Turning around! - Montana Owners Club

HamRad · 08-19-2012, 08:18 PM

We are currently in Seattle, WA visiting our daughter and family. We were suppose to be staying in the driveway of a friend of theirs. We could not get the Monty in the driveway. We really tried but it simply was not going into that driveway.

Plan "B".... Another friend's driveway. Unfortunately they were not home so off to our daughter's place. They live on the side of a hill. They also have no place to turn around. We spent a couple of nights on the street by their place. Very cramped since we could only put one slide partially out. So when we get the OK for the other driveway we now have to decide how to get the rig turned around.

One option was to back it out about 600 yards. I could do that. But it would be a LOT of backing. So I think it would be easier to proceed further down the street and turn onto a street (sort of an alley) that would put me in a position to simply back up a few yards making a 90 degree turn. Done it a hundred times... No problem. Except the streets (both of them) are severely sloped creating a valley. The drop from the crown of the street to the bottom of the valley is about two and a half feet to three feet.

I figured it would be no problem since the rigs seem to sit plenty high. Boy was I in for an education. Suffice it to say that those Montanas are built pretty strong! Thought for sure we had ripped off our spare tire and part of the underbelly! Thankfully the trailer cargo carrier took the brunt of the punishment.....

As I looked back at one point the trailer seemed on the verge of turning over and water was pouring from the water tank fill port! Mary Kay was hollering and Buddy (a little Doxie) was going crazy because of the noise and motion of the truck! We kept working and finally got the wheels of the truck back on solid pavement (instead of gravel) and was able to get the rig finally turned around! Heard Mary Kay mumbling something about a hole we had made in the blacktop.... But I was long gone!

Next time I'll back it up if it is a mile! Dennis

NCFischers · 08-20-2012, 02:03 AM

Lessons learned like that are not soon forgotten. Glad you made it.

1retired06 · 08-20-2012, 02:29 AM

Glad there was no damage! The neigborhood probably enjoyed the entertainment of the day.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 08-20-2012, 02:34 AM

GULP!! One of our fears!

HamRad · 08-20-2012, 03:19 AM

Jim and Vickie,
You are correct about 'not forgetting'. That will stick with me in spite of my CRS!

Mike and Lorraine,
Wouldn't you know it! The only witnesses were the family. In a campground I would have had any number of folks. It was a sight to see that is for sure.

Carol and Al,
I have had nightmares about this very issue. Hopefully now that reality has stepped in I will no longer dream about this type of thing and will be able to enjoy towing our new rig!

I appreciate everyone's concern and hopefully we'll not get ourselves into that kind of situation again. Happy Trails to all. Dennis and Mary Kay

**DQDick** · 08-20-2012, 04:55 AM

Glad it turned out well. Getting in that situation is one of my nightmares and the reason, when we had the stick house, that I backed it a full block with a very tight S turn at the end rather than try and jack knife it somehow over the drop off at the S turn.

maximo · 08-20-2012, 05:21 AM

I pray that will not ever be something I will have to do. I do have a couple of tight spots at home when I want to park our Big Sky on its slab next to a barn. That is one of the reasons we put 3 X-Factors braces on the RV. Also some of the older RV Parks we have stayed at take some sharp turns to back into the parking site.

Frank

padredw · 08-20-2012, 06:24 AM

Reminds me of an experience we had with our 2955 several years ago. On our way to Florida, we decided to visit an elderly friend (I had been her pastor in Texas) who was in a retirement home in Brandon, MS (near Jackson.) It was just a "day stop" so we had to remain hooked to the trailer. When we arrived at the facility, there was no way we could get up the steep driveway into the crowded parking lot, but we turned down a street thinking we could just go around the block. Well, you guessed it, it was a cul-de-sac with a turning circle much too small for us to turn around. We decided to park on the street near to where we had entered and just go ahead with our visit.

No need to go into all the gritty details, but upon our return we used home driveways on both sides of the street, barely missing mail boxes. I could not back up because the street in front of the home was a boulevard, which seemed to be a main traffic artery. Anyway, we got out, but getting in where we can't get out remains an RV nightmare.

That reminds me of a couple of other times . . . NO, I won't go into that.

