Shower drains into black tank????

[cariboo camper]

I know for a fact many RVs have kitchen sink or bathroom sink plumbed into black tank. The reasoning is that you will fill the grey tank long before the black tank. I know we can go for a week with the black tank and only a few days on the grey tank. When doing dishes we have a tub we put in sink and then dump this into toilet or use it to flush toilet if trying to conserve water.

Really I can not see how this is even legal because of the possible overflow situation as mentioned before. Perhaps there is a one way valve to prevent backing up into shower or kitchen sink, this would be acceptable to me if I were in your situation.

As far as the toilet overflowing I suppose this could happen but you would be placing your but into some messy stuff before it actually overflowed over the toilet bowl.

I would press the dealer to find out exactly what safeguards are in place.

[cavie]

I have seen diagrams posted of sinks drained into black. It becomes very obvious why it is done. Obstacles like axels do not allow access to drainage to the gray tank for a 1/2 bath sink. Things like that. And hand sinks use very little water in the big skeem of things. Showers on the other hand DO NOT by design go to black tanks.

[myredracer]

It does happen. Gotta be cheaper and faster is why it probably happens or with a particular floor and and construction details, it's too hard to plumb it to the black tank.

Google "RV black tank shower" and you'll find lots of cases of this out there.

I'd be pretty choked to find this out on a new RV. A black tank fills up so much faster than a gray tank(s) and you don't want any more water going into than necessary. Does anyone ever tell a prospective purchaser it's like that?? They oughta...

Here is the applicable plumbing code for RVs, NFPA 1192. I don't think there's anything that prohibits this practice and if it doesn't, I doubt the dealer or manufacturer will do anything. http://www.niordc.ir/uploads/nfpa_1192_-_2005.pdfI don

Some people find out when the black tank backs up into the shower!

[cavie]

Originally Posted by myredracer

It does happen. Gotta be cheaper and faster is why it probably happens or with a particular floor and and construction details, it's too hard to plumb it to the black tank.

Google "RV black tank shower" and you'll find lots of cases of this out there.

I'd be pretty choked to find this out on a new RV. A black tank fills up so much faster than a gray tank(s) and you don't want any more water going into than necessary. Does anyone ever tell a prospective purchaser it's like that?? They oughta...

Here is the applicable plumbing code for RVs, NFPA 1192. I don't think there's anything that prohibits this practice and if it doesn't, I doubt the dealer or manufacturer will do anything. http://www.niordc.ir/uploads/nfpa_1192_-_2005.pdfI don

Some people find out when the black tank backs up into the shower!

Common sense tells me I would see it in the toilet long before it backed up into the shower. My toilet will burp long before I can see it. Tells me "I'm full". But it makes no matter. Showers are not plumbed into Black by design. That is strictly a screw up.

[ttoomey]

Spoke to the owner of the dealership today. Not only did he call me on Easter Sunday, He said bring it in and they will fix it right away. Great dealership! Advantage RVs in Watertown South Dakota.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by ttoomey

Spoke to the owner of the dealership today. Not only did he call me on Easter Sunday, He said bring it in and they will fix it right away. Great dealership! Advantage RVs in Watertown South Dakota.

That's what we like to hear!

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by ttoomey

Spoke to the owner of the dealership today. Not only did he call me on Easter Sunday, He said bring it in and they will fix it right away. Great dealership! Advantage RVs in Watertown South Dakota.

Please report back after the dealer is finished to let us know what they did and how long it took.

Promises are cheap, but promises kept are golden.

[ttoomey]

The dealership guys looked at my travel trailer today. They told me that the black tank vent is right next to the drain for the grey tank. it appears a mistake was made at the factory and the shower drain was connected to the black tank vent. They are waiting to hear back from the factory before they can fix it. They are confident they will hear back tomorrow and will be able to correct the issue. I continue to be impressed by Advantage RVs. It is a good example of why shopping local pays off.

[Jim in Halifax]

Originally Posted by cavie

Probably as stated. Wrong handles. Gray drain is 1 1/2". Gray will transition into 3" for dumping. Black is 3". Sinks do drain into black tanks sometimes. It is by design. Showers only drain to gray.

Get some (3) food colouring and pour some down the sinks etc....Then go out and pull the handles to check the colours

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by Jim in Halifax

Get some (3) food colouring and pour some down the sinks etc....Then go out and pull the handles to check the colours

No need. Problem was solved. See the post immediately before yours.

[rbrand]

I have tested mine. The 2 sinks on the one siide drains into the gray tank. But the shower on the other side drains into the black.

[ttoomey]

My travel trailer has been fixed! The dealership took care of it immediately. They confirmed it was a mistake at the factory and the factory approved the repair. I am so glad I shopped locally!

[ilmor]

Surely this is not permitted by some sort of code that's used in RV construction. I believe Forest River constructs in accordance with the RVIA. If the plumbing meets these standards (I'd be surprised), there's probably little you can do. RVIA website is here ---

https://www.rvia.org/

In addition to your dealer, I would first contact Forest River, starting here ---

Contact Us | Forest River RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes

Good luck!

[myredracer]

Originally Posted by ilmor

Surely this is not permitted by some sort of code that's used in RV construction. I believe Forest River constructs in accordance with the RVIA. If the plumbing meets these standards (I'd be surprised), there's probably little you can do. RVIA website is here ---

https://www.rvia.org/

In addition to your dealer, I would first contact Forest River, starting here ---

Contact Us | Forest River RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes

Good luck!

RVIA is not an authority having jusrisdiction and can't enforce any codes. RV plumbing requirements are covered under NFPA but no gov't authority ever inspects the requirements so is left to RVIA as "policy".

[captainrandy]

Our 2019 crusader 382mbh had the shower plumbed into the black tank with a valve inline to prevent smell. I had to replumb it into the grey tank from the black tank myself. Quality control is not good at all.

[jayrodoh]

Originally Posted by ttoomey

My travel trailer has been fixed! The dealership took care of it immediately. They confirmed it was a mistake at the factory and the factory approved the repair. I am so glad I shopped locally!

Awesome! After so many bad stories it’s good to hear this was resolved quickly and to your satisfaction.

[Papadave]

Some people have been known to pee in the shower. That’s the dark side. Goes to the black tank. Meanwhile, if you take navy showers then it might help keep the solids moving if it drains to the black tank. My bath sink is plumbed to the black tank. Toothpaste helps the drain smell better. Whatever. Composting toilets make sense but lots of time playing with poop. Campground bathhouse and pee bottle for me. Old school.

[jacques1543]

I have a 2094 Lexington and the shower DOES drain into the black tank... surprised me when I figured it out by accident my having the shower running and dripping for several hours and when I went to empty the grey tank... nothing but the black tank was overflowing. So I tested it and yep that is the way done trailers are set up.

We checked on an olde thread here and several models are that way.

It leads to confusion for some of us when we start rving... but now that we know it’s not a big deal at all!

[tsnell]

I bought a new 2018 Coachman 29FW motorhome and they switched the sensor wiring on the black and gray tanks. Found it because gray tank backed into shower and showed 2/3 full even after dumping. Had to dump black water to get gray reading to zero.

Might check that.