost in tears. We could only go 10-15 mph for a couple of miles. But the good Lord and 20 years of being a police driving instructor got us through it. The gravel road ended as we turned in to the campground. I was spent and actually had to sit in the truck a few minutes to collect myself. When I checked in I asked the lady why they has such a terrible road leading in and she looked at me in astonishment and said that “road” was a Jeep trail and that no one had ever brought an RV through it. I honestly don’t know what we would have done if we had met another vehicle. The next day I trashed the GPS and purchased a Garmin version. The Rand McNally one almost got us killed. By the way we have a Grand Design about two feet longer than yours. Bottom line is like you, keep a cool head and think it out. Know your rig, truck, and abilities. And prayer never hurts.
What a story! Oh my goodness, thanks for sharing! I've heard people say they go on Google Earth before each trip and check out the "lay of the land" before beginning. We have done that a couple times- especially when trying to see if a parking lot will accommodate us. Might have to do it more often. Did you see our video about our gas station awning incident? If not, here it is: th-cam.com/video/nfvQjZkI7R0/w-d-xo.html
Yes, that is a story and can feel the stress that must of caused. How was the actual road you were suppose to take in?
@@mikemiller9119 it was a regular paved two lane highway. Curvy because it was in the mountains but completely safe.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez made a film in the 50's called "The Very Big Trailer" and wherever they went, disaster followed. It was a comedy played for laughs. I think life should be lived for laughs. We all live and learn... we are all human and we all make mistakes. So many of these comments are negative, sneering, finger-wagging know-it-alls who should simply thank you two for having the courage to share your very human side with us. I wish I had your freedom to go and see the world. Due to health (not related to Covid) and financial reasons I can't right now but I will soon. Risk is the flip side of reward. Stay safe, never take chances and you will not enjoy life to the fullest... Thank you for sharing your lives with us..
Thanks so much! You are so right, life is meant to be lived and the best way to get through it is to look on the bright side, and look for a laugh. And we have seen that movie - it is great!
Wow! I need to go take my blood pressure meds after watching this!!
Yep, it was definitely a VERY stressful time. Glad to have that behind us. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I guessing bc of the stupidity involved.
Heavy equipment owner here. Thanks for sharing your story. I learned one thing from your experience. Have a good woman next to you. You guys set the standard. Thanks
Awwww, aren't you sweet? Paul agrees 100%!
I just gave a little class to a few 5th wheelers last month. They arrived after dark due to an accident on the interstate. It's pitch black and of course the crowd came out to watch. Thankfully, God sent them next to me. Truck driver "Million Mile Club". So I backed it in for them.
My lesson is: buy 2 strands of led rope lights. You can line them up and give yourself a lighted runway to back into. It makes night backing soo much easier and stress free in the dark of the night.
Wow, I love that tip! We actually have two strands of rope lights. So glad you were there to help those folks last month. We try to do the same for others in need. Looking forward to seeing you in a campground someday.
@@LizAmazing lol My brother in law is so bad at backing his 5th wheel that he will no longer go to a park unless it's pull through. I swear I'm starting an RV driving/backing school. I'd probably make a fortune. 😂
Great tip! I had to use my reflecting triangle hazard things one time to pull this off. LED strips would have been too easy! Next buy on my list
@@pjballs69 Still keep the triangle at the end of the LEDs to show you where your bumper needs to stop.
@@conniesfinalquest9071 thats my girlfriends job to yell at me to STOP! lol
Thank you for sharing. Love your videos because they are honest and show the real life of an RVer. You two are a great couple and very calm with difficult stuff.
Hi Wayne! Thanks so much for your kind words! We sure were lucky in our incident at Idyllwild. Thanks for watching and welcome to our channel. See you in the next video.
Q You guys are stressing me out Have you ever thought thought about a smaller rig
This situation was just so crazy in that we did everything right including researching the campground but we still had a bad and stressful day. We just may get a smaller rig, who knows.
The best part is that you two stayed calm with each other...I have a 37’ FW and so I know how it is sometimes with small parks...it’s all part of the journey, but you CANNOT let it get to you and then give “it” to your spouse....
Hi Rich! So very true. We have to remind ourselves of that sometimes. But that day was a win! Hope to see you at a campground someday. And here's our video about other campers having a bad day: th-cam.com/video/KKJHP2O1cIQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi you both are great role models for the RV community. Plus for all those couples who including my husband and I who need a little reminder as you said we are a team together, not to take your stress out on each other and take that breather. We all have those good days and bad days however its all about how we handle it together not against each other. Good advice and thanks so much for sharing as we often say the good, the bad and ugly. Stay safe and happy travels.😊
I love this, Laura. That's so true. We were glad we didn't take it out on each other. I think two factors really helped: One, when the curvy drive up the mountain got too stressful for Paul, I took over giving him a needed break to re-charge. Two, arriving at 2pm relieved us of any time-stress. We know what a pressure cooker it can be to arrive at a campground just before dark. Thanks for your comment and big hugs to you!
Great advice! Love the part about making sure to "celebrate!" We have to remember that if these are our biggest issues in life, we are doing just fine! Great video!
Thank you! So glad to have you on our team! See you in the next video which came out a few minutes ago: th-cam.com/video/1aobZTdMFg4/w-d-xo.html
We were in New York just outside of Manhattan headed to Long Island to a campground. In New York tracks and trailers cannot drive on their Parkways. We had contacted the campground prior to heading there and they gave us directions on how to stay off the Parkways. So we started out from up State New York to Long Island. We made one mistake and took one turn too early and ended up on a ramp onto the Parkway. We were sitting at the end of the ramp with a curved tunnel in front of us that said the clearance was 12’. We needed 13 ft. 12 inches. So here we sat in the middle of the ramp at 4:00 pm about a mile from Manhattan and couldn’t go anywhere. After sitting there for about 20 minutes and trying to figure out what to do with cars go over 8n the grass blowing there horns at us, a State Trooper pulled up. Super nice guy, said what can I do to help? He asked if he stopped traffic would our rig fit under the tunnel. My husband told him no we need over 13 feet clearance. So he said if I stop traffic on their ramp can we turn our rig around,(our rig was 38 ft. Long), and then he would stop traffic on the other ramp for us to get going again. So that is what we did and we were back on our way to the correct exit. That took right out an hour out of our trip and a huge amount of stress.
