We own a 2000 30 foot National RV Seabreeze. Overall we love the coach and it is a perfect size with nice build quality. We have an annoying problem with our toilet and I think a lot of it has to do with the design of the black water system.The toilet is on the passenger side of the coach and the black tank is on the driver side (of course). From the toilet flange, the waste pipe makes a turn towards the outside of the coach and I don't know where it goes after that. Either way it has to make it's way over tot he other side of the coach and it doesn't have much vertical distance to have any kind of slope.At the start of a camping weekend all is fine, but as the weekend progresses the troubles start. It starts as a huge air bubble splashing water up when you flush the toilet and ends up as clogged toilet that requires plunging which is never a nice situation. My thought is that paper is getting hung up in the pipe due to the long horizontal run the pipe has to make and finally blocks the pipe. There is one weekend a year when it is just the boys for 24 hours and we never seem to have a problem until the girls show up. I believe this has to do with paper usage.I have read a few other threads on similar issues and heard all the ideas and plan to implement a few of them. for other that own this style of coach, do you fight with the same issues? Do you do anything different to relieve the problems? For all coach owners, feel free to tell me your ideas.

We have a 2007 Sea Breeze, it seems they redesigned the plumbing since yours was built. My black-water tank is directly below the toilet and I don't have any back pressure issues. Have you thought about running a plumbing snake down the hole to se if there is a blockage? How about the tank vent stack to make sure it's not blocked. Lastly, you might think about asking the girls to put more water in the bowl before using it, that way more water will carry the waste through the system. Just my thoughts, good luck.

My old Fleetwood Southwind was like that. Direct drop to the tank. Never an issue. I have thought about the snake and may start to carry one and the wife is starting to do that. We will see if it gets better. Thanks for your help.

There is no room for what you describe. You cannot run a 3 inch pipe horizontally from the Pass side to the drivers side. We sold and serviced National from 1993 until they went out of business. What you probably have is a Down pipe that makes 2 -15 degree bends to go in the top of the tank. OR, you have a POOP pyramid where the down pipe goes into the top of the black tank that is restricting the debris flowing into the tank. I assume you are not the original owner. I would fill the tank as best as possible with hot/warm water. add triple the chemical and let sit for a few days or a week to help dissolve any debris in the tank. I would then drain about 5 to 10 gallons and observe the color of the debris coming out. That will tell you if there are abnormal solids you have dissolved. I would then get ready to test drive. Dump 4 or 5 bags of store bought Ice into the tank thru the toilet and then drive 10 or 20 miles making lots or turns and stops. The ice, before it melts will break loose any solids in the tank. Then dump and flush the tank 3 or 4 times and observe the color of the water coming out. If this procedure is done, the water coming out should be almost clear, That lets you know the tank is clean and no poop pyramids still exist. Then go on your next camping trip and see how it goes. Doug

Sounds like your air vent is clogged. There is a pipe that runs from the black tank to the roof. You shouldn't get that bubble unless that pipe is clogged. I had it on my National RV so I started using the stuff from Camping World to help break down waste in the tank. You probably have a large pile of hardened stuff in the tank too.

It is most likely the air vent. Check it for nests or blockage. Bacteria & yeasts will build up in the tank and create pressure if it is not vented out.

Calling National RV Seabreeze Owners (Toilet issue)

16 Replies

astontibs
Explorer
Aug 23, 2016
Every time. Still gets clogged. It is the design of the drain pipe.
John_Wayne
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2016
When paper goes in the bowl the bowl gets filled with water before it gets flushed.
astontibs
Explorer
Aug 22, 2016
I hear you on that. That is non starter with her, I already asked.
RV_daytrader
Explorer
Aug 22, 2016
You can tell the ladies to throw pee wipe TP in the thrash and only flush the poop TP....I am amazed how much TP my DW uses for a pee wipe!!
astontibs
Explorer
Aug 22, 2016
It has been awhile since I updated this thread. Since the last post, I bought some of the enzyme chemical that is supposed to break down any solids and let that sit in the tank for about two weeks. Then I used the ice trick when I went to fill the rig up with gas. I probably looked like a crazy person weaving the rig back and forth down the road to get the ice to slosh around. I then immediately dumped the tank and then filled it up through the tank cleaning connection two times until the water ran out clear. Then last weekend we took the RV out again for the weekend with 4 people on board. We made it to the 2nd full day before we started getting the big air bubble when the toilet was flushed. Knowing this was a sign that things were clogging, I got out the toilet auger and augered the drain pipe. The toilet was good for the rest of the weekend. I am convinced that the toilet auger just has to be part of this rig now due to the poor design of the drain line. The paper and solids collect in the horizontal run and there is nothing I can do about aside from ripping everything out and redoing the drain line to make it a straighter shot to the drain tank.
astontibs
Explorer
Jul 05, 2016
Well I yanked the toilet over the weekend to see if I could get a better look at what is going on. I am starting to think that maybe I had the poop pyramid someone else here suggested. After I yanked the toilet, I made a bleach and water solution to clean up and disinfect the toilet flange and when I went to pour the rest of it down the drain the line was almost completely blocked. Next I grabbed my toilet auger and started working down the pipe. I cleared the blockage and got the drain to flow cleanly. When I was augering it felt like I met some resistance at one point that I was able to clear that could have been the pyramid. I also borrowed a friends borescope and took a look down the pipe as best I could. My line definitely makes a 90 degree turn to horizontal heading towards the outside of the coach and then it appears to make another 90 degree bend back to vertical where I think it drops into the tank but I can't be sure. Once my new toilet flange comes in, I am going to use the ice trick and get things as clean as possible. I am also going to keep the auger in the motorhome just in case. Then we will see what happens next time we take it out.
BUTCHPHI
Explorer
Jun 29, 2016
There are panels you can remove in the basement to be able to see tanks. You just need to look very carefully for them and the screws that hold them on. Some are behind the dual wheels and are removable from outside (probably with the duals removed. Good luck.
dougrainer
Nomad
Jun 29, 2016
astontibs wrote:
Doug, you may be on to something and I am the 2nd or 3rd owner. Could the black tank cover the width of the coach? I have crawled under the coach to look, but all the piping and tanks are above the frame and covered with a non removable panel.
For the air vent people, I thought of that, but if it was a blocked air vent wouldn't it do it all the time? It only starts to have the air bubble right before it clogs.

The vent could be an issue, BUT, when you have a Poop Pyramid, that causes a splash back up the toilet also. I would try my advise first and then see if your problem goes away before you worry about the vent system. If NOT, then check the vent system. National installed all 3 tanks in the sub floor before the coach is built. Replacing any of those tanks is a major job if they are defective. Very few Nationals had the Fresh tank under the rear Bed. Doug
AZAmmochief
Explorer
Jun 29, 2016
We use the ice scouring trick on the last travel day and heading home. It works like a champ.
astontibs
Explorer
Jun 29, 2016
Doug, you may be on to something and I am the 2nd or 3rd owner. Could the black tank cover the width of the coach? I have crawled under the coach to look, but all the piping and tanks are above the frame and covered with a non removable panel.
For the air vent people, I thought of that, but if it was a blocked air vent wouldn't it do it all the time? It only starts to have the air bubble right before it clogs.