It's a nice quiet evening, everything settled and routine. Randy is perusing the news on his laptop at the table, Jakob is reading, Anna is playing quietly with toys, I'm washing the dishes. All's right with the world...
And then...the sink stops draining. Soapy water is bubbling back up from the drain. What?! Now, what do I do?? Ask JAKOB, of course! He knows everything about this RV we are living in!
He checks the control panel (hidden in the cupboard above the TV/sound system). Grey water tank, 3 lights, 3/4 full, doesn't need drained yet. Black water tank (sewage), 3 lights, 3/4 full, doesn't need drained yet. Galley tank...GALLEY TANK??? What IS this?? 4 lights, FULL, must be drained. Okay...but where is the drain handle?? Oh no, even Jakob is baffled. Now what will we do??
We think about it. Jakob looks outside under the far side of the trailer. Yep, like we thought there are two, count 'em TWO, handles color-coded and labeled grey and black. We have him try draining those tanks, just in case. First the black water, then the grey water. Back inside...nope, no change in my soapy, bubbly sink drain.
We pull out the slim, cheaply bound "RV manual." It has been mostly useless in the past...maybe it will have actual information this time?? ... ... ... nope, this useless pile of paper mentions grey water and black water tanks, but the "galley" tank apparently doesn't exist.
Now we are getting really frustrated. Past bedtime, kids are making more noise and distracting us, Jakob didn't know the answers this time, off to bed they are sent...
The sink sits and glares accusingly at us (we can't even manage simple things like this? Just what are we doing thinking we can live full-time in this place??) Both Randy and I get busy with our laptops. Check the manufacturer's website... nothing... check RV sites and forums and articles and... a few glimmers of info but nothing specific. This isn't helping!
Randy searches the cupboard under the sink, looking for clues. He wiggles this pipe and that. Nothin...oops! water leaking! OH NO! Randy wiggles the pipes the other way, tightens joints, cusses and swears (after all, that IS the correct magic for stopping leaks, isn't it?!). Whew! It stops, just a wet floor inside the cupboard. Towels to the rescue...
THAT didn't go well. Let's try looking outside (in the dark, of course). We crawl around under the kitchen side of the RV. Hmmm...here's a pipe underneath...where does it go? Check the far side of the trailer again. Nope, still no hidden release handles near the other two drains. "Look further back, under the slide out living area," calls Randy. So, I crawl under that section, looking all the way under the RV. Ahhhhhhh...another little handle...hidden away from everything else... Pull it, hear the water whoosh through the drain hose. Crawl back out and head inside. My sink has stopped bubbling and the lights for the "galley" on the control panel are back to 1, empty. YAY! We did it!
(Apparently builders take devilish delight in wreaking havoc in the lives of RV owners. Someday, maybe, we will find the tiny cameras the manufacturer installed...which gives them live footage of owners baffled by the hidden secrets of these RVs. Do they view these films at company parties to get a good laugh?! ARGGHHH!!)
And then...the sink stops draining. Soapy water is bubbling back up from the drain. What?! Now, what do I do?? Ask JAKOB, of course! He knows everything about this RV we are living in!
He checks the control panel (hidden in the cupboard above the TV/sound system). Grey water tank, 3 lights, 3/4 full, doesn't need drained yet. Black water tank (sewage), 3 lights, 3/4 full, doesn't need drained yet. Galley tank...GALLEY TANK??? What IS this?? 4 lights, FULL, must be drained. Okay...but where is the drain handle?? Oh no, even Jakob is baffled. Now what will we do??
We think about it. Jakob looks outside under the far side of the trailer. Yep, like we thought there are two, count 'em TWO, handles color-coded and labeled grey and black. We have him try draining those tanks, just in case. First the black water, then the grey water. Back inside...nope, no change in my soapy, bubbly sink drain.
We pull out the slim, cheaply bound "RV manual." It has been mostly useless in the past...maybe it will have actual information this time?? ... ... ... nope, this useless pile of paper mentions grey water and black water tanks, but the "galley" tank apparently doesn't exist.
Now we are getting really frustrated. Past bedtime, kids are making more noise and distracting us, Jakob didn't know the answers this time, off to bed they are sent...
The sink sits and glares accusingly at us (we can't even manage simple things like this? Just what are we doing thinking we can live full-time in this place??) Both Randy and I get busy with our laptops. Check the manufacturer's website... nothing... check RV sites and forums and articles and... a few glimmers of info but nothing specific. This isn't helping!
Randy searches the cupboard under the sink, looking for clues. He wiggles this pipe and that. Nothin...oops! water leaking! OH NO! Randy wiggles the pipes the other way, tightens joints, cusses and swears (after all, that IS the correct magic for stopping leaks, isn't it?!). Whew! It stops, just a wet floor inside the cupboard. Towels to the rescue...
THAT didn't go well. Let's try looking outside (in the dark, of course). We crawl around under the kitchen side of the RV. Hmmm...here's a pipe underneath...where does it go? Check the far side of the trailer again. Nope, still no hidden release handles near the other two drains. "Look further back, under the slide out living area," calls Randy. So, I crawl under that section, looking all the way under the RV. Ahhhhhhh...another little handle...hidden away from everything else... Pull it, hear the water whoosh through the drain hose. Crawl back out and head inside. My sink has stopped bubbling and the lights for the "galley" on the control panel are back to 1, empty. YAY! We did it!
(Apparently builders take devilish delight in wreaking havoc in the lives of RV owners. Someday, maybe, we will find the tiny cameras the manufacturer installed...which gives them live footage of owners baffled by the hidden secrets of these RVs. Do they view these films at company parties to get a good laugh?! ARGGHHH!!)
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Aww! Sounds frustrating! Hope there are no more hidden drains around there!
ReplyDeleteOk, I had to laugh at this one. Even thousands of miles apart we are both having plumbing problems! Bob started in after Christmas to remodel Kari's bathroom and finally put in the new tub to replace the tub that cracked and flooded the computer room next door. I have a new tub, but no walls, no sink, no floor yet...
ReplyDeleteBut, my pipes are not frozen and my sink is still draining So why are you crawling under the RV and not Randy? Isn't that a manly thing to do? ME, no way in the dark under something that might have wild things hidding there waiting to attack. I liked Jakob's blog about putting in the insulation - don't they make snuggies for RV's? Maybe a big inflatable plastic bubble with a blower that inflates around the RV and uses solar power to keep the heat going?
Hmmm...Have you considered going into business with comfy RV products? It might well be a good source of extra income!
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