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Old 08-07-2010, 09:14 AM   #1
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Shower drains in black tank

I own a 2004 Lexington 27s model. When the black water tank is full, if you take a shower, the water does not drain from the shower. If you flush the toilet, green water comes up the shower drain.
Is it possible that the shower drain is connected to the black water tank, instead of the gray water tank ?

Thank you for any information on this matter.
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Old 08-07-2010, 12:21 PM   #2
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Welcome to the forums.

Showers should NEVER be connected to the black water tank. My guess would be that when you dumped your tanks the last time you didn't get the valves completely closed and you are getting cross over from one tank to the other.

You can make sure the shower is draining to the grey tank too with a little test. Make sure you have fully dumped all your tanks. Make sure the black water (sewer) valve is closed. Open the grey tank valve and make sure the cap is off the pipe. Turn on the shower. Water should run from the pipe.

Good luck...
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Old 08-07-2010, 12:52 PM   #3
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Our 2011 Rockwood shower drains into the black water tank. I guess Forest River was to cheap to run an extra 24" of pipe to the gray tank. We have to empty the black tank every couple of days. When I get Back home this fall I am going to plumb the shower to the gray tank
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Old 08-07-2010, 04:18 PM   #4
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Your shower should never empty into the black water tank. If you do overflow the tanks raw sewage will back up into the shower. This is a health issue.
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Old 08-07-2010, 04:28 PM   #5
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I have a list a mile long for Forest River to fix this fall, somehow I don't think they will re-plumb the shower to the gray water tank. I will have to do this myself.
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Old 08-07-2010, 05:22 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by wayfarer View Post
I own a 2004 Lexington 27s model. When the black water tank is full, if you take a shower, the water does not drain from the shower. If you flush the toilet, green water comes up the shower drain.
Is it possible that the shower drain is connected to the black water tank, instead of the gray water tank ?

Thank you for any information on this matter.

I just don't believe FR would hookup the shower to the black water tank.
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Old 08-07-2010, 07:52 PM   #7
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I am 100% sure that they hooked up the shower to the black water tank. I did a quick test after our first trip (did not have time to pull down under belly) I opened the black water tank then ran the tub and water came out of black water tank. This fall it goes back to the dealer (or factory) for repairs, if things are not fixed correctly then we will look at other options.One of them being selling the unit, we actually were in Conway NH this week looking at Carriage Fifth wheel units. Forest River Really dropped the ball (again) on the 2011 Rockwood.
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Old 08-07-2010, 08:03 PM   #8
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Maybe I should obtain a copy of RVIA ANSI/NFPA 1192, which is the standard that Forest River is suppose to build to.
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Old 08-08-2010, 06:48 PM   #9
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I thank you for the information. I will do further tests to find out where the shower drain is hooked up to.
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Old 08-08-2010, 10:45 PM   #10
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Now for the rest of the test, with the tanks dumped, you said you ran the shower and it came out of the black tank. Now flush the toilet and see if it comes out of the black tank also. May sound stupid, but I'm a long ways away, and have to ask you to check everything.

I like my Forrest River product, and wish them no harm, but if is as you say, and you must be certain, there is one "H##LL of a lawsuit looming because you can dump gray water on the ground, meaning shower water, in a lot of places.Dumping Black water is never legal, as far as I know. Let us know if the toilet dumps out of the same valve as the shower, good info to have.
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Old 08-09-2010, 06:29 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by yvesm View Post
Our 2011 Rockwood shower drains into the black water tank. I guess Forest River was to cheap to run an extra 24" of pipe to the gray tank. We have to empty the black tank every couple of days. When I get Back home this fall I am going to plumb the shower to the gray tank

To confirm this, be sure the black tank is empty and clean. Close it, and then run the shower. If water comes out, then you have your answer for sure.
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Old 08-09-2010, 08:42 AM   #12
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Yep you flush the toilet and it comes out of the black water tank.
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Old 08-09-2010, 09:00 AM   #13
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I am 100% sure that they hooked up the shower to the black water tank. I did a quick test after our first trip (did not have time to pull down under belly) I opened the black water tank then ran the tub and water came out of black water tank. This fall it goes back to the dealer (or factory) for repairs, if things are not fixed correctly then we will look at other options.One of them being selling the unit, we actually were in Conway NH this week looking at Carriage Fifth wheel units. Forest River Really dropped the ball (again) on the 2011 Rockwood.

This is going to sound a little crazy. My brother's new trailer tank drains were labelled backwards. It is his first trailer so he did not realize that the pull valves are grey for grey water and black for black water. He couldn't understand why he emptied his grey water tank and it was still full! I spotted the mix up after having a look at it...

sounds like your problem is a little different. I have heard of some grey water tanks that will go to the black water when they are almost full.

Makes you wonder who does the final assembly inspections.
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Old 08-09-2010, 09:33 AM   #14
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Yep you flush the toilet and it comes out of the black water tank.
Well, when you flush the toilet it is supposed to come out of the black tank. Now try it with the shower.
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Old 08-09-2010, 11:33 AM   #15
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This is going to sound a little crazy. My brother's new trailer tank drains were labelled backwards. It is his first trailer so he did not realize that the pull valves are grey for grey water and black for black water.
That is a good possibility that the labels are reversed. Also, beside the handle color differences, the black water pipe should be bigger than the grey water pipe.
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Old 08-13-2010, 09:04 PM   #16
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That is a good possibility that the labels are reversed. Also, beside the handle color differences, the black water pipe should be bigger than the grey water pipe.
Absolutely, even more obvious. My DW was holding the hose in the sewer drain for him ( long story, first trip out for my brother's family ) and it was just long enough. He assured her a couple times that it was just grey water so if she spilled any it wouldn't be that gross.

He didn't realize, and neither did she that she could have been covered in poop if things had went really bad. I was busy packing our trailer at the time and missed the whole thing until my brother asked why only a little bit of water came from his grey water tank when it was supposed to be full. That's when we found the reversed labels...
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Old 08-13-2010, 09:27 PM   #17
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Ahhh yess, conjours up the image of that scene in the movie "RV" at the dump station
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Old 08-13-2010, 09:39 PM   #18
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Old 08-13-2010, 09:45 PM   #19
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Yeah, thats the one. And its a Forest River Georgetown used in the movie too!

Classic.....
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Old 08-13-2010, 09:52 PM   #20
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Yeah, thats the one. And its a Forest River Georgetown used in the movie too!

Classic.....
That FR product took a beat'n and kept going.

Of course, they most likely had a dozen to make the movie.
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