Oh my goodness, that sounds so stressful. I don't think there would be enough paper bags for Paul to breath into to help get through that. Great story and so glad it had a happy ending, thanks Carole!
We have been RVing about 30 years. Started with a beat up 68 GMC van with a blown-up engine and built it into a little weekend camper. 4 rigs later, we now have a 2011 32’ Bay Star we purchased last year. Pam and I are retired and have done many trips and a few 3 to 4 month trips but not "full-timers".
Tip #1 when you arrive at your camp site and YOUR WIFE ASKS ”DO YOU WANT ME TO WATCH BEHIND YOU” always say yes. We pulled into a campground at South Lake Tahoe I said "no this is the same site we used last time". I backed right into a big pine tree, luckily the rig was a class C on a 78 Dodge with a big diamond plate rear bumper, (no damage except ego).
#2 When we arrived at a campsite with several obstacles I put out orange traffic cones and a few smaller "bike coarse" size cones marking turning points obstacles and stopping points.
# 3 we don’t use them often but the little FRS radios make communication simpler and looks better then a bunch of "arm waiving and hand whorling". Although that can be kinda fun to watch. I found the Midland brand radio works very well.
Safe travels 🙏🏼🇺🇸
Thanks so much for this Greg. Yes, it's always good to have the co-pilot get out every time you are maneuvering. Yikes about that pine tree! Great idea about the safety cones! Thirty years RVing is awesome. Paul and I look forward to meeting you around the campfire one of these days!
@@LizAmazing I worked for the U.S. Forest Service in California for 15 years. They had a "RULE" if you have anyone in the vehicle with you they must get out and spot you. Saved me a few times but there was one time I was alone.
I had backed into a nice spot to have my lunch. When I was done, I had a clear view in front of me and pulled out. However, as I pulled out I turned right to get onto the road "BAD". I had parked next to an old dead tree stump on the passenger's side, but 20 minutes later I had forgotten about the stump and couldn't see it. Well I side swiped the tree stump, and put a nice dent in the middle of the passenger's door! One person talked about firing me, but it was pointed out that I had worked for them over 10 years without any accidents.
We carry 4x4 wood blocks with us so if we run into a spot that's not level we put them under the tires and won't hit the underside of our 5th wheel.
This was such a steep hill we are not sure it would have helped though. But certainly something worth trying!
Wow you guys tear up that trailor alot
LOL! It's embarrassing to share these events. We are looking forward to a dull RV life for the foreseeable future.
@@LizAmazing Its ok Happens lol only reason I dont do the same is I was on Grateful dead tour driving a 40 foot bus from 18 to 25 ..Takes a bit to get used to the giants...Dont give up...Keep on truckin
This is 3rd video I saw in two days.
Its different when people share mishaps.
All is not Rosey.
Thank You.
Gosh some mean comments on here. Thank you guys for putting out your mistakes so others can learn from them! I don’t know what you could have done differently with that tree work and no place to park the rig to scout out the site! Love your channel!
Thank you so much for your comment! We really appreciate you and are glad to have you with us. Yes, it's not easy sometimes to share our mistakes and mishaps so publicly, but we know this video has helped others. Thanks again for being with us!
I've been RVing most of my life. Starting in travel trailers and working up to a 36' fifth-wheel and now back down to a 20 ft. travel trailer. The big rigs really are not well suited to mountainous, forested campgrounds. They have height and length issues that complicate matters and are cumbersome. I think if you're going to go big, then be prepared to limit your available options to more open spaces. If you want greater freedom and choices then go smaller.
That's a very smart observation. Often these remote locations were built in the days of smaller tow behind campers. Not big rig friendly at all! Thanks for your comment.
@@LizAmazing A few years ago, as a retirement present, I took my 35' Super C and a 25" enclosed car hauler (with a motorcycle and small car in it) cross country and back. It was a great trip that took a lot of planning due to the size of my rig/trailer. I called ahead and talked to someone about my size to be somewhat sure it would fit. Only 1 campground owner was a bit unrealistic on what makes a good fit. It was a small old campground that was quite beautiful near Port Ludlow, WA but not built for larger rigs. He had only one 60' spot that turned out to be a massive challenge to get to due to tight roads; trees and sharp turns. We got it in but Houdini was needed. I have since downsized to a 25' toy hauler TT that fits the motorcycle, pulled by my Ram 3500. Less stress, less maintenance and easier to manage overall. Not as fancy as the motorhome but still useful.
I sure hope your departure from this challenging location goes a lot better than your arrival! Thank you, Liz and Paul, for taking a very stressful event and turning it into a teachable moment for the rest of us - excellent tips as well!
Hi Piper! Yes, we do indeed hope for a smooth departure! Thanks for watching and commenting, and especially for your kind words.
Really good subject, I cant tell you how many times Ive been guided into a situation to put it nicely. Ive even had camp host guide me right into a incident. Ive learned to take it slow and easy always, and only trust myself. In the trucking industry you will find a sticker on most truck mirrors that read, GOAL, get out and look. This is a very good rule to live by and protect your investment.
GOAL! I think we even mentioned that in this video. It's truly a good rule. Yes, it's important not to listen to what other (well-meaning) people are telling you. The first day I bought my fifth wheel, the tech told me it was physically impossible for me to turn the truck enough to break the back window with the trailer. After I left the dealership, I proved him wrong that very afternoon!
What I learned from that, is GOAL and, like you said, trust myself. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Happy and safe travels to you!
When possible drop your fifth wheel and survey a new campground with your truck before picking a site.
Agreed. Our standard practice is to check in and park. Then we ride the bicycles to pick out a site. What makes this campground unusual is there are ZERO places to park once inside the campground. The nearest is probably two miles before you get there. Feel sorry for people needing to unhitch their toad as their only option would be to block the road. Thanks for watching and stay safe!
