Life in the RV World, Part 1: Poop Pyramids, Poopsies, and Poopsicles

Our New Home

It's been four months since we started *camping in our travel trailer. We've had a couple of cold snaps, and a few things have frozen, but it hasn't been a bad experience for us. In fact, we've rather enjoyed the challenges from those problem.

One of our first problems was a clogged black tank, which is the tank holding the waste from a toilet. This is not a fun prospect, but it's far easier to fix than one might imagine. You see, we accidentally left our valve open. We knew we weren't supposed to, but one of us forgot to close it. It was probably me, since I was doing the majority of the tank maintenance at the time. It's usually my husband who forgets this kind of thing, but I've got ADHD, too, so he's not the only one who has trouble with distractions.

We ended up with a 'poop pyramid'. In other words, all the fluid drained from the tank, leaving only solids behind. They form a pyramid shape right below the toilet (you can see it when you flush the toilet) which can then clog the main line. This is not a good thing, but we do have a flush inlet for an outside hose to be used. This helped. However, I don't think it did a good enough job getting rid of the clog, because we ended up with it clogging at the internal valve. We bought a flushing elbow that allowed us to use backflow pressure to break it up, which worked really well to remove the clog. (You MUST keep the toilet flush valve closed when doing this, or risk sewage spraying into your face when it suddenly clears.)

We also got an auger and sprayer wand for cleaning the inside of the tank - something we'll do in spring and fall when it's warmer, because we have to run an outside hose into the bathroom through an open door or window. Keeping the inside clean means the sensors, which tell you how full your tank is, will work a lot better. Toilet paper and other solids can cover the sensors, preventing you from getting an accurate reading. Many RVers complain their sensors don't work. This is why. You can buy external sensors that might work better, but I personally think it's better to keep the tanks clean. That prevents other problems from occurring.

As we were working on the clog, however, the sewer line popped off and spilled sewage onto the ground. This is affectionately known as a 'poopsie' in the RV world. I immediately closed the gate valve, so the damage was minimal. (I always watch when I first open the valves to make sure we don't have a problem, because that first rush of materials has a bit of force behind it, and this time the force must have been pretty high with the extra water rushing through it to remove the clog.) After some research, and also checking with the RV park where we're staying, we sprinkled garden lime over it to deal with the problem. It neutralizes it, apparently. Cold temperatures help avoid any smells, too.

Funnily enough, our 'neighbour' tried to tell us immediately after that we should leave our valves open all the time. Um, no. Don't. Very bad. Especially in winter. If your sewer line freezes you won't be able to drain your other tanks, either. All three of our lines come out in one line. A sewer freeze-up means we can't shower or wash dishes once our grey tanks fill. Our owner's manual tells us to only have one open at a time. If they made a mistake with that, they pay for the damages. If we go a different way and it's a mistake, we have to pay those damages. However, we already have experience that tells us the manual is correct. Expert advice says the same. 'Some yahoo next door' isn't an expert.

Then we had a problem with the elbow, because we got rain that froze the gate valve shut (it has an extra valve). We ended up with a bit of a 'poopsicle' (frozen poop inside the drainage line) by the time my husband decided the solution was to pour hot water over it to thaw the valve. This worked very well, and did not cause anything else to freeze later since he did it carefully. We removed that elbow to prevent future problems, and will only attach it when we need it.

We haven't skirted the trailer yet, which literally means putting a skirt around the entire base of the trailer to prevent cold drafts around our pipes, etc. I finally figured out the easiest way to do it, so we'll likely do that tonight or tomorrow, but I'll explain our winterizing steps in detail in another post.

