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  1. #1
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    Black tank vent pipe too long reducing capacity. DIY fix advice requested

    Hello,

    I've had my GD Imagine 22MLE for over a year and have always been suspicious of how often I have to empty the black tank. I'm mostly by myself and have to empty the tank every 3 days.

    I bought a water flow meter to put a known amount of water in my 37 gallon black tank. I emptied and cleaned it out as best I could and put 15 gallons down the toilet in using a garden hose with the flow meter.

    I turned on the trailer's fresh water supply, filled the bowl and flushed. Immediately the toilet burped at me indicating it was full. I used a dowel as a dip stick to see how deep the water was in the tank: 3.5 inches.

    Most 37 gallon black tanks on the market are 7" or deeper. Not sure about the model in my trailer, but based on the water depth at 15 gallons I put it, it seems to be near 7".

    Next I went on the roof and pulled the vent cover. I snaked a measuring tape down the vent pipe until I hit bottom of the black tank. Then I carefully lifted the measuring tape to catch it on the bottom lip of the vent pipe. It was 1.5 inches from the bottom. I repeated the measurement a couple of times to verify.

    It seems clear to me that I need to shorten the vent pipe to keep it from protruding so far into the black tank. But how? I want to do it myself in the easiest, least destructive way possible.

    I've identified the interior wall containing the vent pipe. I think I can open the wall but it's going to be a pain (pulling trim pieces and many wall staples). I don't want to have to drop the black tank. I'd consider pulling the vent pipe up through the vent cover and chopping off the excess but I'm not sure how it's attached at the tank (friction fit gasket?) or supported in the wall.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated

    Kemper
    Tow vehicle: 2022 Toyota Tundra
    Coach: 2023 Imagine XLS 22MLE
    Central Florida

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kemper View Post
    It seems clear to me that I need to shorten the vent pipe to keep it from protruding so far into the black tank. But how? I want to do it myself in the easiest, least destructive way possible.
    That was an astute way of measuring the vent pipe extension into the black tank. I can see how the long vent pipe could cause issues - burping when flushing the toilet, excess odor, and restricted flow when emptying.

    Regarding a fix - it seems to me you will need to be able to access the point where the vent pipe enters the black tank. On our Solitude, it goes in through a sliding seal. It is not glued. if you can get a bit of room there, maybe you could cut the pipe several inches above where it enters the tank. Pull the cut piece out of the tank to determine the correct length. Cut off the excess, insert the now shorter piece back into the tank, and glue it back onto the vent pipe with an ABS coupler. You could also use a flexible clamp type coupler. If this works, you wouldn’t need to uncover the entire length of the pipe in the wall.

    You do have one advantage over me. It sounds like your toilet sits directly over the black tank. On the 380FL, it is offset so you can’t use a dipstick or a hose wand.
    2021 Solitude 380FL-R
    Ram 3500 MegaCab SB DRW

  3. #3
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    Hi @Kemper. This may be of some use to you...

    The location of our vent pipe is a main wall that I preferred not to tear into and have to cover up. But also found that the way they installed the pipe restricted me from being able to pull the pipe up through the seal. Take a look at my post and see if it of any use. You can scroll down to find my resolution with some pictures.

    https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...-Pipe-Slippage
    Last edited by Riverbug; 12-20-2023 at 02:44 PM.
    Chad
    2023 23LDE 965W Solar, Victron Multiplus, Solar Controllers, Cerbo GX, 4x280AH DIY Lithium Batteries, SeeLevel Tank Monitoring, Shock Absorbers (Replaced 2022 22MLE)
    2022 F350 6.7L Superduty, Carbonized Gray, Ultimate Lariat Pkg, 4WD, Crew Cab, 160" Wheelbase, 3.55EL Rear End, 3566# Payload
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Riverbug View Post
    Hi @Kemper. This may be of some use to you...

