Broken Macerator - Tank Full

[Lakejumper]

My friend has an older (I think 2012) Roadtrek with a broken macerator. She wants to empty the tank but the emergency 3” caps are under the van and don’t have a valve gate on them. If she were able to open them, which is difficult because the van is so low to the ground, she would get a messy gusher! Have any of you pumped out through the toilet? We put a sacrificial garden hose down the hole, which wasn’t easy due to the bends in the pipe, yesterday to see if this is feasible. We can use a honey wagon as the pipe is too small. We’re thinking of using a shop vac. Any other ideas?

[Winterbagoal]

Any idea which model it is? They made a few back then, and it might help get better answers, or suggestions as to how to proceed.
You might try asking Roadtrek support, as they used to be pretty good at helping out on questions sent via email.
That was before "the troubles" however, so I have no idea if they still do it, or whether they have any of the old technical team around that would know what might be possible as a workaround.

[Rlum]

Originally Posted by Lakejumper

My friend has an older (I think 2012) Roadtrek with a broken macerator. She wants to empty the tank but the emergency 3” caps are under the van and don’t have a valve gate on them. If she were able to open them, which is difficult because the van is so low to the ground, she would get a messy gusher! Have any of you pumped out through the toilet? We put a sacrificial garden hose down the hole, which wasn’t easy due to the bends in the pipe, yesterday to see if this is feasible. We can use a honey wagon as the pipe is too small. We’re thinking of using a shop vac. Any other ideas?

I do not think a wet/dry vac will work. You need something with enough vacuum to pick up solids. You can call a mobile rv sewage removal company. Just came back from a park where most of the rvs were class A and large fifth wheelers. Too difficult for them to move to the dump station and reset up. There was a portable mobile service which came in and dump their tanks for campers for $40. They had some sort of vacuum device because the tank was definitely higher than the dump valves. You might want to consider putting the van up on ramps. Create some type of large sealed funnel device. Remove the cap and allow dumping directly into a dump station. Trick is to make a pliable sealed rubber connection which allows you to remove the cap?



Best of luck

[folivier]

Did your friend trying turning the knob near the valves? This knob rotates the macerator to help unclog it. I think you either need to push or pull the knob out as you rotate it with your hand a few times.
From the manual:
Jammed waste water pump
If the waste water discharge pump stops while you are pushing the button, it's jammed. Something has gotten caught up in the blades. Release the button to stop the pump.
• Locate the manual waste water pump knob.
• Push in on the knob and turn clockwise; you will feel the knob engage the pump shaft. • Turn the knob first in one direction and then the other to loosen the obstruction.
• Once the obstruction is loose, continue dumping.
Sprinter macerator manual crank knob
Chevy macerator