Gray water and the 36 FL

[TravelinAnderson]

I think the
Valterra Twist On Valve</span> would be the easiest way to test our theory. Just be careful not toaccidently twist it loose while opening the valve or you'll have a mess on your hands.... pants... shoes.... dog.. You get the idea.</span>
If anyone gets this let us know how it does at equalizing the tanks.. then I'll invest in a fixed valve.</span>
</span><div style="text-align: left;">btw.. there are plenty of BLM and Army Corps of Engineers sites that are boondocking only so having the extra gray water storage capacity can be a big deal.

[Campers]

Hi. Do you have the Banks System. If so reply on the anything forum. Thanks

[KR2011]

Steve I have used the valtera twist on valve for years on one of my rigs it works great and is very inexpensive it will work with the FL Plumbing.

[TravelinAnderson]

From it's picture it looks like we may be able toleave it in placeonce installed. I would camp at water/electric only campgrounds more often if so. Otherwise I would install a permanent valve.






Edited by: TravelinAnderson

[KR2011]

I leave mine on all the time I use it to stop flow from the tube when filling the tote tank. It works great

[TravelinAnderson]

Here's a new one for us 36FL owners to ponder. Kinda long so bear with me.

A couple weeks ago the cable for the black water holding tank came apart requiring me to cut an access hole in the underbelly so I could manually close the valve and tow the 5er to a dealer for repairs.
After they replaced the cable we stayed at their campground because of a rally that was being held there.
When we packed up to leave I pulled the black tank valve as usual and proceeded to get things packed up.
Then I opened the grays to flush out the Rhino hose, packed it into the sewer hose storage tube and headed for the next campground. When I got ready to setup I discover the sewer hose is full of water...black water. I thought maybe some toilet paper or something caused the valve to stay open a wee bit and the water was to leak past and fill the hose. Anyway, a few days after setting up the tank is at 2/3 so I decide to empty it just in case there was an issue with the valve. I pull the T-handle to drain the tank....nothing but a trickle comes out. So I think maybe something is stuck on the tank level terminal and I'm getting a misread on the gauge..time for a flush. I hook a hose up to the tank flush and let it do it's thing. I now have lots of water coming through so all looks good. Tank reads empty and I'm a happy camper...literally. I unhook the tank flush and go to close the black tank valve and it won't budge... like something is blocking the gate valve. My first thought is that my teen granddaughter put something down the toilet that she shouldn't have.... a pad of some sort maybe.
Now to my point.. finally
I need to back flush the 3" line from the black tank but I don't have anything to do it with and I'm 40 miles from a place to get what I need. I crawl back under the trailer and open my access panel and notice that the 1 1/2" line from the bathroom gray tank is connected to a 3" elbow is such a way that it points directly at the gate valve for the black tank. So here's my plan... fill the gray tank for the shower/lav until water comes up the shower drain. Then, with the black water valve still open, I'd open the gray tank while holding the Rhino sewer hose up high enough to force the water past the gate valve and into the black tank. I held it up in the middle not the end just in case you were thinking I was about to have a disaster.

Anyway, when the gray tank read full I watched for water to come up the shower drain.. I wanted a FULL tank for this. Does water come up the shower drain? Nope...it comes up the kitchen sink.

I'm looking at the drain system PDF for the 36FL and it looks to me the only thing draining into the galley tank is the clothes washer...the lav/shower/galley drain into the other one. I still don't know why the shower didn't fill first since it's lower than the kitchen sink.

btw... the problem with my black tank wasn't an obstruction. It was a p*ss poor job by the sealership. The cable they put on was too short to fully close the valve so black water was seeping past it. They also had it bent wrong so the cable began to bend instead of closing the valve... no longer a happy camper because I have to take it back to the shop... &amp;%#@$
Edited by: TravelinAnderson

[5th_Time]

Steve:

I have both blueprints (FL and RL). I think you're right that only the washer drains into one of the FL grey water tanks... which begs the question, how much tank capacity do those who don't opt for the washer/dryer on the FL really have??? 45 gals. Hence, the need for your tank balancing strategy...



The RE/RL is a more logical design, with washer, shower and lav sink draining into #1, and kitchen and dishwasher draining into #2.



PS. I'm not sure if I would employ your strategy of holding the sewer hose above your head while you work on the blackwater situation. Just a thought...
Edited by: 5th_Time

[TravelinAnderson]

I don't like doing that either but it was the only way to keep the water from draining into the sewer before backflushing into the black tank

[Happy Camper]

Hence the Robin Williams experience. I have been on the end of such an experience - I was looking around for the camera crew.

[Tobys Home]

[Tobys Home]

Oops quick triger finger. Have to laugh about the black tank experience. (one of many) Many, many years ago we had a Jayco and a five inch screw had found its way into the black tank during construction. Well after a year it finaly blocked the tank valve and "Sir smells alot" went down and tried to dislodge it with a snake. Well folks, my kids, wife and surrounding campers all inored me. When it broke loose the expression on this face was suitable for a horror movie. Needless to say I survived with plenty of fragrent soap and spraying the ground for about a month with who knows what. Yuk! It happens as we all know and glad you stayed dry.

[Happy Camper]

I do not want to get too graphic, but lets just say dry was not the case.

[KR2011]

Steve i found out that the FL is set up so that the galley tank only has the washer draining into it the day I picked it up. Then I believe it was you who sent the engineers plans and they confirmed what I had found. They did it on purpose. Why. I do not know. But if you use the extra valve at the drain end and open both tanks you will gain the 45 gallons of the galley tank back.

[TravelinAnderson]

Yeah... I talked to Brian Emmons today because I need to have the 3" waste valve replaced...again.
I pointed the tank plumbing out to him and he was as surprised as we were to discover this. I asked him to show this to an engineer and explain that if someone has a 36FL without a washing machine they effectively have only 45 gallons of gray water storage.
I'm going to be installing the extra gate valve we've been discussing but won't be using the twist on type. I want to shorten the length of the 3" pipe because it currently ends so close to the leveling jack that it causes a very tight bend in the sewer hose if the campground sewer connection is at the rear of the site.
We need to post pics of our mods so others can see what our solutions look like. I'll be doing that going forward.

[KR2011]

I had to remove the boom because it would not work for my application. I wonder what they will do with the tank issue will they just change it on new rigs or will they correct the problem on our rigs ?

[Dave&Ginny]

WOW! I can't believe they built a trailer like that. They probably got confused when they put the living room on the wrong end of the trailer

[travelinbob]

The 2- 45 gallon tanks would not work for us. Our current 5er has a 75 gallon gray and 2 loads of laundry almost fills the tank. We should have bought a front loading washer that uses less water.

[KR2011]

Our washer after 2 loads only filled the tank to 40% .

[Grandpa]

Originally Posted by Grandpa

I'm a visual guy, so just to clarify, you add this outboard valveto the waste water exit and leave it closed. Then you open both gray tanks and they will fill equally giving you the 90 gallon capacity. To dump, close both gray valves, drain thetrapped gray water and then dump as usual?

This process will work on the 36RL as well?

Yipeeeee! The gray water issue for the 36RL has been tested. By adding the valve at the exit point and opening the two gray dump valves to allow the water to share the two 45 gallon tanks works!! Thanks to the forum member who came up with this ingenious plan!! Now, thanks to more frequent showers,my wife and I won't stink near as bad as we would with only 45 gallon capacity!!

[5th_Time]

Boy, you seem happy. It must get hot in Texas .