Paying for someone elses Sins / Buying used

[Cooperchino70]

So we went on a camping trip in the new to us 5th wheel this last weekend and were at the dump station I pulled the valve, dumped black tank, then gray tank, and then tried to shut the black tank valve and it wouldn't fully close.

So I hook up the hose to the bib, drag it inside the camper and fill the black tank fully with water so I can flush the obstruction out. -Lots- of very intact looking toilet paper starts coming out and I think to myself, well that had to be it, I go to shut the valve and it still wont fully close.

A line is starting to build behind me (its sunday and everyone is packing up) so I finish up and head home, dreading the task that I know is ahead of me.

This is only the second time we've used the rig since we bought it, and neither of us used the toilet for anything related to #2, we are both experienced campers, and know not to use anything but RV toilet paper in the camper when we do have to use the toilet.

So this means the mess in the black tank wasn't ours, which makes it even worse to have to deal with.

The dealer I bought it from at the time of purchase of course told me that they had fully prepped it, cleaned the whole unit, flushed the tanks etc. **The one thing I asked the dealer to do was to check the roof for any cracks and reseal it wherever required. The technician scoffed at me and told me and my wife that "he knew what his job was"...

As I feared this was completely untrue, it started raining really hard on our 1st trip (think monsoon) and there was a little water dripping from the bottom of the fridge, at first I thought it was the fridge sweating because of the humidity, but when I got up on the roof myself to check I saw a 2" circular crack where the fridge vent joins the roof seal. I carry a tube of dicor sealant, so I fixed it and the drip went away. Thankfully no visible damage on the inside of the camper.


When we got home I unbuttoned the bottom of the rig where the valves are, and got to work taking the black tank valve apart. I got it apart and found just what I thought I would, a wad of triple ply Charmin wedged in the seal. I cleaned it out and reassembled it so problem solved, took the rig to the local campground and filled/flushed 3 more times and I think the Charmin is finally all gone. Time will tell.

I wanted to share these experiences with the group so hopefully someone else can learn from them.

* Don't take your dealers word for anything.
* Check and verify everything yourself.
* If you run into a technician with a bad attitude, or that wont take direction from you (the customer) don't let them work on your rig.

Regards,

Colin

[alaska511]

This sure is a cool thread about TP.

As for the moral of the thread, I have bought a few mildly used units. I got lucky most of the time. I did get burnt once, and I should have been more observant. We bought a demo model Jayco, had been "used twice" and frankly, it looked it. Even the toilet was still factory wrapped. Anyhow, we head out on our annual 1 week Memorial Day run, and I didn't bother de-winterizing at the house. We get all set up, 200 miles from the house on the Kenai Peninsula, and I hit the water pump switch. This thing leaked from 8 different places where the piping had split over the long Alaska winter.

I spent the entire trip running back and forth to a hardware store that stocked PEX piping, and fixing that damned thing.

The dealer promised it had been winterized. We fought about it for a week, they said we should have brought it back to them when we found the leaks.

Lesson learned.

[WTP-GC]

IdaD wrote:

Greene728 wrote:

WTP-GC wrote:

garyp4951 wrote:
Don't forget to get a clear elbow to see how your flushing is doing when dumping the black tank.

Why? I don't have a clear tube on the toilet in my house. I don't have an underground pit and clear pipe on the house drain line going to my septic.
Clear hoses/elbows are just marketing hype.

Wrong. Comparing your RV toilet and tank to your house is completely different set of circumstances. Not even apples to oranges IMO. The clear elbow allows you to actually see when the water is running clear and that solids and tissues are flushed from the tank. Now I'm not saying they are mandatory by any means. But, to say they are just hype is completely wrong and not true. They work and serve a very valuable purpose. Personally, I wouldn't be without one.

Agree. I don't understand the comparison to a septic system at all. The clear elbow is nice so you don't have to guess at what's going through the tube.

I never suggested that the systems are the same, but the concept is. The key is to have plenty of water in the blank tank. When I pull the valve, it comes flowing out. I don't care (nor does it matter) if every drop and tittle of ooeey gooeey stuff comes out. And since I don't have a camera in the black tank, I couldn't verify it even if I had a clear elbow. I don't have a flushing system, so the water won't run clear anyway.

The marketing of RV products sure is interesting. All CW has to do is put it on an end cap with a bright sign and people will gobble it up.

[IdaD]

Greene728 wrote:

WTP-GC wrote:

garyp4951 wrote:
Don't forget to get a clear elbow to see how your flushing is doing when dumping the black tank.

Why? I don't have a clear tube on the toilet in my house. I don't have an underground pit and clear pipe on the house drain line going to my septic.
Clear hoses/elbows are just marketing hype.

