BlackJeep22's Concord 300 DS Newbee Questions

[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

IF everything is put together properly and in good shape 50 psi shouldn't cause any damage. I think 40 psi is a safe/reasonable working load, I have had mine up to 65 psi because I didn't have the pressure reducer available and did not have any issues. My biggest concern is some of the cheap fittings and faucets they use. If I had plumbed it 100 psi wouldn't hurt anything!

Aaron

Thanks Aaron, I wonder why the manual doesn't even mention reducing the WATER pressure.

On another issue... The manual also states, "DO NOT open termination valves until tanks are 3/4 full.
DO NOT keep black water calve open while parked."

I assumed, if hooked up to a campsite sewer, you just hooked up, opened the Black tank knife valve and go read the newspaper, or do a cross word puzzle.

It also said to keep enough water in the black tank to help dissolve the solid waste. What do you do when you get to the site? Put 10 gallons of water or so into the black tank as part of the setup?

[wahoonc]

If you leave the black tank valve open you will get a pyramid of petrified poop in your tank that is a PITA to remove. For the stuff in the tank to start to break down and flush down properly you need liquid in the tank and lots of it. Some people will leave their gray valves open when hooked up to sewer. I prefer to let my tanks fill up then dump, keeps "stuff" from building up in them.

I use the Geo-Method for keeping my tanks clean. Typically I will mix up a "batch" in 5 gallons of hot water and dump in the black tank(via the toilet) before we leave on a trip. I will split another bucket full between the gray tanks maybe once or twice a year. I use a big bucket, happens to be a Home Despot Homer bucket, but any similar bucket will work fine. If we are on a full hookup site I will empty and rinse the black tank before we leave, then add water back into the black tank by letting the toilet run for a bit. If we are on non-sewer site I dump and rinse the tanks when we get home. If for some reason we have to use the regular dump station, I will rinse the black tank first chance I get. Always keep some water in the black holding tank unless you are clearing them out for the winter.


Aaron

[BlackJeep22]

Turned the water heater bypass valve closed, opened all my faucets and continued to blow out my lines... just to see if any more came out. Can't say that any more did come out. So, with my fresh water tank and lines sanitized, and since our maiden voyage is 10 days away... I filled the fresh water tank to 2/3 full and put everything away. Closed all the calves and opened the bypass valve.

I thought I'd check and see if the hot water tank would heat up under just electricity, so pushed the "ELEC WATER HEATER" button and waited an hour or so. I turned on the water pump, opened the hot water side of the kitchen faucet and Yes, it does in fact work.

I went back to the Control Panel to turn OFF the Water Pump, and alas... it's STILL blue. I opened the faucet again and the pump came on, but only about half as loud. I pushed the pump button back to the normal ON side, and it stayed on, but just a little louder. Looks like the pump was STUCK on.

I unplugged the power from the house, and turned the Coach batteries OFF. The pump light did go OFF as expected. I turned power back to the coach, BOTH ways... and the Water Pump light is still ON, and still works in either position. WTF?

[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

If you leave the black tank valve open you will get a pyramid of petrified poop in your tank that is a PITA to remove. For the stuff in the tank to start to break down and flush down properly you need liquid in the tank and lots of it. Some people will leave their gray valves open when hooked up to sewer. I prefer to let my tanks fill up then dump, keeps "stuff" from building up in them.

I use the Geo-Method for keeping my tanks clean. Typically I will mix up a "batch" in 5 gallons of hot water and dump in the black tank(via the toilet) before we leave on a trip. I will split another bucket full between the gray tanks maybe once or twice a year. I use a big bucket, happens to be a Home Despot Homer bucket, but any similar bucket will work fine. If we are on a full hookup site I will empty and rinse the black tank before we leave, then add water back into the black tank by letting the toilet run for a bit. If we are on non-sewer site I dump and rinse the tanks when we get home. If for some reason we have to use the regular dump station, I will rinse the black tank first chance I get. Always keep some water in the black holding tank unless you are clearing them out for the winter.


Aaron

The pyramid of poop makes PERFECT sense. Having NEVER owned ANY type of trailer/motorhome I NEVER would have thought to "pre-fill" the black tank. What's in your 5 gallon "batch".?

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by BlackJeep22

The pyramid of poop makes PERFECT sense. Having NEVER owned ANY type of trailer/motorhome I NEVER would have thought to "pre-fill" the black tank. What's in your 5 gallon "batch".?

Water, cap full of liquid Calgon, cap full of liquid laundry (Tide) detergent and quart of bleach.

Sounds like your water pump switch has crapped out, they are pretty easy to pop out and look at, or just pull the whole panel and look at the back side of it. I would guess that either the switch is bad, loose connection or possibly a crappy crimp job and some wires are bridging where they shouldn't. It could also be on the pump end of the wiring too. So far ours is working the way it should.

Aaron

[richardelarson]

Did you turn on the water pump switch on the outside? The inside switch will stay lit in both positions if the outside one is on.

[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by richardelarson

Did you turn on the water pump switch on the outside? The inside switch will stay lit in both positions if the outside one is on.

I will DOUBLE check that tomorrow. That possibility crossed my mind, since I was playing with the outside shower during my "blowout" experiment. I'll have my wife help me with it tomorrow.

Aaron, if this isn't the problem, I'll just have them check it out when I bring it back for my 90 day freebe repair, or whatever they call it.

