Wish I Knew Those Too (2)
The “Wish I Knew” post was such a success, I thought I would post another four items resulting from RV repair service calls where the owner said, “Oops, I wish I knew that beforehand!”
- The dreaded poop pyramid.
Yes, I said it, and most all of us have had it…the black tank seems full, but doesn’t drain. Most of the time that happens, there is a pile or pyramid of “stuff” in the black tank just below the toilet drain and it just sits there, not going down the sewer hose.
To get rid of that pile, you need to use this flexible spray wand that goes on the end of a garden hose. With your foot on the flush pedal, stick this down the drain and turn it on and let the spray break up that pile and flush it down the sewer hose to the RV park sewer drain.
To prevent it from happening again: Start with an empty black tank, flush your favorite RV Black Tank Treatment down the toilet per instruction, along with about 1 or 2 gallons of water (which usually is 2 toilet bowl fills). Most black tank issues are due to not using enough water.
Occasionally you should use a digestor, such as this one to help break down sludge and grease buildup.
Since we are on the subject of toilets, about every 4th black tank dump, pour ¼ to ½ cup of vegetable oil down the toilet followed by 1 cup of water to help maintain and keep supple the gate valve rubber seals. Also, when your RV is sitting for a while, let some vegetable oil cover the black seal you can see in the bottom of the toilet bowl to keep it supple and sealing well.
- The awning catastrophe
I have seen many people set up their RV, run the awning(s) out, then leave to head to the trail or grocery store, only to come back and find their awning ripped off the sidewall, or wrapped up over their RV.
Awnings are expensive to repair or replace (mainly because it takes 2 RV Technicians), and are out of stock at most RV parts departments.
Please, only deploy your RV awning if you are sitting under it, or need it to shade the windows while you are inside. NEVER leave your RV with the awning out, because you never know when a gust of wind will lift and mangle your awning. Never leave it out if it’s windy at all, and not if it’s raining hard.
Some higher-end awnings have wind sensors that automatically retract the awning if needed. I have worked on those and the owner said they will never trust them again. Food for thought?
- The burned up water pump
If you are dry camping, turn off your water pump when you leave the RV, and back on again when you return. I have seen and heard of RV’ers who have come back from a hike to find a burned up water pump because of a leak or dripping faucet and the freshwater tank ran dry.
Water pumps need water to lubricate and cool them.
Usually the water pump switch will light up when it’s on, so it is easy to see when it’s on or to make sure it’s turned off (not lit) when you are headed out to enjoy the outdoors.
- The flooded RV
While traveling, always turn off your water pump. I’ve heard of faucet handles jiggling open during the bouncing around of travelling down the road, or a water fitting coming loose…and when the driver stopped, they found a flooded RV with the water pump running.
Similarly, when staying at an RV park and you leave for the day, turn off the water at the hydrant. A blown fitting can cause flooding in your RV and you don’t know about it until it’s too late. Also, I have been at RV parks where they perform a water system flush, sending sandy dirty water to your RV and clogging your filter when you’re gone.
All four of these items take just a few seconds to do, and will hopefully keep RVing fun, not frustrating!
Remember to visit my RVing Products page for more information and links to Amazon products I recommend.
Keep checking back to my website for more “Oops, wish I knew that” content!
See you down the road!
