DW and I are now full timing in our 2006 Keystone Cougar 295EFS. We've had the rig since it was new. We started full timing in it about 2 weeks ago. We've had a problem that started to arrise about 6 months ago. The problem is that within a day of starting our camping, when we flush the toilet, we start to get air backing up through the toilet. If the bowl has a lot of water in it, this makes for lots of splashing when you flush the toilet.
We've always been good about flushing the black water tank when we dump, from the day we bought it 3 years ago. I'm suspecting that maybe the air vent from the toilet got partially obstructed 6 months ago when we dry camped for 4 days, and that the problem has slowly gotten worse. I'm wondering if anyone else has run into this problem and what resolution you might suggest.
I was thinking about climbing on the roof and running water down into the vent from above, but I don't know if that is a good idea or not.
If anyone has any suggestions or experiences, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and Happy camping! - Eric -
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1999 Ford F-250 CC 7.3 PSD W/Superchips in tow safe mode
2006 Cougar 295EFS
Reese 16K Sliding 5th
2 Kipor 2000P generators
Magellan Explorist 210
That sounds like what has happened, I had a dirt dabber build a nest in mine and almost had it totally blocked. Don't know about your camper but I ran the hose into my vent pipe with no problem. I also installed a 360 vent and that also helped. Hope this helps your problem. John
If you ain't the lead dog...the scenery never changes!!!!
luvdoggiez wrote: I was thinking about climbing on the roof and running water down into the vent from above, but I don't know if that is a good idea or not.
That would be my first procedure...just don't look down the vent while the water is running...if you know what I mean.
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
We had similar problems occassionally and after a few times I think the problem was a partially blocked pipe from the toilet to the tank. After a period of time the toilet would be plugged, at that time when flushed the liquid would kind of bubble back up at you. I think that TP builds up on th bends in the pipe going from the toilet to the tank. I finally took a pressure washer and blasted the pipe from the toilet end and that seemed to take care of the problem. We now make sure that the TP is the correct kind and watch the amount that we use.
John & Joan
3500 Chev 2008 Dually with 6.6 TD and Allison Trany
34RLQS JAYCO DESIGNER Fifth Wheel
Retired
I like the idea of running water down the vent pipe.
2003 Jayco 308fbs eagle 33' tt, towed by a 2003 Ram 3500 slt, quad cab dually, cummins diesel ho, trailer towing package, with 6 speed manual. Hauls better 1/2, 3 kids, myself, and a 2003 ez go clays car.. I have added so far, neon lights, clearance lights, back up lights, black light, lift kit, mud tires, and everything necessary to make the golf cart street legal. It's now ready to spend the winter in the garage for more mods. More neon, strobe lights, alarm, a pa system, maintance, and whatever else that comes along. This golf cart does wheelies and travels thru 7 inches of mud when need be. Two honda eu2000i gens twinned to supply the electrical power. Latest addition an 04 Honda Goldwing. [url]http://www.hometown.aol.com/rvnagain/myhomepage/profile.html[url]
I seem to have the same issue. Our first real trip in our new MH. The toilet is electric flush with a macerator inline to the black tank. The toilet is programmable so I adjusted it so a small amount of water sits in the toilet after the flush. After some time the thing starts to percolate just a tiny bit once in awhile. The water does not change colors so no backwash at this time. Just some burps happening. The black tank was about 2/3 full because I programmed the toilet for way to much water use. I had the RV pumper come by and pump me out. I thought it kind of weird that it looked like he was drawing a vacuum on the black water tank. The management said he was new at this so I didn't look close to see if he just didn't understand the valves. He asked me to flush the toilet. After finishing I asked him if he was experiencing a vacuum. His English was not exceptional so there was a bit of a struggle. After he left I surmised the bubbling could be from a blocked vent and the level being so high that gas pressure developed. The gas bubbling in the toilet had no odor but with a large amount of mostly water it might not have. I climbed on top and took the vent off because of the things learned here. I had my wife then flush the toilet and I could hear water running so I surmised the vent was not blocked. I did not use a flashlight or water hose but next time I will run water down the vent pipe. My thoughts went to the issue of the cutout plug being left in the tank but that should not block the vent. So, I may have two non related problems which would not surprise me in the least. Keep us posted on your resolution.
I have a 2002 Cougar 295 and had similar problems when it was new. My problem turned out to be household toilet paper that built up below the pipe from the toilet to the tank. Ended up having a septic tank pumper pump out the tank. Had to use a high pressure toilet wand to break up the solids so the pump could pump it out. Now use RV toilet paper and lotsa water when we flush. I also would use a high pressure hose down the vent in case it's partially plugged.
Thanks for your input on my Original Post. The vent pipe was the farthest point from the drain point. I put the hose down the vent pipe, it went all the way down to the tank. Though I had a bit of a problem backing the hose back up the vent pipe. I found if ran the water and wiggled the hose, it would come back up the pipe. At any rate, I started to break things loose, with putting the hose down the vent pipe. But then everything moved down to the toilet entry point into the Tank. I then put the flusher wand down the toilet to continue breaking things up. It turned out that we had a mound of Toilet paper building up in the toilet. After a fair amount of flushing, we got things broken free and flushed out of the tank.
Thanks for your input on my Original Post. The vent pipe was the farthest point from the drain point. I put the hose down the vent pipe, it went all the way down to the tank. Though I had a bit of a problem backing the hose back up the vent pipe. I found if ran the water and wiggled the hose, it would come back up the pipe. At any rate, I started to break things loose, with putting the hose down the vent pipe. But then everything moved down to the toilet entry point into the Tank. I then put the flusher wand down the toilet to continue breaking things up. It turned out that we had a mound of Toilet paper building up in the toilet. After a fair amount of flushing, we got things broken free and flushed out of the tank.
Thanks all for your help! Happy Camping! - Eric -
I suspect you will use more liquid in the future. One trick I saw on an RV show was to dump a bag of ice down the toilet before you hit the road to help break up the bog.
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After a period of time the toilet would be plugged, at that time when flushed the liquid would kind of bubble back up at you. 
I think that TP builds up on th bends in the pipe going from the toilet to the tank. I finally took a pressure washer and blasted the pipe from the toilet end and that seemed to take care of the problem. We now make sure that the TP is the correct kind and watch the amount that we use.
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