Thanks guys.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by richardelarson

Did you turn on the water pump switch on the outside? The inside switch will stay lit in both positions if the outside one is on.

Good call! I bet that is it. I seldom use the outside switch, also I am in the habit of turning the pump switch(s) off as soon as I am done with it.

On some other units I have owned we used to wire a momentary switch in the bathroom to use to be able to pressurize the system to flush the toilet, but not leave the pump turned on while traveling. Seen more than one water tank get emptied into a unit when something broke while traveling and the pump kept on pumping. At least on the Concord the pump switch is right by the bathroom so you can turn it on when you go in and off when you come out.

Aaron

[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by richardelarson

Did you turn on the water pump switch on the outside? The inside switch will stay lit in both positions if the outside one is on.

That was EXACTLY the problem. I opened the water station door and the little light was ON for the Pump switch. Thanks so much.

[richardelarson]

Well I knew about that because I did the same thing. Glad to help.


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[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Water, cap full of liquid Calgon, cap full of liquid laundry (Tide) detergent and quart of bleach.

Aaron

Aaron, do you also add any of the "blue RV solid waste degrader" to your solution?

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by BlackJeep22

Aaron, do you also add any of the "blue RV solid waste degrader" to your solution?

Nope. These are holding tanks not septic systems. The Calgon coats the tank and keeps things slick so stuff doesn't stick. The detergent and bleach keep things clean and reduce odor. Some people like to use pine cleaner, I don't particularly like the smell of it. We use Charmin bathroom tissue and it breaks down fine, the rest is just making sure we have enough water to get things rinsed out.

I saw an idea today that might work for our gray tank issue. Put one of the end valves (like the Flush King) on the main sewer line, then leave the gray valves open. It will allow the tanks to equalize. Then before you get ready to dump, close the gray valves, empty out what is in the main lines, then dump like normal; black tank first, then the gray tanks.

Aaron

[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Nope. These are holding tanks not septic systems. The Calgon coats the tank and keeps things slick so stuff doesn't stick. The detergent and bleach keep things clean and reduce odor. Some people like to use pine cleaner, I don't particularly like the smell of it. We use Charmin bathroom tissue and it breaks down fine, the rest is just making sure we have enough water to get things rinsed out.

I saw an idea today that might work for our gray tank issue. Put one of the end valves (like the Flush King) on the main sewer line, then leave the gray valves open. It will allow the tanks to equalize. Then before you get ready to dump, close the gray valves, empty out what is in the main lines, then dump like normal; black tank first, then the gray tanks.

Aaron

Thanks Aaron.

[BlackJeep22]

Anyone use the heat pump option on the thermostat?

I read somewhere that it doesn't work very good once Temps get down to 40°.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by BlackJeep22

Anyone use the heat pump option on the thermostat?

I read somewhere that it doesn't work very good once Temps get down to 40°.

Yes we have used it, prefer the gas furnace and fireplace. We were camped out back around Easter and it was in the mid 50°'s during the day, tried running the heat pump and it did keep it warm inside.

Aaron

[richardelarson]

Aaron is right. Heat pumps really start to lose efficiency fast at 40 degrees and at 35 you might as well have a fan on.

[BlackJeep22]

Raised up the jacks today and backed up into the street. Getting ready to take it in tomorrow for the steering stabilizer. The whole time my Bigfoot was beeping at me, but clearly all jacks were up. I've powered it off, took it apart and unplugged it for 30 seconds. STILL, whenever I turn on the key, it beeps at me and keeps flashing 2 of the jacks at me. I auto leveled it, detracted, STILL those same 2 corners are blinking and Bigfoot is beeping at me.
Any idea what's going on?

[richardelarson]

One of two possibilities. 1) Each Jack has a limit switch that the foot plate pushes up on when they retract. You will see it on the side of the Jack. The Jack foot may not be coming all the way up to press the shaft of the switch in far enough. Hit the shaft of each Jack with WD40 when they are down and run the jacks up and down a couple times to see if that helps. 2) The foot of the Jack has a very large hex bolt in the bottom/middle. If that bolt loosens up a bit and the plate is loose and wobbles it might be not pushing the switch in all the way.

Both of these happened to me. The next thing would be to go on the Big Foot web site and find the trouble shooting section. There is a procedure to cycle through to reset the jacks. That might be helpful too.

Hope this helps!

Dick

[BlackJeep22]

Originally Posted by richardelarson

One of two possibilities. 1) Each Jack has a limit switch that the foot plate pushes up on when they retract. You will see it on the side of the Jack. The Jack foot may not be coming all the way up to press the shaft of the switch in far enough. Hit the shaft of each Jack with WD40 when they are down and run the jacks up and down a couple times to see if that helps. 2) The foot of the Jack has a very large hex bolt in the bottom/middle. If that bolt loosens up a bit and the plate is loose and wobbles it might be not pushing the switch in all the way.

Both of these happened to me. The next thing would be to go on the Big Foot web site and find the trouble shooting section. There is a procedure to cycle through to reset the jacks. That might be helpful too.

Hope this helps!

Dick

Thanks Dick, I'll check those suggestions out. Damn, it's ALWAYS something. This is our first motorhome and I swear it's cursed.

[richardelarson]

I know it seems like it but it will settle out. Finding the solutions is sometimes a challenge but it's also kind of fun ...... after its fixed.