Doofas time. Any body else do this?

[daveb]

Oh BTW another dumbass thing I did was while lifting my electric top. I didn't clear the rear hook and bent the PH bars
[edit] Also left the front PH window open...sounded like a jet while driving and leaving my keys in the fuel door and driving 100 miles before somebody drove by pointing. That's right up there with leaving the backup lights on while driving which was brought to my attention by me being flipped off.

[Viejo]

Originally Posted by stanw909

Care to elaborate Viejo (old dude) ?

Not really but I guess I should. 1st month I owned the van, I drove off with the manual top down but not latched. It lifted up on its own at about 50mph. It was a real wake-up call but thankfully no damage except to my pride.

We now have a pre-start check list that includes top latches, propane off, shore power disconnect, tail gates closed, drawers, cabinets and fridge latched, parking brake off, etc. When camping, we also drive about 50 ft and walk back to check the ground where we parked for lost items and trash.

[Ford_6L_E350]

Originally Posted by Viejo

1st month I owned the van, I drove off with the manual top down but not latched. It lifted up on its own at about 50mph. It was a real wake-up call but thankfully no damage except to my pride.

Exact same thing happened to us with our previous popup pickup camper. Big difference was, we felt it, but couldn't hear it and drove some miles before we figured it out.

Mike

[WVvan]

Am I the only one to ever do this ?

Yes and no. Put it gear but before moving, looked back and noticed the top was up.

[Scalf77]

While I have not drove off with the top up yet, I have forgot to latch it down, almost got bit by the propane door. The real winner has been the spare tire.

Part of my checklist

[Greggd]

Greg you are Amazing !
Greggd

[larrie]

Latching the cabinets and the pantry cabinet. One of these days I will remember to do it.

[86Scotty]

Well, since this topic is so fun to explore and tell tales about, I'll add another, not at all SMB or even van related though.
Dad got in to campers after I grew up and moved out, quickly progressing to a big fat Discovery diesel pusher from a couple of smaller, cheaper Class A's. He doesn't have any of this anymore, but he looked for the right dinghy for it for a long time. I thought he got it right when he found a cheap Land Rover Discovery to pull behind it, but Dad, even though he had this high $ motorhome, wasn't going to spend "all that extra money" on a fancy tow bar. He just bought a cheap A-frame, hooked it up and went. Dad also isn't one to let any virtue like patience or forethought stand in his way. He rarely thought about what he was getting his 65' rig in to, especially planning ahead when entering gas stations or parking lots. He plowed head on in to a gas station with a deep rain gutter dip at the entrance, and somehow managed to not only tear his A-frame tow bar loose from the rear of the motorhome, but somehow fold it all the way under the front of the Land Rover. How? No one really knows, and of course he couldn't, or wouldn't say. I wasn't here for this, but I did later see the torn up front bumper of the Land Rover and the mangled A-frame tow bar (which of course, he still used after all of this). Sometimes, I just hope and pray that the apple fell far enough away from the tree!

[vwteleman]

Ha! I drove out of a parking lot with the top popped in this:


My 3-year old son on the back seat was most impressed.

Cheers,
Brent

[macmcintire]

I've driven off with my Aluminess tire carrier and galley box still open. Fortunately I noticed it before they swung into something or slammed shut.