RoadTrek 190Popular waste tank system

[1phatred]

Hi! Forum Newbie here...brace yourselves!
I have owned my 2001 RT for 2 yrs and just discovered I no longer have a waste water hose attached to my waste tank(s).
From underneath the rig, I cannot determine how the original hose communicated with the tank. All I ever saw was the blue hose which I pulled out of it's holder when dumping for two years. I pulled it out of the black PVC larger storage 'pipe' which runs from the driver's side gates to the other side of the vehicle to the black water tank.

Can anyone provide me with a sketch/diagram/ or SOMETHING so I can determine just exactly how the now-missing hose connected with the waste tanks? (I am still able to dump grey and black water (no raw sewage , just piddles) out through the easily identified large diameter black PVC 'pipe', but need to get this fixed ultimately.) Am I correct in thinking I'll have to 'suss out' an RV repair place that will condescend to fixing this and at what 'guesstimated' horrendous fee???
Thank you for your patience and any/all help you 're able to give.

[hbn7hj]

It isn’t too difficult to fix. First you have to put the RV on blocks high enough so you can get under it. The large diameter tube is held on by three Robinson headed sheet metal screws. Remove those and you can remove the large diameter tube and expose the tube the blue hose slides over and fastens with a hose clamp.

The hard part for me was putting the new hose on. Buy a hose that has a plastic insert to keep the proper diameter. You still may need some soap and a hair dryer to make it happen.

The blue hose has to be cut to length as it is too long for the tube. The steel wire in the blue hose is a tough cut. File it if you have to.

I wouldn’t pay anyone to do that job. You will be ahead even if you have to buy a set of Robinson screw drivers and heavy wire cutters for the steel wire in the blue tube.

There is documentation with pictures on the net but I don’t have the link. You could search YouTube. It is an easy job.

If you are female with no background using hand tools you should still be able to do it. Don’t let the RV roll down the blocks on you.

[1phatred]

THANKS SO MUCH! You made it seem so much easier than I'd imagined.
I am a stubborn 'old broad' and think I can do anything as long as it's not physically impossible. (in past, all it takes is for someone to say "You can't do that!" and I'll near kill myself trying.) I do admit tho', to feeling somewhat daunted by this fix.
BTW, I read somewhere...maybe on this forum...about raising the driver's side of the rig much higher than the passenger side to ensure any residual tank contents stay therein during the 'fix'. I will dump & rinse the tank(s) immediately prior to starting. Should this 'raising the one side advice' still be advisable?

[hbn7hj]

Originally Posted by 1phatred

BTW, I read somewhere...maybe on this forum...about raising the driver's side of the rig much higher than the passenger side to ensure any residual tank contents stay therein during the 'fix'. I will dump & rinse the tank(s) immediately prior to starting. Should this 'raising the one side advice' still be advisable?

Never heard of it. Ain’t nothin’ can go wrong that a bath can’t fix!

[hbn7hj]

Found it.
Road Trek International- Changing the Big Blue Hose

How in the world did you get a user name of If*rted?

[1phatred]

Thank you SOOOOOO MUCH! A 'blow by blow' instruction sheet (Printed out for reference whilst UNDER my rig) will make it do-able! Thanks again! You're a champ!

[rowiebowie]

Welcome to the forum!

Let us know how it goes, and feel free to leave out the dirty details.

[1phatred]

Thanks for the welcome, but given the age of my rig, I'm apt to be eating rust flakes as well. Hmmmmm!....neither very tasty OR nutritional! YUCK!!

[CaDreamin]

Drain as much water as you can. Open the drain hose and position a fan to drive air up the hose and into the tanks. Leave for at least a day.

There is a youtube video on changing out the hose that is good.

Be safe getting your van in the air.

[1phatred]

Thanks for your suggestion. With the help of these forum folk, I just may succeed & live to tell the tale. ;o)

[rtbill]

Years ago there were reports of 190s that got holes in the waste hose from sharp screw ends protruding into the black pipe. So have a look in the pipe with a flashlight before you take it off. Or just file down the screw tips as a precaution.

When I changed our hose I decided I did not want to repeat the job. I put on the heaviest weight most durable hose I could find. The tradeoff is a heavy weight hose does not extend much. I connect a second lightweight hose when we dump. The heavy hose only gets pulled out a foot or so. It doesn't get dragged across the ground and pick up abrasive dirt. The light hose takes the wear and is no trouble to replace. The light hose lives in a plastic storage box in one of the rear compartments.

[1phatred]

Hi All!! Sewer hose UP DATE:
Printed out the instructions from the video link kindly provided to me herein.
Bought all I needed..new hose & fittings, electrical tape, clamps etc etc etc.
As ready as I was ever going to be....drove the rig up onto the steel ramps loaned to me and...wait for it...the weight of my front end promptly.. immediately.... shockingly...collapsed and made a matched set of steel pancakes!!! What to do now?? Rig much too low to accommodate my 125# fame and no way was I going to trust it above me whilst perched on wobbly jacks!
Called my small town mechanic who BTW is a PRINCE...shop height wouldn't accommodate my 9'6" (with MaxxAir) rig on his hoist; seems no one has a 'pit' anymore. So... took it to the BEST RV repair shop in a nearby town along with my supplies AND my printed out instructions (which no doubt impressed the repair fellow a lot!...NOT!).... but as a 'belt AND suspenders' kinds gal, I wanted it done as per the video link referenced above., and...VOILA!!! 30 minutes later and a fee of $45CAD.... PROBLEM SOLVED!! Thanks all for the suggestions offered.
BTW. inquiring mind wanted to know how I got the'handle 1Phatred (NOT If*rted)
I was a natural redhead and fortunately have always been slim. So it's just a silly play on words.....b/c I'm not redhead any longer and have never been PHAT!

Thanks again everybody!

[rowiebowie]

Congrats on the repair. Now it seems you have two good local shops!

Nobody around be is that cheap, that good, and can get to you that fast. You're lucky.

Safe travels and give us a report from the road.

[rowiebowie]

You're not the first to say the Promaster seats don't "fit" them. A surprising number also find the driving position awkward at first, but then warm to it later. But the seat cushions won't grow any longer, so try out the Transit. You'll find your perfect van with a little patience.

Good luck.

[luclemieux]

I hope I got it to upload, but here is an how to document on replacing the sewer hose on a Roadtrek 2003 on Dodge. I did it myself on mine.