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05-26-2019, 08:38 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Salado
Posts: 10
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Did I mess up?
Last week was our first time rv'ing. Everything went very well until the dump station. I was prepared to do it correctly but forgot one thing. I pulled the black tank valve open and nothing came out. I then proceeded to open the grey valve and still nothing. I knew may grey tank was just about full and my black tank showed as empty. I went inside to check my tank levels and it showed both tanks full. It was at that point I took the hose off and realized I forgot to remove the little hose cap for storage on the hose. The good thing is there was no 'solid' waste in the black tank (we used the park restroom for that). Also, the shower and sinks were dry after my mistake. Did I mess something up? Do I need to do some maintenance on it after this or am I good?
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05-26-2019, 08:41 AM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,327
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Welcome to the Forum
The only thing you messed up was your perfect record..Dont sweat it, at least your goof was a little one.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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05-26-2019, 09:38 AM
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#3
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Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
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Welcome to RV'ing. One series of potential mishaps followed by another. It keeps it real and real interesting.
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Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
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05-26-2019, 09:44 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Solomons
Posts: 3,874
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You won’t repeat that one again. Maybe because you did someone else won’t make it. We all learn from each other here. My Dad had a check list for everything. If you think it might help you may want to consider doing that. Relax and have fun.
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Tom
2019 Alpine 3651RL
2016 F350 CC DRW
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05-26-2019, 09:59 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,138
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You’ll be fine. I’m still freaking from the dude that left his tailgate down and took out his front compartment door.
__________________
2017 Alpine 3661FL: For Sale
2021 Vilano
2020 F350 Crew DRW 6.7, 4x4, 10 sod auto, 4:10 gears
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05-26-2019, 02:01 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Sussex, NJ
Posts: 471
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A great help in these situations is to permanently add the Valterra twist-on tank valves to the end of each dump pipe on your rig. In instances like this, you can in most cases close them trapping any disgusting stuff in the pipe while you sort things out and minimize leakage.
http://www.valterra.com/product/twis...e-valve-boxed/
__________________
2016 Fuzion 414 Chrome
2016 Ford F450 Super Duty King Ranch
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05-27-2019, 02:24 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,328
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All good advice! Might I ask, "we used the park restroom for that" where did this come from? I suppose some 'seasoned RV'er in your neighborhood who once rented a popup for a weekend' told you the re-sale on your RV will be higher if you and Momma travel to the park potty rather than actually using facility for its intended purpose? (Chip, don't start on me! I'm an old man and these inventions take time... )
__________________
Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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05-27-2019, 04:25 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Salado
Posts: 10
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Honestly, I was worried something would go wrong at the dump station! My mishap could have been a lot worse because when I pulled the hose off it spilled onto my feet lol
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05-27-2019, 07:18 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Marion
Posts: 33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notanlines
All good advice! Might I ask, "we used the park restroom for that" where did this come from? I suppose some 'seasoned RV'er in your neighborhood who once rented a popup for a weekend' told you the re-sale on your RV will be higher if you and Momma travel to the park potty rather than actually using facility for its intended purpose? (Chip, don't start on me! I'm an old man and these inventions take time... )
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I often wonder about that. Buddy of mine asking me about my florida rv lot, "How is the shower house?".
I say I don't know, never been in it.
He says "Oh you're always supposed to use the shower house and toilets so you don't mess up your rv".
I don't get it. I bought my fifth wheel so I could have my own toilet and shower. Among other reasons.
__________________
2019 Montana High Country 384BR
2018 Ram 3500 Dually CCLB 4x4 with Cummins 6.7/Aisin Trans/3.73 rear end gear
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05-27-2019, 01:11 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KingFisher
I often wonder about that. Buddy of mine asking me about my florida rv lot, "How is the shower house?".
I say I don't know, never been in it.
He says "Oh you're always supposed to use the shower house and toilets so you don't mess up your rv".
I don't get it. I bought my fifth wheel so I could have my own toilet and shower. Among other reasons.
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Same, it would have completely defeated the point of buying a camper..
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05-27-2019, 04:10 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central NH
Posts: 81
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Veals
Honestly, I was worried something would go wrong at the dump station! My mishap could have been a lot worse because when I pulled the hose off it spilled onto my feet lol
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I learned early on not to wear flip flops to the dump station. Never forgot that lesson !
