I am new to this industry and have a question that I think I know the answer to, but want to make sure. I have a 08 Summit 29BHS. Ive noticed that the black tank gauge constantly shows 3/4 full even after dumping it. Im assuming there is some blockage causing this, right? We came home from camping in San Diego this weekend and after about a 2 hour drive in hot weather, I almost passed out from the smell in my trailer. This was after we dumped. Any advice?
2008 Thor Summit 29BHS
2001 Ford F150 Ext Cab 5.4l
2005 Yamaha Raptor 660
One 4 year old boy, and 1 wife
1. is the tank dumping fully? I use a clear plastic adapter at the valve to see when the tank runs clean.
2. I may be a gage problem, gages are not the best,
3. check on this site for the geo method.
4. I use Rid-X and Calgon. Then every so often I disinfect the tank with clorox.
5. Even if the tank was empty there is still matter that may be left, if there is a smell in the trailer, also check the vent to make sure it is open and clear and can vent the smell, Sometimes in traveling you can get a negative pressure at the vent and force fumes back into the trailer.
Others use Calgon and liquid soap for the tank.
In any case the tank may have a blockage, in this case the clear plastic adapter at the exit will help you. Or you are not flushing with the right chem, or completely,.
6. tank should be about 3/4 when ready to dump.
7. use lots of water.
* This post was
edited 06/24/08 09:22pm by wtravlr1 *
2007 Forest River Sierra 31fkd (37') dual slides
chevy suburban 2003 2500-8.1 L.4.10's
prodogy/reese dual cam
rollgard springs
First make sure that you have a couple a gallons of water in the black tank before you start using it to ensure that the solid waste is not building up into the tower of doom. Secondly keep you black take valve shut until your tank is 2/3 to 3/4 full then dump it. Usually this is done as you are getting ready to leave the campground. After you dump your tank, shine a light down the toilet do ensure that the take is indeed empty. The tank gauge is probably indicating the wrong readings due to waste/TP stuck to it. Prior to having the Tornado Tank Flush installed in my black tank, after dumping my tank I would drag a hose into the bathroom and fill the black tank with water and then drain it. I would repeat that as necessary to ensure all the waste was out. Then I would add about a gallon of water with a bit of tank treatment. I know there are many here that swear by the GEO method for black tank maintenance. Search this site for "black tank" and you will find a ton of advice on the subject.
Good luck,
Rick
1998 HD Chevy Silverado 2500
- Super Charged Vortec 5.7
- Air Lift Suspension System
- Drawtite WD hitch with 1200# bars
- Drawtite DC sway control
- Honda EU3000IS
Welcome to the forum. All it takes is a small piece of TP or...... to be on the sensor to make it read full so just because the idiot light says it is full doesn't mean it is. A flashlight down the commode will confirm this. Now how to solve your problem. First those tank flushers are a gimmic. I know that isn't a popular stance on this forum but it is true. The idea is good if our tanks were shaped differently, but because of the shape of our tanks you would really need a flusher at each corner and probably a couple in between as well. There is no way they can forcefully spray from one side of a 8ft tank to the other. I have posted this often but here goes again. My buddy and I both bought new TT, his came with a tornado thing. He swore up and down it was the best thing since sliced bread. Well we went camping together and at the end of the trip I told him to dump and flush his tanks until he thought they were clean, we then hooked up my Flush King to his sewer and you should have seen his face when he saw what came out!!! He went out and bought a FK before the next trip. Look up Geo method, it works. Everytime I go out I disolve 2 cups of powdered Calgon in a 5 gal bucket of hot water and dump down the commode, with the FK the water is always clear after two or three flushes. You don't need to do this every trip but I do. When I am done dumping I put enough water in both tanks to cover the bottom of the tank, then I pour 1/2 gal of bleach down into each tank and the drive home really cleans the tanks. Once home I dump this and backfill a couple more times with clean water. In storage I always leave some water in the tanks to prevent anything I may of missed from hardening. I have never had any odor problems, and I have never had to use the detergent the Geo method talks about. If you have any ? feel free to PM me.
I am not saying the tank rinsers are worthless, but there are simply other tools that will get your tanks cleaner. The FK isn't the only thing I use either. About every 3-4th trip I still take the water wand and stick it down the commode, this gives high pressure streams of water to break loose anything that may of been missed with the FK. So you see there is no one cure all, tank maintenance is a method of many different procedures and tools.
