2017 black tank valve pull

[wekirby]

We are so sick of this Redwood 5th wheel . Dealer had the rv for 5 months making repairs last winter to include the black tank rinse which didn't happen and now the black tank drain pull has pulled through the wall it's mounted in and will not close. Has never closed and pukes out sewage evert me I take the cap off the pipe to connect the hose to it. Scheduled to go back to Tradewinds RV in Clio, MI where it was bought, but they won't tell me they can fix it in less than 2 weeks even with an appointment. Every time we take this rv out something else cones apart. Sick of it..

[Blenhardt]

Sorry you are having problems with your RW. The black valve pull has been a problem for a lot of folks including me and not just on RW's. One crutch that will help is to put an additional gate valve on the end of the sewer pipe where the cap is. That way you can put the hose on before the valve is opened.

There are several threads on the black tank valve on this forum. I have dropped the insulation a couple of times and lubed the valve. Others put various cleaners in the black tank. I have purchased a black tank lube from camping stores and it helps. Others use some Dawn dish washing soap after the tank has been dumped and during traveling. Some have suggested vegetable oil. I have not tried this.

I don't know if you are a do-it-you-selfer but I never take mine to a dealer. Would rather fix it myself rather than wait weeks for a fix. True you should not have to do it on a new coach but kinda the norm for RV quality or lack of quality.

Good Luck.

[55 SS]

Quality work is doing it right when no one is looking.
-Henry Ford

Be nice if the RV industry stood by this when they build 80k dollar campers.

My black tank leaked when we first got our new RW. Had to pull down the belly wrap and fix myself. Oh and you said insulation, I have no insulation above my belly wrap. Probably add some of that too. We can't take into dealer since we are full timers. Best of luck to ya.

[Cheezy1]

I use a cup of Borax Laundry detergent in my tanks or a couple of ounces of Calgon Softener liquid to add some lube for the Gate valves. They get hard to move when there is hard water in campsites. I use "happy camper" in my black tank regularly but have found that valves can still get sticky once in a while. All RV's are work to maintain so if you don't enjoy working on them maybe it's not for you. Counting on service places is expensive and time consuming. Just like a home only you bounce it down the road.

[mhs4771]

Before I'd leave my unit with a Dealer for FIVE months, I'd torch the darn thing.

[travelin' texans]

I agree Michelle!
I've said this several times before & here it is again, if you're not mechanically inclined or physically able to work on a rv, whether it's a warranty item or not, then plan on the repair facility to have it parked on their lot the majority of your ownership. To own a rv you need basic electrical, plumbing, automotive knowledge & able to use tools, most of it is not difficult & there's ALWAYS someone on here that's done it & willing to help with it. Otherwise you may want to rethink owning ANY rv, rent cabins or hotel rooms instead.
My granddad always said "if you'd spend as much time fixing it as you do complaining about it it would be in great shape!".
I'll step off my soapbox now! Just my .02 cents.

[RWJSIM2003]

This makes me think of a buddy of mine that bought a new Montana. He Figured no storage needed for the first year because every time he took the trailer out in the first year he would take it back for some kind of repair under warranty.


We feel blessed that we have only had ours in once for the Door Replacement. So far other than upgrades that we have done suspension and brakes our RW has been very good to us. But reading this forum before we purchased helped and I knew what areas to check and items to fix. Thanks to all of you for your amazing input over the last few years.

[NewRW Owner]

Sorry you're having so much trouble, but I know how you feel. We've owned RVs for over 45 years. And yes there are always issues to fix but never in our other 15 plus RVs, all put together, have we had anything like what we've experienced with our RW that we bought new in April 2017. It's beautiful and so comfortable to be in but we just seem to have things fail or fall apart constantly. We just got home after a 1.5 month trip of traveling almost 3000 miles. Pretty much everything went well until the last week when the skid plate on the slide next to the exit door came loose and then totally off. We're still waiting for our dealer to get back to us with an appointment to fix this latest problem.

[NewRW Owner]

Regarding the black holding tank valve: Has anyone tried an electric pull valve on your black holding tank? My husband has tried all of the suggestions given here but he's still not able to get it to completely flush out. He's wondering if anyone here has used this type of valve and if it helps. I/he appreciates any info.

