Georgetown help needed

[GLJ570]

Hi,

New to this forum and thought I would try posting our situation.

Gray tank won't drain - called repair guy, he came out tried to use a plunger in the shower and charged us 190.00. I have searched for hours online to try and find out what could be causing it. Seems like the valve may need to be replaced or there is a vent a lot of people talk about (camping world is feeding that to me) - lord knows how I would attempt to replace it. This is a new unit, just out of the 1 year warranty. Irritated that this is happening but OK, I am trying to move on. 1 - where on a Georgetown XL is the vent for the gray tank that I have read may be clogged, thus preventing it from draining out?
2 - any suggestions on other things that could be causing this? I can drain the black tank just fine, no issues and the water gushes out.
3 - does anyone know where the gray water tank overflow goes?

We can see water in the shower drain, it isn't collecting in the bottom - I can just see it. When we turn the kitchen sink on and the bathroom sink the water level in the shower stays the same - but the water has to be going somewhere...... :-(

We are supposed to leave this Thursday for a trip. My folks will be towing their 5th wheel so we can use their bathroom etc. I don't see why we can't still drive the Coach out - does anyone else?

Thanks to any and all replies.

Cheers,
Jeffrey

[Platokidd]

I like to welcome you to the forum!
Hopefully someone here can help you out with your problem.
Carl

[bend302]

What you are seeing in the shower drain is probably the water in the trap that keeps the sewer smell out of the coach. In my Georgetown, when the grey tank is full, the water backs up into the shower, covering DW's feet and causing her to talk to me in 4 letter words.

I can imagine a clogged vent causing a slow drain but it seem to me that the water would still gurgle out slowly.

I am inclined to think it is in the valve or a blockage in the tank at the drain exit. I have heard people complain that the cutouts for drains, etc have been left in their tanks causing problems.

Do your indicator lights show a full tank?

Another thought is to try using one of the flush devices where you attach a garden hose and back flush water into the tank to force any clogs out of the way.

Post any solutions you find.

By the way, I thought I had a similar problem once but found my tank was simply empty.

Bill

[kingwood390bh]

I agree with Bill. I have a clear plastic extention to observe the tanks emptying. Using that, I found my grey and black handles were reversed! Running a garden hose up the grey drain pipe will help you discover if the valve is broken.
Will

[alparmer]

Open the valve and stick something in it to make sure that the valve is actually opened and that nothing is obstructing the flow. On our last TT, we had a similar issue. It would take forever to drain the gray tank and come to find out there was a round piece of plastic about the same diameter of the PVC pipe blocking the flow.

[Iggy]

Hi and welcome.
You came to the right place for your answers.

I have heard that Forest River when installing the plastic tanks drill holes into the tank for the pipes and sometimes the drilled out plastic falls back in the tank and one day it moves to the small drain line and sits there with water pressure above.

Its only grey water so I would try and backflush with a garden hose from the drain side open. Try and get the hose up into the tank. If you have an old hose with no metal end on it would work great. This way it won't catch on the open valve.

Good Luck.
Iggy

[B D HOWie]

Originally Posted by alparmmer

Open the valve and stick something in it to make sure that the valve is actually opened and that nothing is obstructing the flow. On our last TT, we had a similar issue. It would take forever to drain the gray tank and come to find out there was a round piece of plastic about the same diameter of the PVC pipe blocking the flow.

Had a similar slow drain issue with our Coachmen Freelander. I finally took the gray valve out and found the plastic disk blocking the line. Back flushing it into the tank will only delay needing to take it apart later. R&R is an easy and quick 30 minute fix and the issue fixed not postponed. Thankfully it is the gray.
Paul

[Lostdog]

I've got the same problem but have learned to deal with it. The problem is the plastic disk as stated elsewhere. The dealer wanted $500 bucks just to drop the tank to remove the disk. So the solution for us is:

Add a third valve on the discharge outlet. Get one of the ones that have the bayonet fittings.

Ensure the black tank is nearly full. If not full, fill it with the tank flush so it is full.

Close the third valve.

Ensure the gray valve is open.

Open the black valve. The captured air in the lower drain will be blasted back into the gray tank and move the obstruction so the gray tank as the ability to drain. I don't think any "black" stuff actually gets into the gray tank, just the air bubble.

Close the black tank.

Open the third valve and the gray should drain.

