Well I was going to talk about the work performed at my truck mechanic's shop, but I pulled into a truck stop, to check on the straps holding my Prius, and bent down to turn on the house batteries. I did not pay attention and did not set my parking brake. I rolled forward and hit the tire of a parked truck, and ripped the door almost off, steps went into the docking light, the right side headlamps were hanging down, and I am almost physically sick. The Foretravel I found was the answer to a long search. Will try to post pics.
Relax and have the insurance company take care of your stress.
Pierce
Sorry to hear this.......... but, like Pierce said, take a deep breath and be thankful it wasn't any worse. It could of happened while parked at an overlook and had a total loss and worse you and anyone else inside could have been seriously hurt ............. or worse!
This can be fixed........... just a pain in the arse,
glad yall are OK.
Yes, Justin is right on. When someone is injured, that's one thing. But all of us make mistakes so you are not the first. I point our car down the drive way at night in case there is a fire and we need to escape but have to take out the ignition key to make sure it's in park as the key won't come out unless in park. I left the key in several times and came out to see the selector in neutral and the vehicle moved forward a few feet. Most of the time, we get away with our mistakes.
Pierce
Chuckd wrote "I did not pay attention and did not set my parking brake. I rolled forward and hit the tire of a parked truck, and ripped the door almost off, steps went into the docking light, the right side headlamps were hanging down, . . ."
It's an expensive lesson, and one Chuckd is going to remember. For the rest of us, just a reminder, as much as your luxury coach is similar to your automobile, it's not, it's a heavy truck and there are things that operate differently. Sitting still for a moment and considering your next move is not time lost, or time wasted. Plus I enjoy a child-like delight when I set the spring brakes. But that doesn't mean that I haven't shut the engine down in gear, or with the brakes free. So I stop, move my shift lever into neutral and listen for the transmission to shift, pull the air valve for the parking brake and enjoy the sound the venting of compressed air makes. Remove my foot from the brake treadle and look carefully for movement. Adjust the appropriate light switches, push the shutdown timer button and turn off the ignition switch and remove the key.
Chrysler products first got a automatic transmission parking pawl in 1956 and even so it was a separate lever you moved after shifting into neutral.
Nearly every one on the forum has at least one "story" they could tell about something missed on pre purchase inspections or damage that was self inflicted. Some of us have more than one. Lots of ways to get bit.
I NEVER trust the air/spring parking brake and the rear air-chambers to hold the coach on any type of hill. Especially if the rear brake pads and rotors are not hot.
So how do you secure the coach from moving? Use chocks?
I saw the pictures on FB. Indeed heartbreaking.
Got to ask,why are you turning the house batteries off when driving?Send the pictures to extreme in Nac and get a quote,might as well get the headlight upgrade when they repair it.
And I always chock the wheels. The entry step compartment holds two large rubber chocks. Step out of the coach and pull them out. A short poly line connects the two.
Pierce
Every time Jeff did something a bit boneheaded (note ... I said EVERY time ... meaning plural) he used it as a justification to have extra work done while the coach was in the shop. "Well ... since you have to fix that crunch and paint on the front end ... let's just do the headlight conversion and step upgrade!"
Don't despair ... If no humans or animals were harmed in the process, it is just a learning experience!
My wife and daughter were in the motor home with my 2 year old grandson on Saturday. When I was getting the the drivers seat to leave on Sunday my wife tells me that my grandson had been in the drivers seat. As I goto push in the parking brake I find that the button was all ready pushed in. I then told the wife how lucky we were that the coach had not rolled into Lake Conroe since it was sitting on a slope going towards the lake. Not sure why it just sat there and did not start rolling forward. Missed that bullet.
If you were below 60 psi the brakes would set. Never had the button stay in at that pressure though.
Note to self,no grandsons under 10 in drivers seat.
Has anyone tried one of these locks for the Knob?
http://absolutebrake.com/Images/Absolute-AB100.Install.Instructions.pdf
Absolute Brake Product Detail Page - Lockout/Tagout (http://absolutebrake.com/product.html)
Good idea to prevent kids from playing with it and also to prevent joy rides. But the parking brake is only good on the flat or a very slight incline. Got to go with chocks every time. Emergency and utility vehicles are required to chock each and every time.
People who normally drive an automatic transmission car may think the air controller valve is the same as putting the car in park. It's not.