We have a 30’ motorhome. We were driving on a narrow road in a campground. A lady in a little car meets us on a curve. We are going 5 mph. She stopped next to us and would not move onto the grass, insisting we move. Easier said than done. There are inches between us. I drive slowly and clip her rear fender. I did not know it. Her husband angrily chased us down. Slight damage to her car. No damage to our rig, at all. Not sure what would have done differently, except sit until she moves. I feel you anxiety.
I feel your pain. We had someone in a car meet up with us on what was not much more than a single lane road through a canyon and she expected us with our 35' 5th wheel to back up so that she could continue in her little car... Luckily for us she came to her senses and backed up a few feet, but not without letting us know how inconvenienced she was by the whole thing. 🤷♂️
Idyllwild. My Mom and Dad's favorite campground (God rest their souls) and had many extended family campouts there too (just a 100 or so of us). Beautiful place. Miss it since I moved to TN 28 years ago!
It is definitely one of my favorite campgrounds! I could live there year-round, I keep telling Paul I want to live on top of a mountain! So glad you have happy memories from there as well. And hello to you in Tennessee! I am from Kentucky and Paul and I are headed to that general area later this year.
I've really come to appreciate you two traveling lovebirds and your videos.
Awww, thanks so much! We love having you on our team!
Love how you go through the whole thought process. I have my girlfriend watch these videos so we can be on the same page of having a plan, especially if emotions run high. Thank you for taking the time to make these
You are so welcome, glad they help! Yes, it's so important to be on the same page and not let emotions rule. Wishing you both happy and safe camping!
This is the one of the best type of video. Sorry that you had issues, but others can learn so much by hearing how you dealt with this. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Gregory! We love having you with us!
We traveled with our 22’ Airstream to the Black Hills in South Dakota and had reservations to stay at a State Park. Just before climbing in elevation I plugged in the address on Waze...big mistake because apparently the “avoid tolls” was checked. Well the entrance to the State Park has a fee, so I’m guessing that is why Waze routed us into the park using back roads. First a gravel road that lasted about 10 miles...finally back onto a paved but very narrow two lane mountain road with severe drop offs. My wife made a keen observation that we were the only trailer on the road in both directions....I have to say, the views were incredible though. First tunnel we came to was carved through the granite mountain and was one lane....with the measurements posted I knew I should be able to make it so we went for it. But then we come to the second tunnel carved through the mountain and the width and height gave me only a couple inches of clearance, I even looked up the specs on my trailer to double check...this too was a one lane. Problem was turning around was not an option, to narrow. It was a very busy weekend and there were a lot of cars and people. A guy offered to go through and stop traffic on the other side. I had my wife get out in front of me to keep an eye on the clearance. I pulled my mirrors in and hoped for the best. We worked our way to the other side and as I came out, there were 20-30 people taking pictures of us and applauding. My wife and I were a nervous reck as we finally made it to the campground. I spoke to a Ranger there and he told me we came through the wrong direction (obviously) and that about five trailers a year get stuck in that tunnel! We basically parked and poured a drink.
Oh my goodness!!! That is incredible! Was that Needles Highway near Custer State Park? Here is our video taking our truck through there. So narrow that we felt it should be closed to vehicular traffic, or made one way. You guys are champions if you made it through there!
Travel Update | Liz Got Sick | Fulltime RV Living th-cam.com/video/lErsUokIQ6E/w-d-xo.html
Yes, that was the highway and Custer State Park is where we stayed. Lol, we were so stressed out we couldn’t even enjoy the beautiful views.
Don't make a bad situation worse by fighting with your partner. 💯 So so true! 🥰
Thank you! That's certainly a lesson all of us might need reminding of in the the heat of the moment!
If I could post a picture here it would say it all. We were traveling from Georgetown to Myrtle Beach on 17 and blew a wheel bearing. We pulled into a place called Hobcaw Barony to get off the road. Thank you to that guy that pulled next to us beeping his horn and yelling out the window that we had smoke coming out of one wheel. AAA could not find us a tow. My wife is in hysterics at this point but I was able to stay calm and think. I called Camping World in Myrtle Beach, they weren’t able to help us but did give us the name of a repair shop. We called Larry’s Auto Clinic in Myrtle Beach and he knew exactly what to do. He called Corner Cars Towing who came with a lowboy and a tow truck. This all took a time period of about eight hours. We ended up spending the next two weeks in front of Larry’s Auto Clinic enjoying Myrtle Beach while Larry tried to find parts for an axle that the company didn’t make anymore. A Machine shop finally fixed our drum and we were able to make it back home. On our last day we took Larry and his wife Betty out to dinner to thank them for all of their hospitality. It was a hell of an experience but without the help of some very nice people could have been a lot worse.
Wow! That's such a great story with a happy ending. It really does take a village sometimes, people coming together to help one another. Reminds me of this video that an early commenter sent about someone who drove their fifth wheel trailer where it didn't belong: th-cam.com/video/icXipapYSmg/w-d-xo.html
Also, when you said Georgetown, I immediately thought of Kentucky since I am from Lexington.
You guys ever thought about getting a motor home? Would probably be a lot easier to drive and maneuver.
Great idea! Here is our video of us driving a motorhome: th-cam.com/video/ILqN1Z3REls/w-d-xo.html
well u2 sure are the super positive couple...
i love it..
We got into a camping site on the Forrest Service in Wyo with a 5th wheel but could not get back on the road without the pickup clashing with the camper. Luckily we had a slider hitch and gave that a try and we barely made it out. Another time we were going down a road to a camp site and were pulling a small trailer carrying a UTV behind the 5th wheel camper. We got about a quarter mile in and couldn't make it past some tree branches. Ended up having to unload the UTV and moving the utility trailer off the road by hand. Backed all the way out and then backed all the way back in. Put the utility trailer back on the road and hitched it by hand and reloading the UTV. Thank goodness nobody else was traveling the road at the time. The tip you gave of pre scouting your route is very sound advise. Many thanks!!
