Who can resist at least looking at a Crackerbarrel Restaurant closeout table? And what do you know, this time there is something just plain irresistible (to me) right out in front. It's a toad. a round, soft, cuddly green toad. And he's 25% off!
Say hi to Quo Vadis, our genuine all American, China-made toad. I hope he doesn't get too tired of looking at the back end of his namesake- the coach! In a super cold Florida Hard Freeze (going down to 20 os so tonight in Ocala).
Tonight, in the deep dark of a crowded RV campground, with trees separating one close site from another, we found our site number, 3, and pulled through. A little too far. When I got out to plug in the shore power 50 amp cable I was about 8 feet too far away.
We've had 5 hours of driving today, and some other minor challenges we are still learning from. It's dark, and we had to drive completely around the perimeter of the park's 156 sites because a) I missed the correct road to turn into the first time and b) you NEVER back up a coach with a toad behind. All kinds of not nice things can happen since the combo coach & toad are only meant to go forward together. But I was very tired, and so was Mona.
To Mona's credit she has not hooked up or unhooked the car yet, so I'm the part of our pair with all the experience, such as that is. To my credit I asked her to go outside the coach with a flashlight to tell me when I had backed the combo toad and coach the requisite, simple, short 8'. Did you read where I typed 'backed'? You see, I was tired, and I did NOT want to have to wind up that heavy cable, and drive out and around the entire park again just so I could drive in the correct distance for my cable to reach. So...
It wasn't the act of simply backing that caused our problem. A straight back push with no obstacles for such a short distance should have been problem free. No, the toad was ready to be pushed; both red and green versions. But one of his drivers, me, was not ready. I had not put the gearshift in neutral first. It was in park.
Do you see, at the lower left of the picture above, how nice and straight the toad's tow bars are? NOT anymore. With a snap loud enough for me to hear in the cab they both took the pressure of the slowly backing 30,000 lb coach and the un-moving car in the rubber covered tubes that slide in and out of the Blue Ox brand towbar exterior channels. I didn't take a picture of the damage. Actually, I can't bring myself to. Both of them are equally bent so that that make two of the letter's 'U'. The wonderful mechanism that is a Blue Ox Toad Towing system is scrap metal. Oh the humanity!
Well, it was quite a shock. Especially for Mona as she stood behind the Honda and thought the entire front end of it had been destroyed. But God has better plans than ours every day, especially where learning curves are concerned.
Our call to Good Sam Service (our replacement now for AAA) confirmed that they will have a tech out at 7am tomorrow morning to look over the damage to be sure only the hitch is hurt. And there is a huge camper and RV center just 20 miles south of us, at Ocala, Florida. I believe I can get a new Blue Ox, or it's equivalent, tomorrow morning. Lord willing, or unless He has another lesson for us to learn somewhat differently tomorrow, we'll be on our way to Marco Island (about 7 hours south as we drive) and warmer shores, by noon.
So what does today's part of my learning curve teach me? What I kept repeating to others since deciding to buy a toad... NEVER back it up. Really. Just don't. And If I ever try to do so again Mona will, well, it won't be a learning curve. It will be a learning BUMP!
-Ken
Just consider it a lesson learned and life goes on, however difficult that is. In a few days, this unfortunate incident will be replaced by pleasant thoughts.
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