Moonlight Mile

I do not know what the "proper distance" is. Have no idea.

Wish I had stayed hitch as BOB did it at least. Now not sure at all I can rehitch and do interstates to halfway pt to TX first thing tomorrow AM must leave not driving to HOH in snow.

Moved from another topic.

Supposed to snow in HOH tomorrow. Almost out of cell data.

I have to leave. A schedule. Appts. Sigh. Even driving it back to Hohenwald first thing Monday AM when they open, knowing it may not be right during that drive all the way back, is . . . well.

Thank you. I agree. I do not intend to disparage OTT, but yes, I am shocked at this. A $60k trailer and a brand new person who knows zero about any of it, and it was attached to the chain at Delivery Day and I videoed it and asked “Why is it too short?” And now, it has since been unattached and reattached and is perhaps not in the correct place at all, for all I know. I am terrified.

Thanks Bill. Seems like OTT would have furnished a better way of dealing with this. I will try to get to Tractor Supply tomorrow. Most campers appear to be leaving tomorrow. If I can’t find anyone around who is knowledgeable on this, what am I supposed to do? Drive with it attached to the chain where the OTT orientation guy had it placed? I will have no way of knowing if it is activating the trailer brakes, is that correct? I mean, until people are waving or there is a “situation?” This makes me very nervous indeed.

In keeping with my tradition on this thread, now I have a rather serious OFF TOPIC issue: At Delivery Day last Tuesday, the tech hitching the Andersen to my TV (and I was videoing all), said hmmm the safety cable (breakaway) would not reach my actual truck metal, and so he put it on a link up on one of the two chains, "near" my actual truck body. But not attached TO my truck frame. I asked if this was normal. He said it would be ok. Something to that effect. As a new person to towing anything at all, I accepted the answer. Today I got another opinion and more expressed surprise that this cable DOES NOT reach all way to the actual metal of my truck frame. I know you are all familiar with these breakaway things, but still attaching pics of mine. Mine is just like yours, except it does not reach my truck frame to attach onto the truck frame, as I believe (was told) it should. That is the whole point of it, right? If your chains fail, the breakaway is the last ditch to keep the trailer from breaking away from the TV. Yes, I am brand new to all this. The last thing I want to worry about is the trailer breaking loose, etc. Sure, it may be ok, but should I get this addressed by OTT? It is weekend as I type this. I really cannot go back to HOHENWALD Monday, I am preparing to leave this SP early TUES AM. (I am at the campground they put you up in after delivery, things are ok, just on elec for now. Info overload BIG TIME. ) So, I leave Tues AM, breaking a long drive into halves, of 5-6 hrs of driving, stopping halfway at a SP (reserved) Tues night) so I am not over tired or arriving after dark trying to unhitch and hook up elec. On this journey I will be on almost ALL interstate (yes, in right lane) for 5-6 hours each of the two legs of trip. (Note: I had considered going on a slower speed and even scenic route -- before this new concern about the breakaway cable even came up -- but I simply cannot do that for many reasons, scheduling and business-related. And FOR ME, the stress of traveling a completely unfamiliar route won't help me, it will hurt me at this point. (Interstates are known to me, and thus LESS stressful, in that I know there will be gas, food, rest areas, and help if I need it, and I have been on these particular interstates many times. As a new FT RVer the last thing I need right now is more stress. Please. Still at breaking point at times. TIA.

This is exactly my situation! Very new to truck, have had NO TIME (I must say this ten thousand times a day, "I have had NO TIME TO READ OR LEARN ______") to read manual for truck, much less Ollie stuff. A major move across states, during tax time, and changing from "sticks and bricks" to "nomad" and issues with mail service, change of address, every e-service thing you can thing of, accounts, internet/wifi-stuff, what to pack, not pack, driving, not sleeping, OTT Orientation overwhelm WITH SICK DOG, then throw in just "general" non-sick-DOG to deal with 24/7 and general stress and never having towed much less operated any RV or even set FOOT in an RV. Yes, you can say it is nerve-wracking PLUS! :-) Oh, and all during an annoying-so-over-this-crap "lockdown." Thanks Paula, for the kind words! I disabled the rear park assist on Ram but some other "helpful" feature is still telling me I can't back up when I want to. It really does feel like the HAL9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey" is running my truck. HAL won't let me drive like I need to. He will NOT open the pod bay doors. He slams on the brakes suddenly for no reason. He engages my parking brake when I say the word "taco." Kidding, but it feels about that random and weird!

Yes I’m still up. Outside in cold. Full moon. Gorgeous. I love my Ollie so much I married it and had its babies. Thank you ALL. Again. Second pic is my OCD-thang (ref: John Davies reply re: “yellow thing” as I call it.) I’m verruh techy about all these parts, as you can see. Hee.

John, yep, using 11 Pro. It makes anything at night look awesome. Another good example of tech-wonderful and not problematically “predictive” (i.e., newer Ram trucks slamming on brakes because it thinks you’re about to roll back over a baby carriage but really it’s just the ball on your hitch thingy). Disabled that. Today it decided I should not back up because a FedEx truck was parked, empty, blocking me. I will figure out what “it” thought was “wrong” with my Evil Plan tomorrow (or when I get “time”) and disable THAT annoying safety over-do feature as well. 37 computers in a truck? I sit there going, “OPEN THE POD BAY DOORS, HAL.” Aheh.

I have died and gone to heaven. Family requests no flowers. Just laughs. Bought a Jetpack today. No time to set up yet of course. Will write my goofy crap at https://whendogsdrive.com when I get more settled — and learn how to hitch and a few thousand other little details. FYI, folks. Thank you ALL.

