There Is Always Something Part Two

Plugged drains. That was the second thing we had to fix. We did not have all that much rain on our way across to California from Florida. Except in Texas. On one of our stays in Texas, it poured. Water from the front passenger side overflowed the roof line making the entry and exit experience similar to a high pressure shower. And, the next day, the residue from the roof left ugly streak marks on that side of the coach.

I hate a dirty coach.

In particular, I hate ugly streak marks on the side of a dirty coach.

Our Dutch Star has four drains on the roof. One on each corner. Water on the roof flows to rain gutters that run along both sides of the coach. The gutters direct the water to the roof drains. The roof drains channel the water to the ground.

Except, of course, when the drains plug. Which they do frequently on our coach.

I usually take my air compressor and blow air up the drain from the bottom. It’s not hard to find the downspouts underneath the coach. Newmar uses a rubber Duck Bill drain valve at the end of the downspout presumably to prevent little critters from climbing up and into the drain. I remove the Duck Bill and then insert the air hose several inches into the drain line to blow the air through the line.

Unfortunately the air compressor would not dislodge the material that was blocking the drain.

I climbed up to the roof of our coach and went to the forward passenger drain. Using a slot screwdriver, I lifted the drain from an edge and removed it from the downspout entry. It comes off without a lot of effort. Silicone holds it in place.

It was full of material and the material had hardened. Like a rock. Stuck to the drain hole.

Off to the toolbox. Then off to the kitchen. I needed something with a long handle and a spoon-like end to dig out the material. Don’t let Lorraine know that I took one of her kitchen utensils.

After a fair amount of digging and several blasts of compressed air from the bottom, the drain finally opened up disgorging copious amounts of dirt and water on yours truly.

The price I pay to maintain the coach.

The first issue, the HWH Leveling red light reappearing, I have not resolved. This second issue, a plugged drain, was relatively straightforward to resolve.

The third one involves hot water. Or lack thereof.

Part three.

Tomorrow.