Black tank draining problem.

**Ratzpac** · 03-11-2018, 07:50 AM

Black tank on my 384 GK-R does not drain properly. Dealer informed me that by design you have to Jack up the camper before it drains. It cannot be left hooked up to your truck and level for it to work properly. Who designs things like that? Buyer beware! Can you imagine sitting at a dump station and unhooking to Jack the camper up.

**JCR GD** · 03-11-2018, 08:06 AM

Your dealer is confused at best, you should be fairly level but you shouldn't have to "jack up" to drain, and certainly not by design. Some dump stations are more challenging because they are not as level as they should be and some of the trailer models have fairly long runs from tank to discharge connection.

**bertschb** · 03-11-2018, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by JCR GD

Your dealer is confused at best...

That's an understatement!

**Texascamper** · 03-11-2018, 10:10 AM

It isn't my intention to hijack this thread but I also have an issue draining my black tank. On my Solitude 360RL, I ensure the black tank is 1/2 to 3/4 full when I dump. When I pull the black handle water rushes out but only seems to fill the sewer hose half way (as opposed to when I pull the grey handle the water comes rushing out and fills the sewer hose. When I flush the black tank it takes me about 45 minutes to get it completely clean which seems excessive. Every time the water begins running clean I close the black tank for a couple of minutes to rinse the inside and build a little more water up and when I open a lot more 'solid' waste comes out. This seems like an excessive amount of time to me. In my previous Class A motorhome the whole dump process was quick and easy and never had any issue. We know to use plenty of water for each flush and leave a little in after we store. We also use the drop in "potty mints" (enzyme treatments) as my wife calls them.

I wonder if tilting the coach during a dump would help the cause and I have other campers doing this from time to time. My concern is the potential for strain on the frame of the rig when dumping with the slides out during extended stays.

**Cate&Rob** · 03-11-2018, 10:40 AM

These tanks are flat and shallow with the drain gate valves on the ends. In the attached picture, you can see where the bottom of the gate valve is still about an inch above the floor of the tank. There is no way that the last inch of "tank contents" is going to come out that gate valve with the tank level. I did have the vent pipe out of our forward grey tank (to shorten it) and confirmed that there was still about 1" of water in the bottom of the tank with the gate valve wide open.

At "end of season" I do raise the front of the trailer as high as possible and drain a lot more out of the forward tanks. I then lower the legs all the way down and drain the aft tank. This is a particular problem on earlier 303s because (for some reason) they used a smaller gate valve which leaves even more in the bottom of the aft tank.

For most of the season, there is nothing you can do about what remains in the bottom of the tanks.

(BTW . . . thanks to the forum member who took this picture . . . I can't remember who that was)

Rob

**Second Chance** · 03-11-2018, 11:21 AM

Ratzpac - first of all, I think your dealer is full of the same stuff that's in your black tank. Are you sure the gate valve on the black tank is opening fully? Does the T-handle rod come out as far for that tank as with the other tanks? You could also have a glob of solid matter partially blocking the gate valve. We always use toilet paper that I've tested in a Mason jar, shaking to make sure it disintegrates in water (we use Walmart Ultra Soft which passes the test).

Here's a little thing I do about every third time I empty the black tank (which is about every two weeks since we're full-timers):

1) Turn on the black tank flusher (without a pressure regulator).

2) Open the black tank drain valve (with gray tanks closed, of course), and let the tank drain and rinse until at least the "Full" indicator light is off on the control panel. This tells me the "stuff" is rinsed off the top sensor.

3) With the flusher still running, close the black tank valve, head inside, and continuously monitor the black tank level indicator on the panel - don't take your eyes off of it or get distracted!

4) When the full light starts blinking, run back outside and open the black tank valve. The flusher running to fill the tank keeps things swirling around in there and the pressure of a full tank of clean water rushing out carries a lot of left-behind solid mater with it. Often, this dump turns clear in the elbow at the end of the sewer hose, telling me the tank is in pretty good shape. If the first flush is not clear, I close the black tank valve with the flusher still running, go back inside to monitor, and repeat the process.

Finally - and especially when we've been in one place for a while - I use the "geo method" to clean all the tanks on travel day. You can search the forums or the web for this, but it's basically making sure you have about 1/4 tank of clean water in each of your holding tanks, adding some dish detergent, borax crystals, and water softener (I've been having trouble finding the water softener) to each tank before hitting the road. This mixture sloshing around in the tanks as you roll down our wonderful highways and byways does a pretty good job of cleaning and suspending junk that's left over in the tanks.

Good luck!

Rob

**Chiefblueman** · 03-11-2018, 12:28 PM

Yep, takes me 30 - 40 minutes to get a thorough flush. I also use the Geo method. Rob, Borax is the water softener. Some use Calgon because it dissolves easier. I also throw in a cup of bleach. Seems to work, all sensors are still functioning.

Rob, I'd like to thank you for your service to our great country!

**Second Chance** · 03-11-2018, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Chiefblueman

Rob, I'd like to thank you for your service to our great country!

You're welcome - but I'll have to say that the Army was as good to me as I was to them.

Rob

**bruce.a.anderson** · 03-19-2018, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Second Chance

Ratzpac - first of all, I think your dealer is full of the same stuff that's in your black tank. Are you sure the gate valve on the black tank is opening fully? Does the T-handle rod come out as far for that tank as with the other tanks? You could also have a glob of solid matter partially blocking the gate valve. We always use toilet paper that I've tested in a Mason jar, shaking to make sure it disintegrates in water (we use Walmart Ultra Soft which passes the test).

Here's a little thing I do about every third time I empty the black tank (which is about every two weeks since we're full-timers):

1) Turn on the black tank flusher (without a pressure regulator).

2) Open the black tank drain valve (with gray tanks closed, of course), and let the tank drain and rinse until at least the "Full" indicator light is off on the control panel. This tells me the "stuff" is rinsed off the top sensor.

3) With the flusher still running, close the black tank valve, head inside, and continuously monitor the black tank level indicator on the panel - don't take your eyes off of it or get distracted!

4) When the full light starts blinking, run back outside and open the black tank valve. The flusher running to fill the tank keeps things swirling around in there and the pressure of a full tank of clean water rushing out carries a lot of left-behind solid mater with it. Often, this dump turns clear in the elbow at the end of the sewer hose, telling me the tank is in pretty good shape. If the first flush is not clear, I close the black tank valve with the flusher still running, go back inside to monitor, and repeat the process.

Finally - and especially when we've been in one place for a while - I use the "geo method" to clean all the tanks on travel day. You can search the forums or the web for this, but it's basically making sure you have about 1/4 tank of clean water in each of your holding tanks, adding some dish detergent, borax crystals, and water softener (I've been having trouble finding the water softener) to each tank before hitting the road. This mixture sloshing around in the tanks as you roll down our wonderful highways and byways does a pretty good job of cleaning and suspending junk that's left over in the tanks.

Good luck!

Rob

How much Dawn, borax and bleach do you put into each separate holding tank?
Plan to give this a try on tomorrow's trip.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

**Second Chance** · 03-19-2018, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by bruce.a.anderson

How much Dawn, borax and bleach do you put into each separate holding tank?
Plan to give this a try on tomorrow's trip.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

I don't use bleach in the tanks - too corrosive on any metal parts of valves, etc. My black tank is 45 gallons and the gray tanks are 35 gallons each. I put about 1/2 cup each of dishwashing detergent and borax crystals in each tank with about 1/4 tank of fresh water before hitting the road on a travel day.

Rob