This works for us and we have to do it a couple of times a month as we full time. Because we leave the gray valve open until we need the gray to flush the hose after a black dump it we check the tank level lights 15 times a day to avoid the shower water covering the feet problem! We have just learned to live with it.

[Lostdog]

Originally Posted by B D HOWie

Had a similar slow drain issue with our Coachmen Freelander. I finally took the gray valve out and found the plastic disk blocking the line. Back flushing it into the tank will only delay needing to take it apart later. R&R is an easy and quick 30 minute fix and the issue fixed not postponed. Thankfully it is the gray.
Paul

Was the plastic disk lodged at the valve or inside the tank?

[dreamcatcher]

If you are handy I would remove the black and gray valves at the valve and let he dank drain and see if you could get something up in the tank and try to fish out what ever is up in there. Bur the is no reason you still can;t use your coach. Hope this helps and you can get is fixed easy. Dreamcatcher

[GLJ570]

Thanks, everyone. I will share this with my father and brother in law this weekend. I am not so handy, but they are. . I am hoping it is a disk or something as I have read that happens a lot. I am sure the tank is full as we had been using it for a few days. Again, really appreciate the feedback. Seems like sometimes the dealership service department just wants your money and you are on your own to figure things out. I will post an update as to what happens.

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by B D HOWie

Had a similar slow drain issue with our Coachmen Freelander. I finally took the gray valve out and found the plastic disk blocking the line. Back flushing it into the tank will only delay needing to take it apart later. R&R is an easy and quick 30 minute fix and the issue fixed not postponed. Thankfully it is the gray.
Paul

Exactly what our Coachman Freedom Express had. Tried to dump as much at the dump station, but there was a line behinds us. I ended up pulling the trailer next to the street drain, removed the valve, and pulled the plastic disc out. I'm pretty sure it was the cutout from the tank when the pipes were installed.

Like you said, thankful it was the gray.

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by Lostdog

Was the plastic disk lodged at the valve or inside the tank?

We were lucky that on ours the disk made it down to the valve. If it was obstructing flow from the pipe at the tank, it would have been more difficult. I think in that case I would use a toilet auger or something to push the disc out of the way as a temporary fix.

[Lostdog]

Originally Posted by alparmmer

We were lucky that on ours the disk made it down to the valve. If it was obstructing flow from the pipe at the tank, it would have been more difficult. I think in that case I would use a toilet auger or something to push the disc out of the way as a temporary fix.

Yes...ours is in the tank. I've removed the valve and nothing was there. Then I snaked a stiff cable up into the tank and it moved something to the side and the gray started draining so I know that the problem is up in the tank itself. A pain in the butt but got it figured out how to live with it.

[GLJ570]

Quick update. Arrived to the coach this evening and gray tank was empty. We left the valve open. Do you all think I should try to replace the valve or try to clear the piece of plastic if that is what happend? Or, see how it goes? Can you tell I am new to this? Just seems odd, but I have read that it can slowly drain out....just not for sure of next steps. We leave in the early morning for about a 5 hour drive. Will see.....

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by GLJ570

Quick update. Arrived to the coach this evening and gray tank was empty. We left the valve open. Do you all think I should try to replace the valve or try to clear the piece of plastic if that is what happend? Or, see how it goes? Can you tell I am new to this? Just seems odd, but I have read that it can slowly drain out....just not for sure of next steps. We leave in the early morning for about a 5 hour drive. Will see.....

You won't have to replace the valve if it's working (opening/closing, not leaking). Just remove it to see if you can see the obstruction. If you are lucky you can reach it and pull it out.

[intercept]

Camping world has a fitting that you can get at the campground store too
Tech Specs
Weight: Less than 1 lb.

Manufacturer: Valterra Products Llc

Mfg Part #: F02-4100

- See more at: RV Hydro Flush 45 Degree - Valterra F02-4100 - Sewer Flushing - Camping World

If you need to dislodge the disk it will work fine by blowing it clear of the hole with water. It is an easy quick temporary fix that will work until you have time to try to get the plug out.

Have the dealer work with FR to cover this under warranty.

[pdcrf450]

Just happened to me I pulled the gray knife and there was plastic and wood when they cut the floor and fell in gray tank

[alparmer]

It sounds like this happens way too often.

[abjb]

Originally Posted by alparmmer

It sounds like this happens way too often.

YEP

Being a 2X forest river customer I was interested in all the problems we have experienced. with the 360.
I found a new (to FR) acronym on wiki.

QC

“a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production.”