You are so welcome! So sorry you also had some tight situations! See you in the next video.
We have a 37 motor home + an 21 flatbed car hauler trailer. We only go to resorts/parks that have big rig pull through only. It's all about the research before getting to a place
Exactly! That's why we were so surprised. This was just one of those cases, like we said in the video, where we did everything right and still so many things went wrong. Thanks for watching and commenting and we will see you in the next video. Happy travels!
If your head on your 5th wheel hitch can be raised put it on highest setting give you best clearance in tough situations😉
It would! Funny thing, we had just raised it right before this trip. It was just a crazy situation!
Remember you two are on the same team .no need to start fighting over nothing . You hit on something very important , Don't be to picky when selecting the site . I choose an easy in and out over a great view anytime . Driving around inside a park can get stressful very quickly . Watching you two is a hoot .
Hi and thanks Daniel! We are glad you enjoyed our video. We try to be informative AND entertaining! Here is our latest video: th-cam.com/video/wCKPbhRhfRE/w-d-xo.html
I agree Daniel, it's a real hoot to watch them. I have been watching them and reading the comments now for over 2 hours. I am too OLD and have heath problems to do what they are doing, so I really appreciate being able to see such things.
We did the RV thing a few years back...had a nice 2003 Dodge Cummins 4door long box, 30 foot bumper pull RV. After a few years I had enough.....Pick up gone....RV gone, it just wasn't for us...but Iam glad so many enjoy it....lord do I see a lot of RVs on the road these days.
Yes, I remember a few decades back when it seemed only old people were RVing, now everyone is doing it. In fact people under 30 are the fast growing segment. Glad you gave it a try, Brian!
I respect both of you for sharing uncomfortable/unpleasant situations that you have been in. Since you have (e)bikes, and weren’t certain of this particular campground, I would have suggested that you park your rig in a safe area near the entrance of the facility and ride around the grounds observing potential obstacles before encountering them with your rig. You can make a much more informed decision and It certainly is much less stressful already knowing what’s ahead. We don’t carry bicycles when we’re RVing, so if we encounter a situation like this, I/we will frequently walk the campground before taking the rig. It’s just a suggestion that, for us, takes the stress out of “not knowing” what’s ahead.
Right. That is our plan and has been from the beginning. This particular Campground had no pull off area inside the campground. In fact, you would half to park in a pull off about 5 miles before the entrance. We feel sorry for anyone with a class a and a toad.
1:11 Squirrel "Hey guys follow me I know how to help!" "Let's go this way...then up that tree." "Hey, where you going!?!?"
lol! Thanks for the chuckle!
Best tip.... working as a team during stressful times
Yep, the most important one, but so easy to forget. Thanks for watching and for your comment.
I've noticed signs that are put up a past the point of no return are not that uncommon. I recently had to back up about a quarter of a mile (luckily it was straight) because of a bad sign. I believe part of the problem is the people putting up the signs know where they are going and the people trying to follow the signs don't. Hope that makes sense. I especially like signs for turn outs, you know...a wide place in the road where you can stop and take pictures or whatever, they put the sign at the turnout and there is no way to get stopped or slowed down enough to make it.
We agree 100%, that's one of our pet peeves, too! And...WOW to backing up a quarter of mile!
So glad to hear about both of you knowing how to drive and pull an RV. You two are a team and I believe all teams should know each others jobs. It’s a safety issue for me. And can come in handy when there is an emergency, Happy Trails
Absolutely! That's something I feel passionate about. I met a couple camping across from me in a Class A last year. When she mentioned she was afraid of driving the rig, I suggested she at least learn how in case of an emergency, say her hubby gets stung by a bee or something. They both went pale-- turns out hubby is allergic to bees. They decided to go to a parking lot on the way home just so she'd know how to do it. I mean, you sure don't want to drive it for the first time in an emergency, right? Sounds like you two are also a great team!
I love you two....and that you really respect and take time for each other.
Awww, thank you so much! Big hugs to you!
Reminds me of the days I used to patrol Idyllwild as a sheriff's deputy. If my memory serves me right, you were actually in Pine Cove, outside of Idyllwild. Great scenery.
Yes, we were in the Idyllwild Campground Resort in the town of Pine Cove. It's truly a gorgeous place. Once we got set up we extended our stay to a month! Glad you know the area, I would have been happy to stay there forever!
@@LizAmazing By the way, in case you ever go back, there are other great parks in Idyllwild, one right in the center of town, which is more accessible, and including the one at Lake Hemet.
Been there. Using your leveling boards under the front wheels will lower the rear bed. Alternate them as you slowly crawl out of the situation. Don't succumb to peeps screaming at you to get out of their way. Just have to out smart the rig with some physics. LOL. Love your channel, btw.
Thanks, Bob! That would work and we do have leveling blocks with us. It was also a hard right angle corner. I think we would have needed a few volunteers to help pull that off. Something to think about for sure- thanks again!
We were pulling out of a gas station with our 26.5 class c pulling 20 foot enclosed trailer. Pulling out you can't see the end dips.. We got high centered on the trailer hitch, blocking in and out semi traffic. We have 3 ton handyman jack and 2 ton floor jack. Our thought was to jack up the trailer and unhook.. well we where trying to jack the RV and the trailer.. We tried to get the ball to unhook, nope wasn't happening. Luckily had AAA they came out got weight off the RV hitch so could unhook, he then hooked the trailer to his truck and pulled it into the parking lot so we could hook back up.. just as we where hooking up a pickup pulling a uhaul did same thing but luckily he was able to get out himself..
Oh my goodness. That sounds stressful to be stuck like that. Glad AAA saved the day! Here's the one where Paul called AAA: th-cam.com/video/nfvQjZkI7R0/w-d-xo.html
We were in Escalante, Utah at a small RV park for a few nights with no cable tv hook ups. We were using the antenna for the few channels available. When I went to crank it down, it did not seat properly so I went up on the roof to adjust. Coming back down I forgot to fix the folding ladder back up to upper section of the ladder. When we left it was dragging behind the motorhome. Stop for gas and had to back up to get to the diesel pump. That's when I realize what I had done; snap the bottom section right off.
