Who's to Blame?

[livinthelife]

I took delivery of an Imagine 2600RB on Wednesday, May 5th. We took it camping for Mother's Day weekend. As I was breaking down to leave Sunday, I had some difficulty getting the cap off the drain pipe to empty the black and gray tanks. When I did get it off, sewage immediately started flowing out. It's obvious that the dealer didn't close the valves before they sent me on my way and that's not something I would have even thought to check myself while at the dealer's lot. Although the cap was still difficult to get off a day later, I wonder if pressure from all the effluent made it that much more difficult to open Sunday.

So my question is, is closing those valves something the dealer should ALWAYS do or is this on me? (And let me tell you, it WAS on me!)

My husband fastened a strip of aluminum to the face of the cap to act as a handle for taking the cap on and off. It helps a lot, he says.

While being serviced by a honey wagon on one of our trips, the guy thanked us for the handle on the cap. He said he wished everyone would do that.

[MN-Mark]

I took delivery of an Imagine 2600RB on Wednesday, May 5th. We took it camping for Mother's Day weekend. As I was breaking down to leave Sunday, I had some difficulty getting the cap off the drain pipe to empty the black and gray tanks. When I did get it off, sewage immediately started flowing out. It's obvious that the dealer didn't close the valves before they sent me on my way and that's not something I would have even thought to check myself while at the dealer's lot. Although the cap was still difficult to get off a day later, I wonder if pressure from all the effluent made it that much more difficult to open Sunday.

So my question is, is closing those valves something the dealer should ALWAYS do or is this on me? (And let me tell you, it WAS on me!)

Several years ago, some kids in a campground were running around opening the waste valves when rig owners were gone. Lots of messes and unhappy campers that day. After that I always verified that the valves are closed before removing the cap. I also installed a Valera twist on valve that helps hold back anything that might leak past the OEM valves.

Good luck and have fun camping!

Mark

[huntr70]

Tough crowd. I appreciate the feedback but don’t like being lectured.

You should probably not frequent online forums then....

[dkayak]

Experiences like this tend to age well, becoming funny with time. I once drove into the garage at night with my whitewater kayak tied securely on my roof rack. BANG! It bent the beam on the bottom of the garage door but only put a scuff on the boat. The owner of a local bike shop told me he drove into a car wash with his bikes on a roof rack. He laughs about it now too. Stuff happens.

After that I tied a long hi viz orange tape to the roof rack when it hung in the garage. Any time the rack went onto the car, I hung the tape on the door, dangling in the breeze where I needed to enter. Laugh and learn.

[azink007]

Several years ago, some kids in a campground were running around opening the waste valves when rig owners were gone. Lots of messes and unhappy campers that day. After that I always verified that the valves are closed before removing the cap. I also installed a Valera twist on valve that helps hold back anything that might leak past the OEM valves.

Good luck and have fun camping!

Mark

Wow, that's pretty bad. I've had that thought about the fresh tank dump too, great way to ruin someone's boondocking trip if they know where that valve is and drain the tank when someone's away. Good thing most campers aren't a-holes.

FWIW, I too have the Valterra, I opted to saw off the factory cap holder and install a permanent Valterra with ABS glue and a stub of ABS. No more messes!

[Ronsrn]

I took delivery of an Imagine 2600RB on Wednesday, May 5th. We took it camping for Mother's Day weekend. As I was breaking down to leave Sunday, I had some difficulty getting the cap off the drain pipe to empty the black and gray tanks. When I did get it off, sewage immediately started flowing out. It's obvious that the dealer didn't close the valves before they sent me on my way and that's not something I would have even thought to check myself while at the dealer's lot. Although the cap was still difficult to get off a day later, I wonder if pressure from all the effluent made it that much more difficult to open Sunday.

So my question is, is closing those valves something the dealer should ALWAYS do or is this on me? (And let me tell you, it WAS on me!)

If your looking for dealer retribution you can use a few sheets of their toilet paper.

[more tired since retired]

Please explain why it should be someone else's fault you didn't check the valve pull positions. Most of us check those before we move the trailer for a trip, when we arrive in case they moved or someone played with them when you stopped for gas, and before we hook up to drain. Sorry, but blaming someone else is like blaming the last place you gassed up because you didn't check your gauge and ran out of gas 5 miles from the nearest station.

Personally (and I'd guess for a lot of people), I'm tired of hearing everyone has to blame someone else for their screwup.

I'd also suggest you invest in New Valterra 3" Dump Valve T40 RV - Drain Sewer Waste Valve Assembly 3" Hub 3" Spigot . You put it on the end of the drain pipe, cap it off. When you need to drain the tanks, hook up the hose then open this valve, then the black, close it, open front grey, close it and then bath grey. This valve will help prevent spillage from an open or leaking valve by letting you hook up the hose before you open it and a tank drain.

[hoff1175]

Happened to me twice with my new 2021 Imagine 2500RL trailer. My 1st trip, I emptied the tank it dumped BW when I open the cap!(r) HAHA.... Unbeknownst to me, the valve was open I assumed the dealer left if that way? The next time at the dump station same thing. I have concluded the BW valve worked it's way open during my travels. I have made subsequent trips since then, I never open the cap without 1st checking BW and GW valves.
I'm not new to travel trailers having owned one since 2006. I hope this helps.

[bshgto]

Tough crowd. I appreciate the feedback but don’t like being lectured.

You asked...... you just don`t like the fact that no one agrees with you. Your valves your responsibility.

[Jay Pat]

You can buy a clear cap with a hose bib.
Or buy a black cap with a hose bib and then you can loosen up the cap on the hose bib to see if there are any liquids behind it.
If there is liquid behind the cap, Check all the dump valves are closed. Use bib to dump the liquid into a 5 gal. bucket.
Hope This helps!
Pat