I'm not real happy with Keystone just now... - Montana Owners Club

Montana_2785 · 04-23-2005, 10:16 AM

I brought our Monty home to dewinterise. One of the things I'm doing is the Calgon treatment to the waste tanks to clean them up. In doing so, I'm filling the tanks and will let them sit full like that for a week before we use it this coming weekend.

I know the tank level indicators generally don't work well, but I was watching them periodically to see how they were doing.

Black tank never did read full even when the suds backed up to the toilet.

Then I filled the grey tank (bathroom sink & shower). The grey tank level indicator always read empty. Then the water backed up into the sink (first!!??!) then the tub, then it gurgled quite loudly & suddenly and the water drained out of the sink & tub.I figured that the vent pipe is sticking too far down into the grey tank. At this point, GREY, GALLEY AND BLACK TANK LEVELS INDICATED FULL. I checked the black tank via the toilet (very carefully!) and there was no extra water in there. But I FOUND WATER LEAKING OUT OF THE BELLY. Got a leak in the grey tank or related plumbing somewhere

Filled the Galley tank and I didn't see any leak, but when the water backed up into the sink, it would slowely drain out like it is leaking.

Chalk up Yet Another Thing to do this summer.

CountryGuy · 04-23-2005, 11:14 AM

Eric,

Please don't take this wrong, but those tank indicators are a joke, and rarely work. There have been a number of threads on this subject here at MOC before. Next, the Calgon is to sweeten the tanks, and some say will help clean those tank indicators. Calgon, in our experience, has helped to sweeten the tanks, but since we never pay ANY attention to the tank indicators, cannot tell you if it will really help make them work better.

Have you owned this unit since day one, or do I remember that you purchased it used?? If you purchased used, goodness only knows how clean the prior owners may or may not have kept the tanks.

Since you are gonna be looking around at this situation, my thoughts would be to start at the top and work down, or start at the bottom and work up. What I mean is, your thoughts about vent pipe is a good one, and even if you, heaven forbid, find a leak in the tanks or other plumbing connections down at the bottom end,it might be a good idea to see if you are plugged somehow at the top as well. Birds and critters do get in those vents and create havic.

One more thought for consideration. I have 4 yorks, who get bathed in the rig, in the bathtub sometimes, and I have long hair. I keep checking for hair in the drains, and it is rather amazing how much I can pull out! When there seems to be a problem draining, I check for hair, and a couple of times after cleaning this icky situation up the drain has worked a LOT faster. Since you experienced slow draining in the galley, could be something else clogging up the works, food?? grease?? ugh, don't cha just hate it!

Last thought, things just sorta do "wiggle" lose as we haul these units down the hard road. Maybe you just wiggled things lose and now is the time to start snooping around and tightening things down??

I am sure some of the fellows will happen along soon with more productive suggestions and comments. Just a couple of thoughts I had.

Good luck finding the problem, nothing quite as demoralizing as bringing Montana home only to find problems that must be addressed before we can go play! SIGHHHH

Hope you enjoy your weekend campout, even with this little situation.

Carol

Montana_2785 · 04-25-2005, 05:29 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by CountryGuy

Eric,

Please don't take this wrong, but those tank indicators are a joke, and rarely work. [...]

I know they are prone to false readings, but this one is acting like they are cross connected.

Still not happy about water pouring out of the belly....

Eric

CountryGuy · 04-25-2005, 05:52 AM

Eric,

I would NOT be happy either bout the water pouring out of the belly. Have you had the time to pull the underbelly off and have a looksee???

Re: cross connected indicators. That could be, but, as I have said a few times before, since we don't even use ours, I would not know if they are cross connected. I did look at the fresh water indicator the other day when I was cleaning out the system, but, I cannot remember the last time I even bothered to walk over there and look at the waste water indicators.

Hey be sure to let us know what you find on the water pouring out, ok??? Good luck! Hopefully it won't be something real nasty to fix.

Carol

Montana_2785 · 04-25-2005, 08:05 AM

It will be a little while before I have time to pull the belly open. Opening the belly was already on my ever increasing list of things-to-do. I just hadn't planned on tracking down plumbing problems....

