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astontibs's avatar
astontibs
Explorer
Jun 29, 2016

Calling National RV Seabreeze Owners (Toilet issue)

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.

16 Replies

  • Having five women using ours, I soon discovered that tissue makes a huge difference. Use a toilet tissue that breaks up quickly which means cheaper brands. Do a comparison with different brands by placing some tissue in a cup of water then stirring it slightly. You will soon see which ones break up the quickest. The gals complained a bit but the other choice was use public facilities.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.