Lil' Stanker-It works!

[ISLAPP]

Like others, I have experienced a foul black tank odor when running water thru the toilet
and especially if the roof vent/fan, above it, is open. This is caused by air escaping from the black tank.
The Lil Stanker was designed to create a continuous slight suction action that removes the air and the odor thru the roof vent. It requires the replacement of the roof vent cap with a 12v fan enclosed in its own vent cap. It also requires running a wire to a 12v source and to a on-off switch inside the rig.
The instructions say the installation should take about 15 minutes. I think it will take you that long to determine what is the best routing of the wire from the roof fan and also the placement of the switch. The key object here is how to get the wire inside the rig from the roof vent and to a 12v source and to the switch inside the rig. The recommended route is to drop the wire down the inside of the vent pipe from the roof and to drill a small hole in the vent pipe inside the rig somewhere between the roof and the holding tank and extract the wire out thru that small hole. So you need to locate where your vent stack comes up thru the wall to the roof and can you gain access to it. If you cannot get access, then they say you need to drill a small hole in the roof close to the roof vent and enter the rig that way. Another key issue that is not discussed in the instructions is do you have one roof vent for both black and grey tanks or do you have one for each tank. If you have two roof vents, you need to determine which is for the black tank and can you gain access to it in the walls. If you only have one vent pipe for both tanks, like I do, you need to know how the holding tanks vent pipes are tied together inside the coach in order to know which leg of the pipe you are dropping the wire down and attempting access to. In other words, your vent pipe will have some form of a "Y"� inside the coach somewhere where the two holding tanks vent pipes connect and come out the roof as one pipe. If you can gain access to one of those legs from inside the rig, you need to know which one you have access to in order to know which leg to drop the wire down.


I removed one screw and pulled the existing cap off the vent stack on the roof. That still left a plate mounted to the roof that the vent stack comes up thru. The instructions mention removing that plate but I saw no reason to. It was well siliconed to the roof and also holds the vent stack in place. I did cut off existing protrusions on the top of the cap that could obstruct the running of the fan and made sure the vent stack was less than 1 7/8"� above the plate(see picture above after the vent pipe was cut down). I attached the wire to a metal electrical feeder, like you would use to feed wires thru a wall using a rubber band on the end.. There is a note in the instructions recommending this tool as the wire is too light weight to drop down the vent by itself, especially if you have very far to drop it. Drill a hole in the side of the vent stack inside the rig, and extract the wire thru it using a nice little tool provided with the unit. Note: After you get part of the wire thru the hole, have someone hold the wire there while you go back up on the roof and pull the electrical wire feeder back up. Don't do what I did. I didn't have someone hold the wire and when I pulled the feeder back up the vent, the wire came with it and I had to start over again!!!!

Place the fan on top of the vent stack using an approved silicone and adhesive for your roof. I used a Dicor product that is "self leveling"� and once the vent cap is placed on the stack, the adhesive provides an excellent seal. I then used the four screws provided in the kid to secure the vent cap to the plastic plate that I left on the roof and put silicone over the screws.

Hallway cold air return in Winnebago 35U.

Remove cover and vent stack is behind it.Run both wires from the hole in the vent stack to the switch. The picture above was taken aften I put duct tape over the wires coming out of the vent pipe)

I placed my switch in the bathroom on the adjoining wall to the vent stack.
Attach hot wire from switch to hot off the shower light switch. Run negative wire from switch back down the wall to a ground located on the floor by the vent stack. A wiring list showing what your different wire numbers represent is very helpful here. Winnebago provides that on their web site. Go to diagrams for your particular coach and print it out for future reference.



Results:
As mentioned earlier, I have found the odor problem mostly when I am running water down the toilet to give it a good flush. This smell is compounded even more if you have the roof vent open or fan on above the toilet. That action tends to "suck"� the smell out of the toilet while the toilet valve is open.
Well, I tried it several times over the weekend and got no smell. I leave the Lil' Stanker on the low setting all the time if we are in the rig. With it on low, the Fantastic fan vent above the toilet open and that fan on low, there was NO SMELL!!

I would recommend this product. I purchased it thru www.rvupgrade.com. I did not receive it free. I was not required, expected, or asked to endorse the product.
Mike

[ISLAPP]

