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Old 05-15-2018, 09:09 AM   #81
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Keep It Simple !

Quote:
Originally Posted by LandKKnight View Post
2nd weekend out. Took everyones advice re using LOTS of water to flush, calgon in tank, etc. Again we got a poop/paper pyramid just under the toilet. I am PISSED. It seems there is a fault with the shape of the tank. It seems flat just under the toilet and doesn't drop off enough or something. We used a ton of water to flush but the poop just stuck there, it wouldn't go down to the rest of the tank. Again I had to reach in to push it down. I don't think I should have to be doing that! Brian Clemons, what could be happening? I know the 30fw is a new model, could it be that the wrong type tank is installed? What is the solution here? The first time I accepted this was our fault for not using enough water but not this time. After all, how much flush is enough? I flushed for at least 30 to 45 seconds. That's a LOT of water! This is unacceptable! Please Help!
I've just read 8 pages of coments and ideas and can't believe I didn't see...

1. Buy a "Flush-King". (Google it) That's the BEST $35 I ever spent on an accessory...REALLY!
2. With some water in tank (you decide how much) pour in 2 or 3 gallons of liquid clorine (available at pool stores or maybe even W-M).
3. Let set for 24 hours (less is okay...24 is max)
4. Use Flush King per directions. Maybe you'll have to flush several times the first go around.
5. Watch the sh....(stuff) fly out...paper...stuff...etc etc. It's amazing!
6. Make sure you fill tank as much as possible using F-K...the more water backflushing, the better.

BTW, the clorine is only to "stir up" the content at first...not needed after the initial dose unless problem repeats (hope not). The clorine is heavier than water and will sink to lowest level while churning up content and bacteria etc. This will not solve your tank shape issues but sure will clean out the residue. I had a COMPLETELY fouled tank...FULL...and the clorine (I used 6 gallons...one at a time having to remove water each time to make room for the next gallon via the toilet). Let it churn for a couple hours, used F-K several times and after repeated flushes (as I recall 10 or 12) the water was clear enough to drink (well, maybe not) but it was coming out clean!
I have NO connection with F-K other than my personal use. I use it at least every other draining of the black tank...galley tank also sometimes. It WORKS!
Again...won't fix defects in tank but sure will clean out the mess if used regularly. Good luck!
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Old 05-15-2018, 09:22 AM   #82
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave1367 View Post
I had this problem with my fifth wheel

Try this it works for me https://youtu.be/kohdqRRJer0
It’s a tank wand - simply push it into the middle of the pyramid and switch on the water !
I second that suggestion. I use the wand at every tank dump.
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Old 05-15-2018, 09:33 AM   #83
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I think the problem was realized when you said you would have water in the bowl from now on , like at home, prior to being used. Took me a while to get the wife used to doing this.
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Old 05-15-2018, 09:45 AM   #84
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I had to use the wand @ every flush with our old TT,,,
Do not need it with Sunseeker !!!
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Old 05-15-2018, 10:43 AM   #85
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Originally Posted by Talker2cents View Post
I only get pyramids when I don't use single ply RV toilet tissue..
I stopped putting TP in the toilette after my first (and last) clog. I couldn't empty the tank! TP now goes into the waste basket and no clogs in the last 15 years. I also put a kitchen sink sprayer in there to clean the bowl after use.

Tough stuff to talk about but important to deal with.
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Old 05-15-2018, 11:07 AM   #86
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You can talk for a week about this and that remedy till the cows come home. The basic fact remains. 2" of clearance from pipe to the bottom of tank WILL NEVER WORK. End of story. I know mine would never make that transition.
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Old 05-15-2018, 11:21 AM   #87
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Feel your pain

Reading your post, I could have written it a year ago. We had the same problem. After trying many suggestions that is what helped: before we flush the toilet (especially for #2) we almost fill the whole bowl with water, then we flush it. The pressure of the almost full bowl of water takes the waste down the pipe. There seems to be some kind of ledge about 10-12 inches under the bowl that is a great place for solids to get stuck and before you know it you have what you called a poop and toilet paper tower. What a mess! Bad design, to say the least!
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Old 05-15-2018, 01:46 PM   #88
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One affective solution.

My 2003 31BH by forest river had the same problem. Very long story short. I had to install a macerator so that the OUTPUT of the macerator blew directly in-line with the center of the toilet. Turn on the macerator, Flush, wait about 5-ten seconds, turn macerator off. It was so bad before that I wont even describe it. It was not fun to install that system either.
when people that don't use RV's design them, that is what happens, in my humble opinion. I do understand that they need to pay some attention to design to SELL, otherwise we wouldn't buy it unless we knew better, which most people buying RV's don't until it's too late. But that's another soap box.
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Old 05-15-2018, 01:46 PM   #89
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waste control

