NEW GADGET

[Montana_2953]

You know how when you are getting ready to leave and go home or wherever always leave the antenna up, well at least we do!!!!LOL We went to Giant RV in Corona Ca. today to get a Bed Saver ordered, while I was ordering that Kathi came over and threw a triangle little thing on the counter. I looked down and it is BRIGHT ORANGE with a clip and little chain to hang it. What you do is you hang it from the antenna. When you put your antenna up you take the sign, that reads "PUT THE ANTENNA DOWN"! and you hang it from your visor in your tow vehicle. When you are all packed up and ready to go, you get in the truck and there it is staring you right in the face. Now how could you forget that!!! It was $5. And compared to the price of a new antenna it is well worth it.

[Montana_2753]

Paul:

Have seen these at Camping World, but figured I'd never need one! However, just like checking over other things, it's good to have a reminder, so guess I'll get one as well.

Bruce

[Bill and Ann]

We have a little Eveready rabbit that we hang by a chain on the antenna handle to remind us the "ears" are up.

[jrgwdenner]

Too bad they don't have a guarantee. We had one, nicely tucked behind the visor, when we lost our antenna. Live and learn. Now we use it.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

What I consider fool proof...
I put a small hook about an inch above the slide switch. To this hook I attach the afore mentioned "PUT THE ANTENNA DOWN" sign whenever the antenna is in the up position.
In order to put the slides in you must move the sign. Before touching the slide switch we carry the sign back to the antenna crank. We crank the antenna down and now attach the sign to the crank. If the sign is on the crank the antenna is down. If the sign covers the slide switch the antenna is up.
Our policy is the antenna is cranked down before the slides are brought in.

[CountryGuy]

Is the moral of the story, that we must have a "system" and use it every single time?? And, if we are interrupted, start the process over and go through each step again??

We don't have the pretty orange tag, YET, here is what I do, I start at the front of the rig, and touch each drawer, and door, checking to see if they are closed. I check the antenna, the little green power light that goes with it, all the doors that have hooks or snaps, shower, bedroom/living room, etc. I do the same in the living area, actually tapping each door or drawer, even the FRIG door. I might do this 2 or 3 times before we pull out, cause Al might have to come in and use something, or get something. I usually do at the last moment one more time, just before the slides are brought in. By then, Al and the yorks are all outside, I am alone inside, and I go VERY slowly, methodically, checking and rechecking. I have found stuff not properly prepared for the road.

No matter, make a check list (one of the MOC members has a great list, one for leaving, one for setting up), use the little orange tag, whatever it takes! I will say one thing, it sure takes longer with this Monster, errrrrrrrrrrr Montana than it did with the 30 foot TT we had before!

[Montana_2953]

Carol, you mentioned a list for setting up and leaving, do you remember who posted that list? I would love to have one of those. Kathi does the whole inside and I half way do the outside. Kathi is inside doing the take down and I am suppose to do the outside. I get kinda yancy and am forever going inside and asking her are your ready? She is always reminding me to go and do a complete walk around and check everything. Then when we are in the truck, she always finds something that I have forgotten. She says "Do I always have to do everything?" A list would ge a great starting point. She has done the camping thing all her life. I have done it once. So I kinda forget things. And she is very complete for a lack of another word. I kinda just go with the flow.....LOL

[CountryGuy]

Paul,

Not sure, my old memory cells tell me it was Stiles or Padrerw (think that is his call name here).

You might try the search engine, it might pop up! Also, I think there are a few others posted here and there on the net, Al tells me about them now and then. I usually only surf into MOC and my research sites, not many hours left for other RV sites!

My daddy, rest his soul, always said, "Don't trust a man who does not make lists!" Teeee heeee. Seriously, we used to use a list, then we went to a check board (antenna down, vents closed, that sort of thing, it had little slides, when you finished the chore, you slide the little bar over, they had to be all over!

Pilots have a written list, and no matter how many hours they have flown they sit that list on their laps and read it out loud, saying CHECK after each one. I still have my daddies small lap size clip board he used for that purpose when he flew.

Lists are a good thing!

Cheers, Carol

[jrgwdenner]

Carol, you're right about the 'frig door. Make sure you hear the 'click'. We have a subtle peachy cast to part of our carpet from the time that we didn't engage the click test.

I check our rig the same methodical way. I need to add the antenna to that list. For some reason that was always Glen's list.

There are some good lists on the Open Roads Forum aka RVnet.com. Try a search there. Then you can add to it for your needs.

[CountryGuy]

We were lucky, Judy, did not lose anything out the frig, but did find the door wide open one afternoon. I did not realize it did not close all the way everytime. AM NOW! We don't just shove the door shut anymore, whether we are sitting at a campsite or on the road. Give that baby a shove test everytime we close it. Listen for the click, not sure, PUSH the door closed!

Thing I tend to over look, err, rather, underlook, is the ceiling vents! Gone down the road with them open (all covered with MaxAir covers), but, oooo, the dirt that can be pulled in. Rather have em closed!

Carol

[trukdoc]

I have one of those reminder tags. I simply put it on the screen door frame. works for me. I know if I had to put it on the visor in the TV I would end up getting side tracked and not put it out.

[Montana_2230]

I hang my truck key to the antenna handle if I put it up....We normaly use our portable disk.

[rames14]

Paul -

I have a two sided checklist that I had laminated at Kinkos (very thick lamination). I try to follow it religiously. If you want a copy, send me your e-mail address.

[Just148]

Do a search under just148.

[jrgwdenner]

Glenn, I like your idea about hanging the orange thingie over the slide button. One of those 3M removable hooks would be good for that and it would get 'em out of the drawer. Need to hang up the flyswatter, too. Thanks.

[Parrothead]

Another good way to do the check out as we call it, is to do each others. So if the outside is Mr.'s job and the inside is Mrs.'s job, then check each other out. We also found the longer you are parked, the more time you need to take to check the things out before you take off. You get use to seeing things in a place they shouldn't be for traveling.

[mgdg]

The Boss takes care of the inside, I take care of the outside. She closes the antenna inside and I check it outside. Carol the fridge "click" is a must to listen for. Even when you are just putting back the cream for that morning coffee, I listen for the click. Its a habit now! When I had my Citation, on my very first trip with it, I forgot the antenna and just before I pulled out a gentleman across the way yelled "How do you like your antenna"!! I stopped on the spot and closed it and it stuck in my mind. So far I haven`t forgotten to close it or the vents. Those are the first on my list to close. Another is the bathroom door, it seems to open on its own so I put a deadbolt on it and leave the keys in it. After we dump it gets locked and we never find it open when we reach our destination again.