Bed Saver Save--But not quite

[Exnavydiver]

I moved the rig today to another site today. I checked the hookup with a good pull. I towed the rig down a long hill and back up the hill on another road. The new site was a back-in, as I was backing in and just as the wheels entered the site I heard and felt a loud CLUNK. Not even thinking I stopped and got out to look under the rig to see if I hit something, nothing. After I got back in and started to back up I saw the rig had dropped out of the hitch and into the bed saver. It would have been a good save if I hadn't been in the middle of a turn. the rear of the pinbox bulged the tailgate. I have a nice bed liner and the thick plastic trim on the top of the tailgate. It is no longer nice, the center is just about all junk and I had to cut a bit of it away after I got parked . So even if you have a bed saver it doesn't mean you will have no damage. I have a short bed although it ain't as short as it was.... Dave

[pbahlin]

How did that happen when you were backing up??? Guess I don't understand as you just towed up and down a hill and the hitch was fine...DH wonders what kind of hitch is it?

I have another question, I see you have 2008 340RLQ same as us....and I can't find the secret compartment and it's making me crazy...every weekend that we go to the 5er I have to search for it....any help would be appreciated........

Thanks a million!

Betty

[Les]

Art n marge has pictures under the topic secret compartment...

[bob n pam]

Betty, we have an 08 Big Sky, too. Secret compartment? Where?

[Exnavydiver]

There ain't one on the 08 340RLQ. I think what happened with the hitch is that I "high hitched", in other words when I back into it it was not "plate to plate" and I believe that the ring on the top of the kingpin sat on top of the jaws. It was a dumb mistake and I won't do another move like that without adequate coffee and wife direction. Betsy spent the night at her friends house and I said "I can handle it". And we all know how THAT turned out...

[greener]

That really bites! Another thing that can go wrong just when you think you are safe.

[Art-n-Marge]

Maybe that's why it's called a "Bed Saver and not a "Bed & Tailgate Saver". Sorry to hear about your mishap, Dave.

[db_engineer]

Ouch! On the other hand it sounds like it could have been a lot worse - several hundred $$ rather than several thousand $$$.

[Waynem]

Dave,
Carole most likely will tell you to cut a "V" in the tailgate now, and line the edges with diamonds.

Sorry to hear about that mishap.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Wayne, you bad!

But, if anyone could do it, Dave has the skills!

But, nope, tain't suggesting it.

Believe I stated my sympathies to Dave over at FB. If not, consider it done now.

[pbahlin]

Dave:

This is one of those lessons we all end up learning! I'm sure we will probably have some of those when we finally hit the road hopefully in August, house is under contract pending one inspection,

As for the lack of a secret compartment I am terribly disappointed, may have to have Paul create one! Need a place to hide my treasures!!! Tee hee!

[NCFischers]

Dave,
I high hooked one time but caught it in time before I moved the rig. Check, check and recheck is my motto now.

[richfaa]

We all make mistakes except for those that when the bedsaver topic comes up will Say they are incapable of making a mistake and do not need a bedsaver. Our bedsaver has sat there for 4 years without being used but it can happen in a flash. It is not hard to high hitch.

[helmick]

Dave, now Betsy knows how much you really need her.

[Tom S.]

What a heartless crew!!! I would never have made a reference to tailgate savers or v-notched tailgates.

Never!

Ever!



(Only because someone beat me to it! But I'm still sorry to hear about it Dave!)

[Bill-N-Donna]

Wow! As mentioned, it could have been a lot worse. Think how many hundreds or even thousands of dollars it actually saved you. I would guess outside of the damage it did to the tail gate, the bed saver has paid for itself at least 20 times in this one incident.
I sometimes think the bed saver is in the way when I hook up where I have to get out and check the position of the king pin and then raise or lower the pin at times before connecting or disconnecting. Even so, I choose to keep it on there!

[mail2us]

I did highhitch once as well Dave. Before moving I inspected my connection and saw that it was a highhitch on our SuperGlide as the jaw mechanism was not fully engaged and the lock "sound" did not occur on ours.

Having that said, I am glad you and Betsy are ok and metal and pride maybe all that is hurt.

[steves]

Sorry.....Glad it wasn't more damage!

[Exnavydiver]

All of you that said it could have been worse are correct. It didn't bash the bed rails or rip the tailgate off and then bend the landing gear as it hit the ground. The tailgate still works fine in fact a bit easier as the handle is an inch below where it was before I got stupid and it is all just cosmetic. The only problem I foresee is after we get home and I reinstall the glass tonneau cover there may be a bit of a fit problem with the slight outward bulge in the gate. A 4x4 and 3lb maul should take care of that... Dave

[JimF]

Now if you tell where YOUR secret compartment is it's not secret anymore, it's just another compartment. After that you start running out of them until you get to "Where's my secret compartment". There aren't any, you used them all up.