Yikes! That was probably not a good moment right there at the gas station. But a good story for around the campfire. Safe travels to you and wishing you less of those OMG moments!
Situations happen and we all learn from it. Knowing the limitations of your rig are important to know. What’s the clearance of the truck and camper? Those elevation changes can get the best of us. Park should have signs though. For us the biggest headache are other people. Our rig is 42’ and we went to a Thousand Trails and the park said to try a certain area. It was a one way in, one way out and had a tiny little turn around. People were parked on both sides of the road and no way even a small rig could turn around.
Yikes! That sounds like Pacific City. That campground has places you would not want to go down for sure! I don't know what our clearance is above the truck rails but I think it's at least six inches. Thanks for watching and commenting!
What an adorable couple! We have found ourselves in some tight situations as well - especially with boondocking. Narrow, bumpy and often steep gravel roads are the norm - we do our best to use ALL of the same tips that you have described here. Well... except show up before dark, as that has happened a few times. Great video.
Ha - the sewer hose?? What’s that?? We have what we like to call “the poop noodle” 😂🤣😂 (5 things we learned in the first 30 days of rv’ing)
I imagine with boondocking you may have to scout things with the Jeep beforehand. Have you ever been out in the middle of nowhere and then have someone park RIGHT NEXT to you? We have the whole campground to ourselves, practically. Yesterday someone parked their big rig SO close to us they are literally blocking the sun. UGH!
Well now we will have to watch your poop noodle video!!!
p.s. did you like our shirts in this video? ;-)
We have scoured with the Jeep and that has been helpful, but some of the terrain is still sketchy no matter what. It does offer some seclusion tho!!
Nope, no one has parked right next to us, however we did park in a public gun firing range once
🤣🤣
Shirts look great!
Had my sewer hose dragging down the freeway, yep. Two men pulled alongside & let me know & I was thankful they did! Got stuck in a gas station/restaurant that I absolutely could NOT maneuver out of, because while I was getting diesel, a couple cars did a terrible job of parking, and my planned exit route was blocked. Truckers in the restaurant came out to help by blocking the entrance so I could use it as an exit. I've had to circle the block to get into gas stations at the right angle. When I first started out, I'd get embarrassed and flustered when in a jam, but not any more. Gotta go with the flow LOL.
Exactly! Glad to hear you are keeping on! When I was a solo RVer, I found myself getting very stressed but, like you, after a while that faded. I just reminded myself to stay focused on the task at hand and not worry about spectators. Thanks for your comment and happy travels!
TIP 1= WHEN PULLING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR CAMPGROUND THAT LOOKS SKETCHY, STOP, PULL OVER AND PARK, TAKE YOUR BIKE OR UNHOOK YOUR TRUCK AND DRIVE THE ENTIRE CAMPGROUND FIRST THEN YOU WONT NEED TIP NO 2,3,4,5,6 AND ALWAYS HAVE A DRINK ONCE YOU PULL INTO YOU SPOT BEFORE SETTING UP 😁😁👍👍
Great tip! And that's our typical routine to get on the bikes and scout it out. Unfortunately there are ZERO places to park inside the campground or on the approach to the gate. I don't know what people with a toad do. It's really crazy!
When we RVed I always checked Google satellite before entering wooded area. If I couldn't see the road through satellite, I wouldn't pull the trailer through.
That's a great tip! Thanks a bunch!!!
I enjoy your videos . Have to say ,your set up looks sweeeeeet . love the bikes on the front . And the colors of the rig are great . Also the proportions are nice . Keep on rving and stay safe .
Thanks for the kind words. We do love this life! Hope to see you on the road someday.
We live in Georgia. Once, earlier this year, we were going to a place we have been to before. In Cleveland Georgia. My wife asked if we needed the navigation system. I said no I know where we are going. It was 100% my fault. I took a wrong turn. Turned too early. The road got narrow and lots of curves up hill. No place to turn around. We just slowed down. Got very lucky. The road just made a loop and ended back on the road we was on. Set our destination in the navigation system.
Oh my! That was super lucky that you ended up back on the main road. These are the lessons we learn, right? Thanks for your comment and wishing you happy camping!
My wife is my navigator. I let her look at maps, GPS and tell me where to turn. I am just the driver and we do it pretty well. Also learned that instead of her aimlessly waiving a flashlight when I backing at night, I just call her and put her on speakerphone in the cab of the truck.
Getting out of the park around that tree is always fun 😋
Oh yes! So crazy that it’s there!
OMG! That was crazy! We will probably skip that park based on our size. Glad all turned out well. It is nice to have 21 days to recover after a long and stressed day. We’ve had our issues, especially getting locked out while trying to turn in to a park. Ann started directing traffic to help in the mean time. Lol! But we survived and people are so nice to help.
Hi Drew and Ann! There are a few places here for your rig BUT you'd have to remember to drop your toad a couple miles outside the campground because there are ZERO places to do that here. Of course you'd be taking the risk that the few sites here would be available. It IS a very special place though. Idyllwild is worth the drive to see the top of the mountain and the village. Probably a little more than an hour from either Wilderness Lakes or Palm Desert. Happy trails to you and looking forward to seeing you again in 2021.
I drove up a winding road that got worse with each turn so I tried to turn around in a wide spot. After a frustratingly long time of getting out to see how close I was to a drop off and then moving another few feet, I decided to go further up the mountain. It was getting dark by then, so I just pulled off onto the next wide spot I found and “camped” there. The next morning I was refreshed and it was light out and I had a much easier time of getting back down.
I’m glad you had each other and didn’t damage your rig too much.
Hi Peg! Good for you for stopping when it got dark. I guess the longer we do this life the more stories we will have, right? Stay safe and hope to see you on the road next year.
Nice bikes! I like to ride my bike around campgrounds tight campgrounds to determine the best parking strategy.
That has always been our plan but there was no place to park our rig so we couldn't do that in this campground. Thanks for watching!
