Washing dishes in the bathroom

The truck and brake controller have both been functioning well since our Binghamton disaster. The last phase of the recovery was to repair the damage to the RV: the leaking gray water tank and the bent spare tire flange. And, since we were planning on doing some long-deferred repairs to the #2 black water valve (it was stuck in the shut position), we decided we might as well throw that in as well.

The worst problem was the gray water tank. That tank held water from the sinks in both the kitchen and the half-bath, which meant that dishes had to be washed in the bathroom. This was a major hit on the quality of life in the RV. It was so onerous that we took to using disposable cups to drink coffee and plastic utensils and paper plates for meals. This absolutely had to be repaired before we got to Florida.

The damaged spare tire flange was not a quality-of-life issue, unless you factor safety into quality of life. It probably could have waited until Florida, but it was that “probably” that made fixing it immediately mandatory. First, it was not guaranteed that the spare tire rack wouldn’t fall apart while on the road, doing who knows how much damage to our rig and anyone behind us. Second, it was not guaranteed that the spare was still usable. So it had to be fixed and the spare had to be inspected for damage.

The intended list of repairs, then, when we dropped the RV off at ACE RV Sales & Rentals in Herndon VA, was:

1. Fix the gray water tank.
2. Fix the spare tire flange.
3. Fix the #2 black water tank valve.
4. After an initial inspection of the damage with Ali Khan, the head of the repair branch of the business, we added another: repacking the axle bearings.  This was a relatively cheap maintenance task that he said should be done every 2 years or so.

When we first arrived at ACE I was somewhat dismayed to see RVs lining the street as well as occupying every spot in the not-very-large repair yard.  I had visions of being told either to bring it back tomorrow or needing to wait several days until work could begin.  But, no, they took the RV immediately into a prime spot just outside the garage and had a workman under the RV, dropping the undercarriage cover, within minutes of our arrival.  We got there at 2:40 pm and by 3:30 had taken our suitcases out of the RV and were on our way to Alexandria, to stay for who knows how long with Jett’s son.

The first big surprise came at 5:30 pm when Ali called.  The inspection of the gray water tank revealed no damage at all.  That was the good news.  The bad news was that the water that I had observed dripping from the area of the gray water tank was coming from the roof damage that I had tried – unsuccessfully, obviously – to repair in Massachusetts.  He said that they had confirmed that water was leaking through the roof, running down a channel between the inner and outer walls, then running through the undercarriage until it found its way out near the gray water drain pipe.  This would need a roof patch.  He said he would show me if I stopped by Tuesday morning.

Which we did.  After showing me the roof damage he also pointed out another section of the roof that had apparently been damaged by branches and was a potential source of leaks.  He suggested that after patching those areas we re-caulk the entire roof as there were other areas where the caulk was cracked.  I agreed.  He said, somewhat ominously, that they could not tell whether there was rot in the roof plywood or dampness in the walls (with mold potentially an issue) until the roof was opened.

While we were talking I remembered the various issues we had had with the slide gaskets – the rubber strips that kept water out.  The top strips were frayed.  I thought it would be a good idea to replace those, too.  This eventually turned into completely replacing the gaskets around all three slides.  Not critical, but also not terribly expensive.  A wise thing to do.

Oh, yeah… let’s get that basement key replaced.  Our one-and-only key that locked the large basement doors had broken nearly a year ago and we had, since then, been unable to lock them.  He said he could get a replacement.  We ordered two.

So the revised list of repair tasks was:

1. Patch the roof in two places.
2. Re-caulk the entire roof.
3. Fix the #2 black water tank valve.
4. Fix the spare tire flange and check the spare.
5. Replace slide gaskets as necessary.
6. Repack the axle bearings.
7. Get basement keys.

Total estimated cost: about $5000. The figure Ali quoted was $4199, but that did not include the flange, the gaskets or the keys.  As it turned out, it also did not include the $500 cost of replacing the toilet in the half bath which, it was discovered when the fixed black water tank valve was fixed and being tested, was cracked and leaked when the water was turned on.  This was a huge surprise as when it had last been used, about 4 months ago, was fine.  It might have been due to our near catastrophe in Binghamton, but is impossible to know.  But it absolutely had to be replaced.

Final cost of all the repairs: $5209.  Money that was not in our budget and, when added to the cost of repairs to the truck and the brake controller, makes this one of the most expensive trips we had ever taken.

But we now have a much improved RV to take to Florida. And no roof plywood rot had been found and no dampness in the walls had been detected.  All VERY good news.

I should point out that, of all the repairs, the only one that is directly attributable to the near-disaster was the flange repair (the spare was fine).  The cracked toilet… maybe.  But the bottom line was that, despite the direct hit on the sewer pipes when we bottomed out, no damage was done.  I am totally amazed at that bit of good fortune. I really thought, when I saw the pipes hit the ground, that I had destroyed the entire plumbing system.  I am VERY grateful that I was wrong.

On the other hand… we have almost nothing to claim from insurance.  It isn’t worth the bother of filing a claim.

A few words about ACE and Ali.  These guys were incredible!  This was our first foray into major RV repairs and I was well aware of the horror stories: waiting for weeks for repairs to start, shoddy workmanship, hidden costs.  I had never heard of ACE, but after our horrible experience with Camping World this summer was not about to take the RV there.  It seemed like the best option near Alexandria where we would be staying.

So ACE was a bit of a pig-in-a-poke.  But I had been impressed with Ali’s thoughtful and prompt responses to my initial email queries, so I was cautiously optimistic.  And when they started work within minutes of our arrival I was blown away.  The work – which was extensive – was completed in less that 4 days.  My most optimistic hope was to get the RV back on Saturday, but it was ready by 1 pm Friday.  Outstanding service!

The final surprise – and not a good one – was the discovery of some badly rotted plywood on the underside of the large starboard slide.  This was directly below the window that had a tendency to leak in rainstorms if it was not shut tightly.  I suspect that the rot was due to rainwater that got inside and soaked into the floor.  This could have happened multiple times without us noticing as the area below the window is carpeted and is next to a recliner.  We might never have noticed dampness in that area.

Anyway, the damage was discovered too late to do anything about it.  I will try to put a metal patch over the damage today to reduce the chance for additional deterioration.  Eventually it will have to be repaired.

As Jett says, “it takes a lot of money to live like a homeless person.”