    The location of our vent pipe is a main wall that I preferred not to tear into and have to cover up. But also found that the way they installed the pipe restricted me from being able to pull the pipe up through the seal. Take a look at my post and see if it of any use. You can scroll down to find my resolution with some pictures.
    Riverbug, I read the other post. You get the DIY of the Month award. I had a couple of questions I asked there and I'll repeat here as the older post may escape your notice.

    How would you have been able to drop the tank with that adapter glued to the vent pipe inside of the tank? Wouldn't the tank hang up on the vent pipe?

    By the way, are you happy with your SeeLevel sensors and how much trouble was the instllation. The OEM sensors are next to worthless. I never really know what the level in the black tank is.
    2021 Solitude 380FL-R
    Ram 3500 MegaCab SB DRW

  5. #5
    Long Hauler huntindog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kemper View Post
    Hello,

    I've had my GD Imagine 22MLE for over a year and have always been suspicious of how often I have to empty the black tank. I'm mostly by myself and have to empty the tank every 3 days.

    I bought a water flow meter to put a known amount of water in my 37 gallon black tank. I emptied and cleaned it out as best I could and put 15 gallons down the toilet in using a garden hose with the flow meter.

    I turned on the trailer's fresh water supply, filled the bowl and flushed. Immediately the toilet burped at me indicating it was full. I used a dowel as a dip stick to see how deep the water was in the tank: 3.5 inches.

    Most 37 gallon black tanks on the market are 7" or deeper. Not sure about the model in my trailer, but based on the water depth at 15 gallons I put it, it seems to be near 7".

    Next I went on the roof and pulled the vent cover. I snaked a measuring tape down the vent pipe until I hit bottom of the black tank. Then I carefully lifted the measuring tape to catch it on the bottom lip of the vent pipe. It was 1.5 inches from the bottom. I repeated the measurement a couple of times to verify.

    It seems clear to me that I need to shorten the vent pipe to keep it from protruding so far into the black tank. But how? I want to do it myself in the easiest, least destructive way possible.

    I've identified the interior wall containing the vent pipe. I think I can open the wall but it's going to be a pain (pulling trim pieces and many wall staples). I don't want to have to drop the black tank. I'd consider pulling the vent pipe up through the vent cover and chopping off the excess but I'm not sure how it's attached at the tank (friction fit gasket?) or supported in the wall.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated

    Kemper
    Tow vehicle: 2022 Toyota Tundra
    Coach: 2023 Imagine XLS 22MLE
    Central Florida
    I have been into the plumbing on my momentum. It's 52 gallon tanks are 7" on the deep end, tapering to 3.5" on the shallow end. As far as the vent pipe goes, they use a rubbber grommet that the pipe is inserted into.(friction fit) It has a lip that prevents it from protruding into the tank very far. Probably an inch or so. I am not sure that a tape measure snaked in from the roof can tell you much. that pipe may not be a straight shot into the tank. I know that mine has some bends in it.
    2021 398M Full Body Paint 8k axles. LRH tires. Disc brakes.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Traveler View Post
    Riverbug, I read the other post. You get the DIY of the Month award. I had a couple of questions I asked there and I'll repeat here as the older post may escape your notice.

    How would you have been able to drop the tank with that adapter glued to the vent pipe inside of the tank? Wouldn't the tank hang up on the vent pipe?

    By the way, are you happy with your SeeLevel sensors and how much trouble was the instllation. The OEM sensors are next to worthless. I never really know what the level in the black tank is.
    Hey Tom. I’ll answer here tonight and maybe also respond in the other thread too in case someone comes across that one later and finds it helpful.

    Since I was able to turn and lift the vent pipe at the roof at least until the seal met the underside of the floor at the top of the tank, I’m guessing that if I had chosen to drop the tank, the vent pipe would have slipped down with it. Then a person could cut the pipe near the tank, pull the seal, and remove the adapter from inside the tank. At that point it would probably be easiest to get a new pipe that would stick out the roof and be cut off at the right length once the tank, seal, and pipe were back in place. I had just finished putting the entire underbelly back in place, and sealing everything up. I just didn’t want to take it all back apart, cut the drain pipes and drop the tank so I chose the route I went. And we were getting ready to depart on a two month trip.