We seem to be lucky re mountains of #2! I thought they only happen when your black tank is continuously connected to the drain! We don't even put a few gallons of water in to start with. And no chemicals at all, yet we don't have a smell!
Travelling is the only thing we need to do as it slushes everything all around.
Good luck with solving your problem!
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Old 05-15-2018, 03:26 PM   #90
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Your poop pyramid maybe due you leaving the black water valve open. You should leave the black water valve closed until you are ready to dump the black water tank. Leaving the valve open all your liquid drains out of the tank leaving the solids behind to build the poop �� pyramid. Empty the tank when it gets 3/4 full, then flush the tank with plenty of water. Like others have said use plenty of water when flushing. You can also dump a bag of ice cubes just before leaving and the ice sloshing back and forth while traveling will break up the solids and clean your tank. Good luck ��
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Old 05-16-2018, 07:01 AM   #91
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GEugeneS View Post
I stopped putting TP in the toilette after my first (and last) clog. I couldn't empty the tank! TP now goes into the waste basket and no clogs in the last 15 years. I also put a kitchen sink sprayer in there to clean the bowl after use.

Tough stuff to talk about but important to deal with.
I would not own an RV that you could not put TP in !!!
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Old 05-16-2018, 07:13 AM   #92
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Originally Posted by GEugeneS View Post
I stopped putting TP in the toilette after my first (and last) clog. I couldn't empty the tank! TP now goes into the waste basket and no clogs in the last 15 years. I also put a kitchen sink sprayer in there to clean the bowl after use.

I've seen Mexicans and other South Americans do that in the workplace. Disgusting.
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Old 05-16-2018, 07:29 AM   #93
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You can talk for a week about this and that remedy till the cows come home. The basic fact remains. 2" of clearance from pipe to the bottom of tank WILL NEVER WORK. End of story. I know mine would never make that transition.
Bottom line!!!!!!!
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Old 05-16-2018, 10:20 AM   #94
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This was my engineer's "visual representation" of what could be happening. Not to scale of course. And yes...it would be nice if anyone cared, but right now the demand is so high its hard to have any pull whatsoever.

We have sent the designs over to another supplier for a potential long term fix...but in the meantime we just have to stay diligent.
I just picked up my 30FW on 5/07/18.
It hasn't left my garage yet, but I've been addressing one issue after another. Some are going to have to be warranty items. You would think I bought a bargain basement entry level travel trailer with all these issues. I'm disgusted to say the least.
After seeing this, I went home and looked at my black tank, and sure enough, add this to my list. I didn't measure it yet, but I'd say I have less than 2" of clearance from the bottom of the pipe to the bottom of the tank, and the bottom of the tank is visibly bowed up. My wife has Crohn's disease and spends a lot of time on the toilet, so this is going to be a major issue for us.
We were excited about this motorhome, now we're just disgusted with it and we haven't even used it yet.

And National RV Detroit did a horrible job with dealer prep., cleaning and our walk through. They would have caught the majority of my issues if they would have went through and tested everything to make sure things functioned properly. I found a few issues during our walk through, and a bunch more when I thoroughly started going through it at home.

Definitely unhappy with my experience so far.
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Old 05-16-2018, 10:32 AM   #95
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If you PM me your VIN, I'll take a look at the pictures when they come in.

Are you local to national? I think they have hook ups. I always recommend spending a night in the unit, making sure everything works and you understand operation before you leave the dealers lot if possible. Going through the walk through is one thing...but just like the house I built...sitting in it, staring at each wall, floor, trim piece, etc you are bound to find little things. While the builder is more than willing to come out and repair whatever it may be, I also find, correcting it myself is most times easiest.

Just bought a brand new desk. First thing I did was rip out the drawer guides and put in soft close. Most people would have been fine with the existing ball bearing drawer guides, but my OCD will not allow a partially open drawer.
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Old 05-16-2018, 11:26 AM   #96
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poop pyramid

couple of solutions .
#1Dry the tank and spray some silicone down the tube to coat the tank bottom..
#2 My wife was a pharmacist and she has us taking a 500mg magnesium complex every day made by natures way. This is to keep us from getting constipated while we travel. i would also say it’s anti pyramid.
my 2 cents.
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Old 05-16-2018, 11:52 AM   #97
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General quality

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn M. View Post
I just picked up my 30FW on 5/07/18.
It hasn't left my garage yet, but I've been addressing one issue after another. Some are going to have to be warranty items. You would think I bought a bargain basement entry level travel trailer with all these issues. I'm disgusted to say the least.
After seeing this, I went home and looked at my black tank, and sure enough, add this to my list. I didn't measure it yet, but I'd say I have less than 2" of clearance from the bottom of the pipe to the bottom of the tank, and the bottom of the tank is visibly bowed up. My wife has Crohn's disease and spends a lot of time on the toilet, so this is going to be a major issue for us.
We were excited about this motorhome, now we're just disgusted with it and we haven't even used it yet.

And National RV Detroit did a horrible job with dealer prep., cleaning and our walk through. They would have caught the majority of my issues if they would have went through and tested everything to make sure things functioned properly. I found a few issues during our walk through, and a bunch more when I thoroughly started going through it at home.

