Rainy Day Bloviating - Hook Ups Part III

I woke up this morning to a gloomy (weather-wise) day and could very easily see that it would be a gamble (which I am not willing to take – bad odds) to plan any outdoor activities for today. But, what a beautiful day it will be to pursue my new-found passion – being a nuisance. As you may have noticed in Part II, I’m beginning to torment you with a simple form of the “numbers” game. I must do it [torment?]. In the case of this sewer hose challenge, you need certain factual metrics to use as a base for arguments in your decision-making thought process. The numbers we have established so far in this little exercise are: 4”, 25’, 2’, 5’, 10’, 15’, 20’, X-factor (TBD). No, I am not a bean counter, and yes, like you – I regret sleeping or day-dreaming during math classes. The next part of our sewer hose education is to find a value for the X-factor. We need to determine [X-factor} how many segments (with fittings) of the different sized hose lengths we need to reach our target [25’]. Simple equation? Yes, but “don’t shoot from the hip”, put some thought into the answer. You’re “shooting at a moving target”, you have a varying number element that is unknown until you park your RV on your site. The X-factor now becomes a real integer you can work with, the measurement of the distance from your RV sewer outlet to the RV park sewer hook-up point. Let’s assume you have that number [integer], put it on the shelf for a moment or two. Let’s talk a little more about the sewer hose construction. You will have choices to make in the selection of a sewer hose(s) which are made with various wall thicknesses [Y mil] (oh no, here we go again – pray for sunshine and make this madness go away) and a broad range of materials. Some of the construction materials have been around for a long time, thus established some type of measurable track record. There are new materials showing up practically every day in our world of ever-changing technologies. That’s a good thing, but there is a risk factor – the technology may lack time-driven measurements. But anyway, regardless of the material type, the common factors are: flexibility in directional movement (Up to 180 degrees, up, down, left, right) and length adjustment (the accordion affect). Are you starting to feel like: If I ever meet this nuisance, I will never ask him: “What time is it?”, or how about; “Hello, how are you?”? You now have two more elements [Y mil and material type] added to the decision-making equation. I don’t give the type of material high marks on the value scale, knowledge of the technicalities of the material is way beyond my pay grade. I will take my chances and assume the material will get the job done, unless I discover bad press about the material during my research. The Y mil factor is something that has value. The Y mil factor has just become the value that sets the “bar level”. You don’t need to reach or go-over the bar level, you just need to get a close to it as possible within the boundaries of known constraints [cost verses budget factor]. If you are a scientific or engineering scholar you might want to consider applying for a government grant to study and establish the bar level, but for us poor mortal souls, we have no other choice but to use gut instincts – bigger is better. Manufacturers produce sewer hoses with different quality factors (i.e. wall thickness) based mostly on cost points - keep that [quality] in mind when you start your evaluation. Also, always work within the framework of a previously mentioned cliché’ “You get what you pay for”. You are not my BFF and I don’t take pleasure with causing you information overload pains. We still have a lot of ground to cover before we get that complex thing called a sewer hose connected to the RV. You are not my BFF and I do not get pleasure with causing you such information overload pain. I will stop being such a nuisance for the rest of this wet weather day. Go “pop a top” and I’ll catch up to you in Part IV. Semper Fi