I’ll Be Switched

As I said the other day, every time an RV goes rolling down the highway it’s subject to earthquake forces as it bounces over potholes and through rough construction zones. So it’s no wonder that things shake loose or break from time to time.

A few days ago Terry started a load of laundry and we heard the sound of water splashing that we’ve never heard before. She turned off the Splendide washer/dryer combo and said the carpet in front of the unit was wet. Hmmm… that’s not good.

We can see the back of the Splendide from a removable square in our bedroom closet, and when we turned the unit back on water started spilling out of the drain pipe. Nope, not good at all.

Our first thought was that the pipe was clogged with something, but when we tried running a snake down it, it immediately hit an obstruction. We pulled the washer forward a little bit in its cabinet and after studying the situation for a few minutes Terry got a brainstorm. She unscrewed the big plastic lock nut that holds the drain trap to the vented drain pipe and pulled it out. And sure enough, over time the plastic drain trap pipe had vibrated enough to move forward too far into the vented drain pipe and block it. She replaced it in the proper position, locked it down tight with the lock nut, and the problem was solved. I sure like being married to a handylady.

Another problem that has plagued our Winnebago for a long time is the design of the gray and black water drain system. Instead of having the typical T-handle that more RVs have, ours came with a cable system in which the actual valves are buried deep in the RV and when the gray or black handles are pulled, a cable connected to the handle opens or closes the valve. Theoretically. In reality, the design sucks and ever since we bought the motorhome we have had problems with the valves not opening or closing fully, or the cables failing completely and not working at all.

So yesterday I had Morry Bernard from West Coast Mobile RV Service & Repair replace the cable valves with electric valves. A lot of research online in different Winnebago forums said this is the way to go, and everybody who has made the conversion said it was well worth it. Now, instead of fighting with contrary valve handles and cables, I simply press a switch to dump.

One good thing that came from the washing machine problem was that while moving everything out of the way to pull the washer out, Terry spotted something in the very back corner and it was the opal she had lost out of her favorite ring a while back! As I wrote in a blog a couple of weeks ago, after a lot of searching we found a replacement stone to go into the ring, so now I guess she has a replacement if the replacement ever goes missing. Or I guess I could just buy her another ring to have the opal set in.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Highland Passage by J.L Jarvis. It’s a time travel historical romance that begins with the heroine blacking out following a car crash on an icy road and waking up in a mysterious stone chamber being cared for by a kilted man who claims to be an eighteenth century Scottish highlander. To enter, all you have to do is click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.

Thought For The Day – Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the “M” is silent.

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