[Tfrazier]

Hello everyone. Happy spring (at least in my part of the world).
I should start off by saying that the only reason I am posting this in the General area is because I couldn't find the "Stupid or Oops category to post in.
Now I debated whether or not to keep this little secret as my secret or or to share it. You will probably understand why the self-debate after your read the rest of the post.

So Saturday morning rolled around and I had all kinds of plans for 300 over the weekend. I was going to start by doing a complete wash and wax job and work on some leaking bay doors. Plenty to keep me busy for the next couple of days. Got up early and went to the storage facility to pick her up and bring her home. So far so good.

Got her home and right as I pulled up to the house my phone rang (reminder to add to the check list: Do not take a phone call during this time). But hey I am here so what can go wrong. I answered the phone and had a conversation with my wife (even though she was just inside the house). Fast forward. I shut everything down, got out and did a quick walk around to make sure everything was as it should be and headed up to the garage, which is about 60 feet or so away from where I parked. Right before I went into the garage, I had the thought that I may have been parked too far away from the curb so I ducked around the corner to give it one more look. It was in this moment that my heart just about jumped through my chest. Now is where I tell you that I live in a cul-de-sac and the road is very flat in front of my house (or so I thought) so you can imagine the shock when I realized that my coach is slowly rolling backwards. Yep, that is what I said. Just slowly rolling backwards with no one inside. 

I am pretty sure that I set sprint record (for my age group) running after the coach. I got the door opened and jumped inside just as it came to a stop. Like to song says, I ain't as fast as I once was, but I am as fast once as I ever was, or something like that. Fortunately, my neighbor two doors down has a slight up slope in the corner of her yard with some bushes and the coach fully stopped right at the base of the shrubs. I quickly started it up, pulled it back up in front of my house, shut it down (SET THE PARKING BREAK),  got out and checked for any damage to the coach and my neighbors yard. Thankfully neither. I had to pull a little dirt and mulch from the bottom corner of the coach but no body damage. 

I am very lucky and I am thankful that nothing was damaged and that no one was hurt. My neighbor has kids and typically there is a car or two parked in front of there house.  

Long story with a short point. Please do not forget to set you parking break and use your wheel chocks!!! Don't be like me.

[Johnnyboy]

Rookie, LOL. 
I think it has or could all happen to us all. I think I had done that surely in the past but don't remember, or either way it didn't roll so I was OK.

Thanks for sharing, never fun to admit sometimes. I just read of a Foretravel owner a few months ago doing the same thing and damaging his front passenger corner and needing to fix the door and all, so it definitely happens.

I'm sure with that experience one thing you will not forget is to set the parking brake! 

[folivier]

Been there, done that!

[Guy]

Yep . Me too! Lucky the area on a friends ranch was almost flat ! I think because we are not daily drivers of a vehicle with air brakes, we have no muscle memory to set the air.

[Winegrower]

Thanks for sharing.  You made it easy to feel your emotions and pain.  Glad no damage occurred anywhere although you may end up sore from the sprint.

[RussWhite]

YouTube is chocked full of similar situations, with much more dramatic results. I would just add that your life and health is way more important than that of your coach. Others, including a close friend of mine. got hurt during the "run after the run away". Jim got squeezed between the vehicle and the retaining wall. Be careful out there!

[HoosierDaddy]

Great reminder and superb story telling , Tony ( or Cindy?!!) B-)

[Richard]

Good thing you live in Columbia and not Asheville.

Great rendition of the story. We get so used to auto trans that lock the movement of the automobile. As you discovered the Allison does not lock up.

I saw it happen at a check in at Santa Fe Skys. Two rigs traveling together. Both got out to check in, and both left their rigs running. BTW, I hate it when people do that. Anyway, the one in the rear, not only did not set the brake, but he left in gear. He no sooner was in the office than his rig smacked his buddies tow car. It was hard enough to cave in the hatch on the CRV. Needless to say, there was a wee bit of consternation when they finished their check in.

[Ernie]

My blood pressure would have been through the roof

[ccjohnson]

Many many years ago when I was taking 3 of my young children on a boondocking fishing trip in my old Monaco Executive a similar thing occurred. We had left late at night and when I got tired we pulled into a wide area in the center of a rather tight curve in the road which served as a parking area for folks going on day hikes to see some of the sights in the area. When I woke everyone up I fixed the kids cereal for breakfast. I went outside to check the fluids etc before starting off on the rest of the trip. The executive was a front engine gasser on a GMC chassis. When I was opening the front panel to access the engine compartment, I looked up and saw my smiling 4 year old daughter standing in the driver's seat waving and watching me. Remember, at this point, the Executive is a 1982 model. No ignition, steering wheel, shifter interlock. Imagine my horror as I watched in slow motion her small hand taking hold of the shift lever and easing it out of park. As the coach started to roll backwards, I first tried in vain to hold it back by hanging onto the front end of it. The only thing I could se in my mind was the caoch rolling backwards across the highway and down an embankment on the other side of the roadway. I give full credit to the Lord for seeing to it that the parking area was somewhat of a bowl. The coach did not get enough inertia to make it out of the parking area. I will assure you all that I have been very diligent about using the parking brake since then. As well as teaching the kids not to touch anything in the driver area of a vehicle unless they understand what it is for.