What's the dumbest thing you've done to your van? (2 Viewers)

[GWAYGWAY]

Wiping out both rear lights at different times, First time I backed in I had Wifey watch for me to clear the drive gateway, second time I couldn't find her so I backed the light into the wall of the pillar instead. I bought sensors and a reversing camera
Other light was when I was coming out from the NEW drive and asked Wifey to watch out for traffic, she did and when clear I came out and hit the metal fence opposite breaking the other light, SHE WATCHED me do it and when I exclaimed why? She answered that I only wanted her to watch for traffic. The sensors dDO NOT WORK on open fencework and the camera was too high.
I know the price of Rear light units now, £87 each and where to get them on a Saturday afternoon after driving around Kent to find one.

 

[Peter Sansom]

OK, have to confess. Last week, I checked the weather, and saw the temps were dropping to sub zero when I wouldn't be near the van. I have been using the frost protect, but I don't really trust it, and we had -2 and -3 predicted. I duly dumped the boiler, but I was in a rush, and didn't run through my usual procedure. I left the water draining, and headed off, forgetting to switch off the water heater on the electrics (I think you can see where this is going)
I arrived back at the van yesterday, lovely day, so busied myself getting everything ready, putting my luggage inside, keeping the muddy dog out etc., and grabbed the EHU lead. Plug in and switch on, and then grab dog and head to the van, I then hear this sort of bubbling fizzing sound coming from the back of the van! What the Frak is that I think. In an instant it dawns on me! The heater element is on, and as James May would say, "Oh Cock!" I literally run for the control panel hit isolate the water heater.
I left it 20 minutes before hitting the water pump to fill the boiler. You can't imagine my relief after waiting a further 30 minutes when I got piping hot waterfrom the taps.
So what is your most dumb/senior moment dealing with your van, can you top nearly frying a boiler?

Something similar. Van parked up near home. Mine was with the minus weather too, this time I was caught out by a sudden drop in overnight temp and I hadn't drained off the tank/boiler. "Oh bother" (or something a bit more colourful) I thought. Needless to say everything was frozen solid, presumably the water in the boiler as well. Took a bunch of hot water bottles to it, nestled them around everything and crossed digits. A few days later with the weather a bit more clement I put some water in to the tank and me and the dog headed off to the Edinburgh CC site for a quick check. Phew! No damage. Easy done when you take your eye off the ball

 

[tonyidle]

Blew up a leisure battery.

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[Peter Sansom]

Wiping out both rear lights at different times, First time I backed in I had Wifey watch for me to clear the drive gateway, second time I couldn't find her so I backed the light into the wall of the pillar instead. I bought sensors and a reversing camera
Other light was when I was coming out from the NEW drive and asked Wifey to watch out for traffic, she did and when clear I came out and hit the metal fence opposite breaking the other light, SHE WATCHED me do it and when I exclaimed why? She answered that I only wanted her to watch for traffic. The sensors dDO NOT WORK on open fencework and the camera was too high.
I know the price of Rear light units now, £87 each and where to get them on a Saturday afternoon after driving around Kent to find one.

I managed to scrape a car as I was backing into a parking space. Offside rear corner of the van splintered and knocked out a light. The mark on the nearside rear of the car was hardly noticeable, in fact when I rubbed my finger over it it just about disappeared. A man who had observed this, and did nothing to prevent it, took pics with his phone and shook his head in that annoying fashion that the self righteous have. Left a note under the wiper of the car involved, apologising and leaving my details.
End result was after paying the excess on my insurance it cost me £400 of the £450 and when it came to renewal they quadrupled the premium. After searching around I found someone who was much more reasonable. Oh, and I have a reversing cam too. Obviously they are limited in their use!

