Tired of Plugged Sewer Lines? Try 4x3x4

No, this is not some new product to pour down your sewer lines.  Sewer lines get plugged by a variety of obstacles like rocks, toys, etc.  I have found one way to reduce the number of times I had to locate & dig up a plugged line. It's 4x3x4!  6 to 12 inches below the sewer cap cut out a foot of the 4 inch S&D (Sewer & Drain) PVC pipe.  Install a 4x3 inch reducer coupling on each end with a piece of 3 inch S&D pipe in the middle.  Keep the first coupling close enough to the surface so you can reach it.  While it may not be pleasant, 98% of your plugs can be easily reached and removed without any digging or locating.  If something will pass through the 3 inch line it more than likely will not become an obstruction further down the line.

While reaching into a plugged sewer line is not pleasant it sure beats digging.  Wearing a protective glove inside an inverted trash bag you can reach in and pull out the offending obstruction.  Flip the bag over as you pull it out and it's ready for the dumpster.  This is a low cost, labor saving solution to plugged sewer lines.  I recently purchased a 4x3 coupling for $2.49 and the 3 inch pipe was .41 cents per foot.

The worst thing I ever had stuck was a softball.  I had to screw an eye screw into the softball to pull it out.  I was delighted that it was not able to find its way further down the line.

If you have any tips you would like to share and have me pass along please send them to me at jsims@arvc.org.

I'm Forgetting Something....

We’ve all done it.  I would say to myself, “I’m going to remember to shut that valve off”.  It was usually on one of my pools that I needed to add water to and would turn on the fresh water valve (with a backflow preventer) to fill the pool.  Then the normal routine would set in, the next phone call, a guest wanting to check out, a restroom has an emergency, somebody just backed over an electric pedestal, etc.  And lo and behold, the next thing I would do is go by a pool that was overflowing.  It had completely slipped my mind.

I found a very inexpensive solution to my problem.   I bought some of those plastic coiled wrist bands and attached a plastic tag to them.  I labeled the tag and draped it on each valve so whoever turned on the valve had to wear the “bracelet”.   I obviously was not concerned with attempting to make a fashion statement but it stopped 99% of the, “Oops, I forgot”.

Hospitals?

In my park visits last year a ran across a park owner who said,"I don't need your association, I'm full every weekend."  Having been involved in ARVC for most of my professional career I well know the importance of networking.  Attending the ARVC convention is the perfect place and I always got a return on my investment of the cost of attending.  Yes, attendance is an investment in your park.

I told the gentleman, "What you are really telling me is that you are not full on weekdays."  I decided to give him an idea I had years ago at my park.  I worked with the Human Resources Departments of three major hospitals and set up an employee discount at my park.  Think about it.  Hospitals are usually major employers in an area, have three shifts of people and they are not all off on weekends.  Many are off on Monday & Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday and will provide you an opportunity to fill in low occupancy times.

I told the park owner that is just one example of things you can pick up by networking with members of an association.  He replied, "Maybe I do need your association after all!"

Thanks for the Memories - Jay & Marji Otto

A few weeks ago I received, like many in the industry, an email from Jay & Marji Otto, Executive Directors of the New Jersey Campground Owners Association (NJCOA) that they were going to retire and were cleaning out the file cabinets. they asked if anyone wanted some of the old programs from NCOA (now ARVC) days of which I responded, Yes.  A few days later a package arrived at my home chalked full of association memories for me.

As I went through the package, which went back many years, I read the convention programs, looked at all the pictures and some brought genuine laughter while some caused tears to well up in my eyes.  Many, many good friends that are no longer with us.  I ran across a picture of Stan Martin whose name is now associated with one of the highest honors our industry bestows, The Stan Martin Award.  I was the 6th recipient of this award in 1998 and when I looked at my friend's picture I was overwhelmed and humbled all over again just like the night I received this great honor.

The NCOA 1989 Convention Program really caught my eye.  The President was Al Daniels whom I have always had a great deal of respect.  The Keynote Speaker was Captain James Lovell, Jr. who was a world famous astronaut and a real American Hero known for the Apollo missions to the moon.  More specifically, the Apollo 13 mission that he and his crew were able to get back to Earth in the crippled space module.  I had the privilege to set beside him and visit.  He even autographed the program for my children, Brandon & Amber.  I was in awe.  This past week we also watched as the space shuttle program came to it's conclusion.

I looked at the pictures of Jay & I and noticed how young we looked.  I remember many great times with Jay & Marji through the years.  I also remember Jay riding with me in Washington D.C. when I inadvertently got in the left lane in one of those turnabouts.  I don't actually recall how many times we made the loop but I told Jay we were on the scenic route after the 5th go around.  Somebody finally let us back over.

