third holding tanks

[ccl]

I have a "2005 Montana 2955rl" went camping this weekend for the first time and had water leaking from under the camper. Upon inspection I found a third release lever similar to the black and grey water release lever located in under the belly between the two tires. when I open it clear water "no odor" comes out of the drain pipe. does anyone know what this is???

[Fishon]

I think you have a seperate holding tank for your galley

[ccl]

what is the galley...

[Fishon]

Kitchen sink

[ccl]

so, grey water is just for shower...

[Fishon]

open the valve in question and pour water in the kitchen sink to know for sure

[ccl]

just did that, that's what it is.

[ccl]

thank you for your help

[xcntrk]

You sure it's not the fresh water tank drain?

I do agree most 5'ers have 3 total holding tanks and they're arranged depending on floor plan. If you only have a single toilet then 2 are used for gray holding tanks and 1 black. If you have 2 toilets, then 2 blacks and a single gray. Then the fresh water is a separate (4th) tank used for potable water and has it's own drain.

[Pull Toy]

Our Alpine has 2 grey and 1 black tanks. One grey is the kitchen sink, and the other is the sink/shower in the bathroom. The black is strictly the toilet.

[ccl]

just got done tearing off all the panels under the rig and it has 3 tanks.

There is some type of very thin insulation does anyone know what type it is...
or is it really needed, what is the main purpose...

[Washedman]

That is the "enclosed under belly" insulation. That helps protect your tanks from freezing in cold weather.

[syoun10]

I,too, recently had a leak from under the camper - a 2005 Everest (leaking into the coroplast underbelly). I think it was from my black tank being too full (even though it didn't smell).

My question is - why should these too-full tanks leak at all? I would expect to see the first symptom of being too full to be the toilet backing up. Or, is the case of the original poster, CCL, in this thread, for his kitchen sink to not drain. Is there some sort of overflow for these tanks? - I'd be surprised if that was allowed.

[JRTJH]

There is not an "overflow" from the tank but there are, in the case of the black tank, three "openings" there is a 3" opening on the top of the tank where the toilet connects, there is a 3" opening on the lower "side/end" of the tank where the slide valve opens to allow for emptying the tank. There is also a 1.5" opening on the top of the tank which serves as a vent. It is routed through a wall to the roof where it terminates with a "capped and screened vent".

On some tanks (not all black tanks) there is also a 1/2" hole where the black tank flush line connects to a rotary spray tip. It's used to help clean and flush the interior surface of the black tank.

Typically if there is a leak in the black tank that only occurs when the tank is full, it's either from the toilet flange or from the vent flange. Sometimes they aren't "glued in place properly" and sometimes the tank splits at those connections.

So it's possible that you could have a leak in your black tank that only leaks when the tank is full... I'd strongly suspect that if that is the situation, you'd know it from the odor. I've never seen a black tank leak that didn't smell to high heaven and back.... If you have water between the coroplast and the tanks and it doesn't stink, it's probably a fresh water leak or rain water that is getting in "somehow".... Even gray water leaks usually have a "musty smell" so there's an odor associated with any of the waste water tanks.

[Banshee365]

Our 339BHS also has 2 black tanks, 2 grey tanks, and two outlets. Both grey tanks and the front black tank dispense from the front outlet and the rear black tank dispenses from the rear outlet.

I havn't had it to the campground yet but I'm wondering myself if the black tank flush runs into both black tanks or only the front one. I hope it runs to both black tanks so I don't have to deal with using a wand to flush the rear black tank.

[bobbecky]

Last year, I had to replace our water heater which was leaking from a crack in the tank at a weld. Got the unit replaced and I figured I was good to go, no more leaking. It was clean water. The next morning, the rig is still leaking. Upon relocating to the in-laws property, I removed the coroplast belly, started filling the grey tank, and at first saw no leakage. After getting the tank maybe half full, I got under the rig and started pushing on the bottom of the tank, and found the leak location at a crack in a molded rib in the grey tank. I made the repair with a kit from Plastiweld as the tank is ABS. I added a couple of braces across the frame in addition to the existing two braces and installed blocking of varying thickness between the braces and the bottom of the tanks, grey and the black tank. They don't flex at all now and there are no leaks. You can have a number of different sources of leaks beside the tanks, the water heater, and the different water lines and fittings.