Pierce
I made a stop like the yellow metal one shown out of a Motrin bottle. Cut off the top the correct length and cut a slot in the side to slide it over the brake knob shaft. Won't stop a theft but will stop an accidental push on the knob.
Rich
I've read numerous threads on wheel chocks and I'm curious as to how well everyone's different choices fit their tires.
The Importance of a Good Wheel Chock - Gear Up With Gregg's - YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tyha9CRpBQU
Anyone care to put up pictures?
Here are the pair that I use. One in the front of the tire, one in the back. I use a 2 or 3 foot poly rope to connect the two. With two chocks, you can't forget to pull them and put them back in the step compartment. You would never forget if you ran over a front wheel chock with the back tires after you had a little speed up. See the chocks below and be sure to use the 20% off coupon. Video shows the chocks.
https://www.harborfreight.com/rubber-wheel-chock-with-eyebolt-69828.html?_br_psugg_q=chock
Pierce
I have almost identical set from Northern Tool and they are currently less than $10.00 each.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200782883_200782883
Thanks for the kind thoughts. I have been driving Volvo semi's for 20 years pulling my fifth wheel trailers. Never had an accident. Two of my semi's were a 10 speed and a 13 speed manual, and two of them were auto shifts. Got into the habit of putting in neutral, pulling the park brake, upper right side of dash, and turning off ignition. Since I have only driven the Foretravel a couple of times, my habits were not automatic, and I did not do a mental check list when I shut it off, me bad. I was reaching for the battery cutoff just because I was curious as to what was activated when the house batteries were on, I.e back up camera. Now it has to do with me being more than a little ADD.
Upon further examination of the damage, two parts of the coach hit the truck, the air step which was extended for some reason and the side mirror. The extended stair hit the truck tire, penetrated it and moved the step backwards with a half twist. So the front cap vertical member is intact, but the step has ripped out the side supports, of the step. So new door, step, headlights, windshield, side mirror.
Called Xtreme sent them lots of pics, hopefully will hear from them tomorrow with a rough estimate, and what a schedule might look like. Since they do headlights and air steps, I have saved them some demo work☺️ I do hope there might be a salvage door some place, straightening the current door would be task not for the faint hearted.
Thanks for the support and will let you know what Xtreme says. The coach is very drivable, with the exception of only one light and a very breezy door opening.
Chuckd
These are the 2 I carry. I do not use them everytime I park. If I do use them I remove the ignition key and lay it in the bay they are kept in.
Chuck, yours seem like they fit the radius of the tire a lot better than the other two pictured. I had a pair of the HF ones but the tire only came in contact with the top part of the chock, so for now I'm using homemade 6 X 6s cut to fit the tire radius with non-skid bottoms.
Mine were made for trucks. I have had them for many years.
That's a good attitude, and I'm truly sorry for your loss. Complacency gets us all in the end. Maybe some of the forum members can tell you if that door is an industry standard door from 'the door supplier' and therefore a less expensive repair?
FWIW this happen across all trades. A younger friend in his 40th year 'remembered' that he didn't need to fully extend the outriggers before lowering the boom on his crane to install the jib. Yes this is a set up, doing something from memory after long practice and undertaking a non-routine operation. The boom came to rest in the driving lane between the parked cars. Later he called and said the book was correct. at 53 degrees with full boom extensions the crane would tip over just as it had done.
Two stories:
Several years ago, before we bought our FT, a man purchased a new to him 'Bird. On the way home he stopped at a rest stop that had a decent slope to it. When he came out of the building he couldn't find his coach, but saw a crowd gathered at a low area of the parking lot. He walked over and found out what they were looking at. His coach. It was down in the gulley a few hundred feet, and in pieces. Whether he didn't set the parking brake properly, or whether it failed, the brakes didn't hold it. After reading that I decided that I'd use chocks every time I got out of the coach and Jo Ann wasn't in it.
The second story is my own. One day, early in our ownership of our Foretravel, I couldn't get the air to build, so I called the roadside assistance company. They sent out a giant flatbed trailer and proceeded to drive the coach up onto the bed. The driver set the parking brake, got out and jumped down. (Yes, young guy.) About the time he got to the front of the trailer to get the bed lowered the coach decided that it didn't really want to go on that ride, so it rolled off - heading right for the neighboring eatery. I was picturing our new to us coach redefining drive-in window. Fortunately, the parking lot was actually sloped a bit up hill, and there was a curb, so no damage done. The crew elected to winch the coach back up on the trailer.
