Double b
04-17-2017, 04:04 AM
I don't know about the rest of everyone here, but I'm sure that I am not the only one who has that "John Candy or Uncle Buck" moment in the their life while camping that sticks with them to this day. And I am sure there are others our there like me that have more of them in your life than the average person.
What I a referencing is the Karma. It seams to find me in spades. I find as I get older that it do not allow it to effect me as much as it did in my younger days, but there is always something that happens that leaves me red faced and my wife and kids laughing their butts off.
For example, last year we where on our first big/long trip with the new camper. On our way to Tobermory Canada we decided to take the bag roads and see the country. We where well into our 3 hour of driving and I look down at the gas gage and notice that its just above a 1/4 tank. So I mention to the wife that hey the next little town we need to stop and get gas. Well it turns out that we are in Amish country and little to my knowledge there are not a lot of gas stations around.
We pass thru the first town no gas station, then 40 mils away another town and no gas station. Final we spot in the third town (gas gage is reading 1/8 of a tank) and the pump are 90 degrees to the road. :eek: I look at my wife and say no problem!, there is a fairly big parking lot and I get around in it and pull into the tanks.
When pulling into the lot I become aware to the overhang from the neighboring building along the drive to the back of the lot, I also become aware to the way the cars are park in the lot. I end up finding myself where I cannot make the final turn to get to pumps due to 1 car in the lot so I have to back up and jack knife the rig a bit to try to get around this one car. Wouldn't you know, Karma kicks in. As I back up 4-5' I here a crunching sound. Yep its the bumper and the nice fiberglass front cap on our rib. Jam on the brakes, put it in park, and check out the damage. It's there a small 2" round indent in the fiberglass cap where the bumper touched.
So what to do, I walk into the gas station and notice everyone in watching us with rabid attention. I ask the lady behind the counter at the gas bar if they knew who's car it was. Lucky it was her's. I politely asked if she could move it up a couple of feet so I could get around to the pumps, and she very nicely agreed to move it. Great I think!
Again Karma kicks in again! After she moves her car I pull up to the pump. I get out and look over the trailer and truck and confirm I can get out, then walk up to the pump. Nice big paper sheet taped to the front of all the pumps, no gas. Truck will be in next Tuesday.
Now this is where I get a bit upset! Why would a gas station be open in a small town, if there is no gas? What's the point? I walk into the store again and ask politely (remember I'm Canadian) where is the nearest station that does have gas. They inform us that there maybe gas 2-3 town down the road.
So we pull out of the station and continue on our way. We did find gas, and my mood did improve once we got it, but my wife and kids laughing about the crunch on the cap and the other fun stuff at the gas station still gets talked about to this day. Every time we hook up to the camper as a matter of fact.
Moral of the story, even though karma kicks in, its at those times that the best times are made. My kids will always remember when daddy almost ran out of gas, broke the camper and almost hit the building in the gas station.
My point in sharing this is 2 fold. 1) to help new camper to think about a couple lessons learned, (plan out fuel stops, check our clearances before pulling in, and always make sure they have what you need before committing a pump) and 2) the worst times Karma shows up, is normally when it is needed the most. Laugh them off and move forward. They help build the family memories that last life times. :)
I'm hoping others will share their tales of Karma that where family memory building events. Because isn't that what camping is all about.
By the way, my nick name from my buddies is John Candy, because these events happen with great frequency. :facepalm:
What I a referencing is the Karma. It seams to find me in spades. I find as I get older that it do not allow it to effect me as much as it did in my younger days, but there is always something that happens that leaves me red faced and my wife and kids laughing their butts off.
For example, last year we where on our first big/long trip with the new camper. On our way to Tobermory Canada we decided to take the bag roads and see the country. We where well into our 3 hour of driving and I look down at the gas gage and notice that its just above a 1/4 tank. So I mention to the wife that hey the next little town we need to stop and get gas. Well it turns out that we are in Amish country and little to my knowledge there are not a lot of gas stations around.
We pass thru the first town no gas station, then 40 mils away another town and no gas station. Final we spot in the third town (gas gage is reading 1/8 of a tank) and the pump are 90 degrees to the road. :eek: I look at my wife and say no problem!, there is a fairly big parking lot and I get around in it and pull into the tanks.
When pulling into the lot I become aware to the overhang from the neighboring building along the drive to the back of the lot, I also become aware to the way the cars are park in the lot. I end up finding myself where I cannot make the final turn to get to pumps due to 1 car in the lot so I have to back up and jack knife the rig a bit to try to get around this one car. Wouldn't you know, Karma kicks in. As I back up 4-5' I here a crunching sound. Yep its the bumper and the nice fiberglass front cap on our rib. Jam on the brakes, put it in park, and check out the damage. It's there a small 2" round indent in the fiberglass cap where the bumper touched.
So what to do, I walk into the gas station and notice everyone in watching us with rabid attention. I ask the lady behind the counter at the gas bar if they knew who's car it was. Lucky it was her's. I politely asked if she could move it up a couple of feet so I could get around to the pumps, and she very nicely agreed to move it. Great I think!
Again Karma kicks in again! After she moves her car I pull up to the pump. I get out and look over the trailer and truck and confirm I can get out, then walk up to the pump. Nice big paper sheet taped to the front of all the pumps, no gas. Truck will be in next Tuesday.
Now this is where I get a bit upset! Why would a gas station be open in a small town, if there is no gas? What's the point? I walk into the store again and ask politely (remember I'm Canadian) where is the nearest station that does have gas. They inform us that there maybe gas 2-3 town down the road.
So we pull out of the station and continue on our way. We did find gas, and my mood did improve once we got it, but my wife and kids laughing about the crunch on the cap and the other fun stuff at the gas station still gets talked about to this day. Every time we hook up to the camper as a matter of fact.
Moral of the story, even though karma kicks in, its at those times that the best times are made. My kids will always remember when daddy almost ran out of gas, broke the camper and almost hit the building in the gas station.
My point in sharing this is 2 fold. 1) to help new camper to think about a couple lessons learned, (plan out fuel stops, check our clearances before pulling in, and always make sure they have what you need before committing a pump) and 2) the worst times Karma shows up, is normally when it is needed the most. Laugh them off and move forward. They help build the family memories that last life times. :)
I'm hoping others will share their tales of Karma that where family memory building events. Because isn't that what camping is all about.
By the way, my nick name from my buddies is John Candy, because these events happen with great frequency. :facepalm: