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Our Awesome Travels

Our Awesome Travels
Taken In Quartzsite Arizona Dec 7th 2015

Monday, September 10, 2012

Spring cleaning in the fall and how I flooded our coach, not once but three times, with black water!

Where are we today ?
Rock Glen Resort Arkona Ontario
        Our freinds Rob and Pat left this morning heading back home and we have some free time and excellent warm sunny fall weather. Gonna see them again in about 5 weeks our so as we head south.
         As we do every fall, while we are waiting to head south, we do some needed cleaning. First off today was to remove all of our screens and give the a good cleaning. Get pretty dirty with our windows open and the Fantastic fan running all summer. Don't use our airconditioner much, we prefer the the hot humid weather and spend most of our time outside in the shade so the screens get pretty dirty.
all cleaned up
         Next on the agenda was to remove our roof vent covers and give the a good cleaning too. While they are drying I can clean the roof around the vents then reinstall them.
vent covers clean too
        By the time this was done a large part of the day was done, its now 3:30 pm, think I can stop now and read for a while in the shade. Its such a beautiful day. 
         Ok relax a bit with our books and a cold brew, time to fire up our Weber for supper. Tonight some BBQ'd sweet and sour ribs, sauerkraut, baked potatoes and carrots I think will do the trick.
all done 
yep its pretty tasty too
         I had read a posting from Al from the Bayfield Bunch  the other day and he mentioned some dumb things that he has done. Well I am sure we have all done dumb things at some time in our lives and Rv'ers sure do their share of them. My most memorable moments are flooding our coach with black water (sewage from our toilet for you non rv'ers). Yep I did it, (not once but three times!) so how did I do it????
        A few years ago we are visiting friends at 50 Point Conservation area in Stoney Creek Ontario. Larry and Marilyn of the Amazing Vanstones, full time Rver's, fellow bloggers and the man who sold us our dream machine to retire in over 6 years ago. 
        We had spent a couple nice days visting with them and as we are getting ready to leave sunday morning we have our routines, Suzie does the inside stuff and I do the outside stuff. First things was to dump and flush out waste water tanks. While I do this I also check the tire pressure. Our coach has a solid waste tank flusher as do a lot of rv's now. You are supposed to flush the tanks with the dump valve open, just like the sign says. But every once in a while I will close the valve, fill the tank from the flusher and dump again to get it extra clean. 
        As I was checking the tires Larry and Marilyn stopped by with the dogs to say  good bye and of course we start chatting. I forgot about the flushing until Suzie said why is there water running out under our coach? OOPPSSS, I quick ran shut off the water and open the black water dump valve. Too late damage done, out back tank had filled to the top, filled the toilet and flooded the bathroom in our coach. But luckily I had already dumped and flushed it so not too bad. Still a mess to clean up. They left us to clean up our mess and we headed on out. Ok don't do that again Suzie tells me. I am surprised how calm she was. 

        The second time was a year later not nearly as bad but still a bit of a mess to clean up, I don't remember all the details but I did it again. Trying to block this from my memory.
        Ok now the third time was brutal! The engine battery was dead on our coach so I removed it and went to purchase a new one. Before installing I figure I will wash the battery tray down with baking soda and rinse it with fresh water, once dry I will repaint it and install the new battery. No problem right?
        But I want to use the water hose connected to our coach. Shut it off at the pedestal and release the hose pressure I just open the fresh water tap next to it. Mind you it is hooked up to the "Solid Waste tank flusher", releases the hose pressure and away I go. Now when done I just hooked the hose back up to our coach. Don't hear the tank flusher running (kinda deaf ya know).  And we go to the other side of the coach to relax outside with out books. Suzie came inside for water and smelled a sewer smell, so we checked it out. We thought our coach was level but water flooding your coach will tell you different. OH no not again! Well we had about two inches of black water in the rear third of our coach and I had not just dumped the black water tank. What a mess! The bathroom, the bedroom carpet, closet etc... I think if Suzie had a gun she may have shot me. But being the angel she is she pitched in, I borrowed a shop vac from the resort and a long handle mop. Cleaning, mopping, lysol, pinesol we got it pretty well cleaned up, but it was late in the evening by now. 
        First thing in the morning I am off to the store to rent a rug shampooer, and steamed cleaned the carpets THREE times, vacuumed again and frebreeze. Now she still loves me (not sure why) and I promised not to do it again, hopefully I don't forget. But now I am paranoid and check the tank flusher at least four times every time after I re-hook up the water hose.
        That it for today, I used the hose twice and check the tanks flusher valve at least six time today, No flooding, Suzie is happy and I am still alive.
         Thanks for stopping by and experiencing one of the dumbest things I have done "Three Times!"



Check out the map below to see where we have been this summer
View Summer 2012 in a larger map

20 comments:

  1. That is why I use a white marine water hose for the city connection only and a garden hose for flushing and cleaning.

    We all have our stories so don't feel bad. Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    Replies
    1. The green garden hose is only for flushing and leaning.

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  2. true confessions are good for the soul, but next time let Suzie do it in case it happens again...

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  3. Thanks for sharing your dumb and dumber moments. Makes us feel like we're not the only ones who do crazy things!! Your Suzie is an angel lol!

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  4. I share your challenge of trying to do two things at once and forgetting about one of them. My famous one is turning the hose on in the pool, starting another project and remembering that it was still running the next morning only to find a flooded yard. You are certainly not alone!

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  5. Oh no! What a story but you are right we all have ours. Your story reminded me of a good one our daughter in law pulled while painting. She stuck her foot in a bucket of pink paint and spilled the paint all over the carpet in a house they were renting. We were up all night with a shampooer and everything else we could find trying to get that pink paint out of that light beige carpet. We did but it was quite a chore.

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  6. Wow that sure would be a mess too, but at least would smell better than ours.

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  7. I've actually done the same thing but just once and was very lucky that I caught it before the toilet overflowed. Lesson learned and I don't wander off anymore when I'm flushing out the black tank.

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    Replies
    1. Yes but sometimes I do forget, You lucky that you caught it.

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  8. we all have our stories...just some of us aren't brave enough to tell them :)....

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  9. Interesting reading but I don't want to experience it, thank you. I met the two of you at Quartzsite in January. I was parked just over and behind you in the black Fleetwood Terra.
    John

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    Replies
    1. Yes John I do remember you dropping by just after we met up with the Bayfield Bunch. Thanks for stopping in again.

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  10. Glad I am not you. I watched a man in a very nice RV do the most amazing thing a few years back. He parked and got all set up, then connected his dump hose to the sewer & RV. He opened the black valve and nothing happened. He then got on his knees and unhooked the RV side and looked in. Next he picked up a broom and shoved the handle in. He was hit in the chest with all the contents of his black tank. I unhooked and moved my RV to a better side of the park.

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    Replies
    1. I have seen that happen to, I think much worse than my "accidents"

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    2. My gosh, hilarious, but not for that RV'er! We used to think 'things' only happened to us with the RV, then we read blogs and realize that 'things' happen to everyone else as well! WE almost forgot the hose a couple of times!

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    3. Theses things do happen, make fore colorful stories that's fore sure.

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