Holding tank location;

[nwirt74@gmail.com]

I am in Iowa and unfortunately my wife and I are having cold weather issues. Last week our sewer hose froze(typically I hard pipe it in 3" pvc), anyway so nothing was draining out. Sunday of last week I spent 5 hours getting the drain unfrozen.(frostbit on both knees to add to the trouble). I have installed a 3" pvc to the campground sewer. But I discovered that when I got everything thawed out, I had my wife run hot water thru the coach, when we ran the bathroom sink and shower I am getting water leaking from the underbelly of the camper. When we run the galley hot water nothing leaks out underneath. I am thinking that I have some busted pipes? I have closed grey water dump valve and it still leaks when we run the bathroom sink and shower water, so I think that it is probably broken before it gets to the holding tank? If I am correct on our coach 2013 36RE, we will have to drop the front underbelly to access the plumbing and tanks?

[coloradolivin]

Originally Posted by nwirt74@gmail.com

I am in Iowa and unfortunately my wife and I are having cold weather issues. Last week our sewer hose froze(typically I hard pipe it in 3" pvc), anyway so nothing was draining out. Sunday of last week I spent 5 hours getting the drain unfrozen.(frostbit on both knees to add to the trouble). I have installed a 3" pvc to the campground sewer. But I discovered that when I got everything thawed out, I had my wife run hot water thru the coach, when we ran the bathroom sink and shower I am getting water leaking from the underbelly of the camper. When we run the galley hot water nothing leaks out underneath. I am thinking that I have some busted pipes? I have closed grey water dump valve and it still leaks when we run the bathroom sink and shower water, so I think that it is probably broken before it gets to the holding tank? If I am correct on our coach 2013 36RE, we will have to drop the front underbelly to access the plumbing and tanks?

You might want to drop the basement wall first to see if you can find your leak.

[nwirt74@gmail.com]

Thank you, are you talking about the wall adjacent to the beneath coach storage area?

[coloradolivin]

Originally Posted by nwirt74@gmail.com

Thank you, are you talking about the wall adjacent to the beneath coach storage area?

I'm not 100% sure of your RE layout, but if the bath area is to the rear of your storage area, you can take that wall down and see all the drains from the sink and shower.

[nwirt74@gmail.com]

cololivin;


Yes my configuration is one that the bathroom is in front of the underneath storage wall. I am not sure how to go about removing the wall? But after reading your post it makes perfect sense? Have you removed the wall before? I tell you, I am really ready to head south. My wife and I will not do the RV thing in the north in the wintertime ever again. This is the second time and most definitely the last!!!

[travelin' texans]

There's about 12-15 black screws, which are VERY difficult to see in the black felt, holding the wall together that require a #2 square bit. I left the screws out & stapled industrial strength Velcro to the seams & makes it much easier to take the wall down.

[Dave&Ginny]

Once you get this leak fixed, make sure you leave a small ceramic heater running in your basement. I used a "radiator" type of heater that we bought at a home supply store. With this heater on and letting the tanks fill before I dumped them, I used my Redwood in some pretty blistery conditions.

In the winter NEVER leave your tank valves open.

[nwirt74@gmail.com]

I appreciate the help. I found the leak! It was the where the bathroom drain(lavatory, shower) drain thru the camper and into the 3" x 3" x 1-1/2" tee. The tee came loose at the 1-1/2" where it was "glued" onto the bottom of the dump valve housing. I have just about gotten everything repaired now. With the exception of replacing the black water dump valve. I had to physically force it shut. The cable was not doing anything and it was stuck in the open positon. It is a good thing that I did not listen to Redwood because they told me it was a Bristol valve with a 8' cable. Wrong! Valterra with a 6' cable!!!