 

[Peter Sansom]

I managed to scrape a car as I was backing into a parking space. Offside rear corner of the van splintered and knocked out a light. The mark on the nearside rear of the car was hardly noticeable, in fact when I rubbed my finger over it it just about disappeared. A man who had observed this, and did nothing to prevent it, took pics with his phone and shook his head in that annoying fashion that the self righteous have. Left a note under the wiper of the car involved, apologising and leaving my details.
End result was after paying the excess on my insurance it cost me £400 of the £450 and when it came to renewal they quadrupled the premium. After searching around I found someone who was much more reasonable. Oh, and I have a reversing cam too. Obviously they are limited in their use!

PS. Never heard a thing from the owner of the car involved!

 

[tonyidle]

Parked a hired caravan against a lamp post - I forgot about road camber. I had to lasso it & get wife to hold it away from the van so I could extricate said van without further damage.

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[movan]

Apart from the young boy being run over!!!!!! this is a really funny thread and a pity we havn't got a direct line to Harry Watsit's £250 a clip.

Makes me realise my driving isn't that bad after all.

Daftest thing I did was when van new, my daughter was guiding me backwards .. she stood there like a lemon and then when I hit the tree said, 'You've gone too far now.'

YOU DON'T SAY!!!!!!

 

[DanielFord]

Blew up a leisure battery.

OK, someone has to ask. HOW?

 

[Sphgmo]

This has been one of the best threads. It has made be realise that I am not the only one to do stupid things with the van.

I have driven the wrong way off of a wheel ramp- breaking it as it shot up and hit the underside of the van.

I have also manage to hit our house wall when reversing in.
I have an excuse- our postie was standing over the road waving his arms about and my concentration lapsed.
It turned out he wanted us to take in a parcel for a neighbour who was out !!
Only damage to the van was a slightly bend towbar socket and some tears on the tape on the rear towbar.

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[PP Bear]

I once won a motorbike on Ebay while we were away in the motor home.
The bike was in Norfolk and as we wasn't too far away, wondered if I could get it into the van - to save me coming back down to collect it at a later date.
The chap was happy for me to dismantle it in his drive so I went for it.
After a couple of hours taking of all the sticky out bits and the front wheel and mudguard. After removing various cupboard doors It did go through the narrow hab door. We then cushioning the bike against the the bathroom door and the bed with some old tires and we was away.

Not sure I would do it again!

View attachment 95492

Gorgeous bike

 

[PP Bear]

Catching a telegraph pole with the rear wheel of a tri-axle artic trailer and watching it fall into the forecourt of a used car lot, pinging all the phone lines as it fell

Reversed an 8 wheeler down a driveway on direction of a house owner, only to sink the rear axle and crush his newly installed drainage. His quote was "I've had bigger lorries down my driveway and that never happened before!!" On further enquiry it turns out that the 7.5t removals lorry was bigger in size, but didn't weight the tonnage of the 8 wheeler. That cost him dearly!!!

Part time hauling for a guy with an old Bedford KM tipper. He had 3 in total, all on different jobs. We all decided to meet up in a cafe for a late breakfast and have a catchup, when the owner came in ranting about the 3 of us in together. As we were leaving we noticed that all 3 trucks had the same registration number. Dodgy old bugger only had an operators licence for 1 truck!!!

As for the motorhome, the auto step retraction failed when I turned on the ignition. Don't know how, but it effected the satellite dish from retracting. I was literally meters from ripping it off the roof on a bridge. Luckily I was flagged down beforehand

 

[smithy184]

Have done the following:-
Pulled off the drive with the leccy still hooked up! Got up the road and realised, phoned the daughter who rushed out and pulled the cable onto the drive before some innocent picked it it up (after she had switched it off).
Reversed off a pitch in Belgium with the rear legs still down. Wondered why Johny Foreigner was waving at me.
Reversed into a wall whist reversing afternoon the satnav took us up a road with a weight restriction.
Hit a road sign, again after the satnav screwed up and directed us into a road with width restrictions.
Conclusions:-
Concentrate more
Get a new satnav!

