Life on the Road

While traveling on the road there are those little mishaps from time to time. We had a time a few weeks ago when we were driving cross-country.

At the eastern Oklahoma state line we had a flat tire. Actually, this was a classic “blow out”. The tire exploded and the only thing left was a thin ring of rubber on the rim. As rubber shards were launched into the air, the sewage valve was busted and needed to be replaced. I think we were lucky that that was the only thing we lost. We found a shop further down the road and scheduled a stop for the following afternoon.

Needless to say, we had lost time because of the blow out and then stopping for new tires (replacing the other 3). Now we had to make up time. We stopped in at Motley RV Service in Oklahoma City about 2pm. We figured a short stop for repairs and on the road again. We try to keep a short drive schedule, but being behind, we were pushing on a little longer.

The service manager came in and told us the parts were in stock and the total job would cost about $250. But, they had some other things to finish in the shop and our repairs would be done by 5pm. 5 PM … I can’t loose that much time … They were in no mood to put me ahead on the schedule, but he assured me they would get to it by 5pm because that was what time they closed.

Aargh!

OK … just give me the parts. The total for two valves (black water and grey water) and a new cap for the line was $50. So, quickly doing the math in my head I figured out that they were going to charge $200 for labor. Wow that’s a lot. But it must be a tough job. The service manager asked, “Do you know anything about RV repair?” To which I said, “I think I can figure it out, I’m pretty good at turning a screw.” I finally convinced him to sell me the parts and let me go.

We stopped in Texas for the night and the storm was getting worse. In the freezing rain I got out the few tools I had with me and went to work on the valve. (Remember that the motley crew at Motley RV - who knew what they were doing - were going to charge me $200 to do the work, in their shop, with the right tools, in the warmth, out of the rain.)

After 10 minutes of work the job was done. *** $200 ***

So, if you can turn a screw, just buy the parts. They charge enough markup at that without having to pay those outrageous labor charges. At least shop around for the best deal. It’ll probably be worth your time and effort.

Let go and let God.