Fun listening to you guys. We have learned a lot over the years. 18ft, 3500lb camper + F250 makes easy towing and easy manuvering. But you are a full timer and I understand your bigger rig. We like to get deep in the woods and I did an axle flip kit to get more clearance. Works good until high cross winds. It's just not heavy enough for the extra height so I had to put it back. It's paid for so we don't want to trade. Like you, we know our limitations. Happy camping!
Hi Frank! Well after this we wished for an 18ffooter!!! Your rig would be perfect at Idyllwild campground. If you are ever in the area, check it out. We loved how quiet it was, although we were there in off-season and had the place to ourselves the last two weeks. Happy travels!
this is why we have kept our rig to a manageable and i guess i must say smaller size. there has been so many times when i have been in a campground and the larger rigs cant get to the nice places or have so much trouble,, this is why we leave our HOUSE behind and take a nice comfortable size camper. over the years we have found we dont need the large 5th wheel units and have downsized, it was the best thing we ever done!!...easy...no stress.... and the best sites!! yall be safe and good luck!!
Yep- sounds like you found a winning combination! I started out full timing in a camper van and that was far too small. It’s always a balance between size snd practicality when doing this fulltime. Stay safe and happy camping!
I see you are in a good place now, Paul is showing "Serenity".
He sure is! Thank you!
Great job Liz and Paul. You guys can do anything together! Great messaging... Stop, take a breather and then get back at it. Well, who doesn’t love a good old RV obstacle course? Lol.
Hi Maarten! Thanks so much for your comment and your support! We love hearing from you and appreciate your input. We are expecting 8 inches of snow right here on the mountain top! It might be time for hot chocolate. Thanks again and stay warm up there in Canada.
People who have never driven an RV have no idea how crazy it can be. Great tips and congrats on no fighting. Winner! It is awesome to have a good partner that you can count on. I think that if you RV long enough such experiences are inevitable at some point. Later they make for good stories and great videos. LOL I drove up a gravel road looking for the welcome station in West Virginia at some gorge. My class C was sliding backward down the road. Finally got it to stop and got out to find my back tires inches from a 6' deep ditch. My 80+ mom was the only person with me. It was scary!!! I went to the welcome station and asked a ranger to come and direct me as I backed up. Ranger Rick was the hero for the day! I did not stop to take a break. West Virginia may be for lovers, but it wasn't for me. I got the heck out of there. Who wants to look at a stupid gorge anyway? LOL Safe travels my friends. MWAH!
I love it, Lynn! What a great story! So glad the Ranger Rick could help. And, you're right, these experiences make for good stories! MWAH, right back atcha and send some of that warm Texas weather this way!
I hit a tire tread in the middle of road. Busted my gray water tank. Thank God for insurance.
Oh no. That could not have been a good day. At least it wasn't a black tank. My sewer outlet broke on a rock that was laying on the road inside a tunnel. When I got out, I had black water coming out! I wadded up a ball of tinfoil in there and it actually worked!
Great advice! I love how you're so supportive of each other.
Thank you for watching and commenting. We love having you on our team!
Thank you. 1 year and my wife and I will camp way more and travel more and further. A 42’ DRV and F350 4x4 4 door has me trying to learn the pitfalls of going new places. We camp a lot but only within 300 miles of home for now so thank you very much. I watch all your videos.
Oh hi! Thanks so much for watching our channel! Your DRV sounds lovely, I know they are very well-built. Definitely check before booking that a campground can accommodate your big rig. Hope to meet you on the road!
Excellent advice when towing a big fifth wheel!! Been there, done that!!
Yep! We are grateful we got through that relatively unscathed. Thanks for watching and commenting- stay safe!
I’m sorry there are such mean comments. I personally appreciate learning through the mistakes of others, and ourselves. We’re just got our first trailer and it’s nice to see people being honest and let’s us know trials we will face! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for commenting, Cristina! Congrats on your trailer and we hope to see you out here!
Funny I just read something yesterday, where someone commented, "It's good if we can learn from our mistakes." And someone else responded, "It's better if we can learn from someone else's mistakes."
I say, "Amen to that."
@@lacyron Absolutely!!
Some friends, Dave and Roe, from Fate Unbound, use a trick that helps in a tight spot. They dehitch, and then reposition their truck and rehitch to pull the trailer out.
Good plan. In this case there was no other angle of attack so it wouldn't have helped. So glad to have gotten out of that stressful situation. Whew!
Had my dad pick me up off the Appalachian trail while I was thru hiking. He drove 15 miles down a single lane dirt road in his 35 foot class A plus his Honda Accord in tow. The tree cover was low at times so we couldn’t go more then 35 mph. He was sooo mad! That was four years ago but now looking back that was a great trip! I got off the trail for a few days and we went to DC where we saw Bruce Springsteen in concert! It was incredible!
Wow, that sounds like a great memory! Thanks for sharing.
You guys are real troopers
Wow. Just not giving up.
Of course not. RV life is not 100% 🌈 just like life itself, there will always be ups and downs.
Sorry to see that happen, you two are a great team. My wife is laid back like that, I'm kinda like oh well,what do we do. Suggest dropping pin box a hole or two to get more clearance between tailgate and camper
Hi Larry thank you so much for your suggestion. We didn't even think about that and that sounds like a great idea! Paul is walking outside right now to look at our pin box, LOL!
The comments about this video are hilarious. So many perfect drivers out there, yet they never seem to be on the road when I’m driving. But my story is in Pasadena and my co pilot turning me down a dead end residential street. Wife was in full panic mode. I said no problem and just proceeded to backup 3 city blocks, stop the traffic back out onto the main road and away we go. Never ever does it make sense to get mad, it never makes things better. I’m lucky I have tons of experience backing up trailers so this whole incident was over in less than 5 minutes. Only thing I would ad is, if you can drive in you can back out, it might be a last resort but it can always be done. To the yippers I have over 2 million miles, no accidents not even any serious issues to speak of, but every time I drive I learn something or at very least get to brush up on some skills. The fact that they took their time and worked it out is, at least in my mind, a sure sign that they are more professional that most of the drivers on the road.
