new keystone black water drains slow

[srvnt]

Hey everybody I have a new passport 28' GT and my black water drains slow. i close the valve awhile and reopen it and it drains a little more like there's a vacuum on it. Then one time my wife opened the toilet and it drains out. So thinking the vent is plugged I run some hose down as far as it can go, pull it out and its dry. Thinking I must have hit a T for black and grey tanks I ran the water hose down the vent and while looking in black tank through the toilet with the water on I see no water disturbance at all. Then i hook up the black water flush, turn it on and the wife sees water disturbance, that's good and the check valve hasn't blown up yet. I feel for air coming out the vent at the same time but nothing, could be coming out grey water drains i guess. What do you guys think, i have a small 1/4" hand snake, should i gently try to get to smelly water? I have a little water in the black tank so i will be able to tell if i hit mud!

[Bluewater]

I think they all just dran slow.

[hankpage]

If the flow increases when you flush (open) the toilet the vent is clogged or not connected.

[hankaye]

srvnt, Howdy;

If the flow increases when you flush (open) the toilet the vent is clogged or not connected.

I'm in full agreement with the other Hank.
Think you need to get your warranty off the bench and into the game.

hankaye

[buzzcop63]

I think they all just dran slow.

Our Black tank is 2/3 full or more and we add water before we dump, always at State or County parks so have to go to dump station to empty tanks. Using clear connector we can see flow is quite strong. You want tank to be 2/3 or more full to get a good flush and wash out any solids.

[Terry W.]

I totaly agree with both Hanks if it flows better with flush open vent is clogged Just my 2 cents

[srvnt]

Hanks and all,
Yes i dump with a full tank and not till the end does it move fast like when you empty a barrel with vacuum. I only have one vent on the roof and also tried some stiff 3/8 flexible tubing and it also hit something like a t or ell. I beginning to think when you have the sewer flush system Keystone thinks you will add pressure thus eliminating a vacuum and no need for a vent (your supposed to leave the black water valve open all the time when using the sewer flush). But you don't always have water to hook up to. How can i verify the vent is clear or clear it if I cant get to the black tank from the vent? Can the grey and black tank share a vent to keep cost down? I like to do all my work myself and don't want the stealership to touch my rig unless totally necessary. Fixed a dozen warranty things myself already and this should be easy to diagnosis.:banghead:

[theeyres]

Have you tried sticking the hose down the vent and turning the water on? You should know in a second or two if the water is running into the toilet. The other thing, that I'm sure you have checked, is the level of your sewer hose at discharge. Many trailers have such a low drain, that the discharge end can easily be almost as high as the drain valve on the trailer. Then you will get a very slow discharge because there just isn't enough slope in the drain hose to generate flow.

[srvnt]

Yes theeryres, I have a higher trailer, and ran a hose for like 5 seconds, but no turbulence in the black tank water while wife was looking in toilet so it must be going in the grey tank. I'm going to try it again tomorrow and leave the hose running longer just kinda paranoid about sticking a live hose in my new trailer after reading all the crazy stories on here! I was able to put a mirror in the same hole as where the shower and bath sink drain goes into the wall and verified they tie in to the vent. Cant see anything else like another line on the other side of the vent in the wall so I cant verify black and grey use the same vent.:confused:

[hankaye]

srvnt, Howdy;

Yes theeryres, I have a higher trailer, and ran a hose for like 5 seconds, but no turbulence in the black tank water while wife was looking in toilet so it must be going in the grey tank. I'm going to try it again tomorrow and leave the hose running longer just kinda paranoid about sticking a live hose in my new trailer after reading all the crazy stories on here! I was able to put a mirror in the same hole as where the shower and bath sink drain goes into the wall and verified they tie in to the vent. Cant see anything else like another line on the other side of the vent in the wall so I cant verify black and grey use the same vent.:confused:

How many vents are poking up through your roof?

