When a camper is home and a house is camping

We recently had to take the RV in for some maintenance and repairs. The oil needed changing in the engine. The electric was still out from the Great Ice Storm of 2013. The ice maker wasn’t working. The shower had a leak. The oven pilot light wasn’t working right. And a bunch of other small things. Just a list of things that needed fixed. It has been almost a year since we bought the RV, so it was time for our first maintenance and service.We called the dealer where we bought the RV to request service. This was right before Thanksgiving. Their first opening was Jan 2. Really? Wow. So we made the appointment.

As the time for taking the RV to the shop approached we started looking for other accommodations. We figured it would take about two weeks for the RV to get fixed, because they are slow, and that’s just the way it is. A friend of mine has some rent houses. We asked if any of them were available that we could use for a week or two. She did have one available. Yeah!

We gathered some clothes, some coolers, and other items and moved in to the completely empty house. We had an air mattress to sleep on.

A folding card table served as a desk and dining table. A couple folding chairs made for seating. We have two electric coolers that we were able to empty the RV refrigerator into. I got a TV out of storage and put it on a plastic storage box as a TV stand. I removed the Internet and Wi-Fi from the RV for use in the house.

We were all set for temporary living. This would be a quick 10 days, or maybe even two weeks.

Six weeks later, the RV is still in the shop. It’s like we have been camping in this house for all eternity. My back can’t take the air mattress much longer. We’re living out of coolers. There is no furniture but for folding chairs. We’ve been eating over at Kathy’s sister’s house almost every day because she has a real kitchen with kitchen stuff in it, like a microwave, appliances, and even dishes. In our temporary house we have paper plates, plastic cups and a skillet. Just like camping!

Three weeks into this, Kathy left for Ecuador for her Spanish school adventure. I’ve been here solo, taking care of the kitties, and eating out. A lot. Too much. I’m sick of restaurants and their food. I’ve been over to her sister’s a couple times and even cooked some there. But this is getting old.

The issue that kept the RV in the shop so long was the refrigerator. The ice maker would not work and the freezer would grow these ice bergs requiring manual defrosting. The warranty company decided the best course of action was to replace the refrigerator. Original fridge down, order a second. But this would take some time because they had to order it and have it freighted from Indiana. Weather caused delays. Eventually it arrived 8 or so days later. So they pulled our old one out, through the now removed dining room window. Put the new one in. Oops. It’s broken and damaged on the inside. Can’t use this one! They called and told me this and they had to order another one. 2 fridges down, order a third. The third refrigerator arrived a week later. It’s the wrong model and won’t fit in our rig. 3 down, order a fourth. That refrigerator arrived about 10 days later, 3 days after the date I was told. They get it installed and it has problems. They need to order some new parts for the new refrigerator so it will work. I’m so fed up with this.

Finally, 6 weeks and one day after I dropped it off, almost 4 months after I made the appointment for repairs, they called and said the RV is ready. Of course the day they called is the day before I fly to Ecuador to see Kathy. So I picked up the a RV and put it in storage while I’m in South America. Hopefully when I get back, I’ll find all the stuff that was supposed to be fixed really was. We shall see in due course.

I have been so ready for the camper to come back, because it is home. This house we’re staying in is too much lIke camping, especially after six weeks.