Definitely unhappy with my experience so far.
I was floored at the lack of quality we found on our new FR trailer A few years ago. One example is lag bolts pulling out on the awning bottom mounts. Electrical wiring problems, leak problems, screen problems,hardware pulling out, etc, etc. When I went behind the radio to find out why one of the speakers wasn’t working I shook my head in disgust. Spaghetti wiring and full of construction scrap from drilling and sawing. The holes looked like they were punched rather than drilled. Switches not labeled. I spent my life in marine construction so I have critical eye on systems and structural integrity which our trailer is severely lacking.
We’re married to it now, but I assure you I will buy a different brand when we’re ready.
Junk built by newbies with the cheapest product available.
Called Dometic to get a cover for our reefer switches and that model has already been discontinued. Trailer is only a few years old!!,
I’ve learned that the US RV industry has little to no oversight to insure quality.
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Old 05-16-2018, 12:23 PM   #98
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The 5 series runs down our truck line. All of the wiring is harnessed, labeled and color coded. We paint those coaches in house. I do know those guys do a pretty good job, day in and day out. Perfect...absolutely not.

But I have also gotten calls from irate customers just LIVID because a piece of tile was missing near a slide out, a switch was crooked and they expected more for what they paid. I have also seen things that our guys flat out missed and am upset that we missed it.

Until I see the pictures, I can't really comment. But in 90% of the cases, it is not as bad as some make it out to be and not nearly as good as I would hope it would be. There are typically some things that don't work because they don't know how to work them and then assume they are broken...or expect them to do what they were never intended to do, and some things that certainly could have been better. Mix it all together and it looks like a disaster. Once you explain the way things are or why they are and the list of issues gets pretty small. (in most cases)
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Old 05-16-2018, 02:45 PM   #99
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Originally Posted by bclemens View Post
If you PM me your VIN, I'll take a look at the pictures when they come in.

Are you local to national? I think they have hook ups. I always recommend spending a night in the unit, making sure everything works and you understand operation before you leave the dealers lot if possible. Going through the walk through is one thing...but just like the house I built...sitting in it, staring at each wall, floor, trim piece, etc you are bound to find little things. While the builder is more than willing to come out and repair whatever it may be, I also find, correcting it myself is most times easiest.

Just bought a brand new desk. First thing I did was rip out the drawer guides and put in soft close. Most people would have been fine with the existing ball bearing drawer guides, but my OCD will not allow a partially open drawer.
I'm going to deal with the warranty issues that I can't correct myself for a while, because we have travel plans and can't have this sitting at a dealership for who knows how long.

National RV Detroit is about 3-1/2 hours from me, so I can't just run it over there. I'm going to have to find a dealer closer to me for service. The first tech we started our walk through with was basically telling us "it is what it is" when I had some concerns. Luckily, he had another walk through to do, so we got a more helpful tech. He realized my concerns weren't right, and is "supposed" to have replacement items shipped to me (haven't seen them yet). When I got the unit home, I realized that it is leaning 2" to the driver's side (which is a lot when you're looking at it). I called my salesman and he told me it's a chassis issue and to take it to a Dodge dealer. Every Dodge dealer I call says it's to big and they can't help me. National RV says they will find one for me, haven't called me back since. So no dealership will service this unit?

And OCD has nothing to do with all the loose bolts and screws, hanging and loose wires, missing and non working components that I spend my time tracing to try to get working. I'm not just blowing smoke here. This is my 4th motorhome. I know my way around them pretty good. This is real. These motorhomes are big money for what they are, and the quality of workmanship is just not there.

I have my fingers crossed for our long Memorial weekend trip, that nothing else arises. I'm sure though, that this black tank issue is going to show itself.

I'll PM you my VIN when I have down time to find a local dealer and get this thing to them.
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Old 05-16-2018, 03:14 PM   #100
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Leaning is not a dodge issue. The VIN is also so I can look up when it was built, how long it was on the lot, if there were any repairs done to the unit prior to delivery,etc. I can also use it to verify parts orders.

If it is a 36DS that was built early on, we used to shim the driver side to balance weight. Eventually we shifted some materials to do this, but the shim was still getting installed by our chassis sub. I had another customer, same situation, that claimed it was broken. Said it was not like that when he took delivery (it was) and that the leaf spring was probably broken. Took it to a shop and they said it was broken too (I read the report it said "it could be a broken leaf spring") I said it was the shim and to have any suspension place remove it, we would cover the cost. He also measured from the cap and not the frame. I finally got it back here, my guys pulled the shim in about 20 minutes and it sits within a 1/2" right to left.

Any business link dealer that sells the 5500 is required to service the 5500 or sublet it to a larger shop that will.

Not sure how far you are from Elkhart, but my guys can pull that shim pretty quickly.

If you'd like to shoot me a list, I'd be happy to take a look.
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