Waste doesn't seem to be flushing from holding tank

So in the meanwhile.......put at least 10 gallons of water + some more black tank treatment in there. It'll make the job a lot easier.

Potty Rule #1.....when you put in your treatment, whatever type you use, add at least 5 gallons of water. Potty Rule #2.....be overly generous with water after each use. Potty Rule #3.....NEVER have the valve open until you're ready to drain and flush. Potty Rule #4.....NEVER, NEVER leave the black tank sitting dry. You might get away with leaving the valve open in the grey tank - but don't do it - just watch and learn how long you can use the grey before you need to dump, then dump and close. If it seems like the kitchen or bathroom sink drains are running really slowly, STOP and dump. Otherwise it'll back and and possibly overflow in the shower....not good. Good luck.

Golden_HVAC wrote:
I would post a picture, but Camping World website does not post the URL for it's pictures

I did not find that to be the case - just look at the properties of the photo after clicking to enlarge it.

I have the Valterra Hydroflush and it is a must-have even if there are bends in the pipe leading back to the tank. You might not get the direct impact blast of water in such a case but you will certainly have the ability to back-fill the tank for a good flushing. Of course that will not help with the white mountain problem that the OP has. That simply needs a good flushing using a swer want, lots of water and repeated flushings. Bet the OP won't leave the black valve open again.

As for the post by 352 - simply priceless. Almost peed myself laughing. :D

Fill the tank with water and let it soak then drain, I would not use draino or other drain cleaning products not good for anybody. The water should be enough then if you can get the clear adapter with the garden hose adpter and drain off a little at a time till it drains. Our camper sits and the tank is open all the time. I have an adapet on the tank washer that can be turned on and wash the tank out every couple of days when we are there.

Thank you Old Biscuit. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.... Got it done with none of the extras... Thanks everyone for suggestions. A newbie mistake I won't make again!

If your sewer tank outlet is not just beyond a 90 degree turn, this type of fitting can inject water directly into the tank, and do a fair job of cleaning it out, right at the campground.

However I would not use MY white hose that is also used for drinking water. I carry a green hose that is not drinking water safe for such things as washing the RV or watering plants near it. I would use that green hose to connect to this type of fitting. You can get the short green or grey hose at a Home Depot or local hardware store.

I would post a picture, but Camping World website does not post the URL for it's pictures. It is a clear fitting that clips onto your sewer hose connection at the RV end, then the drain hose on the other outlet side. Connect and turn on your garden hose, and a few dozen gallons per minute will flow into the bottom of the black tank, and wash it out. Yet if your RV has several 90 degree turns between the black tank and sewer outlet, it might not work as well as the inventor intended it to work.



OK, So I found a whole page of tank cleaning supplies. A short wait for UPS to show up at your campsite (perhaps by July 8 or 9th?) and you can get any one of these. In the meantime, just putting your new "Green" garden hose down the toilet and flushing it out as best you can (with someone outside to shut off the water when it fills to the top) you should be able to break up everything inside the tank.

http://www.campingworld.com/category/sewer-flushing/1362 I guess this page shows how common it is to get the tank plugged with stuff, so you are not alone. . .

And I have read here that a trailer sales place will have one of their workers clean out the black tank for a fee. Probably a $200 or $300 fee, then they will pay one of their $10 a hour guys to clean it up. . . . You can do this, as moving it to a RV sales place would be expensive, in addition to the cost of having someone else do it.

Fred.

352 wrote:
Yes I did and this solved it for good. Sometimes stuff gets stuck down there. Reach your arm down the hole as far as you can. When down to the max feel around for anything chunky. Grab it and squeeze it between your fingers until it gets smaller then dump some water in it (After you pull your arm out of coarse}. Do this once a month for regular maintenance. Wash your hands before cooking. I do have a self help video available. Hope this helps.

THey MUST be kidding. A 2X2 board will work fine. Make sure that you bend it a bit, and if it gives any (ANY) indication that it might break, use a stronger board. You don't want to leave 1/2 of your stick in the tank. Get a stick about 3' long, perhaps 4'. If you need to go shopping for the stick, you might also find a metal piece of conduit will work as well.

I would also try filling the tank 1/2 full with water and then drive down a winding road. All that water weight sloshing side to side will (ok Should) break up the debris into manageable pieces. It might take a 10 mile drive though. And if DH has the truck, good luck with that one.

I would say try filling it, then drain a few times. The stick or conduit can help move things away from just below the toilet opening.

One problem that I did not realize until it was pointed out to me. If you let the bottom of the tank go dry (such as while in storage) the left over sludge at the bottom off the tank can become one large 'cracker' of material. Getting rid of this thin layer of material is also a challenge, but less than you will have. Adding 1/2 tank of water, then driving to a campground (about 10 miles minimum on a windy road) and it should all drain out.

A completely full water tank will not slosh nearly as much as a 1/2 full tank, as there is no place for the water to flow to as it crosses the tank.

Fred.

If it's extra stubborn, consider using liquid drano. That's what our owner's manual says to use. We tried it once and it was spotless afterwards. Must be the version that does not attack metal. Also, you cannot dispose of it into a septic disposal system that has an on-site drain field. You should check with the CG to see if it's okay.

You should put in 4-5 gallons of water before you start to use the toilet after you've dumped the contents. And don't skimp on water when flushing because you think the tank will last longer. Just asking for trouble otherwise. We've been a victim of a plugged tank and it's not fun to get it cleaned out. Prevention is the best cure.

You are kidding, right???

It also helps to have the right kind of TP. I can't stand the stiff one ply (and expensive) stuff that is supposed to be "the thing" to use in an RV, so I've been doing a trial and error thing by buying different brands for use inside the house. Each time I buy something new, I take a couple of squares, put them in a plastic cup with a small amount of water and shake. I was absolutely amazed at how some held together and didn't disintegrate at all. Yesterday I bought a package of Scott's Extra soft. It is one ply, but quilted. It only took a couple of shakes of the cup to turn that paper into a slurry. Guess this package of TP will go right into the trailer.

Good luck to the OP in getting your problem solved.

Yes I did and this solved it for good. Sometimes stuff gets stuck down there. Reach your arm down the hole as far as you can. When down to the max feel around for anything chunky. Grab it and squeeze it between your fingers until it gets smaller then dump some water in it (After you pull your arm out of coarse}. Do this once a month for regular maintenance. Wash your hands before cooking. I do have a self help video available. Hope this helps.

Ugh! Thanks so much. I'm in campground so I am assuming I will need to hook hose to outside bib and drag into camper.... What a stinky mess this will be :-( not to mention my DH won't be coming back for a couple weeks so he can do it :-)