First Roadtrek - new to forum

[cwbrown]

Bought a 2003 Popular 190 from an elderly couple last summer. Chevy chassis with only 24K miles. Getting ready to install Sani_Con macerator system. The Roadtrek has a terribly designed gravity system. Anyone tried this? There are instructions on the Sani_Con site that are pretty straightforward.

We live in Syracuse, NY and are going to West Virginia and Denver this summer. Wondering about advisability of carrying Honda EU2000i generator inside camper.Thanks.

[Bud]

Hi cwbrown,

Is this what you mean?

The RV Sani-Con System provides an alternative method to empty the tanks on Road Treks

Bud

[peteco]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

Bought a 2003 Popular 190 from an elderly couple last summer. Chevy chassis with only 24K miles. Getting ready to install Sani_Con macerator system. The Roadtrek has a terribly designed gravity system. Anyone tried this? There are instructions on the Sani_Con site that are pretty straightforward.

Make sure you retain the ability to dump separate from the macerator in case the macerator fails.

[cwbrown]

Yes that's exactly the sheet that I'm looking at. Looks pretty straightforward, and way better than the Roadtrek solution. I will however retain the ability to dump the tanks via gravity.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

Yes that's exactly the sheet that I'm looking at. Looks pretty straightforward, and way better than the Roadtrek solution. I will however retain the ability to dump the tanks via gravity.

I installed this kind of mascerator solution, but it failed earlier this week.

There are potential problems, and I don't think that folks that installed this solution have spoken up when it later failed. I may totally wrong about this though.

Keep in mind that mascerator pumps are powerful in terms of flow rate, about 12 gallons per minute. That is more than your garden hose. That is more than your black water tank in less than 1 minute.


1) Sani-con no longer makes a pump that will work as far as I know. I used a Flojet mascerator, this:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2) Care with the existing blue dump hose as the pump is powerful and can collapse it. Don't cut any off or as little as needed to shove the pump into the 4 inch pvc pipe.

3) Now what I think is The Problem: I ran this experiment, and I highly recommend doing it for an actual 'picture' of flow rate!

Note from the pictures on that website that when using the mascerator, the 4 inch pvc pipe is in the up position and stays that way. The 4 inch pvc pipe and 3 inch dump hose inside are horizontal AND are at about the same level as the bottom the black and gray tanks!

Put 2 gallons of water in each tank, black and gray. Lower the 4 inch pvc pipe and end cap, then raise the pvc back up with something that can be easily shoved out lowing the pipe like normal dumping. Move the 'flapper thing' that holds up the pvc pipe, so you can see the flow rate from gravity in the raised position like using the mascerator pump.

Open the gray water tank valve and watch the flow rate. After say 5-10 seconds, lower the pvc pipe and see the Increased flow rate. The gravity energy is just not there. Look at where the tanks, valves and pvc pipe are in the up and down positions.

I know that some folks have used a portable mascerator with pvc pipe lowered. I don't recall any of the outcomes, medium or longer term.

I might try again if I could use the permanent mascerator with the pvc pipe lowered. I have not been able to find the pieces parts to make that work given the rod for the black water tank valve.

Would sure like some responses to the above.

Thanks.

Bud

[cwbrown]

Thanks for the great tips and thoughtful response. I'll keep it in mind when I install the one I already ordered. They do still make it and I talked to their tech-support people the other day. Hopefully it's a good product.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

Thanks for the great tips and thoughtful response. I'll keep it in mind when I install the one I already ordered. They do still make it and I talked to their tech-support people the other day. Hopefully it's a good product.

I also talked with Sanicon with them saying the opposite. Please post a link to exactly what you purchased.

Bud

[cwbrown]

Here is the site for current products. Sani-Con® | Products | Thetford Corporation

Thetford bought Sani-Con. I called the number on the RV Sani-Con page and the person I spoke with said the Twist On pump and Tank Buddy use the same pump.
Here is the site for RV Sani-Con , where the instructions are. They were probably posted before the buyout.
The RV Sani-Con System provides an alternative method to empty the tanks on Road Treks

It's always confusing when small companies are bought out by large ones.

[cwbrown]

This is the one I bought.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Apparently, Sani-Con has been bought by Thetford.

[ManWonder]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

Bought a 2003 Popular 190 from an elderly couple last summer. Chevy chassis with only 24K miles. Getting ready to install Sani_Con macerator system. The Roadtrek has a terribly designed gravity system.

Gotta admit I am sort of new to this but the system on my 2004 RT 190P works fine (as long as I have gravity).

[booster]

Originally Posted by ManWonder

Gotta admit I am sort of new to this but the system on my 2004 RT 190P works fine (as long as I have gravity).

Dump stations with curbs can be a real hassle as the Roadtrek exit is so close to the ground. That is the biggest issue we hear about, after the hassle of getting all open, dropped, etc while on your knees.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

This is the one I bought.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Apparently, Sani-Con has been bought by Thetford.

How do you expect to be able to use this??

My guess is that there was misunderstanding.

Yes, the 'pump motor' may be the same, but the link is for one that attaches to End of a 3 inch dump hose, not the dump hose slipping onto the pump.

Compare the one you ordered to the link I posted earlier. The one I posted earlier you can slip the dump hose around.

Again, I don't think that Sani-con has a mascerator that will work today. The link we both posted was Never Sani-con's, rather another vendor that just put together a package that included a Sani-con pump that no longer exists.

But maybe I'm all wrong, and you'll figure it out.

Please keep use posted.

Bud

[cwbrown]

My problem is that the previous owner ran over something and tore the drain lines off. The dealer really did a lousy job "fixing" the damage so I figured I might just as well bite the bullet and do it over correctly.

[cwbrown]

Well, I'll know Wednesday, because that's when I plan to install it. For the investment I have made, I will find a way to make it work!

[ManWonder]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

Well, I'll know Wednesday, because that's when I plan to install it. For the investment I have made, I will find a way to make it work!

yep, been there before...

[cwbrown]

installation update - If you look at the installation instructions posted previously this will all make more sense. The pump, as shipped, has a switch box mounted to the side of the motor and an extra hose for bypassing the pump with gray water in case you are hooked up to a station at your site. If you do not remover these, the pump will not slip inside the crossover pipe. Also, the end of the pipe is double thick, so I had to get creative with a utility saw to make the opening large enough for the pump. The bypass elbow on my unit was cracked, but since I don't want to use the bypass mode, I removed the elbow and plugged the end at the pump with a 1/4 pipe plug. That allowed the pump to slip up into the 4 inch crossover pipe, after modifying the pipe based on the instructions. I drilled the hole in the storage compartment and ran the 1 1/2 inch drain hose into it. I then fabricated a strap to support the pump/crossover pipe. Tomorrow I will install the electrical wiring for it. So far, I'm into it about 4 hours and and am not unhappy yet.

[cwbrown]

Bud - the unit I bought was put together by Thetford. I called their support line today about ht broken elbow. It's warranted for a year, but since I removed it i won't file a claim. The 3 inch hose connects to the pump with a standard twist connector, so that was no problem.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by cwbrown

Bud - the unit I bought was put together by Thetford. I called their support line today about ht broken elbow. It's warranted for a year, but since I removed it i won't file a claim. The 3 inch hose connects to the pump with a standard twist connector, so that was no problem.

I don't understand at all. Pic's?

I know what you purchased and what I posted. Please assist.

Bud