Not skirting the trailer, however, caused us to have a frozen gate valve on our rear grey tank (called a 'gray tank' on our panel because it was built in the US - why am I so annoyed by that spelling irregularity?) for two or three days until the weather warmed up a little. Thankfully that's our kitchen tank, so it just meant my husband couldn't do dishes for a bit (he does them because my sensory issues make me gag if I stick my hands in dishwater, and then I later freak out from my hands getting dry...and I'm disabled, so standing for long periods is a problem). I suggested using the shower to do them, since a sink isn't really required. Plus it would allow him to sit down while doing them. A small bathroom means the toilet is right there.

Our furnace heats the internal plumbing in the underbelly of our trailer, but it wasn't quite enough to handle the cold snap we just had, so unless we skirt the trailer we're going to continue having this problem. And we're about to have another cold snap, so we need to get it done. Our floor will be a lot warmer to walk on, too.

Another issue we had during the two cold snaps was our hot water line freezing. That may sound like it doesn't make sense, so I should explain the reason. Our water heater is also at the rear of the trailer, which is the most exposed to the cold and wind right now. The line going into the water hater isn't heated, of course, and the water coming from it eventually gets cold if we're not using hot water. One of those lines froze, not the water heater itself.

The very first problem we had was a brief period where the water line itself froze. I had already winterized our hose, which I'll discuss in detail in the winterizing post, but I hadn't wrapped the park's line yet. The pipe from the ground was still exposed. I had intended to insulate it, but hadn't made it that far. Additionally, I hadn't flipped the breaker for the 110V power, so our heat trace wasn't working either. I'm not sure which was the bigger problem, but it melted pretty quick and I got everything running properly. Well, my husband noticed the breaker not being on, which made me feel pretty stupid, but then I'm usually the one fixing those sorts of problems so I probably shouldn't feel too bad. Thankfully, he's not the type to humiliate me for mistakes.

We've had the main line briefly freeze (from the park) since then, but that was because the hood on the post blew off and was lying on the ground...instead of insulating like it should do. There was supposed to be a rope holding it on, but my husband didn't know it was there (because I didn't explain it to him, since I wasn't expecting him to do the work outside).

An issue or two per month, I suppose, as we adjust to winter camping and all its quirks. Not bad for our first go-round. We're not only learning, but we're also somewhat slow at getting things done. I'm heavily medicated for my arthritis, so I have stretches where I can't concentrate or I simply feel incapable of doing anything. I also have bouts where my pain flares up beyond my medications' ability to handle it. Those days usually involve me lying in the fetal position, rather than getting anything done.

My husband, while somewhat handy, isn't as knowledgeable about RVs, mechanics, electrical, etc. I've been using power tools since I was a child, and went camping every summer for two months in an over-the-cab camper (a slide-in camper for truck beds that has a bed area over the cab of the truck). Winter is a new thing, but I've done a lot of research. I spent weeks before we moved into the trailer, learning everything I could about how things work and all the maintenance we have to do.

We're slacking, though. I still haven't gone up on the roof from sheer terror. Same with my husband. We both happily admit we're chickens. It's more than eleven feet off the ground, and it's a rounded roof. I want to install a fall-protection system. That kind of fall is a very bad day, and possibly deadly. I've already had a skydiving accident (from trying to face my fear of heights) and have no interest in falling from a height again. We have a vent cover we have to install over our bathroom vent, since we feel that one in particular needs to be something we can open. A lot of snow will prevent that unless we install the cover.

Another issue for me, of course, is my schedule. I sleep during the day, because I can't sleep at night. (It's childhood-onset delayed sleep phase disorder and can't be fixed by light therapy.) Meaning, it's usually dark in the winter by the time I'm ready to get anything done. I'll either have to stay awake for a day to do it, or I'll have to wait until spring. Decisions, decisions...

*I have to call it 'camping' because it's illegal to live in RVs in our province. We have to have a fixed address, and Ontario law does not allow anyone to live (even on their own property) in an RV. We have to go to designated campgrounds and also have a 'bricks & sticks' address in order to retain our residency. Residency is required if we want to keep our healthcare and driver's licenses. Not to mention the insurance on the trailer, which is required for our loan on it.