We were going to our favorite local campground for a relaxing Memorial Day holiday. Were. Not now. (and I'm prepared to hear about how we wussed out, but remember, DH is mechanically inept and our usual camping buddies who are "ept" are other places this weekend) We have a '96 FourWinds 29' Class C that did make to the Fort twice - once with the original owners and once with us. This is the first time DH, DD and I have been all together since DFIL had heart failure in late March and DH has been spending 5-6 days/week there (DFIL is back home and recovering well, wanted DH to come with us just to have some quiet time of his own 
)
So, DH goes out yesterday afternoon to start 'er up and MH doesn't start. (hasn't been run since Christmas time) Opens the hood and the battery is corroded. Badly. The Sears DieHard battery that I bought 2 Thanksgivings ago and unfortunately paid cash for and can't find the receipt for, so no discount/credit for being inside warranty. Online pickup from Sears takes about an hour to get there, pick up, and get back home. Battery installation takes longer than DH anticipated but the MH starts. Meanwhile, he notices that the rear tires are very low, so he gets the compressor out and fills them.
All these "little" delays mean that instead of leaving at 5pm, he leaves at 8pm. DD and I are still at her Irish Dance class, we still have to go back home for me to pack. We leave our house at 11:15pm, it'll take about 45 minutes for us to get to the campground, unless we stop at Walmart for perishables (which we do).
DH gets to campground around 10:30pm (he stops for a hoagie for dinner) - the first time that he's ever checked in and parked alone, and manages pretty well. Until...
He hooks the water up and starts it through the system. Very slow pressure. Goes outside to check and water is POURING from the bottom of the MH. Looks with the flashlight and there is a HOLE in the freshwater tank and water has spewed everywhere.
He calls me at 12:15AM (yep after midnight) when I've just gotten to the Walmart with an exhausted DD and we've got the milk and eggs in the cart. DD has a meltdown in the store and she and I go home, thinking that we might come out in the early afternoon, after I finish work. I was originally going to work from the MH using their pay-for-the-day internet, but it'll be easier if I just use my own already-paid-for internet connection. We could try using a hose from the connection and minimal water use, which I'll have to buy because our current white hose is too short, but I'm also supposed to take DD to a party later today. Meaning - work, drive to campground 30 miles west, be there for an hour or so, drive 60 miles east to DD's party (30 miles back to home plus 30 miles to party location) wait to pick her up at 11:30pm and drive 2 hours back west to campground.
Meanwhile, DH confirmed that the floor is still pretty wet this morning. So, I tell him to come home. I'll just have to get the tank fixed or replaced later so we can camp in August at the shore. Plus watch out for mold from the wet.
My DSis found a tank repair kit online, but it seems to be more for cracks than holes. Anybody with this kind of experience wanna give some advice? Should I just get the tank replaced? It's the original 1996 tank - does that mean anything? And what can I do about watching for mold - the wet area is under my sink cabinet, stove cabinet, and below the sofa / water heater.
As always, any advice from the gurus here is welcomed. (By the way, is this the kind of repair that insurance would cover?)
Gee I wish I'd opted for the Disney trip...... oh yeah, that wouldn't be til August anyway so I'd still be at the campground for Memorial Day.
)So, DH goes out yesterday afternoon to start 'er up and MH doesn't start. (hasn't been run since Christmas time) Opens the hood and the battery is corroded. Badly. The Sears DieHard battery that I bought 2 Thanksgivings ago and unfortunately paid cash for and can't find the receipt for, so no discount/credit for being inside warranty. Online pickup from Sears takes about an hour to get there, pick up, and get back home. Battery installation takes longer than DH anticipated but the MH starts. Meanwhile, he notices that the rear tires are very low, so he gets the compressor out and fills them.
All these "little" delays mean that instead of leaving at 5pm, he leaves at 8pm. DD and I are still at her Irish Dance class, we still have to go back home for me to pack. We leave our house at 11:15pm, it'll take about 45 minutes for us to get to the campground, unless we stop at Walmart for perishables (which we do).
DH gets to campground around 10:30pm (he stops for a hoagie for dinner) - the first time that he's ever checked in and parked alone, and manages pretty well. Until...
He hooks the water up and starts it through the system. Very slow pressure. Goes outside to check and water is POURING from the bottom of the MH. Looks with the flashlight and there is a HOLE in the freshwater tank and water has spewed everywhere.
He calls me at 12:15AM (yep after midnight) when I've just gotten to the Walmart with an exhausted DD and we've got the milk and eggs in the cart. DD has a meltdown in the store and she and I go home, thinking that we might come out in the early afternoon, after I finish work. I was originally going to work from the MH using their pay-for-the-day internet, but it'll be easier if I just use my own already-paid-for internet connection. We could try using a hose from the connection and minimal water use, which I'll have to buy because our current white hose is too short, but I'm also supposed to take DD to a party later today. Meaning - work, drive to campground 30 miles west, be there for an hour or so, drive 60 miles east to DD's party (30 miles back to home plus 30 miles to party location) wait to pick her up at 11:30pm and drive 2 hours back west to campground.
Meanwhile, DH confirmed that the floor is still pretty wet this morning. So, I tell him to come home. I'll just have to get the tank fixed or replaced later so we can camp in August at the shore. Plus watch out for mold from the wet.
My DSis found a tank repair kit online, but it seems to be more for cracks than holes. Anybody with this kind of experience wanna give some advice? Should I just get the tank replaced? It's the original 1996 tank - does that mean anything? And what can I do about watching for mold - the wet area is under my sink cabinet, stove cabinet, and below the sofa / water heater.
As always, any advice from the gurus here is welcomed. (By the way, is this the kind of repair that insurance would cover?)
Gee I wish I'd opted for the Disney trip...... oh yeah, that wouldn't be til August anyway so I'd still be at the campground for Memorial Day.
I am just sorry yours is right now.
I hope this gets resolved soon and you can enjoy some much needed family time.
