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Old 01-26-2020, 11:55 AM   #21
mlh
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No the tank or you isn’t full of it. It’s the tank sensors. They are like politicians don’t believe anything they say.
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Old 01-26-2020, 12:35 PM   #22
dmanhart
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For sure. I suspected that about some politicians,,, on both accounts. lol

Therefore, either (#1) my tank is not draining completely, (#2) the tank is not a 50-gallon tank, or (#3) there is a pile of "it" stuck inside the tank. Because 20 flushes is all it takes to fill it up. At that point, the stool will no longer flush.

I suspect I will need to drop the drain lines & valve assembly to inspect the inside of the tank.
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Old 01-26-2020, 01:08 PM   #23
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For sure. I suspected that about some politicians,,, on both accounts. lol

Therefore, either (#1) my tank is not draining completely, (#2) the tank is not a 50-gallon tank, or (#3) there is a pile of "it" stuck inside the tank. Because 20 flushes is all it takes to fill it up. At that point, the stool will no longer flush.

I suspect I will need to drop the drain lines & valve assembly to inspect the inside of the tank.
Before you go to all the trouble to drop the tank may I suggest you get a tank wand (basically a 3-4' piece of PVC with a rotor head on end that attaches to a hose. Drain the tank then take wand and stick it thru your toilet into the tank (tanks are always directly below the toilets on every model I have ever worked on). Work that wand for at least 15 minutes with the drain valve open. If you have solids in the tank the wand will usually loosen them up and the extra high volume of water will wash them out. Wands are commonly available at Wal Mart or RV supply stores.

Once you are fairly sure the tank is be sure to use extra water when you are putting solids to the tank. And just before you dump I would fill the tank nearly full. Most newbees make the mistake of not using enough water and end up with solids left behind in tank. Doesn't take many dumps till you have a mountain of poo.....

You might also want to get a backflush fitting for your dump hose fitting if it doesn't look like the tank is dumping full force out of the dump line. A backflush essentially allows you to use water hose pressure to backwash your drain line towards the tank. Just remember the drain line is not pressure rated to anything near what the water supply lines are!! Be careful!! Backflush valves are available at any RV supply store.

A lot of experienced campers will have a clear section on their drain line somewhere to monitor flow (yeah I know it sounds nasty but it is necessary).

There are four good indicators that your black tank is truly full:
  • Toilet makes a burping sort of sound when flushed (due to air escaping back thru toilet as tank air vent gets blocked by water.
  • The falling water in the tail pipe may make a filling up sound.
  • You can look down tail pipe with a flashlight and may be able to see a level. If your really serious you can turn off the water and tie a glow stick to a string and drop it down for a look.
  • Use a dip stick to determine depth of water in the tank (yeah that is a nasty one).
I am sure someone else may have other indicators. One that is NOT a good indicator is the sensors. I have yet to hear of a reliable electronic sensor for the tanks. Even if you do everything to keep them clean they always seem to go bust after a few months.
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Old 01-26-2020, 05:14 PM   #24
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Never seen an RV stool with a tank. Most are just dump style flush and you determine the amount of water you use. That is how people go several days with out dumping. Don't trust the sensors telling you it is full, MLH hit that spot on. We, like mtlakejim, use the burp method. If you reacting to the sensors you may be chasing a problem you don't have.
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Old 01-26-2020, 05:31 PM   #25
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Never seen an RV stool with a tank. Most are just dump style flush and you determine the amount of water you use. That is how people go several days with out dumping. Don't trust the sensors telling you it is full, MLH hit that spot on. We, like mtlakejim, use the burp method. If you reacting to the sensors you may be chasing a problem you don't have.
No tank on RV toilets. We need a picture of this. If you bought a 2010 that was previously parked semi permanent it might have a residential toilet.
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Old 01-27-2020, 09:45 AM   #26
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After reading all the comments, I realize my Montana was apparently modified, as it has a residential toilet with a tank.

To mtlakejim: I totally agree with your suggestions for cleaning the tank with a wand but the trap on this toilet prevents such action. I appreciate your detailed instructions.

I'm unfamiliar with how to include a picture of our "throne" in this post but will send it to anyone interested. PM me with your email or text number.

Thanks to all for your input!!
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Old 01-27-2020, 11:07 AM   #27
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I understand every camper is different, but I've had good success with 3 TT's and now a 5er with my tank sensors working as expected.

I observed with my first travel trailer that the sensors failed after just a couple trips out. I did a lot of searching and reading back then, and finally came up with an easy solution keeping those sensors clean and working. And this has now worked wells (FOR ME) for the last 20 years of RV ownership and 4 RVs.

When leaving the campground, dump the tanks. After dumping, add about 4 or 5 gallons of water back into the tank and hit the road. Problem solved. Really. That's all you have to do.

The sloshing of the water inside the tanks will pulverize the sensors, knocking off anything clinging to them. In 20 years, and 4 RV's mine have always worked.

Now, do I actually use them? Not really! And you probably will not either after a while once you get to know your rig and monitor how much water you are using. After a while, you just "know" when it's time to dump.

Now, keeping the tank clean? Yes, backflush if you can with your grey water. Use your on-board black tank sprayer. Use a Flush King to back flush to the tank with a garden hose connection. Use a toilet wand sprayer down the toilet to pulverize the inside of the black tank. Occasionally, drop a little bleach in the tank with water and go for a spin. This keeps the tank fresh. I do this about twice a season.

By the way, if you use a clear section of drain pipe attached to your drain outlet, like a Flush King, you'll be amazed how much more "gunk" comes out of the black tank if you can backflush.

Now, if you are hooked up permanently to a site, then you won't be able to drive the rig around and let the water pulverized the inside of the tank. That's when backflushing and the toilet wand work well.

Happy Camping!
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Old 01-27-2020, 11:10 AM   #28
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Two kinds of tank sensors, ones the fail and ones that will fail. The toilet will burp when its time to empty.
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