Eric

CountryGuy · 04-25-2005, 08:17 AM

Eric,

We can relate. We did not plan on replacing the TV, toilet, and a few other things while we were in Texas either. But, we did. SIGH! TV not in warranty, Toilet was!

Trailer ownership = handy with your hands and handy with your $$. (One of my favorite sayings, even if it hurts sometimes to say it!)

Carol

Montana_2785 · 04-25-2005, 08:27 AM

Carol,

I like that tag line! The thing is, if you arn't handy with your own hands, you better be REALLY handy with the $$$

Part of cleaning out the holding tanks (especially black) is that I have a new toilet to install as the OEM is too low to the ground for our tastes. Then I have a nice new (hopefully much) quieter water pump to swap in. I will finish cleaning out the black tank this weekend as we are TAKING THE MONTY OUT! WOO HOO

It will be another working weekend, but at least we will be in a campground without any snow on the ground.

Eric

CountryGuy · 04-25-2005, 08:38 AM

Eric,

Enjoy the weekend, oh, we (err, AL) found the toilet changing to be rather easy. Out took about 5 minutes, in with the new one, took, like 10 or 15?

Ya know, you better not be faint of heart to own one of these big rigs! Course, I can tell LOTS of stories about camping in a tent, popup, and the 2 prior TT's. RVing is an adventure, bring cash!

Carol

Montana_2785 · 04-25-2005, 09:28 AM

Carol,

Furtunately, I'm one of the "handy with the hands" types as I had done quite a few things to our old TT. Swapped out the toilet, replaced about 1/3 of the floor (window leak), fixed the window (previous issue), replaced the main door (rotted out due to leak in door window), etc...

I'm well aquainted with the (financial) adventure part. Looking forward to more exploring-the-world type of adventure

Eric

sreigle · 04-25-2005, 06:09 PM

Eric, if you don't really want to buy a new toilet, you can get a riser from Camping World (probably your rv dealer, too) for about $25. It raises it to the same height as the newer, taller toilets. We had a riser on ours and it was great. But, then, our toilet broke a cable and we just replaced the toilet with the newer, taller one. Because of some timing considerations and not a lot of free space left to store the riser, it went in the trash. Long story. But the riser worked and was easy to install.

If you go with the riser or a taller toilet you might find the water lines are not long enough. In the basement (on ours) where the water line climbs up to the toilet there is a black "holder" where the line curves. I suppose it is intended to keep the line from crimping. I removed that holder and was able to get the line up high enough that I did not have to add any more line. Never had a crimping problem, either.

awaywego · 04-27-2005, 02:45 PM

Eric,

I have a 2001 3280 and when we were traveling we stayed a a few parks that did not have sewer and had to use the tanks.
When the grey tank filled I had water coming from the bottom.
I found after hours of looking that the factory had stapled a piece of trim in the washer dryer closet where the wall meets the floor and had stapled through the washer drain going to the tank.
I had to pull the paneling loose and put epoxy on the hole.
Water was running down the pipe into the basement then following the pipe to the underbelly.
The underbelly will hold about 3 gallons of water.
I drilled a small hole in the cover on the underbelly so if I have another leak it won't drown me when I drop the abs and I see the leak sooner.
Good luck

Montana_2785 · 04-28-2005, 03:21 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by awaywego

Eric,

[...]
I found after hours of looking that the factory had stapled a piece of trim in the washer dryer closet where the wall meets the floor and had stapled through the washer drain going to the tank.[...]

Thanks. I don't know how long it would have taken me to think about a flaw like that. I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

Eric

lawrenceb42106 · 04-28-2005, 08:30 AM

Had water coming out the bottom also on ours. Pulled the bottom covering off. It was the galley tank that had a split at the top flange. These tanks are not supported all that well. no support on the bottom of the tank. When the new tank comes in I will install a support brace on the bottom of the tank. Thinking of using a 2X4 with angle iron clips. Have to go through dealer to get a replacement tank. I called the manufacture of the tank and they told me that they couldn't sell to any other dealer. Keystone has them under contract.

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