I finally made the call to the mobile RV tech this week. You have to understand that was one of those calls you really do not want to make. I knew I was going to have to explain what happened, and I already felt like a complete dumbass for causing the problem in the first place. I got hold of the tech, and we talked through the whole mess. He thought the pump may have lost its prime. For anyone not familiar with that, priming the pump basically means giving it some water to work with so it can start pumping again instead of just sitting there making noise and mocking you. He gave me a few things to try and said if none of them worked, to call him back. I also asked, just in case, how soon he could get me in if I needed an appointment.
He explained that this is his busiest time of year. Everybody is getting their rigs ready for camping season, and suddenly, I started getting that sinking feeling in my stomach.
Then he said the earliest appointment he had was 10:00 a.m. on April 23.
That was not exactly music to my ears, because April 23 is also the day we are supposed to leave for Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. At that point, my ship was starting to feel a little like the Titanic.
I asked him how long it would take if the pump had to be replaced. He said probably about an hour. That gave me a little hope. We could still make our first camping trip, just maybe a little later than planned.
So I told him, “Book the appointment.”
Trying Everything Before the Appointment
He then gave me a couple more ideas to try and told me to call him if I got the pump working so I could cancel. Well, I tried all of his suggestions, and the pump still refused to pump. At that point, I was feeling pretty well defeated.
Now, I spend a fair amount of time watching YouTube videos, especially camping and RV channels. I watch Livin’ Our Vision, Van Trekking Lifestyle, RV Miles, and a few others. One I also like is All About RVs, which covers equipment reviews, upgrades, and general RV hacks.
As luck would have it, this week’s video happened to be about water pumps and which ones were the best. Since I was starting to think I might be shopping for a new one, I figured I had better pay attention.
During one of the tests, he was pumping water into the RV the same way you would when winterizing it. While I was watching, it hit me that my rig has a similar function. I figured it was worth a try. At that point, I had nothing to lose. If the pump would not suck up the water, then I would know it was shot. If it did, there was at least a chance it might prime itself and start working again.
The Bucket Test
So I got my little length of hose, hooked it up to the RV, filled a bucket with water, and dropped the hose into it. Then I put the water system into winterizing mode.
I crossed my fingers, threw the pump switch, and listened.
I could hear the buzzing, and I watched the water level in the bucket. At first, I could not tell if anything was happening, and my heart started sinking again. Then I did a double take. Was the water level getting lower?
At first, I was not sure.
Then I was sure.
The water level was dropping.
That meant the pump was working.
I shut the pump off, reset the valves, turned the pump back on, and walked into the RV kitchen. I looked at the faucet and may have offered up a small prayer. I pulled the handle toward me, heard a hiss of air, and then water started coming out.
The pump was working. I had not burned it up.
I was pretty happy when I got to make the much more enjoyable call to the RV tech and cancel the appointment I had just made.
Getting Ready for Big Meadows
Once I got the water situation under control, I started working on our first camping trip, which is still set for April 23. We will be spending three nights at Big Meadows, so now the focus has shifted from water pump drama to getting the RV organized and figuring out the important stuff — mainly what we are going to eat.
In the past, when Bill and I went camping, we made it a point to eat well. As Bill always said, we were probably the only people who went camping and gained weight.
One time, we were camped next to a gentleman with two younger children. He had forgotten a can opener and came over to ask if he could borrow one. He said they were having franks and beans for dinner, then asked what we were having.
Bill told him we were making shrimp creole.
The poor guy gave our dinner a long, thoughtful look.
The next night, he came back to borrow the can opener again because they were having franks and beans again. This time, he watched us fixing beef enchiladas and gave us that same long, slightly wounded look.
Our opinion has always been that just because you are camping, that does not mean you have to eat like you are being punished.
Planning the Menu
For this trip, I plan on taking our little Weber grill, and I also bought a 20-inch Blackstone to bring along. Breakfast will probably be some combination of eggs or bagels. Lunch will depend on how late breakfast happens and where we are when hunger finally catches up with us.
Dinner, though, is where the tradition kicks in.
One night will definitely be Pollock Johnny’s Polish sausage, because that is pretty much a requirement at this point. Of course, we also have to have burgers. One night I plan to make Tuscan bean sausage stew. And to make sure Mrs. Weeble is properly equipped for camping life, I bought her a s’mores maker, so dessert is officially covered, too.
So if all goes according to plan, we will be rolling into Big Meadows with running water, a working pump, and enough good food — including s’mores for dessert — to make sure nobody around us mistakes this for one of those franks-and-beans camping operations.