Tank issues

Roadtrek Adventuous RS1 · 08-07-2018, 07:15 AM

Two problems;

1. The Roadtrek gauges on the rig are not worth a damn... might as well not have them at all.....a complete joke....

2. My DW thinks that our tanks are too full and NOT dumping properly?

Could it be really in the tanks? Or the macerator line or even a bad macerator??
I can definitely hear the macerator working and I was a little surprised that more stuff didn't come out.......

We're going to try and dump tomorrow morning again...we treated the tanks and have driven the vehicle...... maybe it's dislodged .....

Kinda decided if we have to take all the tanks off the rig...then. I'm going to proceed to have SEE LEVEL guages installed on the tanks with a brand new sensor and readout panel.......

Any words of wisdom from you seasoned RVers out there would be most appreciated....

GeorgeRa · 08-07-2018, 08:39 AM

A typical macerator pump is a positive displacement pump based on a flexible impeller. Running it dry will damage the impeller and stop pumping. If these pumps stay off for long propellers can take a shape and will need to be replaced. On my boat I always had a repair kit which included gaskets and an impeller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEnWrhC_2YY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvSiGgQmWFk

mumkin · 08-07-2018, 02:01 PM

I suggest putting tape over the readers so that your wife can't see them. She needs to learn to relax and enjoy the nature. LOL

markopolo · 08-07-2018, 02:16 PM

I recently spent a lot of time flushing out 4 waste tanks on two RV's in preparation to replace all the waste valves.

I used a macerator with a clear (see through) fitting so I could see what was coming out of tanks. My plan was to flush them all out until only clear water was coming out of the tanks. It took a lot of partial flush outs (several gallons each time) and a couple of full flush outs to get to the point of only clear water coming out of the tanks.

One surprise was from a gray tank. It was the fifth partial flush out when a mass of something greasy looking made a slow exit, briefly slowed the macerator, and then was gone. That was on a 16 yr old RV that I've only owned for just under a year. The tanks may never have been thoroughly flushed out.

Another observation was that the flow from tanks slows to point where the volume of liquid is less than what would fill the pipe to the macerator. The macerator motor changes pitch at that point and you'd think that you've emptied the tank. There still could be a fair amount of liquid left in the tank depending on the design of the bottom of the tank and the angle of the tank caused by how the RV is sitting parked. I'd turn off the macerator when the motor pitch changed then wait until the pipe filled and turn on the macerator again.

The tanks in the Class A are of a better design than on my Class B. The drains are actually the lowest points on the A's tanks. The level of the RV has basically little to no effect on draining assuming the rig is comfortably level. My B's tanks are flat bottom with the drain on a side of the tanks very close to the bottom but there's probably a 1/2" to 3/4" lip caused by the pipe fitting attachment. To get the most liquid out of my B's black tank the van needs to be nose down. To get the most liquid out of my B's gray tank the van needs to be nose up.

If you ever want to know actual capacity of your tanks both waste and fresh tanks then an inexpensive water flow meter makes that job easy.

water flow meter.jpg

rowiebowie · 08-07-2018, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Two problems;
Could it be really in the tanks? Or the macerator line or even a bad macerator??
I can definitely hear the macerator working and I was a little surprised that more stuff didn't come out.......

When I got my rig, the macerator ran, but nothing (or little) came out. It was a bad impeller. You should be getting a fast flow if using the macerator when there are any fluids in your tank.

I chose to replace the entire pump because I didn't want to work on the . . err . . poo end of my dump system

. Plus, when the pump was off, I couldn't see any bolts to take it apart.

It was hard to find a replacement model, but I did on Ebay for around $300. My local blood-sucking RV shop wanted $800. Labor is easy, just unbolt the support, cut or remove the wires, and twist off. Reverse to re-install.

Roadtrek Adventuous RS1 · 08-07-2018, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

When I got my rig, the macerator ran, but nothing (or little) came out. It was a bad impeller. You should be getting a fast flow if using the macerator when there are any fluids in your tank.

