Rainy Day Bloviating – Hook Ups Part II

Dang, being a technical writer is not an easy thing to do – too many eyes to dot and tees to cross. But since I am committed to deliver something and not cut corners, then I guess I must suck-it-up and “walk the walk”. It’s a new day and I will be picking up from where I left it yesterday in Part I. Talk about one of my often-used analogies, Pandora’s Box, the sewer hose subject blows the lid off that box. I can already anticipate Parts III and beyond before I ever get to hooking the darn hose to the RV. I promise to be gentle. We will begin today by talking about the physical hose, fittings and valves. We will save the other components of the system(s) for later parts of the article. Keeping to my harsh way of shocking you into paying attention, I will set off the alarm with a very familiar quote: “You Get What You Pay For”. That statement does not imply that cheap (PC = less costly) is bad and expensive (dig deeper into you cash honey jar) is better – the fact is, it is quite the contrary. Try putting the cost factor aside and do your homework before you do a knee-jerk reaction (another one of those mind-boggling buzz words or phrases) by going to the store and arbitrarily taking a sewer hose off the shelf because which appears to be the solution to the immediate problem (emergency or routine). You may have just decided on a course-of-action that only postponed a disastrous event that may occur when you least expect it or at the most inopportune moment. By now you should be eager to jump into a research project, but hold on, don’t put the cart in front of the horse. Let’s clearly define the physical specifications and expectations of the needed sewer hose before you start researching specific products. Sounds like we may be making a mountain out of a mole hill, doesn’t it? Or, how about we’re making it more like a business project? The answer is: no answer, any answer is wrong for both questions (pessimist’s viewpoint). So now, pup, how much sewer hose do you need? Do you have any idea what’s available out there in the market place? You do know that there is a ton of stuff out there that will absolutely confuse and overwhelm you, don’t you? Are you willing consider multiple solutions and select the one that satisfies or exceeds the criteria (function, effectiveness, costs, etc.) you defined earlier? Enough with the scare tactics as an attention retainer. So how much hose will work for me (or you)? I have one black water tank and one gray water tank, each have their own valve to control flow, but both share a common outlet sewer hose connection on the RV. So, having said that, my recommendations are based on that [single outlet] system. If you have more than one outlet on the RV, you’re on your own – figure it out yourself. I use 25’ of sewer hose – plenty of sewer hose for me. Now if you think I just plucked the 25’ number out of nowhere, you are wrong again – don’t be depressed and give up hope yet, I’m trying to make you a better person. So where did the number come from? Answer: facts and analysis. My sewer outlet on the RV is located mid-coach. Twenty-five feet will get me (36’ RV) to most in-ground sewer connection points. If not, I need to relocate the RV on the site to enable connecting to the RV park’s sewer system. Okay, now you know we need 25’ of sewer hose – what’s next? I doubt if you will find a single 25’ sewer hose. They [sewer hoses] come in varies lengths: 2’, 5’, 10’, 15’ and the longest I’ve seen is 20’. I’m not letting you off the hook yet – you got some more brain work to do. You look at the numbers that have now become important data points (here we go again, another buzz word) for you to work with. You have your target, 25’, and you have elements that you will need to combine to hit your target. Well heck, that’s really a no brainer, just do simple math by selecting the combination of numbers to equal 25. Wrong again. By now you might be starting to feel like a snowflake (buzz word?) instead of a pup. You may need to seek your “safe-zone” for comfort and regrouping. Go for it, I’ll continue the subject in Part III. I’ve got a few fun things to do anyway. Semper Fi.