We do a lot of camping where there are not any dump stations. We usually dump when we get back home, but this last time sewer had backed up into shower and bathroom sink. It was a rather smelly cleanup. Any ideas on why or how to prevent this from happening again?

Are you sure it was black water, rather than gray? Shower and sinks are supposed to go to gray tanks, not black.Only solution that comes to my mind is take shorter showers so the tank is not as full. Or dump more often. Backup into shower when the tank gets too full is a design "feature." Never seen one back up into a sink, but it evidently happened to you.

Flat rubber stopper over drain with a weight on top?

I'm sure. This TC only has one waste tank(38 gallon). Tank wasn't completely full. In fact I would be surprised if it was even 1/2 full on this trip. I only had one TC shower, with limited sink water use. We have taken several trips with this TC and this was the first time it has happened.

I'd probably search out one of the lists of dump stations and use one of those to dump before going home. You'll be surprised at how many dump stations that are out there for free or a nominal price.

All the truck stops and Flying J type stations along the highway have dump stations.

Black Water backing up in shower when driving. | Good Sam Community

pjay9
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
Show us some pictures of the issue!! Just saying!
BKLaw
Explorer
Jul 14, 2015
ticki2 wrote:
I'm not sure of the Six Pac set up but most RV toilets are connected directly to the tank with the toilet flange . IF yours is like that you can remove the toilet and have a 4"access hole in the top of the tank.

Good point.... I have a call into Fourwheel campers to ask if they have any or what kind of support under the tank.
ticki2
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
I'm not sure of the Six Pac set up but most RV toilets are connected directly to the tank with the toilet flange . IF yours is like that you can remove the toilet and have a 4"access hole in the top of the tank.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
jamming a pipe in will put quite a strain on the bottom of the tank in a small area.
bumpy
BKLaw
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
BKLaw wrote:
Joe417 wrote:
I bought 1/2" x 1/2" aluminum "U" channel from Lowe's and attached it across the top of the tank with SS screws. The only weight it has to hold is that of the tank.

So far so good, 3 years now with full tank capacity, but haven't used the 5thW
too much, maybe 4 weeks total. We have been using the TC a lot more.

Top of the tank would be VERY hard to get to on my truck camper. Im thinking of cutting a piece of PVC pipe 5" tall and as big around as the clean out hole and see if I can't use that to push the top up again. Unless someone has better idea. Only good access to tank is thru the clean out.
BKLaw
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
Joe417 wrote:
I bought 1/2" x 1/2" aluminum "U" channel from Lowe's and attached it across the top of the tank with SS screws. The only weight it has to hold is that of the tank.

So far so good, 3 years now with full tank capacity, but haven't used the 5thW
too much, maybe 4 weeks total. We have been using the TC a lot more.

Top of the tank would be VERY hard to get to on my truck camper. Im thinking of cutting a piece of PVC pipe 5" tall and see if I can't use that to push the top up again. Unless someone has better idea. Only good access to tank is thru the clean out.
Joe417
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
I bought 1/2" x 1/2" aluminum "U" channel from Lowe's and attached it across the top of the tank with SS screws. The only weight it has to hold is that of the tank.

So far so good, 3 years now with full tank capacity, but haven't used the 5thW
too much, maybe 4 weeks total. We have been using the TC a lot more.
MiPaJacks
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
Sometime I think grey water stinks worse than black, at least you expect black to stink!
BKLaw
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
After getting back this weekend I think I found the problem. Top of black water tank is sagging about 1/2 way, causing tank to only partially fill. The vent tube is in the center of the tank, so it is lowest point on the top of the tank. Any ideas on a fix beside replacing tank, like some type of spacer or center support? I need some way to push the top/ceiling of the tank back to original heigth.....
Terrick_down_Un
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
( Are you talking about a P-trap, or an actual valve that you can turn on and off? )

It is a swinging rubber flap that is supposed to let the shower water out and into the tank, but when any water tries to flow back the wrong way is swings shut and stops the flow. Here is one from amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Zoeller-30-0181-Check-Valve-Inch/dp/B0009WD1L4/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436481045&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=swing+check+valve+horizontal+PVC

they have it pictured in the vertical position but ours is horizontal.
Hope this helps.