Black Tank Mystery Solved (Unbelievable!)

[srvnt]

While cleaning out my black tank at home I decided to look in the black tank with a bore-scope camera I recently bought for another project. I have had many issues in the past with emptying the black tank since it was brand new, but it always seemed to resolve itself, only to return. I have heard of this happening before but thought it must be super rare. So 2 1/2 years later the problem is revealed! Hopefully Keystone will come through since I spent all day trying to fish the thing out without success. Would rather fix it myself than take it to the stealership, and I'm still trying to figure out a way to retrieve this. It may be hard to make out, but that is the flooring cutout for the toilet. Any Idea's?

[busterbrown]

Since my coach was new, I still see a large floating black ring inside the tank when looking down the bowl as I flush the tank. It hasn't interfered with the sensors or emptying/cleaning process. Looks like a gasket that was dropped in accidentally.

Have you tried a flexible wand with adhesive tape on the end? If the material is mobile in the tank, the adhesion to the tape could get it close to the flush valve and you could mechanically grab it with a set of long nose pliers. Just a suggestion.

[Eastham]

Take the stool off the floor reach in and retrieve it remount the stool.wash hands and have several drinks.hopefully this was helpful.

[John&Genny]

Although it is Keystone's fault for what happened, I doubt they can or will do much about it themselves. Probably it would be up to the dealers good graces to remove the toilet and retrieve the piece from the tank. Maybe this is one of those weird things to be added to a PPI list :lol:

[gearhead]

Since the diameter of the floor cut out is larger than the toilet drain, you may have to break the cut out in half.
An extended pick up tool may help. Get some disposable gloves as well.
https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+R ank%2Cf&q=pickup+tool

[JRTJH]

That is the mechanical agitator (think washing machine) that was "carefully cut and inserted in the holding tank by Keystone's quality team".... Its purpose is to keep the sidewalls and the sensors in the black tank clean by scraping the sides as you tow. That's why people who use their trailer on a permanent site have more problems than those who tow regularly.

The reason it looks "almost exactly like the cutout for the toilet flange" is purely co-incidental and has nothing to do with the disposal of "floor waste" on the assembly line......
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/characters/clown-smiley-emoticon.gif (http://www.sherv.net/)

[srvnt]

Thanks John, HAHAHA! No worries then!

[Canonman]

Take the stool off the floor reach in and retrieve it remount the stool.wash hands

And then mail the retrieved piece to the Keystone home office with the pictures and explanation. Make sure to package it so they have to handle the piece before they can see the backup documentation. ALSO, Be sure to tell them Thanks!!

[JRTJH]

And then mail the retrieved piece to the Keystone home office with the pictures and explanation. Make sure to package it so they have to handle the piece before they can see the backup documentation. ALSO, Be sure to tell them Thanks!!

That reminds me of a similar situation that seems "funny now" but I'm sure was anything but when it happened: Many years ago the VA used to mail Fecal Occult Blood Test kits (screening for "hidden blood" in the stool, a check for colon cancer) to active patients annually, during the month of their birth. The instructions were to "swipe" a small bit of fecal waste on each of the three 3/8" circles, seal the kit in the enclosed envelope and mail it back to the VA.

Well, one patient either failed to read the instructions (or more likely, intentionally "ignored" the instructions) and placed a LARGE amount of "fecal material" in the envelope and dropped it in the mail. The Post Office uses automated "squishers" to run each envelope through the "postmark scanner" to cancel the stamp and sort the mail to the appropriate area for delivery.... Needless to say, when that envelope was "squished through the machine" it contaminated the entire scanner equipment, forcing it to be shut down, thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated and required all the mail that was being processed with that envelope to be "carefully handled"....

The VA was "cautioned" by the Post Office to ensure that everyone who was mailed a kit was properly instructed on how to obtain and mail the samples. We had to establish an office at our hospital with the sole function being to call each patient and instruct them on how to prepare the kit for testing before they could mail the kit to them. Many manhours were expended to prevent "Post Office contamination"......

[notanlines]

Truth being stranger than fiction.....

[srvnt]

So I made a snare, shaped the wire into a long oval shape, stuck it down the toilet into the tank where the cutout was (I maneuvered the cutout around the tank with the flusher and by draining until it was directly under the toilet). I then tapped the snare on the bottom of the tank until the snare wire was round, slid the wire over to the center of the cutout, slowly pulled the snare wire until it tightened up and squeezed to a taco shape to pull it out. The plywood backing was long gone. Pain in my butt for so long, RRRRRRR!

[cvin]

so glad that issue is over for you!
that was crazy

[rsl]

But you are going to mail it to Keystone, right? Put a note with it something to the affect you left something in my RV and I thought you might want it back....

[Dave W]

hmmmmmm! Maybe that's why our 5ers black tank is so slow draining and has been since the very first time. Unfortunately, the pipe from toilet to tank has a 30-45* angle so would have a problem snaring anything there or even getting a an endoscope type camera in there - I've tried. I just do a strong back flush which seems to work - and even got the sensors working right yesterday after a mega flush.

Good job getting that out