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[CWH]

Not as good as everybody else's, but (previously posted in Photo of the Day):

You know when you come out of the van carrying too much stuff?
And you put your drink down because you need to get the keys out of your pocket, and you put it on the step because your back's aching?
And then you lock the van?Broken Link Removed​

 

[moulin 87]

The reason we finally decided to sell the caravan and buy a MH only occurred last August...Set off from home near Limoges to drive to Spain's Atlantic coast for a week...It was a bit windy but not too bad...(or so I thought)..stopped at a service station south of Bordeaux for lunch, wife shouts across the car park to where I am walking the dog ' You best come and look at this HOLE in the roof'!! The 700*500 roof-light perspex cover had been ripped off...

Set off towards Bayonne, first caravan/MH place I found said they wouldn't do a temporary repair but they could replace the whole unit for €550 + Labour....No way, so off we went to Castorama, bought some plywood, saw, cheap drill etc all for less than €40 and off to a campsite in Spain where I completed the temporary repair....

A week later at home I found a replacement perspex cover on the internet from the UK on promo for £100 but they wouldn't post to France so I had it sent to MiLs with instructions to take it to the Post Office...Easy...Except it was TOO big for her car and TOO big for Parcel Force....Best quote I could get was for about £150 as a special with UPS...

Guess who came to the rescue and took it over to France for £15.00.......















RYANAIR....When I went to Limoges airport to collect it I had to take the trailer because it wouldn't fit in my Freelander with two passengers..

 

[Peter Sansom]

Have done the following:-
Pulled off the drive with the leccy still hooked up! Got up the road and realised, phoned the daughter who rushed out and pulled the cable onto the drive before some innocent picked it it up (after she had switched it off).
Reversed off a pitch in Belgium with the rear legs still down. Wondered why Johny Foreigner was waving at me.
Reversed into a wall whist reversing afternoon the satnav took us up a road with a weight restriction.
Hit a road sign, again after the satnav screwed up and directed us into a road with width restrictions.
Conclusions:-
Concentrate more
Get a new satnav!

Glad its not just me that does daft things

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[DanielFord]

It would appear I am determined to ruin our boiler! Just sat here reading through this, and it has just dawned on me, there is still water in the tank. I forgot to open the dump valve this afternoon, and it is now -1 where the van is. Crossing my fingers, Again!

 

[tonyidle]

OK, someone has to ask. HOW?

See:

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/exploding-batteries.124874/

 

[Bacchus]

Oh that small post...

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[Peter Sansom]

It would appear I am determined to ruin our boiler! Just sat here reading through this, and it has just dawned on me, there is still water in the tank. I forgot to open the dump valve this afternoon, and it is now -1 where the van is. Crossing my fingers, Again!

Been there, seen it, done it!

 

[Peter Sansom]

I bought a magnetic GB sign (so that I could remove it if nec'). All of the rear panel on my van is GRP. Doh!

Ditto

 

[irnbru]

Just weeks after getting our MH I damaged a car in the petorl station with the rear swing as I left.

Mums silliest thing happened today. Our waste water was bleeping full last night so I said I would drain it in the morning.

Mum does the breakfast dishes this morning, then proceeds to take the basin to empty in bathroom sink. When I ask her what shes doing she tells me...Well the sink waste water is full so thought I would empty my water in the bathroom sink.
LOL

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[MichaelT]

Worse one for me was arriving on site late on Friday only to find we had forgot the main bit of kit the cork screw. So thinking on my feet thought I know get a screw driver and a hammer and gently push the cork into the bottle. So into the tool box out with said hammer and screwdriver and gently pushed the cork into the bottle, worked a treat and it only took an hour to clean all the red wine off the ceiling, cupboards, curtains etc. Next time not to self does not matter how careful you go the pressure has to come out somewhere so do it outside!!

