The Burst Geyser A Tale Of Woe Not Wow!

Every morning Butch spoils me with a mug of freshly brewed coffee and one rusk, which I relish and enjoy in bed while I complete my daily Woodoku. There’s an App; look for it. Woodoku is better than any word game. Addictive and good for the brain, the advertisement said. I get up when I’ve done my dilly-dallying and sipped the dregs of my coffee. Then I make the bed and sweep the floors.

Being fastidious annoys everyone because it takes precious time when other things could’ve been done they argue. Nevertheless, I will not divert from my routines, and just as well. When I lifted the “carpet" I felt the first squishy wetness between my toes, but when I lifted the Yoga mat beneath the rug, I got worried—wet, wet, wet.

For a split second, I looked up, but that would be impossible, it hadn't rained during the night.  We’d not used the shower, and the loo was empty. There was just one other possibility—the geyser. Highly unlikely, we both thought, the geyser had recently been serviced.

With headlamps, we delved into the dark depths of the geyser locker. All the fittings, pipes and connections looked okay, but there was dampness, and all we know only too well that water and wood do not gel.

Fortunately, we were still relatively near Cape Town and AC Motorhomes, who had serviced the truck a few months prior and repaired the geyser. Due to water damage, they also replaced a few wood panelling sheets.

Everyone agreed that it was better now than later. My thoughts were this shouldn’t be happening, period. A blessing in disguise, my dad said, I wasn’t so sure. We’ve had our fair share of “disguised blessings”.

Butch, who has the highest regard for Melissa, Hein’s 2’IC, called her immediately, knowing she would give us the best advice. I regret to report the total disregard for our dilemma, stating that they (AC Motor Homes) couldn’t be held responsible for the leak and were unwilling to investigate the problem. Melissa assured us there was no stock available should we need a replacement geyser. They couldn’t refer us to anyone, nor could they recommend a solution. Boom! Like a blow to the solar plexus. I was speechless. We were adrift and felt like chicks thrown out of the nest.

The lightbulb in my head went on when I recalled replacing our awning a few years ago. We’d been referred, by AC Motorhomes, to Motorhome World in Atlantis; once again, they were our only hope.

Ninety minutes later, we pulled into their workshop. The technician was on hand and immediately began investigating the inner workings and reported a burst geyser. These things happen. They had one geyser in stock, the last one with our name on it! Within two hours, we had lodged an insurance claim, had a new geyser, and were back on the road again.

Everyone has a bad day. We never know what’s happened in someone else’s life and therefore don’t often draw conclusions or make judgements. We sincerely believe the powers that be at AC Motor Homes would never, under normal circumstances, have given a client terrible service. While we always recommend AC Motorhomes for a build, we will mention our disappointment. Regrettably, the experience has left a bad taste in our mouths.

We remind ourselves that being a manufacturer is entirely different from being a maintenance or repair business and workshop. Thank you Motorhome World for your excellent service. The cuppa tea saved the day.

This is the second time we’ve been saved from a disaster because of my fastidiousness. The last time, I smelt a rat, we found our batteries were leaking battery acid. These minor occurrences remind me never to let my guard down and not to stop with my routines, no matter how irritating and how “relaxed in my slacks” I become. I will try to keep up the standards!

We’ve begun calling the spaces in the truck bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and, where I’m currently sitting, The Dining Room. Hilarious if you consider the whole space is probably 12 square meters. In my defence, Sarah, our neighbour, said the truck is perhaps equivalent to their apartment in Germany, and that’s why they decided to pack it all in and have been travelling since 2019 when they spent lockdown in Australia.

We wait with bated breath to see what packs up next. We didn’t have to wait long.

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