Look under your kitchen sink to see if there is a vent
with a cap that looks like this; http://www.sustainablesupply.com/1PPA8-Trap-Vent-Plastic-Pipe-Dia-1-1-2-In-p/w168260.htm?gclid=CNf1oefGgroCFexDMgodpx4AQQ&CAWELAID=1331096019

Find the plumbing access for your shower/tub and
see it there is another vent like the one under your
kitchen sink there.
If you have the inside vents for the gray water drains
then the only vent in your roof is for the black tank.
run the hose back down the vent and measure the length that
it will travel until it hits anything. then measure the length along
the outside of the trailer (vertically), to see if it goes to the bottom
of the trailer minus a few inches. If not the vent is blocked.
Take it to your dealer and put your warrenty to work...

hankaye

[srvnt]

I was able to put a mirror in the same hole as where the shower and bath sink drain goes into the wall and verified they tie in to the vent.

Yes there are those vents, but the drain line from the shower and sink also definitely ties into the vent going up the wall to the only vent on top because I can see it (confusing right?). On the other side of that vent going up the wall, i can't see but it must obviously go to at least the grey tank, I just can't verify any black water vent line tied to it without ripping out the cardboard bottom or wall of the trailer:eek:. That's kinda why I'm paranoid about a charged water hose in my new trailer because if it fills up it might come out a vent but probably the shower drain first. I plan on calling customer service first tomorrow to see if they have any answers. Thanks everyone for the input and anymore is appreciated. We've been rv'ing for 20 years and love it!

[srvnt]

Keystone says black and grey share the same vent! Gunna flush and fill black tank a bunch of times and see what happens

[04z71]

how does the vent get clogged?

[srvnt]

When i brought the new trailer home i flushed all the tanks and played with the sewer flush etc. I saw a lot of styrofoam type material come out , so I flushed it even more till clean of material. the only way i think it could have been plugged is by manufacturing material getting up in vent from a full tank pushing up or something.No idea though.

[04z71]

did yours come with the black water clean out (on the other side lol)

[buddyboy54]

I have a keystone sprinter travel trailer so this may not be accurate for your trailer but in the toilet room the is a large plastic cover over a cut out in the wall,after removing the cover plate I found a vacuum type breaker hidden in the wall to vent the black water tank.Hope this helps,Carl

[JRTJH]

I have a keystone sprinter travel trailer so this may not be accurate for your trailer but in the toilet room the is a large plastic cover over a cut out in the wall,after removing the cover plate I found a vacuum type breaker hidden in the wall to vent the black water tank.Hope this helps,Carl

That vacuum breaker is most likely not to vent the black tank. As methane gas is explosive, it must be vented through the roof to "outside air" not contained within a wall of the RV (per RVIA code), What you saw in the wall is in all probability, the antisiphon valve for the black tank flush system. Here's a picture of what it looks like:

[hankpage]

srvnt, Have you looked behind your entertainment center for an access panel to get to the back of the shower valve??? Removing that panel should allow you to see into that wall and how that vent is routed. Looking at your layout I would think you have a mechanical vent (cheater vent) under your vanity for your gray tank and roof vent for the black tank. That is the way many a vented. If your traps are left dry, black tank fumes could enter the living space if they share the same vent. JM2¢, Hank

[srvnt]

hankpage yes i do have the vacuum breaker (cheater vent) under the bathroom and kitchen sinks, for the gray water. ALSO under the bathroom sink is an anti-siphon valve on the sewer flush line leading to the black tank, that is the one by the way has been known to blow and send water into the trailer when using the sewer flush option. Gunna change that out soon too. Keystone verified i have a shared vent but they could not tell me anything else like about check valves, configuration, etc. I have only one vent on the roof and i know the grey ties into it cuz i can see the grey drain (with a mirror) as it goes into a large hole in the wall under the sink, turns, and runs a couple feet down the floor (in the wall) and runs up the wall (to the vent on the roof). just don't know where the black ties in cuz i cant see the other side of the pvc piping, and no access panels anywhere.

[n4qpcham]

I have the same slow draining problem with my 2014 HC318RE. Looking at the pics posted by Brucem26 of his black tank damage, the pics show the black and grey tanks are T'd together and appear somewhat level. Empty one, and it sends some of its contents to the gate valve on the other tank. It will be a back and forth thing before you can get both tanks empty and all the plumbing cleaned out. The next time I go camping, I intend to raise the front of the coach some to see if it helps speed up emptying the process.

[srvnt]

Took the trailer out and it seems I may have knocked something loose as it drains fine now. How the tanks and vents are configured is still a mystery.

[Jazz38]

Take it back to the dealer before you bugger the thing up. If lines are loose or seperated a live hose will be distarious.