Some Wrench With A Cable

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Pulled out of the drive yesterday to pick up the other half walking the Mutt down the road.
Pulled up and got out of camper when her indoors said your dragging your cable

Sure enough behind me was my 60+' Mains hookup cable

On the drive the camper is normally hooked up to keep the batteries up to speed as it does not get daily use.
I pass it around the rear bumper and up over some hooks I have fitted to the car port and then under the garage door with a 1/2" gap, just enough for the cable.
Wound up cable and returned to house to find the mating part of the socket end wedged under the garage door, which is a good 2" diameter.
Took a while to open bent garage door and then the door sprung back to shape.
Inspection the rear bumper slight bending to brackets which you wouild not easily notice.

Both cable ends where stil intact as the cable was wound around bumper did not pull out of socket on back of camper.

In hind sight it would of been better to just trail the cable out of back and when you drive off the socket would just un hitch from plug on cable end.

Could of been much much worse.

You are not going to feel a cable snagging behind the three ton camper are you and you know how thick hook up cables are.

Lucky I did not drive far with the dragging cable

Feel a fool too.........

[cycleruk]

In a similar vein, motorcyclists use a "disc lock" on their front wheels and a few have driven off forgetting it's there. Bike falls over and possible bent disc or damaged front fork.
As an aid memoir we position a string from lock to clutch lever as a warning.
Perhaps you can do something similar such as something on the steering wheel as a warning.
Or, if cable long enough, then position it on the cab door handle so it's obvious as you get in.

I once set of on my motorbike with the steering lock still on. Fortunately bike just went round in an arc and I managed to stay upright.

[Redvee]

My GradDad used to put a blanket on his car engine in the winter and as a reminder used to peg a note on the steering wheel. Maybe something similar is needed?

[reohn2]

Rule 1:- when you make a stupid and elementary mistake,don't tell anyone who needn't know
Rule 2:- don't do it again

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
When I jack the van up to level it I always place the jack handle on the floor next to the pedals.
I dont know why I did not do the peg on the wheel idea, I was going to rig up a warning light and alarm even an starter cut out if mains is on (needs to be better as the power might not be flowing)
Had a few near misses in the past so the cable once I check it over will not go near the van till I have a fail safe.
I was more concerned with danger to other road users than pulling the carport of the house...................

[fausto copy]

Fortunately I haven't had any such incidents with my campervan (yet - please Sod off, Sod's law) but the worst incident I had was at work a few years back. Driving my 2 ton van (company name withheld) the back doors flew open and the 11kg gas bottle rolled out too. It had a long flexible hose connected to a blowlamp, which fortunately hooked on a side handle and thus stopped the bottle from disappearing from view. I'm not sure how long I drove with the bottle dragging behind until flashed by a motorist. Thankfully no injuries to anyone.....