Is it possible that my Cougar 26' has no dump valve?

[ace1966]

I am very new at travel trailers, but unless I'm blind I do not see a waste dump valve on my 1999 26' Keystone Cougar. IS THIS POSSIBLE. Or is it possible it got knocked off and a previous owner used PVC and no new valve.
THanks for all answers!

[hankpage]

You should have at least two dump valves ... one gray water and one black water at least. Pull handles may not be near sewer connection.

[ace1966]

Thank for your response. But I have looked at the Sewer outlet area and have looked in the storage areas to no avail. There is a small white line that has a cap on the end only. The waste tank has the normal black twist lock cap but no valve that i can see. The last 6" of the line is white 3" PVC is this normal?

[Festus2]

ace1966 -

Since you have an older model Cougar, it is possible that you may have 3 tanks holding tanks - 2 gray and 1 black/waste tank - and 3 dump valves (one for each tank). The presence of white pipes tells me that the previous owner may have done something to the sanitation systems pipes. I've never seen anything but black PVC.

In most cases, the pipes that come from your the gray holding tanks are 1 1/2" while the main sewer/toilet dump is 3". The 1 1/2" pipes tie into the main 3" sewer outlet.

If you crawl underneath your unit, you may see or find pull handles for the tanks. Some of pulls may be "hidden" behind a wheel or the rod and handles may have come off the valve.

How many pull handles can you find? On our Cougar there are 3 - 1 for the galley, 1 for the bathroom sink/shower, and 1 for the toilet. All pipes are black, uncapped and they all lead into the 3" termination outlet.

[ace1966]

I believe that the previous owner changed the black water pipes, because he probably knocked the old one off somehow. When you said you had never seen White Pvc used, that was what I was looking for. I believe he fixed it the cheapest and fastest way he could and did not bother get another shut valve for the waste tank.

[tanman32225]

One way to find out if you have no valves is to put some water maybe by water hose into the kitchen sink or the shower. See if water flows out of the pipe. If it does the previous owner probably just rigged it up to sell it.. If no water flows you probably have a valve hidden somewhere. Repeat it with the black water through the toilet. See if water flows.. If you get flow from both and cannot find a valve maybe the previous owner just ran all his waste straight to the sewer without a valve.. a bad way to run things. You will have to replumb some to add valves.

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by ace1966

I believe that the previous owner changed the black water pipes, because he probably knocked the old one off somehow. When you said you had never seen White Pvc used, that was what I was looking for. I believe he fixed it the cheapest and fastest way he could and did not bother get another shut valve for the waste tank.

It's not very likely that all three handles were removed. Look along the entire length of that side of the trailer for T handles ... they should be there. Pour some water down the sink or shower, If there are no dump valves it will run out the sewer connection .... if not you have valves somewhere.

Handle will look like this

WASTE WATER VALVE BODY

[ace1966]

Tomorrow I will run water down the sink and then down the toilet like you stated and see what the results are. I will then post back
Thanks Again

[hankaye]

ace1966, Howdy;

Could be the previous owner was a full-timer and just used
the system as you would a home (sticks-n-bricks). You'll know when you do the flow tests. Be aware that there may (more than likely is), be some
build-up in the black tank due to incomplete flushing.
We can help ya with that later...

hankaye

[diugo]

Another good possibility is that the previous owner replaced the manual valves with electric ones. So look for switches as well, hopefully well labeled.

[Pmedic4]

I hadn't heard of the the electric valves, but my third valve was very difficult to see. I would take a picture of it, to show but it is so hard to see, it didn't even show up on the picture!
It is just a small black knob about 2 inches by 1/2 inch, that lies parallel to the right next to the frame which is about a 3/16th thick piece of black metal. Without the label up on the side of the RV, I would have never found it.
My other 2 valves are obvious, so you would assume all of them are, but clearly this one is tucked away and is hard to see.

When I get it take the time to winterize it this fall, I'm going to paint that thing is bright white.

[ace1966]

Wow, are you talking like electric light switch? There is a switch in the bathroom by the sink, that I can't figure out what it is for. And another switch in the very front down by the floor, have no idea what is for either.