[camper94]

Originally Posted by wekirby

We are so sick of this Redwood 5th wheel . Dealer had the rv for 5 months making repairs last winter to include the black tank rinse which didn't happen and now the black tank drain pull has pulled through the wall it's mounted in and will not close. Has never closed and pukes out sewage evert me I take the cap off the pipe to connect the hose to it. Scheduled to go back to Tradewinds RV in Clio, MI where it was bought, but they won't tell me they can fix it in less than 2 weeks even with an appointment. Every time we take this rv out something else cones apart. Sick of it..

The Black Tank washout is one of the most worthless things that Redwood could put on the RV.


The BEST and ONLY way to clean out the Black Tank is with a Home Made Wand! I made one out of 1 inch PVC Pipe with Garden Hose attachments to control the Water. Drilled 4 holes in the bottom of the pipe cap and use it down through the top of the Toilet into the Black Tank. It cuts away all the GUNK and STUCK ON STUFF and After Flushing and Filling the Tank about 3 or 4 Times, it is pretty Clean. I use a Clear Pipe Cap outside when I open the dump valve to see what is coming out and after dumping several full tanks the water runs clear and NO more GUNK comes out.


This is the best way to clean the Black Tank. The Flush Valve is totally useless.

[j1251b]

Originally Posted by wekirby

We are so sick of this Redwood 5th wheel . Dealer had the rv for 5 months making repairs last winter to include the black tank rinse which didn't happen and now the black tank drain pull has pulled through the wall it's mounted in and will not close. Has never closed and pukes out sewage evert me I take the cap off the pipe to connect the hose to it. Scheduled to go back to Tradewinds RV in Clio, MI where it was bought, but they won't tell me they can fix it in less than 2 weeks even with an appointment. Every time we take this rv out something else cones apart. Sick of it..

I change my black tank valve to a electric valve. Been working great for 4 years. Took about a hour to install.

[NewRW Owner]

Originally Posted by j1251b

I change my black tank valve to a electric valve. Been working great for 4 years. Took about a hour to install.

Thanks for the info. Could you please let me know what brand and model electric valve you're using?

[proteus]

Originally Posted by camper94

The Black Tank washout is one of the most worthless things that Redwood could put on the RV.


The BEST and ONLY way to clean out the Black Tank is with a Home Made Wand! I made one out of 1 inch PVC Pipe with Garden Hose attachments to control the Water. Drilled 4 holes in the bottom of the pipe cap and use it down through the top of the Toilet into the Black Tank. It cuts away all the GUNK and STUCK ON STUFF and After Flushing and Filling the Tank about 3 or 4 Times, it is pretty Clean. I use a Clear Pipe Cap outside when I open the dump valve to see what is coming out and after dumping several full tanks the water runs clear and NO more GUNK comes out.


This is the best way to clean the Black Tank. The Flush Valve is totally useless.

i use both

i have a flex spray wand from wally world works good as long as u dont beat up tank inside with it from old camper works well , occasionally too

the 3" black valve has a piece of plastic or sawdust or organic matter ,TP in blade track or from construction?

From when they built it has trash in it, the cutouts particles r plastic lodged in the valve track,

blade track seal area has deformed the rubber seal which wont allow the blade to close and seal compltely

fixed mine new vavle, rinsed flushed black tank many times till water was clean deodorized bleached re-rinsed clear water came out as a small trickle

jacked camper it up high on drain side so water wouldnt run out, very little dribbled out .clear and clean

installed fresh new 3" drain valve 11 bucks

pulled cable out, cable end was bent around blade hole restraightened and sprayed and relubed it cable was about to pull out of bulkhead wall .

adjusted lenght trimmed wire reinstalled works fine

now bought seal kits to rebuild 1.5 inch drains seals were dried out and showing wear on a 12 36re from use

cooking oil is kinda gummy by nature it become sticky over time soap is better

next time i have belly open for ice maker line repair new grey tank valve service kits in my toolbox

karl b.

[larslo]

We have a 2018 3901 MB which we bot new in Arizona.

Like others we have had a litany of problems ( far more than with our previous Montana). However, most have been cosmetic or the result of shoddy workmanship or components. We have never had any problems with tires, suspension or anything that effects towing safety.

One of our external black tank valves doesn’t close properly. I bought an external valve that connects to the sewer connect to prevent spillage.

I plan to replace the valve. Not something I’m looking forward to. I assume it’s a 3 inch valve?


PS I already replaced my water pump and had to have the mother board in the furnace replaced. I’m not really mechanically inclined but I have had to learn and seek the help of others on this forum.