While I am happy for Jay & Marji, I really hate to see them retire.  I think about all of those people in the industry that have passed the torch on through the years.  Our industry is definitely better because of the high standards, professionalism and dedication that Jay & Marji Otto brought to ARVC.  I will sure miss them but wish them all the best on a well deserved retirement.

Tornado in Sedalia, MO

On May 25^th I went up my drive to get my newspaper and noticed something looked odd but in the darkness I couldn’t tell.  When daylight broke I noticed one of the large trees in my yard was down.  The recent storms across the country have kept most of southwest Missouri hunkered down.  I’m sure everyone has heard about the disaster from an F5 tornado in Joplin, MO so a tree down in the front yard seemed pretty trivial.

Later on that day I received an email from Mary Arlington who owns High Plains Camping in Oakley, KS.  She sent me a video and pictures of the damage done in Sedalia, MO and asked if was our good friends Norman & Linda Alcorn at Countryside Senior RV Park.  The aerial photos didn’t pan down to the park

(I know the area well) but I did recognize TransCentral, a 14 bay diesel engine repair shop that the Alcorn’s own had took a direct hit which is located a few blocks north of their park. I immediately tried to contact them via phone, text message & email but as we all know, communications are severely hampered in a natural disaster.  The not knowing made me sick in my gut.  Linda is the Co-Director of the Missouri Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (MOARC) and has served the association for many years.

I loaded up my gear that night and headed to Sedalia before daybreak the next morning.  I was about 20 miles south of Sedalia when I got a phone call from Larry Helms who is the MOARC President & ARVC Board Member and he said he had just talked with Linda and they were okay.  What a relief!  Put this in perspective.  Not much earlier, portions of Larry’s park were 15 feet underwater.  It just goes to show what the people in this industry are like.  No matter what is happening in their world, they still show concern for each other.

When I got to Countryside Senior RV Park I found Norman.  He said he got all the guests in his basement and other than some minor debris, the park was fine.  Norman looked at me and said,” I can’t believe you drove all the way from Branson to check on us.”  I said, “Norman, if it had happened to me, you would have done the same.”  He smiled and said, “Yes I would.”

I then made the short drive over to TransCentral where I talked with Linda.  She gave me the tour and recounted in vivid detail what happened.  She was trying to get the employees behind a retaining wall and a panicked lady came in off the street wanting to know where to go.  One of the staff grabbed the lady and jumped in one of their service vans in the shop.  Linda just about waited too late herself and got into the restroom with several others as the tornado hit.  Linda walked me through the aftermath of broken glass, twisted metal, uprooted trees, turned over tanker and unbelievably, no one was hurt.  The mobile home court beside them looked like a bomb had gone off.

They were now just waiting on the insurance adjusters and seeing that there was nothing I could do I gave them both a hug thankful they were okay & headed back home.  Norman & Linda’s fast thinking & actions saved lives.  On the long drive home I got to thinking how thankful I am to be in an industry where people really care about each other.  We are a big family.

ARVC's Jeff Sims - Video Interview

ARVC's Director of Membership and Public Affairs, Jeff Sims, sat down with Evanne Schmarder to talk about his new ARVC (National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds) responsibilities, his recent epic park journey and his view on partnering with RV park and campground owners/operators - his customers.



ARVC is moving forward in so many positive ways.  Be sure and check out all the Member Benefit Providers along with all the new directions ARVC is pursuing at http://www.arvc.org/.  If you ever have questions, comments or need assistance please contact me at jsims@arvc.org or call me, Cell: 417-337-0451.

Bucket List Bull Riding

This has been a hectic month of travel going to state association meetings.  This past week at the TACO Convention I visited with Cap'n Kury from the Twin Elm Guest Ranch in Bandera, TX.  We met last year at TACO and I was wearing a pair of bull fighter boots that I purchased at the ARVC auction back in the 90's that had been donated by TACO.  For those of you who don't know what they are, they are tennis shoe cowboy boots made for bull fighters in a rodeo.  The Cap'n recognized what they were immediately and we became good friends.  His wife Victoria even tried to buy them from me.

He told me he had a new program for old guys like me that wanted to try their hand at bull riding called the Bucket List Bull Riding.  Bulls weren't quite as rank.  I immediately put that in my bucket list and then common sense kicked in about 8 seconds later and I took it back out of my bucket.

Last year I finally got the chance to work on something in my bucket list and personally visited 1,823 parks.  I had always wanted to do that.  Now in my new position with ARVC I have the opportunity to continue working for the industry that fuels my passion.  There's the old saying, "The start stops most people."  What's in your Bucket List?