Strange grey and black tank configuration on 381TH

[Jimmy2546]

So our first time out I went to empty the tanks. There is 1 black tank and 2 grey tanks. I empty the black tank first by pulling the black handle which is located in the wheel well area. Right next to the black handle is one of the grey handles so I pull that one assuming the rear grey tank would empty behind the black to clean everything up in the exit piping. Then i was going to disconnect the hose and hook up the hose to the front grey tank exit piping and empty that and be done. NOPE! The black tank is all by its self. After emptying the tank you have to disconnect the hose and move it to the front to empty both grey tanks. The hose and exit piping is full of black water residue and down right nasty. Why couldn't they design it so that the rear grey tank empties behind the black?

[grumpylane]

i have 2014 356 tbf and my tank configuration is weird as well i have 2 black and 2 gray and would think that the kitchen sink would fall in with master bath so when having short stops would only have to drain one set of tanks. now when i leave and want to drain i have to move forward and drain both sets.

[1retired06]

Originally Posted by Jimmy2546

So our first time out I went to empty the tanks. There is 1 black tank and 2 grey tanks. I empty the black tank first by pulling the black handle which is located in the wheel well area. Right next to the black handle is one of the grey handles so I pull that one assuming the rear grey tank would empty behind the black to clean everything up in the exit piping. Then i was going to disconnect the hose and hook up the hose to the front grey tank exit piping and empty that and be done. NOPE! The black tank is all by its self. After emptying the tank you have to disconnect the hose and move it to the front to empty both grey tanks. The hose and exit piping is full of black water residue and down right nasty. Why couldn't they design it so that the rear grey tank empties behind the black?

In all our units, of multiple brands, only one drain. But where I have seen two, folks use a T connection, where they hook a short hose to each drain outlet, and those two hoses connect to a T fitting with one hose going to sewer connection.

[Jimmy2546]

If the 2 drain outlets were close together that would be an option. Mine are about 10 feet apart and there would still be the messy exit pipe from the black. Guess I will just have a large supply of latex gloves on hand.

[BuilderBob]

Welcome to MOC Jimmy & Theresa! Don't you have a black tank flush connection on your
Rig to help flush out the left overs? that is a problem when you have two bath's we had that on are other 5er we had 3 hose's and a y connector worked good just a lot more to
put together. Good luck with your new 5er.

Bob & Carol
Tacoma WA
2017 352RL 2008 Dodge 3500 DRW Crew cab 6.7L

[sdunkley]

I have the same unit; 381TH and I was dumbfounded when I discovered this issue. I use two hoses and have a tee. Here is what I told Keystone about this unit:
I have a 2017 Montana High Country 381TH. I have had it for a few weeks. This is my 6th camper. Loved my Montana Mountaineer 347THT. (I love this one less the following items)
1. Have to return unit to dealer due to toilet won't flush; not venting. Fill bowl twice with water with an empty black tank and water would not go down tank. After some time was able to get water to go down. Appears vent pipe is all the way down into black tank.
2. Also, toilet won't hold water in bowl. May be related to issue #1.
3. Discovered bed lift shifts during travel and when lowering it hit ripped foot of bed enclosure and ripped molding in garage
4. Molding on bedroom slide out closet fell off; was not tacked down very well
5. Counter top between kitchen and front living ripped up due to recliner chair hits against it when returning to normal position
6. No gray water line tied with black waterline so no high flow flush with gray water after dumping black; have to use black water flush connection at central station. (low flow)
7. Blue LED on under skirt is out
8. Automatic Leveling is quirky; fails to level if not on fairly level ground
9. Had to fabricate protective enclosures around exposed plumbing in pass-through storage; just a bad design. (See Grand Design 376)
10.Hand-written labeling of converter (breakers) illegible.
11. No vent path for garage area. On my Montana 347THT had vents to outside air when traveling. Force air in and out of garage area. Nothing on this model.
12. Can't program remotes for Summit TV. Unknown manufacturerer. No code in any literature for the Sony BlueRay I installed for the substantdard DVD.
13. Soundbar (Chinese I believe) sounds like crap. Replaced with quality unit.
14. Vents either open or close; can't put in an intermediate position. (could on my Montana 347THT)

[jcurtis934]

Y connector screws into park site sewer and hoses from each outlet pipes connect to the y. Means you need two or more long hoses, but that is life when you buy a rig with this configuration.

[mtlakejim]

I also just bought a 381th (last week in fact). Had the same questions when I went to dump for the first time (didn't help that camping world didn't close the valves!). There is some hope however in that there is a black tank flush line built into the unit (it is the bottom hose connection in the water panel below the city water and winterizing connections. If you leave some water in your fresh water tank you can use your onboard 12volt water pump to supply water via the wash down shower to the flush line via a short jumper hose (would be wise to have a check valve in place though). This allows you to quickly flush the black tank while at a public dump station without having to go thru the trouble of hooking up their flush hose which always has a flattened end on it doesn't it......


I plan to actually hard pipe in a jumper between the two ports using PVC and I will put some pictures out there once I get it done.

[fredetteb]

Originally Posted by Jimmy2546

So our first time out I went to empty the tanks. There is 1 black tank and 2 grey tanks. I empty the black tank first by pulling the black handle which is located in the wheel well area. Right next to the black handle is one of the grey handles so I pull that one assuming the rear grey tank would empty behind the black to clean everything up in the exit piping. Then i was going to disconnect the hose and hook up the hose to the front grey tank exit piping and empty that and be done. NOPE! The black tank is all by its self. After emptying the tank you have to disconnect the hose and move it to the front to empty both grey tanks. The hose and exit piping is full of black water residue and down right nasty. Why couldn't they design it so that the rear grey tank empties behind the black?

So it IS built that way?!. We just got our 381th and I was thinking they messed up the plumbing. Lucky for me I had already hooked up both outlets into a T like previously mentioned. Overall we love the new RV but little things like make me wonder if the designers have ever camper before.

[mtlakejim]

LOL,
How many times have I looked at a camper and said the same thing "have the designers ever actually camped'?