It Can Happen Fast

We were traveling from Door County, Wisconsin, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. It was an easy run of just under 300 miles. The roads were in good shape, traffic was light, and we had already stopped for fuel and made a stop at a discount store to restock a few items.

We were traveling on a two lane road that parallels the shore of Lake Michigan when it came time for lunch. We started looking for somewhere to stop that would be easy to get in and out of and have plenty of room to park. We are towing a 40 foot fifth wheel, and our friends traveling with us have a rig of similar length, so finding a place that can accommodate both of us isn’t always easy.

As we approached a boat ramp, Pat noticed the parking lot was empty. The entrance looked good, and I was able to pull in without any problem. As I drove around looking for a place to park, however, I failed to keep my focus on the trailer and cut the turn into the lot too short. I came very close to rolling the trailer over a large rock.

Fortunately, I was able to stop, but not before the rock knocked two covers off the RV waste lines. Thankfully, the damage to the rig was very minor. The damage to my ego was considerably greater.

It was simply a careless mistake, and it could have been much worse. It was also a good reminder that when you’re maneuvering a large vehicle and trailer, you need to stay focused on what you’re doing at that moment. You certainly have to think ahead, but every movement of a rig this size requires your full attention.

Sometimes the best RV lessons are the ones you wish you hadn’t needed to relearn.