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Old 04-07-2020, 07:16 PM   #1
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LifeStyle Gray Water Tanks

Hello All

We purchased a LS38RS about 3 weeks ago.

Then my wife fell and broke her ankle so I am now house wife as well as everything else. It is 18 steps to get in the stick house so she is residing in the Lifestyle until they take the cast off about 4 more weeks.

I just had an unnerving experience. I had the water running in the kitchen sink.

A friend that I had contacted to see about moving some honey bees that had taken up resident in a piece of construction equipment I have parked about half a mile toward the back of the property.

I went with him to show him were the bees were.

I am sure you guessed it by now I left the water running. I am hooked to the house with a water hose.

When I entered the trailer I heard a loud bang and the trailer shook. Then a second one louder than the first and the trailer really shook that time.

I shut the faucet off and stated looking for what happened. I did pull the gray tank valve and dumped the contents on the ground. It was defiantly a very large quantity of water.

There is no evidence that the shower drain or the other sink drain had water in them. I would think the gray water system would back up into the shower pan if the tanks were full and you keep running the water.

Now that I have written an essay about my activities I will ask the question.

Where are the gray tanks and just where do you open the bottom of the trailer to get to them?

Thanks in advance for you help.

Phil P
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Old 04-08-2020, 07:45 AM   #2
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Phil, you should be able to see both holding tanks if you remove the back wall in the basement on the door side. You will be able to see the inlet and vent pipes to see if they separated, etc.
Lifestyle fifth wheels tanks are located forward of the axles and hang down slightly below the belly and have a black cover which is removable.
Going on 6 years and many, many times of filling our tanks I've never experienced anything like you are describing. I'd be curious what you find. Good luck. Phil
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Old 04-08-2020, 09:42 AM   #3
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Could the tank have swollen enough to pop the tank mounts? If no water is leaking, then I'd say the tank connections are likely OK. See if you can find where the tank is located, then cut some small openings in the belly cover and see if you can see them to be sure.

Lyle
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Old 04-08-2020, 06:44 PM   #4
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The tanks are concealed by a black hard plastic cover. No need to cut a hole. Lifestyle also has zippered access panels in vacinity if the slide motors.
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Old 04-09-2020, 11:26 AM   #5
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Having done this several years ago in the HitchHiker my guess is that you have broke the tank. It the could be at the fill points OR mine split along the top edge of the tank. My wife said that it felt like someone had hit the rig when it burst.
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Old 04-09-2020, 12:35 PM   #6
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In regard to that it could that the vent pipe had slipped down not allowing the air in the tank to escape as it filled with water. Keep us posted.
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Old 04-09-2020, 07:20 PM   #7
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Thanks to all of you for the information.

I agree that either the vent was plugged or something like that. The shower drain would not work after this event but I was able to get that working by applying some pressure from the drain opening and that opened it so it now works.

There is no water leaks I would think it the tanks are mounted by the flange at the top edge that may be what failed and the shock was the tank dropping down until the piping caught it.

We had a group of friends over a couple of weekends ago about 8 RV for 4 days so I have this unit parked backed up to the hangar door so everyone had access to water and electric. That leaves the most part of the trailer over the grass. I will move it back on to the apron Saturday 4/11 so I can work on it better.

I will keep you all posted.

Phil P
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Old 04-10-2020, 06:54 PM   #8
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Good luck! Hopefully an easy fix.
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Old 04-11-2020, 12:24 PM   #9
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Hi

Well I have the basement wall down and I am unable to see much of the waste tanks. The black tank is under the basement floor but you can see about 8 inches of it where the toilet is plumed in to the tank and the vent is plumed in to the tank and then where the vent is plumbed into the vent line going to the roof.

The gray tank or tanks not sure if it is one or 2 tanks I can see some of the plumbing and part of the top of the tank. There is a plywood cover about 8 inches above the tanks that keeps you from looking at the top of the tank. In the picture you can see just to the left some black streaks. They are from my fingers in the dust on top if the tank. That is my full arms length.

