Znarffsu
Clermont, Fl
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Joined: 08/18/2004
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Today is the 1 year anniversary of a serious camper injury due to a mistake I will never forget. I was loading my 21ft hybrid just as I have loaded other trailers for the past 18 years when I cut off an inch of my finger. Please learn from my mistake as the read this. When I first lowered the camper onto the ball of the hitch, it didnt align and didnt drop down. It was resting on top of the ball. I then did what I have done a million times before. I got in the truck and backed up until I heard and felt the camper slam down onto the hitch. I went back to inspect it, and indeed it was down on the ball and everything was as it should be. Or so I thought. When I went to lock the tounge, it dropped another inch and sucked my pointer finger up between the ball and the inside of the tounge. For a minute I was stuck as I tried to slowly winch the camper off my finger with my good arm. I remember thinking in slow motion that I was in serious trouble. When the hitch finally lifted off my finger, it flopped over and dangled by a small piece of skin. A year later after months of pins, pain, and bone grafs, I am happy to say that they successfully reattached my finger and I have complete mobility and feeling in it. Please learn from my stupid mistake and dont ever get your fingers anywhere near that area of the hitch even if you think its securely resting on the ball.
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colochoclab
Arvada, Colorado
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Joined: 05/24/2006
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Ow! Ow! Ow!
-Lab
2008 Nissan Titan LE Crew 4x4, DOHC 5.6 V8 w/VVT, Big Tow Pkg.
2006 Jayco JayFlight 29FBS
Equal-i-zer 10K Hitch
Prodigy Brake Control
Member of clubtitan.org
"Hershey" the Chocolate Lab!
"I asked God for a true friend: He sent me a Labrador Retriever."
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10tca01
Columbia Missouri
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Joined: 02/25/2008
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colochoclab wrote:Ow! Ow! Ow!
-Lab
Couldn't have said it better!
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SallyCO
Castle Rock, CO
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Joined: 11/27/2007
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The only thing that would hurt worse is if there were a way to get your big toe up in there.
Ouch!
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setter g
Michigan
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Joined: 03/26/2008
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Thanks for sharing your story. I know that your peer to peer sharing will benefit many. We all need reminders about safety and some things that we do over and over become routine while the hazards are real. I am glad to hear that you able to recover and that you regained use of your finger. It sounds like you kept a cool head and did the right things, it might have been my reaction to jerk my hand away.
Palomino Stampede S-195SD
1999 Silverado 1500 5.3L V8
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JudoJeff
Southwick, MA
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Joined: 08/06/2008
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Thank you for sharing your story, around here we stick our fingers into snow blowers all the time.
K1BE Jeff
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HedoTravelers
Rochester, New York & Jamaica, W.I.
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Joined: 07/12/2007
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So sorry to hear of your incident.
When I picture it in my minds eye, I just can't figure out how or why your finger would be under the hitch so it could be caught in between. I too have a 21' HTT and my fingers never get that low. I only touch the top latch. I would see no need for me to have them that low.
I understand things like that happen quickly, and it can be hard to recall exactly your steps prior to it especially when you do this procedure often.
Glad your recovery went well. Happy camping!
Respect,
Brent
TV ~
Cadillac Escalade EXT, Prodigy BC, Reese Pro Series SC
Rigs ~
Starcraft Travelstar 21RBS, Alcan Traveler Tent Camper
"Where ever you go, there you are"
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trop-a-cal
Palm Coast Fl
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Joined: 09/24/2007
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Sounds like the time I screwed a self tappping sheet metal screw into my finger. I did it with a drill that had no reverse. No screw driver either. Had to yell to my co-worker to bring his screw driver as I had screwed it through the A/C duct in the wall. Man did that hurt!
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rhillx4
Huntington Beach ,CA
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Joined: 10/13/2007
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OUCH!!!
2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad-Cab
2008 Jayco JayFlight 26BH
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wvojak
SW Washington State
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Joined: 05/05/2005
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SallyCO wrote:The only thing that would hurt worse is if there were a way to get your big toe up in there.
Ouch!
No. . . There is one more body part that would be worse. . . But we won't go there!
To the OP: Glad you are doing better. I know what you went through. Many years ago I had a brand new handgun blow up in my hand. . Surgery was required. To this day it still causes some minor aches and pains. But for several months afterward the pain was quite unpleasant. The low point was having surgery done on the hand with only local anesthetic. 
Bill Vojak
SW Washington State
2001 K2500HD Suburban LT w/Autoride - 6.0L/4.10 - Eaz-Lift w/WD
2006 Kodiak 214 Hybrid TT
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