Great story! And thanks so much for your comment and wise words. We do get some self-righteous folks who call us out. We always say: everyone makes mistakes but we aren't afraid to put our out to the world so others can learn. Happy travels to you and hope to meet you on the road someday!
Great video Paul and Liz! One of our first camping trips this year in our new 5th wheel, we did everything correct backing our RV into the site. But... we couldn't get it unhitched! For 2 hours, we tried. The hitch lever wouldn't pop out at all. We've since learned that 'tension' occurs and you sometimes have to put the truck in reverse just to relax the hitch and the lever will pop out easily. I'm blessed to be married to a woman (35 years) that is extremely detailed oriented and keeps us on our toes. Love your channel. Keep up the great work!
Awww, Harry, thanks so much for the kind words. Glad you are enjoying our channel. We are having fun making these videos. My first fifth wheel had the traditional hitch and it took two hours to unhitch it the very first outing. After a day of driving it was almost too much. Happy you two figured it out, you sound like a good team.
Thanks for the lessons. That’s right stuff happens. What frustrates me is my lack of knowledge but going through things teaches.
Isn't that the truth. Thanks so much Cynthia. See you in our latest video right here: th-cam.com/video/qi-9y8ml424/w-d-xo.html
Wow. You two have really been through it! Have you thought about downsizing so you have less accidents ? Wishing you all the best.
Watch the video and you'll see this is not an accident, but certainly an incident. Paul did have an accident at a gas pump recently though.
Wow Liz and Paul, You two saved the day by being on your toes. You don't assume too much but always double check. Great story tellers too. Yay! Love your videos!
Awww, thanks so much! So glad to have you with us and we look forward to your comments. See you in the next video!
I love your referrals to the old days ( flintstones) Liz! Regards From Alberta
Oh good! Glad you enjoyed that reference! Thanks for the smiles and we will see you in the next video.
Thats why we went with a slide in camper on our Ram 2500. We can go anywhere and park in any parking lot although were not full time RVing.
That was my first camper, and I loved it! Thanks for watching.
This is probably the best TH-cam channel on Rv'ing. You guys cut to the chase and give great info. Thanks for your 26RD 5th wheel review as well. I hope I can find one for sale that is taken care of as good as yours was. Also how was it being solo and pulling it around on your own? Thanks again and safe travels and keep the videos coming!
That is so nice of you- thank you! I loved having the 260RD and it was almost perfect. Since I bought mine they've added autolevel-- this is HUGE and I highly recommend as you no longer have to level by hand using blocks and carrying around a level.
I had to be on my game on travel days. I double and triple checked everything. Definitely have a checklist! Here's a video of me hitching it up by myself: th-cam.com/video/LB5Z8IPXtug/w-d-xo.html
@@LizAmazing Thanks!!
You shouldn't feel bad about something like that. Small accidents are going to happen no matter what you do. I've only damaged two RV's in 45+ years. I tore the Awning off a 40ft. pusher when I wasn't paying attention, and on my OWN property I tore the toolbox off my Truck pulling my 38ft. 5th wheel around. Mine dipped in the other direction than you did, so the front of the 5th wheel came down on my bed. Bummed me out...but hey, I'm careful, so if something happens? I'm not to bummed. You can only do your best and pay attention. With as many miles as you guys have, you really have done great driving that rig.
Hi Norm! Thank you so much for your kind comment. We love having you with us!
My husband uses Google Map and looks at the satellite image in advance when unsure about a campground. Just a thought. We love learning from your RV adventures! 🙌
Yes, that is a very good tip, thanks much!
@@LizAmazing I'm a mapping expert, did it for the U.S. Forest Service for 5 years, and used satellite shots whenever I could. The detail in those satellite shots are not always so good, but better than nothing. They are improving them every year though.
Get yourself a 32’ Class A and pull a Jeep. When you check in, unhook the Jeep and drive to your site to scope things out. Go back to check in and get the motor home. You’ll be amazed how maneuverable you can be. Towing this monster fiver just doesn’t make sense. 32’ motor home allows you access to about all parks and room for the toad. Wrong turn onto a road you can’t turn around on? Unhook the toad and one person drive it while motor home drive backs the single unit. You two aren’t gonna get any younger and your current rig is going to be more of a headache than you know.
We wish it were that simple. This video was about even though we did everything right, we still had things go wrong. As we say in the video, we researched this campground and our RV is not too big for it. Watch the video and you'll see what went wrong. Also no place to unhitch at all. With a Class A, you would have to unhitch your toad probably about 5 miles before the campground entrance. Otherwise no options. We typically park and ride our bikes to scope out the campground but that was not an option as no place to park the rig.
They obviously don't get it. When they finally destroy the rv and truck hopefully they don't injure anyone else
Ed Hlavaty LOL! Just watch the video to find out what really happened.
Nothing like some white knuckle driving to end the day. I'm glad no one got hurt and very minimal damage to the truck and trailer.
Thank you! We are so glad to have that behind us!!! Wishing you happy camping and safe travels!
I found you guys like most I presume, by accident, but I liked the first one so much I kept watching them. This is the 4th or 5th one that I have watched.
Love them.
I have spent most of my life camping. I lived in Northern California and got into fishing and hunting, and camping of course was just a part of it all.
You asked if we had any good stories to share? And seeing this video with you guys at Camp Idlewild reminded me of an experience that I had many years ago.
My father-in-law was a great fisherman and hunter, taught me almost everything I know. He had his favorite spots to go to but when I had the chance I would take him to NEW places. Well one time we were going deer hunting and "I" was driving so I convince my father-in-law we should try this new place way up North West of Redding CA near Trinity Lake. Well I didn't know the area either and I was towing a 17 foot trailer. My father-in-law didn't have anything like this, he only had an old pickup with a SMALL camper shell. So we got into the area we wanted to go hunting, found what appeared to be a good area on the map. Found the roads ok but they had, had a little rain the night before, and I said "No problem we will just go until we find a wide spot and make camp there."
