Let’s backup to our trip home from Kentucky. Somewhere between Lexington and the Tennessee line, a loud BANG startles us from our interstate reverie. Immediately we transition to high alert and both begin scanning the mirrors and backup camera for smoke, debris or flames shooting out behind us. Neither Storm nor I see anything alarming so we agree to just check it out at the next rest stop. In a few miles, we fly by the only rest area that I have seen open in Kentucky. We agree to stop for sure at the very next rest area.
No Rest for the Wary
Well there is not a next one in Kentucky. Kentucky and Nebraska must be competing to claim the least number of functioning rest areas in a US State. Right now, Kentucky leads with only the one stop that we missed earlier open on this stretch of interstate. In lieu of a rest area, we take a Kentucky small town exit in search of a place to fuel and investigate the noise origin.
There is hardly room for a short School Bus in this town much less our RV. Finding no place to turn around we embark on a narrow street, meandering, make people back up at the stop signs so we can turn left tour that adds time and teeth gnashing to this trip. We stop at the next available rest area which finally materializes at the NC Welcome Center. As expected, Storm sees nothing on his walk around which would explain the loud bang we heard from the coach miles earlier.
The Mystery Unravels
For tonight, we camp in Marion, NC where the floodwaters that forced us to stay in Kentucky last night have now receded. Storm parks us on a nice, level, dry concrete pad and starts his hookup routine. When he opens the water bay he discovers a clue to our noise source.
Our water bay looks like a crime scene where a Tasmanian Devil and a Whirling Dervish fought to the death. The little shower head that Storm rinses our sewer lines with is completely gone. The pathetic stub of its connection clinging impotently to the bay inner wall. The ends of our cable wires have been stripped clean. The light fixture in the bay is cracked and hanging limply from the wall.
Mystery Solved
At first Storm is stumped. He tumbles this quandary in his mind as he sleeps. He wakes up with a theory. He noticed that the cover that fills the hole where our sewer line drops out when we are parked was loose on the floor when he opened the compartment yesterday. He believes that this bottom cover cap unscrewed itself somehow during our ride. The shower head was sucked out of the then open hole. Outside the shower head was brutally dragged, beaten and twisted loose from its mooring. Trying to cling to its connection, it flailed everything else in the bay relentlessly. Finally the rear tires grabbed it and ripped it loose from the coach. BANG!
Before we leave the Marion campground, we walk over to the adjacent Camping World to purchase replacement parts. At least replacing our parts is convenient. Needless to say, repairing this mess becomes one of Storm’s first projects when we reach the Lake.
Kinda like airplanes, more comfortable you get the more you have to watch out for. ;>) Thank goodness it was not more serious. GOD BLESS
JD
Jim
True and this one really had us scratching our heads 🙂
40 is in Tennessee no KY ?
Ooops, got a little carried way with the story. Thanks for catching that!