Wrong. Comparing your RV toilet and tank to your house is completely different set of circumstances. Not even apples to oranges IMO. The clear elbow allows you to actually see when the water is running clear and that solids and tissues are flushed from the tank. Now I'm not saying they are mandatory by any means. But, to say they are just hype is completely wrong and not true. They work and serve a very valuable purpose. Personally, I wouldn't be without one.

Agree. I don't understand the comparison to a septic system at all. The clear elbow is nice so you don't have to guess at what's going through the tube.

[Cooperchino70]

Well sounds like the PO just didnt use enough water. Ill continue to overflush in case theres still some stuck in there.

-C

[ol_Bombero-JC]

zb39 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Been usin regular TP for 16 years. See no reason to stop now

24 years for me, never an issue.

Wow! - - A "newbie"..:D

First self-contained RV in 1971.

Never an issue - with a tissue - either..:W

~

[Charley67]

We've had a number of campers of various types' and have always bought used. We've only had one real problem. The refrigerator had leaked on the floor and caused a soft spot that I missed when I looked at it. Most of the time, I've gotten most of my money back when I sold them. I lost about $5k on that one with the soft floor. But when I compare that to what I would loose on a new one, it doesn't seem too bad.

[Greene728]

WTP-GC wrote:

garyp4951 wrote:
Don't forget to get a clear elbow to see how your flushing is doing when dumping the black tank.

Why? I don't have a clear tube on the toilet in my house. I don't have an underground pit and clear pipe on the house drain line going to my septic.
Clear hoses/elbows are just marketing hype.

Wrong. Comparing your RV toilet and tank to your house is completely different set of circumstances. Not even apples to oranges IMO. The clear elbow allows you to actually see when the water is running clear and that solids and tissues are flushed from the tank. Now I'm not saying they are mandatory by any means. But, to say they are just hype is completely wrong and not true. They work and serve a very valuable purpose. Personally, I wouldn't be without one.

[belairbrian]

Some dealers are good, some aren't. We bought our second RV used from a dealer nearby, it was used. Got it home and found the Dometic fridge recall wasn't done. Told me I could stop by and pick up a kit and do it myself. Heard now they won't fill a propane tank unless you prove you bought the RV there.

When we bought our current 5er we bought it from a dealer that had been in business for 35 years in the same place. Ridiculously low pressure. The owner walks around the lot greeting every customer. he and his 2 sales people are near by to answer questions but let you roam around on your own.

Once we decided, we sat down over coffee and worked out a deal. service went over the vehicle and went through a complete PDI when we picked it up the next weekend. Even gave us 30 days warranty on anything we found later. Have yet to find anything wrong. Even had a new in the wrapper mattress.

my point being here are some good, decent dealers out there.

As for toilet paper we use Angel Soft. over 10 years and never a problem.

[garyp4951]

Before I got the clear elbow I would run the black tank flush a few times, but now sometimes I see it is still brownish after a few flushes, so there you go.

[WTP-GC]

garyp4951 wrote:
Don't forget to get a clear elbow to see how your flushing is doing when dumping the black tank.

Why? I don't have a clear tube on the toilet in my house. I don't have an underground pit and clear pipe on the house drain line going to my septic.
Clear hoses/elbows are just marketing hype.

[garyp4951]

Don't forget to get a clear elbow to see how your flushing is doing when dumping the black tank.

[WTP-GC]

On a similar note, allow me to convey to everyone the tremendous joys of leaving the black tank valve open (for dumping) while packing up camp. On our July 4 trip that lasted 10 days, I opened the black tank valve to dump, followed by the normal procedures of flushing with the grey water tank. I just decided to leave them all open to slowly drain over the next hour while I packed up the campsite. I know better, but just didn't think to consider that the wonderfully delicious sewer gases would engulf our rig. After a 2 hour drive home, it was still noxious inside the rig.

[rhagfo]

pyoung47 wrote:
1. We use our bathroom for "both" purposes -- that's why we have a camper.
2. RV toilet paper is much like the "Arab" method.
3. Rid-X does no good in an RV tank -- unless you leave the stuff in there for weeks. Rid-X introduces bacteria into the septic system to promote the digestion of the material. It's pretty much useless in a normal septic system too, unless you sterilize your own poop, but it gives some folks a "peace of mind."

So on the issue of Rid-X, it does work, if allowed to work! Your statement is correct, and it does work if left to work.

I place about a 1/4 box in about a half full, black tank that had been flushed to the point of clear water coming out.

The towed 30 miles home, let sit four weeks, and drove back to the park 30 miles.
Once hooked up turned on the flusher, and pulled the dump valve the water that came out was very dark brown. It would be a waste of money to use as a normal treatment, I plan on doing this at the end of the month again as the unit will likely sit for about another month.

[laknox]

OMG! I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything! You been watching Pretty Little Pony again? :B

Lyle