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06-02-2019, 07:23 AM
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#12
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Lower Sackville
Posts: 4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IMASAP
I learned early on not to wear flip flops to the dump station. Never forgot that lesson !
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Best Advise in this thread!!!!
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06-02-2019, 02:43 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 352
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And....know one saw you and or video taped via cellphone in this slightly embarrassing situation?-lol
No harm no foul/ man card.
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06-02-2019, 04:36 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Roseville
Posts: 7
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Yea on our first trip, after about 3 days, I'm laying in bed awake at two in the morning thinking about how long the rods seemed to be on the black and grey tank handles. Sure enough, checked them in the morning and they were pulled out. Fortunately I had a 5 gallon bucket courtesy of the great dane for water and there was no line at the dump station. Part of my checklist on setup now is to make sure those valves are closed. And now I throw in my rubber boots for use at the dump station.
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06-02-2019, 05:07 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson
Posts: 822
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"Last Chance" Valve?
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Veals
Honestly, I was worried something would go wrong at the dump station! My mishap could have been a lot worse because when I pulled the hose off it spilled onto my feet lol
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I haven't done it on my new trailer yet, but on every previous trailer I have installed what I call a "last chance" 3" valve immediately upstream of the dump connection. This started because I had inadvertently left the black tank valve open and installed the cap on the end of the dump line. Everything appeared to work normally until I pulled the cap at the dump station and proceeded to dump my entire black tank out on my feet and all over the dump station pavement! Also, if you have some internal "leakage" in one of your valves (either black or gray) when you pull the cap, you get whatever has leaked by the tank valves.
With newer modern trailers, you typically can't see any of the tank valves. There is no way to visually check their status. In most cases, you get the mysterious T-handle through the frame and you are just hoping that the tank valve is closed and holding the tank contents.
Enter the "last chance" valve. Hook everything up, get it all set, open the desired tank valve and then the "last chance" valve. For $15, it's pretty cheap insurance.
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06-02-2019, 07:56 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LA
Posts: 467
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Why isn't everyone dumping the black tank first, then rinsing the hose with the grey tanks? Then you don't need to worry about leaving the black open since it was already done..
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06-02-2019, 09:30 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Anchorage
Posts: 610
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I have a 2 gallon bucket that I put under the connection when I pull the cap to connect the hose. Mine has always dribbled a bit both black and gray from the residual left between the valves and opening. I'm gonna get a "Last chance valve" tomorrow.
__________________
Mike
2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
Connected by a Curt 15K WDH W/Sway Control
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06-02-2019, 10:41 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,306
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KingFisher
He says "Oh you're always supposed to use the shower house and toilets so you don't mess up your rv".
I don't get it. I bought my fifth wheel so I could have my own toilet and shower. Among other reasons.
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My wife and I figure, the more offensive material we can send down the campground's live plumbing, the less we have to deal with personally when it comes time to empty our own rig. We're not fanatics about it, we just try to minimize it when possible.
As for the shower, I can use the one in the rig if I'm very careful and think about every move. It's not quite a phone booth, but it's really close. I've never encountered a campground shower anywhere near as tight.
__________________
2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
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06-03-2019, 09:32 AM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Warne
Posts: 61
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Did I Mess Up?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KSH
Why isn't everyone dumping the black tank first, then rinsing the hose with the grey tanks? Then you don't need to worry about leaving the black open since it was already done..
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That's the way I was taught, by an experienced RVer, before my first outing. I thought everyone did it that way??
__________________
Larry J Ford (SWNC)
2016 Passport Ultra Lite Express 199ML
2013 Ford F-150 XLT Supercab, 3.5L V6 ecoBoost (turbo), 3.15 RAR, 8600 lbs. Tow Capacity, Equalizer WDH
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06-03-2019, 10:53 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Wickenburg
Posts: 3,306
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSH
Why isn't everyone dumping the black tank first, then rinsing the hose with the grey tanks? Then you don't need to worry about leaving the black open since it was already done..
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Regardless of the order that you do it in, it's always possible to have a brain bubble and forget to shut one of the valves at the appropriate time.
__________________
2019 Cougar 26RBSWE
2019 Ford F-250
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