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Black tank not emptying 2020 373 FB

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  • Black tank not emptying 2020 373 FB

    We have a 2020 373FB with two bathrooms. The one near the living area we have never had a problem with. The other bathroom near the front of the trailer is another story. We are very aware of what we put into our tanks and we probably flush them out more than we need. Well we just finished a 9000 mile trip and midway through our trip the front black tank quit draining. Keep in mind that when we got our trailer we did a 3000 mile trip in which the same black tank did the same, it stopped draining. The first time GD sent us a new cable assembly and our dealer replaced it and cleaned out our tank (under warranty). This time my dealer calls me and says that our tank need drained so that they can look at the black tank and figure out what the problem is. They also told me it would cost $350.00 to drain and clean it and I can take it up with GD on my own. Same tank fails to drain on two different occasions, this tells me that there is a manufacturer defect or engineering flaw. I can get no one to admit that this is a possibility and in the mean time I’m putting big bucks. Is anyone else having a black tank problem? Also while in Colorado I called out a septic pumper and he was only able to get his pumper maybe one foot down and when he would pull it out the tank would fill up within seconds. He told me that there was a neck that he couldn’t get past. That also cost $300.00 and it did nothing to fix the problem. We love our 373 FB but if there is no remedy for this we will sadly have to get rid of our GD.
    any help would be appreciated!

  • #2
    Rjtex Draining any of the tanks can be problematic at times. We have a 2600RB and have had slow draining and incomplete draining at times, particularly the front grey tank. What I believe happens is that the front tank needs a lift on the front of the trailer to drain completely. Many dump sites are not properly built and are angled away from the drain and downhill to the front, why?, who knows but it is very common. If your forward black tank has a long run to the outlet try raising the front of the unit 3 or 4 inches and put blocks under the curb side tires. It could be that your forward black tank, over several drainings is getting buildup near the exit then enough accumulates that it clogs. Using lots of water all the time when flushing helps as well. There could also be a piece of plastic in the outlet from manufacturing that got loose and was not removed. Good luck.

    Dave
    flyfshrockies, 2021 imagine 2600RB, Ford F-150, XLT supper crew 3.5 eco boost with max tow. Dave and Toni (and the awesome Aussie Bayley, he's the social one)

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    • #3
      Buy an endoscope for your phone. It will let you look at the valve and inside the tank. $40 on Amazon. Handy for many things.
      John & Kathy
      2014 Reflection 303RLS
      2014 F250 SC SB 6.2

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      • #4
        Rjtex I have seen occasional posts about black tanks not draining properly, but cannot say I have seen a large number of your model with the issue, so a modelwide defect seems unlikely. When you say it stops draining what happens? Does the valve handle still pull? Does the valve actually open? If it opens do you get any flow at all (just liquid, mix of liquid and solid,etc). Does it flow well, but not as long as it should or is it just a trickle?

        From what you posted it sounds like your handle moves and the valve opens, but you are not getting draining. If that is the case I would bet either there is something in your tank clogging the exit. The plastic piece from cutting the hole sometimes falls into the tank and can cause this, it clogs the exit and then bounces around and moves out of the way for a while. Another possibility would be your vent could be clogged or set too low in the tank, but if that was the case I would think you would get slow drainage not no drainage.

        Give us some more information and we will see if we can give you some other things to check.
        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

        Neil Citro
        2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
        2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

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        • #5
          The dealer just got back with me and they said the problem was a bad black tank flush preventer…anyone ever heard of a black tank flush preventer?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Rjtex View Post
            The dealer just got back with me and they said the problem was a bad black tank flush preventer…anyone ever heard of a black tank flush preventer?
            No that's not anything I've ever heard of. Maybe they mean the black flush backflow preventer, but that would only affect the black flush, you still should have been able to dump your tanks...

            Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

            Neil Citro
            2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
            2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Rjtex View Post
              The dealer just got back with me and they said the problem was a bad black tank flush preventer…anyone ever heard of a black tank flush preventer?
              You just have to shake your head at the excuses an RV dealer can come up with .

              My guess is what Neil is referring to in post #4. When the tank is installed, the factory uses a hole saw to drill the 2" and 4" holes in the top surface of the tank where the vent and drain pipes will be inserted into grommets in the tank. These cut out plastic discs are supposed to be removed and discarded . . . but, it they fall into the hole, no one seems to worry about this. Eventually this disc will wander about in the tank until it gets pulled into the discharge opening and blocks the flow.

              To sort this out, the tank or the discharge manifold needs to be removed to figure out what is blocking the flow. Not "rocket science" . . . but, also not something that a dealer is usually willing to do without a lot of excuses and complaining. This is not an "unusual" RV service procedure and you may be able to find a mobile RV service business willing to take this on for a reasonable price.

              BTW . . . I have dropped the coroplast, removed the discharge manifold and replaced all three gate valves (similar to others on this forum). . . if you are considering doing this yourself, members of this forum can walk you through the process, step-by-step.

              Rob
              Cate & Rob
              (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
              2015 Reflection 303RLS
              2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
              Bayham, Ontario, Canada

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              • #8
                Looking at the drawings that the moderators have access to I see that the toilet input into the black tank is at the opposite end of the drain/valve end. This could mean that the solids entering the tank could get stuck to the bottom of the tank if there is not enough water in the tank, this is also the case with any black tank. What I have learned, from Cate&Rob , Rob, is to always start with about 10 gallons of water in the black tank before use. I realize this may make dry camping difficult but does , in my experience , help a lot with keeping the black tank clean. When I dump the black tank and flush till clean I use a water meter to put about 10 gallons back in the tank for the trip home and to the next campground. After arriving at the next campground and we are all set up I drain that 10 gallons out, after the trip it is all sloshed around and pretty much a liquid, then refill with 10 gallons to start the weekend, rinse and repeat.

                Brian
                Brian & Michelle
                2018 Reflection 29RS
                2022 Chevy 3500HD

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                • #9
                  Have you tried back flushing the black tank drain. I find it helps remove blockages and I do it regularly. It is easy with the Valtera adapter:
                  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
                  2018 Reflection 303rls
                  MORryde IS, FlexArmor roof
                  Blue Ox Super Ride hitch
                  2017 Ford F350 CCSB SRW

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