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Old 02-05-2013, 11:25 PM   #1
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Black holding tank removal

I need to remove the black holding tank because the gas tank filler tube is leaking when we fill up. Of course it is buried above the holding tank.

I'm good on all the underneath stuff (wires, dump valve, straps) My question is, can somebody tell me how the tank will be connected to the toilet? I really don't want to break anything.

All my years of camping and fixing problems I have never had to deal with the black tank!

Thanks!
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Old 02-05-2013, 11:34 PM   #2
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Sometimes you just have to go to the experts.

In the immortal words of Clint Eastwood:

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Old 02-05-2013, 11:45 PM   #3
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Ha ha! Nice clip! But no way I'm letting this beat me! When I was told I couldn't fix my slideout on my own it took me 2 hours and a .80 cent woodruff key and I was good to go. RV shop wanted $1200.
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Old 02-06-2013, 12:08 AM   #4
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i believe it goes thru a rubber seal.
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Old 02-06-2013, 06:24 AM   #5
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I would remove the Toilet first,will make reinstall & lineup easier. Youroo!! PS,the vent tube will probably need to be cut into for removal of tank also.Some are glued in,some are in a slip coupling,make sure when reinstalling the vent pipe to not let it slip (DOWN) or a whole can of worms will open! Youroo!!
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Old 02-06-2013, 07:50 AM   #6
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Thanks Youroo. I was thinking the toilet should probably come off. I will definitely take extra care with the vent pipe.

Now I just have to decide if I want to wait til it warms up or tackle it while its 20 degrees outside.
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Old 02-06-2013, 07:55 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by MotocrossCamper View Post
Ha ha! Nice clip! But no way I'm letting this beat me! When I was told I couldn't fix my slideout on my own it took me 2 hours and a .80 cent woodruff key and I was good to go. RV shop wanted $1200.
Sounds like you have the skills. When you tackle it please photo document and start a thread in the tech forum. I will move it to the FAQ for anyone else who wants to try a similar task.

Good luck and great photos!
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Old 02-06-2013, 07:59 AM   #8
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From my ( Extensive Research) worked on a Dairy Farm,the only advantage of working on this type of problem this time of year(in the North) is No Flies,other than that it is still a (BAD) job! Youroo!!
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Old 02-06-2013, 08:34 AM   #9
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I "hope" bet you will find once underbelly is removed to access black tank the solution is easier then then the problem.
Documentation as lou said would be great!



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Old 02-06-2013, 08:46 AM   #10
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Thanks everybody! I will for sure take photos and post the whole process. I'm sure that I can do this project but I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about disrupting the black holding tank! Last thing I want to deal with is a leak in that thing! I just can't continue on any more with the gas leak. It leaves a pretty good puddle of gas on the ground when filling up plus the fumes fill up the bathroom on the inside.
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Old 02-06-2013, 08:58 AM   #11
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If you don't have the turbo flush option for your black tank, why not fill it half full with a good strong detergent solution, and drive around for a while. That should clean it good enough to make the job a lot more pleasant.
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Old 02-06-2013, 09:08 AM   #12
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If you don't have the turbo flush option for your black tank, why not fill it half full with a good strong detergent solution, and drive around for a while. That should clean it good enough to make the job a lot more pleasant.
Believe it or not I actually thought of this the last time we dumped. I knew it would be covered when I worked on it so I took extra time to clean it out and before we left the dump station I did dump in detergent and filled it about half full for the drive home. I'm hoping it did the trick!
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Old 02-06-2013, 11:42 AM   #13
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And install a Turbo while it is out! Youroo!!
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Old 02-06-2013, 12:27 PM   #14
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How high up is the Gas Cap? I know we have totally different units but my fill tube runs inside the bottom of a cabinet in the bathroom. It has a cover on it then proceeds under the floor. If yours is similar maybe that might give you access to the tube without the need to drop the tank. I found mine while looking for a junction box when I had an electrical problem.
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Old 02-06-2013, 01:45 PM   #15
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Mines pretty high up. Sounds like it takes the same route as yours but my toilet is on that wall so they must have stuffed it right between the floor and top of the tank. I'm thinking that's why it's leaking after 19000 miles. There can't be much room up there so it is probably rubbing on something.
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Old 02-06-2013, 02:41 PM   #16
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Mines pretty high up. Sounds like it takes the same route as yours but my toilet is on that wall so they must have stuffed it right between the floor and top of the tank. I'm thinking that's why it's leaking after 19000 miles. There can't be much room up there so it is probably rubbing on something.
Free advice, the toilet, two bolts, are shoulder bolts to the floor flange. The flange is screwed to the floor. Theres a tube extending maybe 4" into the tank proably through a rubber seal and gasketed with a flange under the toilet flange. The extension tube acts as a weir so that if partial full the tank won't slosh under way.

The fuel tank filler meanwhile uses a rubber hose at the inlet fitting and connects to a metallic fill pipe at the tank. The rubber hose can and does crack and leak. There is also a small diameter vent pipe from the filler door also to the tank top. Its also connected with a rubber hose, mabe 1/2" at the filler connection. The rubber joint act as vibration and shock absorbers.
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Old 02-06-2013, 08:48 PM   #17
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Well folks, I hate to disappoint and not be able to document my black tank removal but...........

When I got off work it was almost 50 degrees so I decided to do some investigating and thought I found a way to take it off without tank removal. Lets just say it took me 4 hours, really sore arms, 10 new cuts on my hands, and a lot of patience but the stupid filler hose is off!


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Just as I suspected, it is jammed in there so tight that it rubs on a piece of angle iron causing the hole in the second picture. Now I need to either figure out a way to route it differently or protect it better.

Thank you for everybody's help and advice! It is always greatly appreciated!
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Old 02-06-2013, 09:09 PM   #18
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I missed that the removal was for the gasoline filler tube.

It was awesome that you could get that puppy out without dropping the black tank. My black tank fittings are glued in and changing it out would be well beyond my capabilities I think.

Awesome job.
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Old 02-06-2013, 09:14 PM   #19
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Thanks Herk! Taking the tank out was my last resort but when I looked at it last fall I didn't see any way to get it out other wise. Thank goodness today I had some time to sit and stare at it long enough to figure it out.
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Old 02-06-2013, 10:40 PM   #20
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Happy for ya MX Camper... race'n season will be here soon. You'll be good to go.
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