We have now had an RV specialist out to look at the RV. We tried to arrange one for last week, but received a call 2 hours before the scheduled appointment saying he couldn't make it. Nothing by way of apology or explanation, so we sent him on his merry way. I can tell maturity is setting in in some way as that kind of thing really irks me. If you're running a business, don't treat your customers as expendable. So we found a different person and booked it for the next weekend.
So the second guy we booked arrived promptly (my mature head swelled with happiness at this punctuality) and in a very professional looking van. He turned out to be a fairly nice guy. I could tell he thought we were idiots; stupid, young and eager enough to buy the rig sitting before him. But sadly, we were right. There is a fair bit of water damage to the front of the coach. But, it's so far gone that there's nothing to do with it but damage control. Sweet! I know this sounds weird, but luckily for us this was not a long term investment. For our purposes, the vehicle is fine. It will last as long as we need it. It's not going to collapse in on itself and it's safe.
We have a lot of work to do though. The guy said whoever sold it to us has a lot of bad karma waiting for him somewhere. The roof is in decent condition, bar all the slits and holes and cracks that we need to fill in. This basically means that it hasn't been sun and UV damaged too badly. But hell, this is Seattle, there was very little danger of that. He walked us around the roof, showing us how to take things off, scrub it down and reseal everything. Our main leak is coming from where the awning is attached and this is a common problem with these things. He also repaired our fridge, showed us how the generator works (which needs a new battery and wiring), he fixed and showed us how to use the awning. This was something that was beyond the talents of the guy selling us the vehicle! Maybe alarm bells should have gone off then... but hindsight is only valuable if you can travel faster than the speed of light.
The guy, Steve, had brought his dog and his wife with him, and both were small with abusive attitudes. He did say that his wife could chew her way out through a burning building, and we saw what he meant when we went to pay. Not fat, but definitely a feisty nature that chose to hone its skill on her husband. He seemed to take it like a man who has had to endure a lot worse. But, they were a good couple, and gave us numbers of people who would do good, honest work to the engine if we needed it. We were told we could call with any questions, and if we took it elsewhere, give him a call with the works that are proposed and he would tell us if we are being ripped off or not. Nice guy who obviously felt a bit sorry for the green couple stood in front of him. He knocked money off a part that he installed. But it didn't stop my stomach from nearly bottoming out when the final tally was announced: $446. Eek. But I felt fine, once my stomach had returned to its normal sitting position, as I now know what the issues are, and my peace of mind is worth a hell of a lot more than that. I remember being given a lift in El Salvador by a rather wealthy local man, and he said "If you go cheap, you just pay somewhere else down the line." Dave and I have tried to remember that little piece of advice as it has turned out to be true way more than once. Some things you have to pay for, and some things just shouldn't come cheap.
So now Dave and I have a little weekend project, lovingly repairing our RV so we can get the best out of it. If we take care of it and do the repairs he advised us on, he said it should last 3 - 5 years, maybe more if we keep up the maintenance. And hell, I don't plan to live in the RV for that long. But, you never know. These days you just never know.
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