[notanlines]

Banshee, careful what you wish for. On the surface it might be nice to have two black tank rinses. However it would only be nice if each had it's own separate hose connection to the park service. Remember that your tank rinse runs solely from water pressure and volume from your dinky little water hose from the park bib. The longer your supply hose (and smaller in diameter) the greater the pressure drop at the tank cleaner. Then if you double the tank rinsers you are cutting the performance way, way down.

[JRTJH]

To add to notanlines' comment about "what you wish for". If both black tank rinse lines are connected to one hose, then you'll be filling both tanks at the same time with no way to stop the flow to either tank. With the tank discharge connections, "one at the front and one at the rear of the trailer" it would be impossible to connect both tanks (at the same time) while dumping at most "dump stations"... What that means is that you would run the risk of overflowing a "full rear tank" while flushing the front tank at the dump station, then when you pull forward to dump the rear tank, if you try to clean it with the black tank flush, you'll be filling the front tank and would need to then back up, reconnect and dump the front tank again.

If you do have a "dual black tank flush" it's much more convenient to either have a valve control to direct water to each tank individually (I've never seen that kind of installation) or to have two "fill ports" one for each tank. These "dual-do everything" connections can be a nightmare to use even though they "look good during the PDI.

Engineers who design these things should be required to live in them as a part of the design phase.....

[Mates Family]

Our Alpine has 2 grey and 1 black tanks. One grey is the kitchen sink, and the other is the sink/shower in the bathroom. The black is strictly the toilet.

My Cougar has 4 tanks. One each black and grey for the upstairs Bath, one grey for the Galley and 1 black for the rear bath. Plus two sewer drops. The Galley and front tanks on the main drop and the rear black on drop at the back of the trailer. :USA2:

[Banshee365]

Banshee, careful what you wish for. On the surface it might be nice to have two black tank rinses. However it would only be nice if each had it's own separate hose connection to the park service. Remember that your tank rinse runs solely from water pressure and volume from your dinky little water hose from the park bib. The longer your supply hose (and smaller in diameter) the greater the pressure drop at the tank cleaner. Then if you double the tank rinsers you are cutting the performance way, way down.

True. But I already know that I don't have two rinse connections. So, if I the rinse connection doesn't go to both tanks then my rear tank has no rinse, which kinda sucks.

To add to notanlines' comment about "what you wish for". If both black tank rinse lines are connected to one hose, then you'll be filling both tanks at the same time with no way to stop the flow to either tank. With the tank discharge connections, "one at the front and one at the rear of the trailer" it would be impossible to connect both tanks (at the same time) while dumping at most "dump stations"... What that means is that you would run the risk of overflowing a "full rear tank" while flushing the front tank at the dump station, then when you pull forward to dump the rear tank, if you try to clean it with the black tank flush, you'll be filling the front tank and would need to then back up, reconnect and dump the front tank again.

If you do have a "dual black tank flush" it's much more convenient to either have a valve control to direct water to each tank individually (I've never seen that kind of installation) or to have two "fill ports" one for each tank. These "dual-do everything" connections can be a nightmare to use even though they "look good during the PDI.

Engineers who design these things should be required to live in them as a part of the design phase.....

This is what wye sewer connections can be used for I assume. I'm going to remove the panel in the corner of my basement that covers the connections at the rear of the service panel and see what sort of plumbing is going on back there. I can barely see over the top, but I see several hoses. If my setup had the one rinse connection feed both tanks I could at least trace the hoses down and put a couple ball valves in the hoses feeding the tanks to isolate them. I just don't like the idea of not being able to flush the rear black tank without dumping buckets of water down the toiler after carrying them through the RV or running a hose through the RV with a wand on the end.

My Cougar has 4 tanks. One each black and grey for the upstairs Bath, one grey for the Galley and 1 black for the rear bath. Plus two sewer drops. The Galley and front tanks on the main drop and the rear black on drop at the back of the trailer. :USA2:

So, how is your rinse system setup?

[JRTJH]

Banshee365,

There are a variety of "black tank flush" kits available at any RV center. I installed one on my Springdale. It was a "spin spray" terminal that bolted into a 5/8" hole in the side of the tank, a 10' section of clear plastic hose and a hose connector/anti-siphon valve that mounted through the J channel near the bottom of the trailer. I think I paid around $15 for the kit.

If your trailer doesn't have the black tank flush connected to both tanks, you can modify the "missing tank flush" very easily.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/tornado-permanent-tank-rinser-with-remote-connection/28091