*(&)(*& blown tire in road again

[wilsonintexas]

This is getting old.

In 2 separate RVs I have had blown tire from a semi in the road. Each time I could not swerve and had to run them over. This has happened three times.

Each time I have torn the drain lines out from under the rv.

ON this trip it tore out the drain line and the grey tank drained.
When I stopped I thought that it was just the grey line so when I stopped for the night I hooked up and went to drain the black tank. Things looked good until I opened the black tank valve. EVERYTHING spilled into the storage area. The drain line had broken at the connection and the pressure forced it apart.

Lucky for me I was in an area where I flush the area down.

So I went back on the road, I stopped to get gas, and someone pulled in and said "Did you know you are dragging some black pipe under the RV"

I looked at it and found out that the T connection had been held in by a gasket out a hole, and it had all jiggled loose. The 90 degree bend that was below the rv had been ground in half.

So.....

On the Georgetown I have an advantage. There is a whole storage compartment for the drain lines as well as filter and filling area for the tanks.

I am going to replace the broken T that originally extended out the bottom to the cam lock connection with one that has the camlock connection right at the T. Nothing will stick out the bottom. It will also be easier to connect up the drain line. Instead of getting on my knees and leaning under the RV it will be right there.

The only down side is that if I stay for more than a might, I will have to leave the compartment open to leave the drain connected. But I would rather do that than deal with this again.

If having the door open is a problem I will add a cutout in the bottom of storage area and let the hose go out there. But I do not do long term camping, so having a door open for the drain line will be fine.

[wilsonintexas]

I tried to get parts locally, no luck. I have the old piece that I hopped to use to be sure I was getting the part that would be a direct replacement. But no one had them in stock.

It looks like I have a few choices.

One option incorperates the cam lock directly at the end of the Y connection.

But the connection is back behind a panel that holds the water connections.

The other option is to use one that comes out to a 3 inch pipe then go for an elbow and put the cam lock after that.
I have the room both in depth and height to do this.


So. I have a question.

I can put a 90 degree elbow after the Y pointed directly out and then the cam lock fitting.

or,

I can put on a 45 angle, so the camlock is pointed down at a 45 degree angle.

I think that this may take some of the stress off of the flex drain line. Instead of the drain pipe making a 90 degree bend to get down to the ground, it would already be pointed at a 45, so the flex pipe would be able to follow that angle and [probably be under less stress. I think that it would also make the flow out a little better, with more gentile curves.

I would appreciate thoughts.

There is one piece of blocking that they put on the black tank pipe to support that pipe. I would add in new blocking either way to keep the new fitting from bouncing around, and to take the weight of the drain line. I would also have to patch the hole that the old pipe went down, so I can patch that and add in new blocking material at the same time.

I would appreciate thoughts.

a 90 degree or a 45 degree fitting?

[rsdata]

In 2 separate RVs I have had blown tire from a semi in the road. Each time I could not swerve and had to run them over. This has happened three times.

Not trying to be a smart-A** but maybe you travel too close to the guy ahead of you.

I am 72, I have traveled a lot and I don't recall more than once that I was not able to avoid something in the highway, and that time I was boxed in... but I slowed down and straddled the tire gator without damage.

I know low-hanging pipes are ripe for hitting road junk... but three times?

I hope you have better luck from now on...