NCH
2000 Ford F350 4X4 PSD,CC, DRW
4:10's, BTM Muffler, Isspro Gauges,
Coolant Filter,CCV Mod
FTVB , Ford AIS
6.0 Cooler,SCT2 W/DP's 40 tow & 80 econo,Zoodad mod
2005 Keystone Hornet 30BHSS
Reese Dual Cam
Family of 4 saved by Grace!!! MY TRUCK OUR TRAILER
my post is not to disagree with what you say in any way BUT...
NCHornet1 wrote: Welcome to the forum. All it takes is a small piece of TP or...... to be on the sensor to make it read full so just because the idiot light says it is full doesn't mean it is. A flashlight down the commode will confirm this.
here we are in total agreement, but on many you cannot see into the tank
Now how to solve your problem. First those tank flushes are a gimmic. I know that isn't a popular stance on this forum but it is true. The idea is good if our tanks were shaped differently, but because of the shape of our tanks you would really need a flusher at each corner and probably a couple in between as well. There is no way they can forcefully spray from one side of a 8ft tank to the other. I have posted this often but here goes again. My buddy and I both bought new TT, his came with a tornado thing. He swore up and down it was the best thing since sliced bread. Well we went camping together and at the end of the trip I told him to dump and flush his tanks until he thought they were clean, we then hooked up my Flush King to his sewer and you should have seen his face when he saw what came out!!!
it is possible that it happened exactly this way... but there are two many variables to make it a statement of fact...
true if you just turn on a sprayer and leave it run it would take for ever to flush all of the stuff out of the tank because of the lack of volume of water from the sprayer... you need to dump with the flush turned on close the valve and fill the tank again... the spray agitates the water to move things and suspend them in the new water, then dump again... the sprayer will do well the second time, but if you think it need to be completely void of stuff you may need to do it a third time...
the FK works very well on some tanks, but only if there is a straight shot into the tank... if the plumbing has bends and turns, back filling the tank with the FK agitates the water while backfilling moving things and suspending things to be dumped... again it may need more than two dumpings depending on what you call clean...
He went out and bought a FK before the next trip. Look up Geo method, it works. Everytime I go out I disolve 2 cups of powdered Calgon in a 5 gal bucket of hot water and dump down the commode, with the FK the water is always clear after two or three flushes. You don't need to do this every trip but I do. When I am done dumping I put enough water in both tanks to cover the bottom of the tank, then I pour 1/2 gal of bleach down into each tank and the drive home really cleans the tanks. Once home I dump this and backfill a couple more times with clean water. In storage I always leave some water in the tanks to prevent anything I may of missed from hardening. I have never had any odor problems, and I have never had to use the detergent the Geo method talks about. If you have any ? feel free to PM me.
I certainly don't want to start another GEO debate we all know that has happened enough... but want to say I have tried it, just about every blue stuff made, HC, Rid-X and other brands of digesters, and now just water, and other than extremely hot conditions, or for longer than normal periods of time, the biggest difference is cost... I am not saying any of those things won't work, just not worth the cost to me... I think that is because I full time and I dump at least once a week all the time...
I am not saying the tank risers are worthless, but there are simply other tools that will get your tanks cleaner. The FK isn't the only thing I use either. About every 3-4th trip I still take the water wand and stick it down the commode, this gives high pressure streams of water to break loose anything that may of been missed with the FK. So you see there is no one cure all, tank maintenance is a method of many different procedures and tools.
again we are in total agreement...
there are a lot of tools available to us... we each need to find what works for our individual style of camping...
the wand should be used by everyone, it is the only way to rinse below the blade and above the tank (the inner bowl)... it might surprise you what is there...
We have a Tornado and a RV 360 Vent Cap on top of the roof, but we still have to use the wand down the toilet to get to "stuff" near the top of the tank (we still get "stink" unless we use the wand). When we use these methods, combined with putting clean water and tank treatment in the tanks afterwards, we have pretty good success. I just bought some Happy Camper treatment, due to such rave reviews, so we'll see how that goes.
Me ('57)
DH ('55)
3 kids (17, 20, 23)
Chipper (lab, 11) and Duke (boxer, 5)
2007 Dodge 1500 V-8/HEMI; 3.92 axle; WDH with Dual Cam
2007 Keystone Passport Ultralite 285RL
Offline
