black tank connect in Solera

steveboise6 · 10-05-2012, 10:32 AM

Hi All, First thing - I am trying to gear up to use my new Solera. At this time it is still at Camping World - I have tried to pick it up 3 times. Each time they still didn't fix something and so I left the RV at the shop again. I don't have any experience with actually hooking up and draining the system.

I bought the recommended RhinoFLEX Swivel kit to for the sewer hose. I think this question is specific to the new Solera, 2013, because of the way the compartment is built. I wanted to install a clear elbow as shown on several websites. Camping World says they don't have any clear fittings that work. The gate valve has only an inch clearance from the bottom of the compartment. The access hole is about 4 inches from the gate. There is no room to attach a clear elbow if you found one that fit.

Camping World is no help. Their only suggestion is that you thread the black pipe up through the access hole, then screw the bayonet clamp onto the pipe, then twist the bayonet clamp onto the gate valve.

Although I haven't been able to try this, it looks like this is slow and clumsy and probably easy to create a mess. Not having a clear part to know if you have it flushed cleanly is a real bummer.

Any new Solera owners that have solved this issue? and can recommend the correct parts?

Factory reps - are you on this forum? How did you design the Solera for this to work? Please send me a description if you know - better yet pictures.

Thanks, Steve

papap · 10-05-2012, 02:52 PM

Not sure what brand of hose I have but I just slide connection through hole and hook it up. I have the clear elbow on the campground end of hose

JLeising · 10-05-2012, 05:41 PM

Lots of comments in earlier threads on the sewer line hookup. The screw out opening ("port") for the hose is too small for most (all?) connectors to fit through. You can thread the hose through the opening and then connect - or, as many of us have done, take the smallest connector we can find, cut off the outer tabs, and attach with a normal hose clamp. The connector end with the tabs trimmed will fit through without the hastle of threading the hose through. No transparent section this way. Alternatively, some owners have enlarged the opening and replaced the "plug" with a six inch one (available at boating stores). From comments in the forum, I believe Forest River is incorporating such a six inch "port" on future (current?) units.

hkreck · 10-05-2012, 07:13 PM

I increased the size of the port but still unable to use an elbow, I'm looking at getting a bigger port let.

JLeising · 10-05-2012, 07:38 PM

One approach I considered but did not try - making a small "extension" using a short piece of "slinky" with a male and a female connector (one on each end). Use this extension to connect from the current sewer connection to outside the port. Attach the extension connector to the outside of the port (glue?). Use the existing cap on this connector when not using the sewer connection. With the connector outside the port, I believe it would be possible to connect a transparent elbow, a Rhino hose connector, or anything else desired.

Slow_movin · 10-06-2012, 02:30 AM

2011 Solera. My Solera had a white deck plate that I removed the screws and there is a large hole underneath that. I didn't put the screws back in and when I need to drain the holding tanks, I simply slide the white deck plate aside and run the hose through it. The hole is large enough to accommodate a large hose and fitting...It only takes a few minutes to remove the screws and if your hose and fitting won't go through, then replace the screws. That's how I resolved the situation.

RvBill3 · 10-06-2012, 05:46 AM

As far as a clear elbow, I bought a rhino hose that has a clear elbow at the other end (that goes in the dump station end). To get the hose in and out of the compartment, I bought a larger deck plate and enlarged the hole. FR is now switching to a larger one. Search for the previous thread on this for details.

steveboise6 · 10-06-2012, 04:50 PM

Thanks for all your replies.

**bclemens** · 10-08-2012, 09:25 AM

I just went out on the line and it looks like we're a larger port on all units now. Looked at a Solera and with the cover screwed out, there hole is a 5" diameter (clear).

Thanks again for all the feedback. I know guys over at Thetford & Camco, I just wish they would have come to us before designing their hoses. Or at least gave us a heads up. Most Class C's do not enclose the tanks...so that's probably why they have not heard this a lot.

steveboise6 · 10-08-2012, 05:21 PM

Good for future owners, but I don't see how you answer addresses this new Solera I just bought. Are you suggesting that you screw out the plate and leave it open? Jerry-rig a brand new rig?
A more responsible action would be for FR to recognize their design flaw and instruct the dealer on a solution under warranty service. Install a bigger port - identify a specific hose that fits, etc.
Let me know who the consumer rep is for Forest River - name, phone, e-mail. I believe jerry-rigging a brand new RV to accomplish a basic RV function is totally unacceptable. Forest River ought to fix it.

GaryTucker · 10-08-2012, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by papap

Not sure what brand of hose I have but I just slide connection through hole and hook it up. I have the clear elbow on the campground end of hose

Exactly what I do with the hose that came with ours. I haven't seen a reason to "fix" anything about this cover.

RvBill3 · 10-08-2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveboise6

Good for future owners, but I don't see how you answer addresses this new Solera I just bought. Are you suggesting that you screw out the plate and leave it open? Jerry-rig a brand new rig?
A more responsible action would be for FR to recognize their design flaw and instruct the dealer on a solution under warranty service. Install a bigger port - identify a specific hose that fits, etc.
Let me know who the consumer rep is for Forest River - name, phone, e-mail. I believe jerry-rigging a brand new RV to accomplish a basic RV function is totally unacceptable. Forest River ought to fix it.

This is not Forest River's problem. The hose makers changed the "standard ". The fact that FR has now changed the size of the deck plate to accommodate the new hoses is incredible. You couldn't ask for a more customer oriented company. And thanks to bclemens for seeing the opportunity on this and making it happen. I fixed the problem by buying a 6" deck plate (Amazon) for about $7. Enlarged the hole with a sabre saw and added some sealant and used the original screws to fasten it. 15 minute job. Problem solved. (By the way, my RV was just a few weeks old when I did this.)

Merry · 10-08-2012, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by papap

Not sure what brand of hose I have but I just slide connection through hole and hook it up. I have the clear elbow on the campground end of hose

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryTucker

Exactly what I do with the hose that came with ours. I haven't seen a reason to "fix" anything about this cover.

I bought a Rhino house, but I do the same thing. The opaque end goes in the sewer opening. Not really anything I gave any thought to. I don't care if the hose gets hooked up through the side or up through the bottom, the system works great and that's all that matters

**bclemens** · 10-09-2012, 07:45 AM

I responded to your PM steveboise6.

JamesR · 10-10-2012, 01:49 PM

I removed the deck plate and cut away enough opening to fit a transparent elbow Rhino hose connector. it's not pretty but it saves a lot of frustration trying to hook-up the sewer hose. down-side is road dust and misc. can blow in.
I'll have to think of a way to seal this off.

**bclemens** · 10-10-2012, 01:50 PM

if you could run it through, don't they come with caps now? Cap it from the bottom?

You may also like: