After towing 23,234 miles and staying in 112 campgrounds over the last four years, you would think we could back into a site with our eyes closed. MFI does all of the driving, and that includes backing Arthur into our assigned sites. We call each other on our iPhones. My responsibilities are monitoring clearances, while at the same time ensuring we place Arthur in the optimum spot for hooking up utilities, providing enough room in back for pitching our 2-bike storage tent, and locating our steps to facilitate safe entry and exit. My problem usually involves forgetting to check the steps alignment.
Most sites are wide enough to accommodate easy back-in, but that wasn’t the case recently in Phoenix at the Desertscape MH and RV Resort. This particular spot had a concrete patio contiguous with a truck parking spot. What made backing in difficult was the tall palm tree and mailbox on one side at the entrance and having only 11 inches clearance between the sewer inlet and Arthur. The inlet was clearly marked with a free-standing concrete trapezoid about a foot tall.
I stood in the back and assured no part of Arthur hit the concrete marker, but lost track of what the marker was intended to protect and what the front end was doing. As MFI jockeyed forward and backward in order to snug up to the concrete patio, Arthur’s wheels drove over the sewer inlet, and the front end side-swiped the mailbox. I believe the inlet was already compromised, since there was evidence of a previous repair. The mailbox scratched the front storage door in three places. I failed miserably, but the steps were aligned.
We didn’t need the sewer connection immediately, so several days later we made a Home Depot run, and were able to work on repairs in cooler morning temperatures. A plumber at Home Depot helped us find the pieces needed by looking at the old repair section that had broken off. I dug out the inlet until about 3 inches of the original iron pipe was exposed, but a lot of site gravel fell into the inlet and clogged an elbow about 16 inches below ground. Luckily, I was able suck out the rocks using the narrow hose on our shopvac. The new drain flowed unobstructed, and our new fittings showed no signs of leaking. Voilà! Unfortunately, we still don’t know how to repair scratches to the aluminum clear coat.
“Well Jane, it just goes to show you, it’s always something – if it’s not one thing it’s another.” Roseanne Roseannadanna
Of course this was the routine quote by Gilda Radner during her classic Weekend Update skits with Jane Curtin on SNL (circa 1977-1980).