The backup cam on the Ram is just amazing. Three different colored lines and very specific as to actual location as you slowly move in reverse. The *slightest* touch on the steering wheel lets you see very clear dotted lines, pretty precise alignment guide, on the dash screen, which is HUGE, like a big iPad. So, that was ONE try. One! See, this is an example of when I *love* technology. At other times . . . not so much. Ha.

Great idea!! The one I met on arrival was super nice.

Thanks Bill! Any bit of encouragement that I am on the right track here is SO comforting right now!! I cannot tell you what-all else (non trailer or camping) I am dealing with, every day, what with mail issues, tax time docs going back to sender, dog, on and on. Life happens. This is cognitive brown-out. Ha.

Look! I backed up without Annoying Park Assist thing on, and this almost looks doable alone when it comes time to re-hitch, am I right? Used the Ram’s backup camera.

Got it turned off - my panel looks diff but thank you!!!

Mike I have the 2021 and I am going yo caffeinate and go sit in truck in a few minutes with manual and deal with this. Will keep posted. Had to tire doggo out - 2 mile walk. He keeps me going, I tell you. NOW he is sleeping and I can start dealing with everything else here til he needs to go pee!

Thanks - they had pink stuff in tank at delivery. Gone now. Big concern today is truck not letting me back up bc of sensor thinking ball is an object. All this will have to wait I think. Hope it doesn’t damage Ollie but I MUST start practicing re-hitching or I am not going anywhere. There is NO one here to help. Here meaning in the campground. It’s dang near empty.

Wiped down shower basin with a cleaner and not smelling it again (so far). Likely it was “residue.” Walmart is 6 min from park in Lawrenceburg TN. Fairly large city really has everything. All the chain stores etc.

Thanks John - I will try to deal with this at some point. Right now I cannot even hardly unhitch, done it ONCE when I arrived at SP here, and am very concerned with re-hitching alone in a few days when I must leave here. It is quite overwhelming, all this. I am still exhausted. My brain won’t work as well as it should. The campground is near empty and I am hoping to disable a fancy feature in the truck that slams on the brakes and will not even let the truck back up because “it” thinks the ball in back on my receiver thing is something I am going to collide with! I MUST disable this feature or I will NEVER be able to even practice backing up in order to re-hitch, hard enough to do alone — even at OTT delivery the experienced TECH guy guided me and we had to repeatedly make adjustments and HE even manhandled the whole hitch a bit to get the ball in the right spot and it took 15 minutes — but as an exhausted newbie even harder. My priority today is to turn off the truck feature that thinks my ball in back is a baby carriage I am about to back over. Technology. It’s good buy sometimes it actually takes over TOO much.

I did text! We are in touch! Dog people are my people. I think I was a dog in a past life. Haha.

Carl, cannot thank you enough for what you wrote, de-lurking or what-not too. Helps a LOT to know you guys are “there.” Trying to collect some text numbers (PMs) for Panic Moments. I am glad my stuff may help others. Once I know what I am doing I am going to blog. I am a writer (humor mostly, tough market because so subjective), among other sorts of unusual hats I wear. Or have worn. Normally not this frazzled, but it’s been a horrific 4 years or so. Relentless family, friend tragedy, etc. I have not had time (priorities and all) to set up internet, but when I get my MacBook and all set up I made a site (another hat I wear) where I plan to write whatever silliness and travel stories. https://whendogsdrive.com Sheri

Got the small heater (tip proof) at Walmart when I was out on The Big Shopping Thing. Thanks! I remember opening the propane cover (or watching as Orientation Guy did it, anyway). Will check manana. New “Off-Topic”™ — Question: Trigger Warning. Contains Descriptions of Bodily Functions. When I return from outside (after maybe an hour or more) I smell a strong urine odor. I did pee in the toilet twice (never been hooked to water OR sewer so far) but was too new to be confident to flush. So the “liquid” stayed wherever it goes. “Black Tank,” right? First time I drove-towed 3 blocks back to OTT, arrived and found it had splashed out into shower basin a bit. Ew. Rep was unfazed and said just take the jug of water I had in truck and splash water in there to clean it up. As you saw above, water stayed in shower basin until I learned today (thanks to you guys) to not be afraid to pull harder on the black handle by the base of the toilet. And voila! It drained out. Yet today I ventured to WalMart and after 2-3 hours returned to strong smell of urine. Like a lame game of “Clue,” suspicion was first cast on “Dog in the Cabin Alone For Two Hours.” But NO. He has NEVER peed in a dwelling of any kind, even as a puppy. Ever. Not once. He has been cleared of any wrongdoing and a public apology had been issued (herein). So . . . was it Me In The Toilet Peeing Twice & Not Having Something Open Or Closed Properly (still)? The suspect list is small. BTW. Rep said he did NOT smell anything like that even when he entered cabin with me and said throw water from jug in shower basin where it had somehow splashed a bit. Lid yo toilet was NOT left open at any time (even on 3-block drive towing Ollie back to OTT where splashery was first discovered). What is causing this? Any ideas? Dog has been cleared. I have not used Ollie toilet since the Splashing Mystery began nor after the water jug cleansing nor since the “pull hard on the black handle” lesson this morning. I am baffled. And no, I have not smelled the smell since unloading stuff I bought at Walmart and I have been walking with Dog, James Dog, and in and out of the Ollie many times. Now sitting in Ollie and do not smell anything. TIA. This was TMI but I did warn you guys. Heh.

THANK YOU!!