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Sudsy · 06-23-2013, 08:08 PM

I bought a 2006 Rockwood 8315ss TT about two years ago. The previous owners had the camper on a permanent site and had the black water and grey water tanks (two grey tanks with separate drains, one just for galley) plumbed with PVC pipe and I first thought they just left the drains open and had built up a large deposit in the black tank. I made an adapter and power-washed the tank until it seemed clean and did not smell anymore. I just discovered that the bathroom sink is draining into the black-water tank. I was at a WE only site last time and used the toilet very little. I always try to top off the aft grey water tank that I thought the shower and bathroom sink drained into so I could flush out the drain hose when dumping the sewage. Well while I was outside I asked the wife to run the water in the bathroom sink to add water to the grey tank. After a few minutes she called out and said the toilet was overflowing around the base. The tank was full. All liquid but it should have been almost empty when we arrived. I had a full hookup this weekend and did some testing and found that when I opened the black water drain and ran water in the bathroom sink the toilet tank was filling. I closed that valve and opened the aft grey water tank and it wasn't flowing at all. So the sink is draining into the toilet tank (black water tank). We keep some stuff in the shower when traveling and I didn't check that but will next week. Is this the way these tanks are suppose to be plumbed? Is it possible that the previous owners had the drains modified because they had it permanently hooked up to a drain? Is there a valve that needs to be switched to drain the sink into the aft grey water tank? The kitchen tank has it's own separate tank forward and has a second drain below the slide room forward of the axles. It was also fowled with egg shells and food scraps when I got it. Each of the tanks hold about 35 gals (I forget the exact amounts) and I once filled the fresh water tank with 35 gals and ran it into the toilet to check the toilet tank capacity and it all fit. This has me wondering. Anyone else seen this or anything similar?

Sudsy

Ray,IN · 07-02-2013, 08:28 PM

Some RV manufacturers used to plumb their units this way (bathroom sink into black tank) to insure adequate water was added to the black tank to reduce the possibility of plugging the tank with solids. Obviously yours is one of these manufacturers.
If you are handy with plumbing it would be feasible to re-route the sink drain to the grey tank_but, usually the grey tank fills much faster than the black tank anyway.

Sudsy · 07-02-2013, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Some RV manufacturers used to plumb their units this way (bathroom sink into black tank) to insure adequate water was added to the black tank to reduce the possibility of plugging the tank with solids. Obviously yours is one of these manufacturers.
If you are handy with plumbing it would be feasible to re-route the sink drain to the grey tank_but, usually the grey tank fills much faster than the black tank anyway.

Thanks Ray;

We camped last week and I did another verification check and no longer think that's the case. I had GREAT water pressure at the site so I connected the elbow flusher I bought and flushed the black tank several times and did get a lot of solid waste out of it. I never did get it to run perfectly clear or even stop spitting solids but I had to do a lot of flushing. Going out again soon and will repeat. I am starting to think I was right in thinking that the former owner had the black dump open (and I know he had it permanently plumbed to drain with PVC pipe) and fouled the tank thinking it was all going right down the drain.

I have also in the past dumped a 20 lb bag of ice down the toilet just before taking off on the road to slosh around and break up solids. I will do that a few times too.

Sudsy

10Boomer · 07-04-2013, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sudsy

Thanks Ray;

We camped last week and I did another verification check and no longer think that's the case. I had GREAT water pressure at the site so I connected the elbow flusher I bought and flushed the black tank several times and did get a lot of solid waste out of it. I never did get it to run perfectly clear or even stop spitting solids but I had to do a lot of flushing. Going out again soon and will repeat. I am starting to think I was right in thinking that the former owner had the black dump open (and I know he had it permanently plumbed to drain with PVC pipe) and fouled the tank thinking it was all going right down the drain.

I have also in the past dumped a 20 lb bag of ice down the toilet just before taking off on the road to slosh around and break up solids. I will do that a few times too.

Sudsy

Dump some dawn soap with some hit watering the tank before you go, it will move around, when you get to you site clean and dump until clean. This will help.