Like others, I have experienced a foul black tank odor when running water thru the toilet
and especially if the roof vent/fan, above it, is open. This is caused by air escaping from the black tank.
The Lil Stanker was designed to create a continuous slight suction action that removes the air and the odor thru the roof vent. It requires the replacement of the roof vent cap with a 12v fan enclosed in its own vent cap. It also requires running a wire to a 12v source and to a on-off switch inside the rig.
The instructions say the installation should take about 15 minutes. I think it will take you that long to determine what is the best routing of the wire from the roof fan and also the placement of the switch. The key object here is how to get the wire inside the rig from the roof vent and to a 12v source and to the switch inside the rig. The recommended route is to drop the wire down the inside of the vent pipe from the roof and to drill a small hole in the vent pipe inside the rig somewhere between the roof and the holding tank and extract the wire out thru that small hole. So you need to locate where your vent stack comes up thru the wall to the roof and can you gain access to it. If you cannot get access, then they say you need to drill a small hole in the roof close to the roof vent and enter the rig that way. Another key issue that is not discussed in the instructions is do you have one roof vent for both black and grey tanks or do you have one for each tank. If you have two roof vents, you need to determine which is for the black tank and can you gain access to it in the walls. If you only have one vent pipe for both tanks, like I do, you need to know how the holding tanks vent pipes are tied together inside the coach in order to know which leg of the pipe you are dropping the wire down and attempting access to. In other words, your vent pipe will have some form of a "Y"� inside the coach somewhere where the two holding tanks vent pipes connect and come out the roof as one pipe. If you can gain access to one of those legs from inside the rig, you need to know which one you have access to in order to know which leg to drop the wire down.


I removed one screw and pulled the existing cap off the vent stack on the roof. That still left a plate mounted to the roof that the vent stack comes up thru. The instructions mention removing that plate but I saw no reason to. It was well siliconed to the roof and also holds the vent stack in place. I did cut off existing protrusions on the top of the cap that could obstruct the running of the fan and made sure the vent stack was less than 1 7/8"� above the plate(see picture above after the vent pipe was cut down). I attached the wire to a metal electrical feeder, like you would use to feed wires thru a wall using a rubber band on the end.. There is a note in the instructions recommending this tool as the wire is too light weight to drop down the vent by itself, especially if you have very far to drop it. Drill a hole in the side of the vent stack inside the rig, and extract the wire thru it using a nice little tool provided with the unit. Note: After you get part of the wire thru the hole, have someone hold the wire there while you go back up on the roof and pull the electrical wire feeder back up. Don't do what I did. I didn't have someone hold the wire and when I pulled the feeder back up the vent, the wire came with it and I had to start over again!!!!

Place the fan on top of the vent stack using an approved silicone and adhesive for your roof. I used a Dicor product that is "self leveling"� and once the vent cap is placed on the stack, the adhesive provides an excellent seal. I then used the four screws provided in the kid to secure the vent cap to the plastic plate that I left on the roof and put silicone over the screws.

Hallway cold air return in Winnebago 35U.

Remove cover and vent stack is behind it.Run both wires from the hole in the vent stack to the switch. The picture above was taken aften I put duct tape over the wires coming out of the vent pipe)

I placed my switch in the bathroom on the adjoining wall to the vent stack.
Attach hot wire from switch to hot off the shower light switch. Run negative wire from switch back down the wall to a ground located on the floor by the vent stack. A wiring list showing what your different wire numbers represent is very helpful here. Winnebago provides that on their web site. Go to diagrams for your particular coach and print it out for future reference.



Results:
As mentioned earlier, I have found the odor problem mostly when I am running water down the toilet to give it a good flush. This smell is compounded even more if you have the roof vent open or fan on above the toilet. That action tends to "suck"� the smell out of the toilet while the toilet valve is open.
Well, I tried it several times over the weekend and got no smell. I leave the Lil' Stanker on the low setting all the time if we are in the rig. With it on low, the Fantastic fan vent above the toilet open and that fan on low, there was NO SMELL!!

I would recommend this product. I purchased it thru www.rvupgrade.com. I did not receive it free. I was not required, expected, or asked to endorse the product.
Mike

Sounds good, any concerns re gas build up into the lel ?

[ISLAPP]

I'm not totally sure what you are asking? But guessing at your question, the Stanker removes all odor and therefore the gases also from the tank(s) and does so continuously when left on. Like I said in the review, the true test in my opinion is when I had the Fantastic vent open and the fan on right above the toilet and opened up the toilet valve and ran water for several seconds. Normally I would have detected some smell from the tank under those conditions.
Mike

[Buzz]

I have had an ongoing problem with bathroom odor while on the road.

I also installed a Lil'Stanker this spring, but didn't have a chance to try it out until this week-end, after dry-camping for 4 days in Canada, I had run the Lil'Stanker on low all weekend and had no odors, we left this morning for the 225 mile trip back home.

After about 40 miles we stopped at customs and got quite an odor coming from the bath room.

After customs, I pulled over and added some Aqua-Kem deoderant in the toilet, started the fan in the bathroom, and switched the Lil'Stanker to high, and continued on our trip, we made a couple of stops during the next 185 miles and had absolutely no odor whatsoever.

I now know that I have to add deoderant, even with the Lil'Stanker, but at least it got rid of the awfull oder and am very pleased with how well it works.(good investment.)

[Rick A]

How do did you seal the small hole in the side of the vent to prevent gasses coming into the coach through it?

[Buzz]

I didn't make a hole in the pipe, I ran the wire outside the pipe and into the bathroom, sealed the wire on the roof with silicone, which is under the lil Stanker.

hope this helps.