Another Tale of Traveling Woes
It occured to me that I was leading up to another travel story in my last post, but stopped to make my doctor appointment. Upon returning, I was so excited to download some pictures that I went into a totally different direction.
To recap, I was talking about the RV in the sun in my daughter's driveway. Our meager 4 days was up (HOA rules) and we had located a campground close by. We were getting ready to leave to park in a new location when it happened ....
I did my part to facilitate motion, brought the slide in, secured all the things that HeWho leaves on flat surfaces to prevent them from acting as projectiles and flying around. Put the toilet lid down. Got all the canines in position.
He started the engine, or as locals here say, cranked her up. We were rolling back out of the drive when we hit something. Seems that the person tasked with readying the outside stuff had not brought the awning in. One should not drive with the awning out ... or the slide. I have seen many RVs on the road with a slide out, but never with the awning out.
HeWho selected some not so nice words and spoke them. We got out to assess the damage. It was mid afternoon and quite hot with the sun beating down. Try though he might, he could not get the awning to roll up.
His wife saw the problem immediately, but wisely kept her mouth shut. It is better to learn from mistakes. The frame was bent, it was never, EVER gong to function again. The light pole we hit was none the worse for wear, but the awning was beyond ever providing shade again. I finally suggested that we get the necessary tools out to remove the entire frame, lest HeWho decide to simply rip it off.
After removing it he flung the pieces to the ground and we went on to the campground. Best to stay silent and keep my mouth shut. That evening when we returned to the scene of the crime, I told him I wanted the actual awning. After he stopped staring at me, he informed me that there was no way to remove it from the cylinder.
Translation: He did not want me to have that awning. He did not want to remove it and then have to find a place to stow it on board. He (and probably many of you) wondered aloud what I wanted it for. I don't know. It was quite simple to unscrew one end and slide the awning out. It has to be fairly easy, as people have awnings replaced all the time.
Our RV has no awning now and honestly, I don't miss it. I suppose I might at some point, but it is not at the top of my list of things to do. What will I do with the part I salvaged? I still don't know, but if I ever need one ....
My BIL was/is a horder and he once brought home a bolt of canvas. We used that roll of goods for many heavy duty projects, including making a replacement cover for our three seater porch glider. That was a big project.
ReplyDeleteNow that I have read your comment, I know just what to do with that canvas! Our golf cart need new seat covers! Thank you!
DeleteWe had several RV's, the last being a 41 ft, quad slide Beaver MH. I NEVER moved it (or any other RV, for that matter) without walking around it and looking at everything twice. Mistakes do a lot of damage and are too expensive.
ReplyDeleteHeWho likes to say hindsight is 20/20. While this is true, it turns out to be expensive! We owned an RV Park for almost 18 years! I have always secured the interior to the nth degree, but have noticed tht he does not when he takes it to have it washed. Drives me nuts! Now I will be reminding him to check things before we move it and he will get irritated with me, but he earned it!
DeleteOh dear, you had travel woes quite different from mine yesterday But I'm glad your's was solved and you now could make a nice canvas ground cloth which people actually paint and use as rugs inside...but I like the idea of unrolling them outside for a portable patio...say at the lake or the beach.
ReplyDeleteOur RV is not so big, so the awning is rather small, but it will be enough to recover the golfcart seats! I was thinking it would make a nice awning for the She Shed so I could leave the doors open when it rains. That would have its own set of problems, though. I wouldn't want to rush up there in a storm to take it down ....
DeleteThat awning is a blank canvas for you!
ReplyDeleteJoanne already made me know what I want to do with it! I just told the man who argued about keeping it that I wanted to cover the golfcart seats and he whole heartedly agreed, since he had priced them! Now if I can convince him to take the golfcart in for a good tune-up (it is gas) and find out why the brakes won't hold. I refuse to ride in with all the hills and valleys of our property.
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