Just148 · 08-20-2012, 10:48 AM

Dennis, Been thee done that!! On a rainy day I pulled into a dead end road, No signs posted. I have to back up about a half mile. I saw a driveway and though I would back into it. As I were backig in Margaret begain to yell, Look out fot the ditch, I ask what ditch her reply over there, the ditch was about 40 feet away and a big tree was at the back of the camper. So I pulled out and backed up the half mile up hill cross a railroad track pass the inter section, and was on my way. This happen twice, the other time a bridge was out and no where to turn around.. getting good at this
wendell

**DQDick** · 08-20-2012, 11:06 AM

That will be interesting here later this summer. The county has the bridge torn out between one side of the reservoir and the other (ten mile detour to go a half mile) you know on Labor Day weekend the farmer who lives by the bridge will have some stories. Two lane road with 10-20 foot drop offs and little or no shoulder if they drive by the barricades and you know some of them will. The Corps is going to try and get them to turn around in the last cove before the bridge, but some folks will have the courage of Budwiser traveling with them.

tanner1070 · 08-20-2012, 04:20 PM

Dennis...as nerve racking as those situations are, they make for great tales around the campfire in the years to come!!! Glad it came out with a happy ending.
Don

Wayne and Carolyn Mathews · 08-20-2012, 05:28 PM

Well, Dennis, if that's your idea of fun and excitement . . . WOW! Congratulations on getting out of a tight spot, and thanks for the chuckles from your story. I loved the part about the water pouring out of the fill port.

Is Mary Kay speaking to you yet?

Carolyn & Wayne

HamRad · 08-20-2012, 07:28 PM

Carolyn and Wayne,
Mary Kay is still not completely recovered from the trauma she went through yesterday. Today she pulled a muscle in her back ..... I suspect it was indirectly caused by what she went through yesterday. Hopefully she will be up and around in a couple of days.

The water pouring out the fill tube was a simple glance on my part..... Mary Kay may have gotten water splashed on her ...... I, on the other hand, could only watch as I thought the trailer was going to tumble over on its side. I'm sitting in the pickup bouncing up and down as the tires are trying to get a good grip. They can't because I'm on gravel! Gravel is flying out from under the truck going..... I don't know where as I feel like I'm riding a bucking bronco! Our poor little Doxie was an absolute nervous wreck and kept coming to me for support! I'm pushing him back each time he comes at me.... Wow! After writing this I may have to start finding more dead end streets just to keep up the "fun" level! I won't be doing that again! Ever! Backing into a camping spot will, hopefully, be my only backing for a long time! That is unless I opt to get "legal" and get my non commercial class "A" driver license! But that is another story for another time! Let's keep having fun out there!

Hope you get your awning thing fixed. Too much wind down there on the TX coast! You gonna make it to Q this coming January? Hope so. Later, Dennis

HOOK · 08-21-2012, 04:38 AM

Glad to know all ended well. We were in St Louis following GPS to cg. Came to railroad tressel about 12 ft clearence. Nothing to do but back most of a mile and into a dirt lot beside railroad. The train was coming and obviously thought I was about to back onto the tracks, did he sound off! Was stressful then, but now just a good story.

simonsrf · 08-21-2012, 07:12 AM

Dennis,
RV parks in the Seattle area are far and few between. We know of a couple of decent parks, let us know if we can help.

HamRad · 08-21-2012, 09:40 AM

Robbie,
We looked and looked and RV places are, indeed, very difficult to find. We finally gave up and are now parked in a friend's driveway. Actually a friend of our daughter. It seems that most of the parks are north of the city or east and south. Of course they are much further than we care to drive to visit our daughter. There is a KOA that sort of works but they want and arm and a leg! Guess we beggars can't be too choosy. We appreciate any help we can get. Later, Dennis.

Bill-N-Donna · 08-21-2012, 10:24 AM

Dennis, I feel your pain. Although I haven’t been in a pinch quite that bad I’ve been in some pretty tight placed. That is always a fear that is in the back of my mind, getting in somewhere and not being able to get back out.

One of the things that attracted me to our first Montana was the height of everything and how they sit. I’ve have several campers that when on a slight grade they would drag. Poor design IMHO. Glad everything worked out for you with minimal pain.

rving2us · 08-22-2012, 01:44 PM

When Mary and I visit our son in Mounlake Terrace, Wa. we stay at Lake Pleasant in Bothell. Most of the time the camp ground is overpriced, the managers are often not pleasent, they have no amenities, it is pretty and close to our son, have you ever tried them out.

HamRad · 08-22-2012, 01:59 PM

Jon and Mary,
Thank you for the info regarding Lake Pleasant. Sounds like a wonderful place! Who wouldn't want to stay there?! We found that most of the RV places were on the north side of town but since our daughter lives on the south side and knowing how the traffic is in Seattle..... Well you get the idea. We really wanted someplace on the south or south east side of town. Thanks and I hope your visits with your son are as pleasant as our visit has been with our daughter. Turning around being the one exception. Thanks again. Dennis and Mary Kay

Drifty1 · 08-22-2012, 02:36 PM

Dennis you could always drive down to Olympia! I could move my trailer over a couple of spots so you could hook up to the 30 amp outlet,but it would be a little commute to see the kids. Glad you got the rig turned around without to much damage.
Heck I also know of a few good spots to grab a bite to eat!!

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