While taking our usual mid winter vacation to warmer areas we stayed the first night after leaving Shawnee, Kansas, in the Nashville KOA. It was freezing weather when we left home, so I had not de-winterized our new fifth wheel camper. So upon arriving the wife wanted water in the holding tank, as the hoses would have frozen if we had hooked them up. The temperature was well below freezing in Nashville, and there was a freezing rain lightly falling. We also pulled in after dark, as we were trying to get as far south as we could to get out of the cold weather.
So I proceeded in hooking up. I hooked up the water hose to flush out the anti freeze from the lines, and let the wife get a little water in the trailer while I was hooking up the other umbilicals. Activating the slide outs, etc. The wife stuck her head out and said that there was no water coming through, I checked, and re checked, and couldn’t figure out why the water wasn’t flowing, as I could faintly hear it running. This investigation in the freezing cold, and dark was taking a little time. Finally felt the rain was getting heavy, I thought, until I noticed the rain was BLUE! I then discovered that it was shooting out the roof of our new camper and showering all around. I had inadvertently hooked the water hose to the power flush connection for the black water holding tank, it had overfilled it and was gushing out the vent pipe.
I was embarrassed and freezing, and wet with blue water, so after correcting all the mistakes, I went inside to clean up and dry off. My wife was asking me what in the world I was thinking, as I was going to flush the anti freeze out of the toilet, when, again, not thinking, I hit the foot valve, and forgot that when the water is high enough to come out the roof, the toilet is! lower than the top of the camper, so a blue gush hit the ceiling, me, and the floor. Now I was really getting asked, what was I thinking, by my spouse!
After going back outside to drain the black water tank, as I should have done previously, going back in the camper, drying off, cleaning up, and still listening to what I should have done, the rest of the trip was good. A lot of things go through my mind after that experience, when I’m hooking up these days. I usually don’t talk or visit with anyone until my duties are finished, and everything is hooked up, and checked.
This was a new trailer that we had used once prior to that winter trip. My advice is to re read the directions and manuals to familiarize yourself to all the hook ups and what they are for. This was our fifth camper we had owned after starting years before in a tent, so it sure can happen no matter how experienced you are, and your in a hurry. As I have been reminded numerous times, by my co-pilot!
Submitted by Edward Rinehart of Nashville, TN as a part of the RV Centennial Celebration “Share Your Favorite RV Memory” contest.
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