I fixed it!! I fixed it!!

Somewhere between my Tucson drivewaydock and the Vineyard, I managed to rip off my sewer outlet pipe. I probably just hit a dip too hard, which sheared off the metal bracket that holds the sewer pipe up under the belly of the beast. But then it dragged on pavement for howevermany miles, rendering the whole valve emptying thingy useless. Luckily, it wasn't actively spewing (much) shit, but it was definitely something that needed to be repaired before I had to dump again.

Yep, that metal bracket is supposed to be connected by a bolt to the underbelly.

Road rash

I sure as shit (pun intended) didn't want to fix this by myself, but when traveling solo means you just buck up and do what needs to be done.

I found an RV parts shop about a half hour from where I'm staying and called to see if they had the part. Thank the Universe for men who can decipher my description of "the square thing that attaches to the handle thingy that dumps the shit, and the bolty thing that holds the pipe thingy up".  Huge props to the dude at Lowry's RV Center for deciphering my description and setting aside all the parts I'd need to get it done. He even showed me how to assemble all the pieces, and gave me a shopping list for Ace Hardware, which was conveniently across the street.

Even bigger props to the dude at Ace Hardware for getting me the right bolts and washers, even though I had no idea what size I needed (the best I could tell him was "it's the 2nd ratchet in my ratchet set" 🙄).

"just put it together like this"

Then it was all down to business. Replacing the shitter valve thingy when you haven't emptied your shitter tank for a few days is a recipe for disaster. Nothing a smart girl with a bucket and a box of latex gloves can't figure out, tho. 😉

Boom!! Success!

There weren't even any Fbombs thrown.  Maybe I am actually capable of doing this solo road trip stuff. 🤔

Rewarded my success with a long soak in the hot springs.