 

[Spade]

Heading off for the weekend. Loaded up the van.put 30 litres approx water in the water tank.off we went. Got to the destination,parked up.got chips for tea.went to wash the plates
.... No water
Checked the tank..
Empty.
Drain tap closed
Totally at a loss as to where it was after going.
Eventually checked the level of the waste tank.
Half full.
After the previous trip I had drained down the tank in case of frost. Left the taps open.
So while we had been travelling the kids in the back had turned on the 12 volt system in the back to have light to read by.
The taps had come on and thankfully they were pointed into the sinks.
You could not hear the pump with the engine.
Not my best moment

 

[MichelleRyall]

I managed to scrape a car as I was backing into a parking space. Offside rear corner of the van splintered and knocked out a light. The mark on the nearside rear of the car was hardly noticeable, in fact when I rubbed my finger over it it just about disappeared. A man who had observed this, and did nothing to prevent it, took pics with his phone and shook his head in that annoying fashion that the self righteous have. Left a note under the wiper of the car involved, apologising and leaving my details.
End result was after paying the excess on my insurance it cost me £400 of the £450 and when it came to renewal they quadrupled the premium. After searching around I found someone who was much more reasonable. Oh, and I have a reversing cam too. Obviously they are limited in their use!

I did a similar thing in my school car park. I had to reverse back slightly to get a better swing out as there was a car parked to my front. I touched the P.E teachers wheel arch with my tow bar. Took my eye off the camera as a few pupils were walking close to the van. Minor damage, reported it to him and my insurance company. He took absolutely ages to get my details and report it and them the day after he informed his insurance company he pulled out on a moped rider and took him out. Fortunately no injury to either party. The weird thing is that this happened in December 2014 and I have not heard a thing, apparently the damage was about £1250 !!! However he did tell me that he was named driver on his girlfriends lease car and he was driving it to work daily. I believe that this is not permitted as it should only be occasional use. So still waiting.

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[Steve]

Filled it with petrol instead of diesel very expensive mistake

yes i have done that
left the hose filling the water tank too much pressure in the hose and a real good fit in the filler result pipe blow off inside and flooded the mh

 

[Soozywoozy]

First outing out in brand new van - shut the glass lid on the gas hob with the flame still lit
BANG
Its definitely safety glass
IN my defence I have never cooked with gas before, and didn't give it any thought

 

[Minxy]

I did a similar thing in my school car park. I had to reverse back slightly to get a better swing out as there was a car parked to my front. I touched the P.E teachers wheel arch with my tow bar. Took my eye off the camera as a few pupils were walking close to the van. Minor damage, reported it to him and my insurance company. He took absolutely ages to get my details and report it and them the day after he informed his insurance company he pulled out on a moped rider and took him out. Fortunately no injury to either party. The weird thing is that this happened in December 2014 and I have not heard a thing, apparently the damage was about £1250 !!! However he did tell me that he was named driver on his girlfriends lease car and he was driving it to work daily. I believe that this is not permitted as it should only be occasional use. So still waiting.

After this length of time I wouldn't think that a claim would be entertained.

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[Touchwood]

Hired a "professional" to fit my reversing camera instead of doing it myself. The idiot ( I use the term advisedly) managed to fit the camera a good 6" off centre (couldn't be bothered to get a tape measure out) Not a big deal in terms of functionality, but it annoys the hell out of me every time I look at the back of the van.

 

[Minxy]

Hired a "professional" to fit my reversing camera instead of doing it myself. The idiot ( I use the term advisedly) managed to fit the camera a good 6" off centre (couldn't be bothered to get a tape measure out) Not a big deal in terms of functionality, but it annoys the hell out of me every time I look at the back of the van.

Please tell me you didn't accept it like that!

 

[Touchwood]

Please tell me you didn't accept it like that!

Well, there wasn't much could be done, really. I could have made him move it but that would have resulted in another hole in the bodywork (the camera is at high level) and an ugly patch where he had fixed it.

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