I have talked to Kristin at Xtreme, and I am on their schedule for November 9th. Will have the damage fixed, and new headlights installed, and the new step slide installed. The step was the main instigator of the damage to the coach. Second to the nut behind the wheel. Will leave Wi after the 18th, with a duct taped headlight and a door held together by clothes line and a polystyrene liner.
Will post my route and maybe a coffee break can happen.
Chuckd
Chuck,sent you a PM.
Where's Chucky!!!!!
I'm on their schedule for Monday October 26th. Currently I'm in Montgomery Alabama heading west. Good luck hope you get it sorted.
Another thing is to to watch is setting your idle speed correctly. The M11 will move the coach forward on flat ground with the brake set at idle if some old fellow forgets to take it out of drive before setting the brake. That slow forward creep will get your attention when hooking up the toad.
Mine does move with fresh brakes and a 110-130 d2 governor
Springs are what hold the coach when the air is dumped. Even cold my coach will not move forward in gear with the air dumped at idle. The first step up with the cruise and it is still solid, second step it starts to move. It will back up cold at idle with the parking brake set, but not when the brakes are warmed up. I don't know if the parking brake springs get weak with age.
I found that out at a rest stop when I set the brake, went back to go to the bathroom and the coach started to lurch. You can move pretty fast when in a compromising position. Oh yeah forgot and left tranny in "D".
Okay, got caught by the early snow storm up here, all those projects to be completed by fall, well fall came early. Have an inside storage with power located, and will be dropping the coach off there. I will be able to move the coach in and out at will. Bringing the coach to my body shop on Wednesday and removing door. I will bring the coach back inside while the door is being redone. Thanks for the routes and offers to stay, will be postponing the trip until after door is built. I am pretty sure the insurance company is going to scrap the vehicle if I cannot get a new door. I paid 24900 and it doesn't take very long to reach that number, with new step, new headlights (up graded) etc.
Thanks again for the support.
Chuckd,
How about a used door? Here is a site with some good info and links: RV Salvage Yards: Used RV & Campers Parts to save money! (https://rvshare.com/blog/rv-salvage-yards/)
Colaw is a big RV junk yard as is Visone. Used RV Parts And Used RV Accessories | Visone RV Monaco Parts Dealer |... (https://rvparts.visonerv.com/)
Foretravels being parted out: https://rvexteriorbodypanels.visonerv.com/cgi-bin/f/foretravelmotorhomeparts.pl?
Enough RV parts places by state to make you sign up for an unlimited phone plan: Used RV Parts and Salvage Yards by State (https://rtrvg.com/blog/2017/07/22/used-rv-parts-and-salvage-yards-by-state/)
They don't give stuff away but much cheaper than the factory.
Pierce
Already discussed and no luck Door no longer made (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=40828.msg405693#msg405693)
Here ya go! Got these at a walmart somewhere...
Don
Thanks Don. Those seem to fit the tire nicely.
FWIW:
"
You inherit a classic Ferrari from a relative, who bought it new many years ago and never really drove it. Its a masterpiece that is now worth 1 million dollars. It falls to you to insure this classic car, and you have a problem: The insurance for a $1,000,000 classic masterpiece is more than you are willing to pay. The price is livable down around $300,000. So you take out a Stated Value policy for $300,000 on the car. After all, you won't be out of pocket $1 million if the car is stolen, but you certainly want all the protection you can afford.
Now the Stated Value payout clause makes perfect sense. And its completely fair and reasonable. This is Stated Value done right, and its almost never going to be what you want or need. In fact, if you want to limit your recovery and manage your premiums, an Agreed Value policy for a lesser value will do the same thing, except the value you receive is guaranteed.
If you want to guarantee yourself the value you expect on your classic car, refuse to settle for anything less than an Agreed Value on a classic insurance policy."
https://www.lelandwest.com/stated-value-vs-agreed-value-classic-car-insurance.cfm
For What It's Worth, I'm Art Joly and I'll build that door for $29,995!
Seriously, it's not that big a deal to have that door custom made, but you need to find the right guy.