black water uh oh!

[Doug and Anita]

I dumped the black water and turned on the water cleanout hose to rinse out the tank. When the tank was empty, I closed the black water valve and went to walk the dog but forgot to turn off and disconnect the rinse. When I returned 20 minutes later, water was running out under the trailer and there was a really great smell, as you could imagine. I think that I probably overflowed on the roof as well, through the vent pipe. My question is what damage have I done, if any? And what do I do now? I suspected for a while that I may have a leak in the valve or tank when it was full but I had no way of seeing for sure without dropping the bottom cover and insulation. I had no problem if I emptied the tank before it was full. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Our 5th wheel is a 2006 model 3295RK.

[HamRad]

Doug and Anita,

I am sorry to hear about your smelly situation. Steve Reigle is the person to contact. I believe he has some small experience in that area. And I suspect it is just a matter of time until we have the same problem.

You'd think you could see if you overflowed the vent pipe. There should be some evidence flowing down the sides.

The only way to know for sure if you have a leak in the tank is to drop the bottom and take a look. It's not all that difficult. Mostly just a bit time consuming unscrewing all the screws and, of course, putting them all back.

HamRad

[Okie Guy]

Oh Doug I am so sorry about your situation. I agree there should be evidence of roof overflow dripping down the side of your unit. As I found out when my water heater went out it takes a few days to get the belly dried out. I dropped a couple of the plastic covers underneath so air could flow through the underbelly and dry everything real good.
Keep us posted.
Phil

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Moisture plus dirt = place for mold to grow.

Don't wish that on any poor soul.

Get er dry!

[Doug and Anita]

It appears that I will have to replace my black water tank after all. Does anyone have a website where I can find the parts I need to replace the tank?

[sreigle]

Doug, did it crack the tank or the valve? That would be my guess, that it got too full unless it was able to go out the vent faster than it was coming in.

HamRad probably confused me with someone else or maybe he's thinking back to when we overflowed the shower gray tank when our washer pumped water into it (2003 3295RK) and I forgot to open the dump valve. Our tank was not hurt but, then, we had water overflowing the shower base in the rig and into the basement, belly, etc.

A call to your Montana dealer is probably your best bet for the exact tank. They are probably available online if you know the correct dimensions. Unfortunately I don't know those dimensions nor of a website. An RV salvage site might have it cheaper.

[Trailer Trash 2]

Bummer, I guess thats why they tell us not to close that valve while flushing the black tank.
I sure hope that you didn't sustain a lot of damage to your Monty.

[HamRad]

Steve,

Sorry about the confusion. I was sure it was you folks that had a similar problem. Are you sure you aren't just blocking it out of your memory?

Dennis

[sreigle]

No, Dennis. What I did (twice) was forget to open the gray tank valve before we did laundry. Oh, I bet I know what you're thinking of. We had a blockage in the black tank. But we didn't have any leaks in it.

[HamRad]

Right! Once you mentioned the washing machine that did it! Sort of the same thing but not quite as smelly!

Thanks for straightening me out.

Dennis

[2Seekers]

I have a 2005 unit and the holding tanks came from Travel Star Products in Goshen, IN. I talked with a representative yesterday about ordering a grey tank to replace my cracked tank. The tank costs $60 plus $139 for shipping by UPS. They do not sell direct to individuals, only to a dealer. You will need to supply the three digit number which is handwritten in bright yellow on the tank for them to know the depth and whether it is left or right hand.

When my galley tank cracked about six weeks ago I called my dealer and they informed me that they figure 9 hours @ $130per hr to replace it. Yes, this is my second cracked tank.

It would appear that there is a problem with the tanks or their installation as my RV is only three years old.

Byron

[Bill and Ann]

I will talk from experience on this subject. The day before yesterday my black tank started to leak. (I replaced the grey tank this fall.) You will have to take the undercover and foil insulation off. On our unit it meant taking off the first two sections. HINT: DON'T work from directly under the centre of the coach. On our coach their is a small blue and white sticker. It is headed by the wording: Manufactured by TRAVEL STAR Products. On this sticker there is a P/N number TS------ and the wide, long and deep dimensions. It also has a Listing No. ....... on the bottom right side of the label. Besides this label there is a yellow crayon number eg. 294. on the side of the tank. Also note which side of the tank the outlet to sewer is while looking at the tank from the door side of the coach.
Phone or go to a Keystone dealer and give him all the all the above info to the dealer for him to order it.
I am still waiting for my tank. It was ordered on Monday and I asked for overnight delivery. Fortunately the crack or whatever is at the top of the tank and we can still use it.

[kmh3212]

My grey tank split open back in the spring. I got mine replaced under extended warranty. But I did find a site before I found out my warranty would replace mine. It was very expensive. 9 hrs. labor! Try this site. www.tank-depot.com