7: Mundane to Monumental

Our much-anticipated appointment with the local RV Service Department was not as mind blowing as we had hoped for. They did get our wiring all squared away for our tow rig though! Now we have the luxury that comes with more freedom in a car. Having a vehicle that we can tow behind the RV affords us to take longer trips. The car can take us to all the sight-seeing our little hearts can handle, but the RV is way too big to squeeze into. We can “shoot into town real quick” for a gallon of milk (who am I kidding? Our fridge isn’t big enough for a gallon!) or a bag of chips, without having to prepare our big ol’ RV for such an errand.

The service appointment fixed our wiring, but that’s about it. Jason and I stood in the parking lot after paying our bill, discussing if we should bother walking back in and asking them for their time to look at our onslaught of other issues we had compiled. They DID fix the wiring, and that’s huge for us, but

the customer service did not give us the warm fuzzies nor did it give us the desire to give them any more of our money. But did we really want Jason using his time attempting to fix all our issues or smooth out some of the kinks the RV has shown us in the last couple weeks? Is that what we signed up for with this life? Jason went through our list, and only one real issue kept staring back at us: the poop tank.

That black water tank has been giving us grief from the get-go. We know it’s not full, but the light says it is. And if it says it’s full, but we know it’s not, how do we really know when it is full? Do we want to find out what it’s like to have an over-filled septic tank? Makes me gag just thinking about the possibility. We were certain we did NOT want to tackle that task. Take our money. So Jason went back in and asked about a timeline for the Service Dept.'s schedule. The gal behind the desk informed us it would depend on what we needed done. Jason joked with her and said, “So depending on what we need done, will depend on how soon you will want to help us? Like if it’s black water issues, then you’re a ways out?” The lady assured us, “Oh no, not like that,” with a hesitant, forced laugh. “What are you actually needing done?” She asked. Jason responded that it is, in fact, black water tank issues. And wouldn’t you know it, those types of issues are being booked really far out? Huh. Go figure. Guess Jason’s attempt at giving the employee a bit of a razzing turned into an awkward moment of actuality. And that was that. That business was of no further use to us, and Jason began to accept that he would be elbows deep in nasty as he would be taking on the problems himself.

This blog has brought out all sorts of suggestions for Jason to try out to fix the holding tanks. Jason started reading, watching, and ordering the supplies before we even left the Service Dept.'s parking lot. A couple days later, we got to work. Well, Jason mostly. I had the sanitary job of holding the flashlight while Jason manned the hose down the toilet. We flushed out all we could, then filled it with water, dropped in the chemicals and four bags of ice, then Jason drove the RV through some back roads. It was suggested that he “drive it like you stole it” to really slosh the mixture up and around the sides. Sounds disgusting, right, thinking about what exactly it is we’re trying to break up and get “sloshy”. Yuck. But it honestly worked! We came back from our get-away drive and Jason flushed the tanks again. Success - the indicator lights moved down! Problem, momentarily, resolved. At least until the two new tank valves come in and Jason dons the rubber gloves and hazmat mask to reach into the tank and replace the parts that are causing the issues.

Throughout the last week, Jason has resolved a few other issues around our house as well. Our list of complaints and problems have significantly decreased all because of the hero that is Jason and his willingness to get this bus moving again.

Oh! We also started school this last week. Boys were quite underwhelmed as one might imagine from

a Freshman, 4th, and 2nd grader coming to the end of their carefree summer break full of moving and road tripping.

Our youngest was probably the most disappointed. Cord mentioned he thought there would be no more school because we lived in an RV. Oh the madness of it all! School goes on even if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar home?! The heartbreak was palatable. However, the heart must go on and the boys are a full week into a brand-new curriculum that we’re all figuring out as we go. Four subjects each, all different subject matters, all on paper. No more computers for these boys. We’re going back to the basics. I suppose our week spent back at home working on the RV was a blessing. I can’t fathom what it would have been like trying to get these wily boys to concentrate on schoolwork if we had been RV’ing somewhere new that needed exploring. Nope, a full week of school in a familiar environment, with frequent breaks to shake out some frustration at the local playground, was a comforting jumpstart to the trailblazing year we have ahead of us.

Speaking of which – WE'RE GOING BOAT SHOPPING!!! I'm over-the-moon about the prospect of seeing the spaces and envisioning our family settling into a sail boat. Don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed the places we have had the pleasure of staying and visiting in the last month through RV-living. However, Jason and I have come to find out that RV problems are common. As many have reminded us: there will always be something broke, or about to break, in an RV. It comes with the territory. These are small, simple systems we are attempting to live on full-time, and that pushes them to their limits. The RV bends and creaks to accommodate the jostling of the road movements and vibrations, plus the five humans that have declared it home to every item they own. If you keep bending, something will break. Jason figures, if he’s going to be tied up with these maintenance and routine issues, then he’d rather it be on a boat in tropical waters. Can’t say I blame him. I bet I’ll be truly amazing at reading a book, drinking sun downers, and handing him a tool while also watching the sun set over a couple of dolphins swimming in serene waters.

Which leads me to here, sitting on a plane, as the man next to Jason said, “Like a stack of Pringles in a tin can”. There's some wicked turbulence we're currently barreling through, about to touch down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The jostling will be worth it when Jason, the boys, and I get our bodies on some boats. We'll be able to see some of what's available and what will be the best fit for our family. The boys have yet to experience the excitement that Jason and I have had as you are led through cruising-worthy catamarans. I can’t wait. I hope the boys will understand our dream a little more. I hope they get that same driven, giddy feeling in their gut that I get when I think about the monumental life we have ahead of us. I should probably brace myself though. Be a little more practical about the boys' experience. A little less "head-in-the-clouds", and just hope that Cord will stop saying he NEVER wants to live on a boat. Or that Ryan won’t puke from his ongoing battles with motion sickness while we’re merely walking on boats at the docks. Or that Bear doesn’t get disappointed when we don’t buy the first boat we walk on because he sees it comes with “toys”.

I can't help but hope that this boat exploration vacation will be amazing. Worst case? We see some boats that aren’t a good fit, and get some sand between our toes on the Florida beaches while we're here.

So here’s to small victories with small systems, a cautiously optimistic new school year, and an overflowing enthusiasm for daydreaming on sailing yachts.