I have been wanting to write a blog post about Navy spouse and fulltime RVer Lisa Stephenson for a while. She is our camp host and my personal hero, as are all military spouses.
Lisa does not possess super hero powers but in my eyes she is like a cross between Wonder Woman and early American settlers traversing the land in covered wagons.
Let me give you an example of her tenacity and determination.
Last December, she pretty much all on her own took care of one of the nastiest biggest occurrences that can happen to an RV’er. Her black tank exploded on her while her husband AM1 Dan Stephenson, who is assigned to Naval Station Norfolk, was deployed.
For those not familiar with RV terms the black water tank is where the poop and pee is stored. I know “YUCK” but dumping your own stuff is just a reality of life RV’ers deal with to live a lifestyle of freedom.
Camp host at Ocean Pines RV Park Lisa Stephenson
Now Lisa is used to getting her hands dirty. She grew up working on pig and cow farms, but this was another story. Raw sewage seeped out of her tank into the bottom storage compartment of her 37-foot Keystone Montana Mountaineer 5th wheel.
Most women would have been crying non-stop to include me.
Fearless Lisa got under the RV while all this stuff is spilling out and unscrewed the bottom and tilted it towards the front to avoid any sewage going into the back compartments.
But here is where the great part happened. Several of her neighbors pitched in to help her clean up the mess.
One neighbor brought a tarp to put under the RV to collect all the stuff so it could be hauled away. Another brought over a heavy-duty tool to take off the bolts quicker.
It took 8 jugs of bleach and a whole lot of lime and time to sanitize the mess.
When the Stephenson’s found out it would cost about $1200 and several weeks for an RV dealer to fix it, her camp manager went into research mode and found another alternative called Plasti-Mend for less than $60.
It took Lisa two weeks to fix the tank on her own because she put the product on the tank in layers to make it stronger.
During this time, they could not use the “head” as Navy folks refer to it. Luckily for her she is also the camp host, and her rig is close to the bathhouse.
As far as I hear, a black water tank exploding is a pretty uncommon occurrence so most RV’ers can rest safe on that regard.
Lisa believes they drew the lucky straw because sediment had built up in the tank from previous owners who left the tank open while camping instead of dumping it once a week or as needed. Plus, they found mud dauber nests in the venting leading from her black water tank. The combo caused the big pop she heard and the cracking of the tank.
Not one for emotional outbursts, Lisa admits when her husband called her after the incident she bawled like a baby as soon as he said, “Hey honey.”
However, talking to him gave her the courage she needed to get the job done.
I asked Lisa if she now regrets taking on the fulltime RV lifestyle after that incident?
Her answer was a definite no. They still love their mobile home on wheels. Even though Dan plans to retire in a year and move them to Missouri to buy the farm of their dreams, Lisa said, “We plan to keep it until it falls apart and then light it on fire and have a big bonfire!”
I wish the Stephenson’s and their children many, many more years (like 20 or 30) of use before they get to that point.
The RVing couple have learned a few tips while keeping their rig in shape:
1. If you have a question, ask your neighbors. Most are willing to help.
2. Take notes on what you learn and keep them handy in one place for future reference.
3. Research everything about RV’s you can get your hands on.
4. Talk to your host and campground office managers. They normally have accumulated a lot of information over the years.
I think it is important to remember that these type of things can happen in regular homes as well.
When Lisa is not doing her camp host duties of cleaning the bathrooms and helping campers after the regular park manager has gone home, she is tending to her little RV garden. She projects her bounty will save her about $200 in grocery bills on veggies her family loves.
Lisa checking out the spring start of her vegetable garden. The military couple planted a mini garden outside their RV to cut down on veggie costs and because they love getting their hands dirty.
Have any of you suffered through oddball repairs to come out stronger in the end? We would love to hear from you about it. Leave a comment below.
Happy trails,
CR and Melissa
—-
Melissa and CR LeGates are two God-fearing sinners who love travelling the highways together in their 25-foot Winnebago Itasca Navion IQ RV with their four-legged furry angels by their side. Come along on our journey as we see what adventures God has in store for us!
ChristianAdventurer2 