major black tank snafoo... help please!!!

[Campergirl]

I picked up our used 23b today.. got it to the campground and kept smelling yuck. the same yuck I smelled while taking the walk throuh today... they assured me it was nothing.. well come to find out, the tank is full of waste and it isn't mine.. the monitor panel says full for the black and 1/3 for the gray.. I have used the toilet and one used a wee bit of water... what do I do? I payed big money for eveything to be perfect... this is far from perfect...I am camping 10 min from home and want to leave rv store is closed until Tuesday...

[mtn_bikers]

Well, that is kind of gross. However, it is really no different then if you filled the tank up yourself -- still the same yuk. Just tow it to the campground dump station and dump the black tank. On Tuesday go back to the person you bought it from and complain.

[clubhouse]

I agree it's not ideal, and if you bought from a dealer I would let them know you are upset. But don't let it ruin your weekend, just dump the tanks and hope that is the biggest issue you have and move on.

[Campergirl]

I need to add that we paid a hefty fee to have it all inspected and they said they emptied and clean which means it is clogged... So what do we do from there? Ugh... I am just irritated and I want a huge portion of our inspection fee back....grrrrrrrr

[Quahog]

It's not unusual for the black tank to read full even when it's empty. This is because sludge builds up on the sensors and they give a false reading. Do like the others have suggested... empty the tank then put some black tank treatment down the toilet. You can find it in the RV section of Walmart or at any RV store. You probably don't have a clog... but I would be annoyed by the smell and that's where the treatment will help. You'll want to have a gallon or two of water in there too to help break down any lingering solids.

[wmoses]

I guess one of the lessons to be learned from this is to look at the tank monitors during the pre delivery inspection.

The only thing that can possibly be done is complain to the seller and hope that he makes it right somehow. He does not "have" to, since it was a used unit and some un-named minion must have forgotten, and this is the first time this had ever happened, ya de ya de ya.

Meanwhile you have a stink you have to fix, and dumping the tanks is the only solution. That is a significant and necessary part of the rv-ing experience.

[hbravo]

If it is clogged you need to break everything up. Put some extra black tank chemical and ice in the tank and go for a nice drive. That might help break everything up.

There is a magic elixir formula on the internet which includes water softener, ic and a few other things. People swear by it. Run a search.

I understand your frustration after paying your hard-earned money and not receiving what you expected but I would not let that spoil a nice camping weekend. If you can't clear the tank out to your sanctification with water and chemicals and time, drop the trailer off Tuesday and let them take care of it then.

The yank level indicators are notoriously inaccurate.

Hector

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Are you sure it's full? I know our black tank level would show full after 1 flush. The only way to be sure it's full is to shut off the water and flush the toilet and hold the valve open. Look down in with a flashlight. If it's truly full, any new added water will be up into the neck where the tank goes into the tank. What's hard to tell is how deep it really is in there as you are looking down a small hole into a black tank. Flush some water in and see where the level is. There may just be a layer of residue in the bottom.

To help with the smell, make sure there is water in the toilet after flushing. The water is the gas seal for the toilet. Don't let this ruin your weekend...just make it a learning experience.

[tnchuck100]

This takes all the guesswork out of tank levels:

http://www.rvgauge.com/rv.htm

It ain't cheap...but it IS accurate.

[Phar0e]

Are you sure it's full? Could be the sensor is not working.

[Jagiven]

Are you sure the odor is coming from the Black tank? My 23B has an issue (I think) with the shower basin P-trap. When we travel the water sloshes out of the trap, and the bathroom stinks. What I do now is keep the basin plug in the drain and the odor is now gone. One of these days I will look under the basin to see how the trap is installed.

[RedHorse1]

There is a tank vent that exits through the roof. On our 23B it's right next to the bath vent. Possible it's stopped up? The flap on the toilet could also be worn (I think they are replaceable but don't know how - yet). Drain and rinse the tank(s). I find after I empty the black and use the wand (very unpleasant BTW) I can flush lots more "stuff" out of the black. The tank chems help but still don't make a basket of flowers. Unlike our houses everything that goes into the toilet stays with you until you empty the black - even then some "stuff" will remain.
I like to say that these things are like boats and airplanes. The bigger, the more complex. And there is a constant need to tinker, fix, adjust, replace, repair something.

[TTChamp]

Originally Posted by tnchuck100

This takes all the guesswork out of tank levels:

http://www.rvgauge.com/rv.htm
Attachment 5082
It ain't cheap...but it IS accurate.

I am wonderin about the propane gage on this meter. Our current meter does not track the propane, thoughts / mods / ideas?

[tnchuck100]

Originally Posted by TTChamp

I am wonderin about the propane gage on this meter. Our current meter does not track the propane, thoughts / mods / ideas?

The propane level will only work with tanks that have the float sensor installed. These are typically found in class A & C motorhomes. The tanks are permanently mounted on these units. They are not available on 20, 30 and 40# removable tanks. At least I have never seen this capability on these tanks.

So, the LP part is not usable on most TT's.

[TTChamp]

Ah that makes sense. Thanks Chuck !