    We love the SeeLevel sensors. After boondocking many weeks since installing them, we find them extremely helpful. It’s nice to know the actual percentage of each tank. Installation isn’t too bad, but I already had the belly open for the solar, inverter, tank heat pads, and some other mods that I did. So the sensors were one of the easier projects I did at that time. You basically need a power source and ground to the monitor panel, then run a positive wire from each sensor to the panel and attach the ground wire from each sensor to the frame. As usual, running the wires is the most time consuming.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by huntindog View Post
    I have been into the plumbing on my momentum. It's 52 gallon tanks are 7" on the deep end, tapering to 3.5" on the shallow end. As far as the vent pipe goes, they use a rubbber grommet that the pipe is inserted into.(friction fit) It has a lip that prevents it from protruding into the tank very far. Probably an inch or so. I am not sure that a tape measure snaked in from the roof can tell you much. that pipe may not be a straight shot into the tank. I know that mine has some bends in it.
    Hi @huntindog If you take a look at my other thread you’ll see that what you describe as the way they should assemble the vent pipes is not always the case, unfortunately. Sometimes the adapter that should sit on top of the seal to prevent it from sliding down is actually put inside the tank preventing the pipe from being pulled up as well as venting correctly.

  8. #8
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    This (and the associated post) makes for an interesting and educational read. I just have one question....

    How did GD manage to put the seal inside the tank instead of on the outside?

    I figure if the seal wouldn't pull back up through the tank someone at GS must have been a contorstionist to get the seal on the pipe on the inside of the tank.
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by traveldawg View Post
    This (and the associated post) makes for an interesting and educational read. I just have one question....

    How did GD manage to put the seal inside the tank instead of on the outside?

    I figure if the seal wouldn't pull back up through the tank someone at GS must have been a contorstionist to get the seal on the pipe on the inside of the tank.
    RiverBug, please correct me if I have this wrong. I don't think GD put the seal inside the tank. From Riverbug's pictures it looks like they glued the lip to the pipe below the seal instead of above it.

    The sliding seal makes sense assuming there is nothing glued to the pipes (no lips or other protrusions) below the seal. That allows one to drop the tank - it simply slides off of the pipes. In Riverbug's case, I don't think he would have be able to drop the tank without problems because it would have hung up on the lip glued to the vent pipe below the seal. That had to be a real bonehead move on the part of an installer but I'm not surprised. As they build these things from the bottom up, nothing in the future assembly would have caught the problem.
    2021 Solitude 380FL-R
    Ram 3500 MegaCab SB DRW

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by traveldawg View Post
    This (and the associated post) makes for an interesting and educational read. I just have one question....

    How did GD manage to put the seal inside the tank instead of on the outside?

    I figure if the seal wouldn't pull back up through the tank someone at GS must have been a contorstionist to get the seal on the pipe on the inside of the tank.
    I really don't know. I can only think that the seal is placed over the pipe before they glued the end piece on then fit the seal onto the tank with the end piece already inside the tank. Not sure how else it could have been done, but however it was done it was a boneheaded thing to do.
    Chad
    2023 23LDE 965W Solar, Victron Multiplus, Solar Controllers, Cerbo GX, 4x280AH DIY Lithium Batteries, SeeLevel Tank Monitoring, Shock Absorbers (Replaced 2022 22MLE)
    2022 F350 6.7L Superduty, Carbonized Gray, Ultimate Lariat Pkg, 4WD, Crew Cab, 160" Wheelbase, 3.55EL Rear End, 3566# Payload
    Adaptive Steering, Ultimate Camera Pkg, 20" Wheels, 397 Amp Dual Alternator, ARE Topper (Replaced 2004 F150)

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