15 replies to this topic

[StevenE]

If this is wrong spot for this question please redirect I posted this on Casita FB page also...

 

well this weekend went well until the egg rolled backwards over a parking cement block (never mind how) and ripped out all the plumbing black and gray water...thank goodness the park folks and hosts are friends and even helped clean the mess...but now about the repairs..I can not find a diagram or instructions on attaching piping fittings etc...I havent done a complete inspection but will have to replace everthing from the black water tank on..including fittings on the tank itself...just need a few suggestions on what to use and what brands of gates to use...I guess it is best to use abs rather than pvc, or does it matter....chime in please..I may put a few pictures up this afternoon...after I do a more complete inspection

[LHCAZ]

Can't give good advice for the Black side except that it's most likely do-able but for the Gray I'd say a good place to start would be the Fast Gray Mod kit from Little House Customs .com

This will give you new and improved plumbing from the gray tank to the 3" black tank dump valve. Depending on the damage, the black tank repairs shouldn't be too hard.

[C.FiberglassFreedom]

Curiosity... I really want to know how.

[StevenE]

_{Just mental lapse..}

_{...okay we were breaking camp. my wife backed the vehicle and we attached everything correctly...I removed jacks, chocks etc..then I undid the electric and removed the water hose and that was the down fall...I walked to the car and said "hey help me drain water from the hose"..all we can figure is the car was still in R when she got out, but it didnt move for 3 or 4 minutes...when it did I ran and jumped in but it already slowly moved back (steep incline) and rolled over the parking block...it was slow and I hope not to find much more damage but who knows....}

 

_{update....more damage than I expected...going to take it to Casita (only 3 hrs away)...if very high, I will file insurance, already notified my agent...}

[clairemr1]

so sorry to hear this. please let us know the outcome once casita gets a chance to look at it. things like this happen. i had one trailer wheel up on 2 high pieces of wood this summer in lander, wyoming, city park to level the trailer. put merlin in the trailer and then jacked it up in order to hitch up. backed the truck up to it but didn't get the trailer high enough. hit the tongue with the truck and the trailer bounced back and off the wood. i had already stored the chocks. bad decision. thankfully, the ground was level enough that the trailer didn't take off backwards and hit someone or something. really scared me and merlin's eyes were enormous when i opened the trailer door to check on him. really silly. from now on, i always get out and check that the trailer tongue is at maximum height before backing the truck up to it to hitch up......................and make sure the chocks are the last things i put away after hitching up..................

Edited by clairemr1, 29 February 2016 - 04:46 PM.

[jimiller5]

If your trailer ever tries to get away from you, just pull the emergency breakaway cord. This will lock the brakes.

[clairemr1]

    thanks, jim, now if i can just remember that in the heat of the moment! it sure woke me up that morning, i can tell you!

[Mark Watson]

Actually all things can be relative. I remember in one of these forums, a run away trailer caused a death. If you just have broken stuff, it's really not all that bad. 

[Wally Z]

Check the Casita store.  I think I remember seeing pluming stuff including tanks there.  Might want to call Casita also. I'm sure they would love to sell you what you need.

[C.FiberglassFreedom]

Thank you for sharing your story I really do appreciate it. Your story is something that goes through my head all the time when I have my Casita, it's still new to me so like a new parent I get anxiety and like to over think the worst. I had an incident where the Casita rolled off this lump of mulch and slid off the concrete block the jack was sitting on and it sunk into the ground like a spear the trailer was nearly an inch off the main frame before the jack hit something hard in the ground. My heart was racing and it taught me to never Un hitch before thoroughly checking tires and chocks and to always have chocks.

I'm so sorry to hear your Casita might not have survived... if you do total it out you could offer some first hand insight on the process and insurance.

[Euphoria]

If your trailer ever tries to get away from you, just pull the emergency breakaway cord. This will lock the brakes.

 

Really? It's not exactly where I'd want to be. Let's see here...you wanna jump in between two moving vehicles, and fidget with the not-too-easy-to pull apart break-away cord, and also with nobody's butt in the driver's seat to step on the brake pedal, while the whole thing runs over you...Sorry, but that's a candidate for the "Darwin Award" in my book. 

 

That's why I have AAA Premier. I'll stand on the side with my phone waiting for the tow truck instead of waiting for the ambulance or the Coroner.

Edited by Euphoria, 01 March 2016 - 01:18 PM.

[jimiller5]

I was actually responding to Claire as well as offering sound advice to anyone else who might forget to chock the wheels before unhitching.

[Euphoria]

Whenever a post is made, on this site or any other, it is out there for everyone to read. Unfortunately, there are often well intended thoughts and ideas expressed which are not necessarily good ideas. Giving bad advice is worse than not giving any advice at all. I definitely question your assumption of it being "sound advice" in any way, shape or form. Getting in front of, or between, any moving vehicle(s) is never a smart idea. Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[clairemr1]

    thanks for everyone's well-intentioned advice. that experience taught me a few things. 1. even though i've now done this regularly for 2 years, i can still make a bad decision in a distracted moment with potentially dire consequences. 2. never ever ever remove the chocks til the trailer is completely hitched to the tow vehicle. 3. get out of the tow vehicle and visually make sure the trailer is jacked up high enough for the tow vehicle hitch to get in proper position under it. don't just rely on the back up camera  4. don't  get in a hurry, that's how stuff happens. no amt of rushing to see the sights in gorgeous terrain is worth not taking the time to do things correctly and safely. 5. don't ever think you can't make a mistake. humans have an annoying habit of making them from time to time. safe and enjoyable travels to all..............................

[larrysmith]

The #1 problem that I would be concerned about is the fitting just above the elbow that screws into the black water tank.  I just hope that it is not broken.  The rest of the plumbing is a "walk in the park" compared to that mess.    Larry