So not much determined from removing the basement wall other than cleaning the sawdust up with my vacuum cleaner.
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Old 04-11-2020, 01:44 PM   #10
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Phil, the top of my tanks are more visible than yours. I still don't think it was a bad idea that you did you did to see the top of the tanks. It sounds like they are dry so at least a inlet pipe didn't pop out our the top of the tanks crack. If there were a problem in those area I believe you would have seen some water on top of the tank(s) so the dry saw dust is a good sign in my opinion.
Here's another thought. What kind of surface are you parked on? If its anything loose at all like gravel, could all the extra weight and then you walking in the rig have caused a slight shift which would have been the noise you heard? I park my rig on a gravel driveway and have had a shift or noise when unhitching from the truck.
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Old 04-11-2020, 05:22 PM   #11
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Jdpm

Thanks for the advice pretty much what I thought no indication of any water or wet areas and even gray water has an odor I don’t smell that either.

The belly pan that covers the bottom of the tanks is plastic and in 2 pieces. Tomorrow I will take the smaller one of the 2 off and see what I see from there.

The unit was parked perpendicular to the apron in front of the hangar. It was sitting on the big foot with 12 X 2 X 2fet long under each foot. It has been sitting there for 3 weeks so I am sure it was stable.

My wife had said she heard something hit the outside of the trailer and I had walked around the trailer and found nothing. I had come back in and was standing at the bottom step going into the bedroom when it happened. It was a clear “BANG’ and the trailer shook.

I do know the tank had over filled the shower drain is the bladder type and I had trouble getting it to drain. You can’t us a plunger on that type of P trap so I used my hand to force water down the drain. When the bladder turned around the correct way the water drained rapidly and the shower now works properly.

3 weeks ago my wife fell and broke her ankle it is easier for her to move around and get out of the Lifestyle than the house. The house is located over the aircraft hangar and it is 18 steps to get up there.

I have found 2 circuit boards that have 2 relays and one fuse on each one here is a picture can you tell me what they are? I guess they may be part of the slide system but there are only 2 so one slide doesn’t use the same system.

Phil P
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Old 04-12-2020, 08:49 AM   #12
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Here is a picture of the bottom of the gray tank.


Phil P
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Old 04-12-2020, 08:54 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3665RE View Post
Jdpm

Thanks for the advice pretty much what I thought no indication of any water or wet areas and even gray water has an odor I don’t smell that either.

The belly pan that covers the bottom of the tanks is plastic and in 2 pieces. Tomorrow I will take the smaller one of the 2 off and see what I see from there.

The unit was parked perpendicular to the apron in front of the hangar. It was sitting on the big foot with 12 X 2 X 2fet long under each foot. It has been sitting there for 3 weeks so I am sure it was stable.

My wife had said she heard something hit the outside of the trailer and I had walked around the trailer and found nothing. I had come back in and was standing at the bottom step going into the bedroom when it happened. It was a clear “BANG’ and the trailer shook.

I do know the tank had over filled the shower drain is the bladder type and I had trouble getting it to drain. You can’t us a plunger on that type of P trap so I used my hand to force water down the drain. When the bladder turned around the correct way the water drained rapidly and the shower now works properly.

3 weeks ago my wife fell and broke her ankle it is easier for her to move around and get out of the Lifestyle than the house. The house is located over the aircraft hangar and it is 18 steps to get up there.

I have found 2 circuit boards that have 2 relays and one fuse on each one here is a picture can you tell me what they are? I guess they may be part of the slide system but there are only 2 so one slide doesn’t use the same system.

Phil P

Just a shot in the dark but could it be part of the Bigfoot?
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Old 04-13-2020, 03:26 AM   #14
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H


I have no idea what it is for I would have thought that would all be contained in the control center for the Big Foot.


I will have a look next time I am in the front compartment.


Phil P
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