I chose to replace the entire pump because I didn't want to work on the . . err . . poo end of my dump system

. Plus, when the pump was off, I couldn't see any bolts to take it apart.

It was hard to find a replacement model, but I did on Ebay for around $300. My local blood-sucking RV shop wanted $800. Labor is easy, just unbolt the support, cut or remove the wires, and twist off. Reverse to re-install.

I understand..... Roadtrek pretty much convinced me that the macerator went bad or is not working properly......my rig is exactly 7 years old and they said that it's typically a failure because of the time and use.

I have a ShurFlo macerator 3200 ....self priming pump....and will likely get this replaced with a similar model.....

Do you have any experience with other macerators or is ShurFlo one of the best????

rowiebowie · 08-08-2018, 02:04 AM

It must be true then. Because my macerator was also 7 yrs. old.

My Airstream used a Thetford Sani-con 70494 so I wanted an exact replacement and stayed with a Thetford. However, I did change the model slightly to a number 70224 which has the gray water bypass. The bypass doesn't change normal operation, just gives you the option of allowing unlimited gray water when using full hookups without the tank filling and needing to periodically turn on the macerator. Kind of like the 3" hoses do.

I haven't put it to use yet, but the theory sounds good. Unlimited showers (well, so long as hot water holds out).

Roadtrek Adventuous RS1 · 08-08-2018, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

It must be true then. Because my macerator was also 7 yrs. old.

My Airstream used a Thetford Sani-con 70494 so I wanted an exact replacement and stayed with a Thetford. However, I did change the model slightly to a number 70224 which has the gray water bypass. The bypass doesn't change normal operation, just gives you the option of allowing unlimited gray water when using full hookups without the tank filling and needing to periodically turn on the macerator. Kind of like the 3" hoses do.

I haven't put it to use yet, but the theory sounds good. Unlimited showers (well, so long as hot water holds out).

SO.... your macerator also failed at 7 years?? Coincidence?? Probably not.

Turns out that my tires, batteries and propane sensor all went out at the same time .... approximately 6 years...this is just another maintenance item??

The representative at Roadtrek just treated this like a normal wear and tear item......

The macerator gets a lot of use on my Sprinter since it doesn't have a gravity dump...the hose is permanently attached to the rig and just extends from the rig like an accordian.... you push the button and the pump evacuates the tanks..

I have to say the whole process of emptying our tanks at the dump station makes it a lot easier...we don't have to take out and attach any hose ...it's always there....

We just put the hose in the port, pull the black and gray tanks and press the button to activate the macerator.

Hopefully, it will be the solution ....The flow rate is 13 gallons per minute. Even though the hose is only 3 inches in diameter... the tanks usually evacuate faster than most other RVs we've observed.....no need to flush out the hose....it's automatically rinsed with the dumping of the gray water.....

Knit · 08-14-2018, 02:25 PM

My Shurflo macerator went out at 5 years. I bought and installed a new one and then replaced the impeller on the old one to have as a backup.

Knit · 08-15-2018, 03:15 AM

While I am disappointed in the tank level monitors, it’s not to bad to keep track of the tanks in a RT RS. Just dump before filling up with water as the grey and blank tanks are sized to hold a bit more than the total fresh water tank. My fresh is 27 gallons. Grey 21 and black 10.

It’s also easy to take a hose and fill up the toilet and see when the black water is full. The black water tank is right under the toilet. Find a dump station where it is not busy, do a dump then time how long it takes to fill the black tank. Then time how long it takes to drain it through the macerator. It’s a good way to do a really good flush of the tank anyway that sometimes helps the tank level gauges.

It’s also possible to get a feel on the grey water tank about how long it takes to drain when full by filling up the tank in a sink until no more drains the time how long it takes to empty with the macerator.

We rarely pass up the chance to dump either at a dump station or when leaving a campground that has sewer hook ups and a water supply. It seems to do the trick of dealing with the waste tanks so we can enjoy the Boonies without problems.

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