Well I kept driving and driving, the road was wide but the further we went the wetter it got. The center was dry but eventually even it got wet too!! Finally after two miles we decided we could not go any further. We never found a wide spot in the road or even any roads off of this road! SOOoo I ended up having to back up over a mile and a half before I could turn around. When it was all over I had a very sore neck. I could not use the side mirrors because the air was kind of misty from the previous rains and the outside mirrors were fogged up! So I had to turn my head and look out the window on the driver's side. I had to go SLOW so I spent about a half hour+ backing up, looking out of the driver's side window!
I am now 78 years old and have some bad health problems, so I CANNOT do 95% of the things that I used to do. Therefore, MY TIP is enjoy everything that you can do NOW, while you still can...
You two are great. Hope my wife and i run into you someday. Sorry, that didnt come out so good considering. My wife and i are just getting into the rv thing so we are really enjoying all the vids on youtube. Lots of tips for new people. Thanks again and happy trails.
Hey there! We hope we run into you, too, lol! Welcome to RV life and to our channel. See you in the next video!
The KOA in outter banks, nc. If you think some of that was tight this was the most ridiculously tight camping ever. Like so tight I had to wait till three separate neighbors moved there cars to move from my sight. And every turn with my 44 foot fifth wheel I was inch’s from campers, cars and golf carts. I had to drink after I backed into my site I was so stressed
But it was the best beach camping we have done this far in our journey we were maybe 200’ from the ocean on the other side of a dune it was so amazing. But opt out of a dune sight and choose pull through you won’t want to slap who ever built the park 😂
Yes! Oh my goodness. Glad you had alcohol on board, we sure were! And we can relate to finding tight sites right on the beach. This video shows super-tight sites that were just steps from the ocean...but so tight many people couldn't put their awnings out! th-cam.com/video/A7iZyf9jqhk/w-d-xo.html
One of the most helpful RVLife I've viewed. TY
Thank you! Glad to have you with us!
Guys hate to say but you're just begging for trouble with a fifth wheel that big...Go smaller or continue the grief....Just my .02
Your right I think,,,, but someone who boughts a large rig, and they like it and enjoys the space, it would a hard thing going back to a small box. We have small 18 footer, and we enjoy and deal with it ( oh we have our problems parking). What we have learned, my wife and I are partners, like they pointed out ( easy to yell out you partner). I love there videos because they are real people.
This video right here. I love 5th wheel over bumper pull, but this is pretty much the only reason I don't pull 5th wheel very often in our hilly terrain.
Yep. It would have been an interesting experiment to see the difference. I bet the worse that would happen would be dragging the hitch. Great point- thanks!
Liz and Paul, I've been following you for some time, I don't say much. I will turn 80 next month and I've wanted a motorhome for 20 years. Unfortunately, I"m married to a wonderful man, but he just loves being home. So-o-o-I don't get to travel or get a motorhome. It's okay, once I found TH-cam, I get to arm chair travel with several of you. I write books and my characters are always old, feisty, and full of adventure, usually in a motorhome. I joined several Rv forums and get great advice through them. Great people on them. So I have fun through my characters. I just finished my 10th book. I felt sorry for you trying to get settled in this park. Tom and Cherie had an incident where their 5th wheel dropped on the bed of their trailer because something didn't latch properly on the hitch. I cringed for both of you. What a sickening grind and thump. It's not as much fun to be a "wanna be Rver", but your videos help my old age a lot. Thank you so much for brightening my days. Keep on having fun and happy trails.
Your books sound like good reading! How do I find them?
Hi Linda! Thanks so much for your comment, made our day. Paul and I are glad to have you with us on our journey. Thanks so much for your support and good cheer. See you in the next video!
I know people who store their bikes inside truck bed or camper when traveling. Might cut off another few feet maneuvering tight bends or uneven roads.
Ours would need to be taken apart to go inside. But yes, having bikes on the front AND on the rear definitely limits our maneuvering ability! Usually we travel with just two ebikes, which does make it easier. Thank you!
Carry 2 spare tire assemblies, plenty of tools, don’t rush, and anticipate problems, Enjoy your Travels - They are called “Camping Stories”
Thanks so much Mike, great tips!!!
So glad that yall got through that tough situation without getting hurt.
Thanks so much. It was a stressful time for sure- happy we had sangria on board!
Taking a breather is a really good lesson in general.
Yep! Thanks for watching. Safe travels!
And that is why we got out of our membership with Thousand Trails! The campgrounds are old and big rigs don’t fit!!
Sorry to hear that. It's not for everybody. We've been to 29 Thousand Trails campgrounds so far and there is only one we don't like. We love it here at Idyllwild- now that we know where NOT to go.
@@LizAmazing we have been to 18 TT parks in the last year and there are only 2 that we won't return to. Our TT membership has been great for our full-time lifestyle!
With just me and my wife, I’m so glad we have a 29 foot fifth wheel! So easy to back up and turn around etc! Sometimes I think larger would be ok then I think about all these kind of videos and smile and have a beer! Sometimes smaller is better. I would love to see Luxe or DRV or even Montana make a 30 footer with all the goodies.
It's amazing (no pun intended) how much difference 5' makes! and we were just having a similar conversation about the lack of a high end 5th wheel in the ~30' range.
Oh Idyllwild. In the 60s, my family owned a string of cabins right on the main drag. We used to have family reunions there. Good times! Good RV stories.
Wow. I would LOVE to own a cabin in Idyllwild. That place is magical!
I’m not being rude but if you are towing a 40ft 5er you should know that you absolutely have to research the roads into a campground and the campground itself.
Exactly! When you watch the video you'll see we did exactly that. This video is about how sometimes no matter what you do you can find yourself in a pickle. And we have some useful tips, too. Thanks!
Have you considered when going to a questionable, unfamiliar site to take the bikes off and scout the area? Might help you determine what the best route to take... or not.
Exactly this! That is our usual plan BUT this campground was unusual in that there was no place to park the rig while we looked. Thanks for watching.