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Old 06-01-2018, 11:19 AM   #1
mgg
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NO grey tank vent

2018 Sunseeker 3050S - when I dump the grey tank - and its about 80% empty, it starts chugging - sucking air back up through the hose. That alone tells me there is no grey tank vent. Before the tank vents through the hose, its sucking the sides of the tank in along with the drain connections to it. I expect its sucking water out of the J-traps too. Someone was nice enough to send me FR plumbing diagrams for the 3050 series - and there is a connection to both tanks - that comes together in a three way tee and a pipe that rises vertically next to the black tank vent - and half way up, joins the black vent to exit the roof as a single vent.

So I open the inspection port in my closet to the space behind the shower where these two vent pipes are - and there is only ONE vent pipe that goes stright down through the floor into the black tank. NO GREY VENT.

Given how things are constructed in that part of the RV, fixing it would be quite a bit of work. I'm not sure dealer doing this kind of work and somehow I doubt FR will consider this a warranty problem as clearly, someone has decided this is how they should be built.

Forest River strikes again. They saved, what? 5$ in parts and 7 minutes assembly time?
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Old 06-01-2018, 11:31 AM   #2
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I would suggest a pleasant tone and phone call to Forest River to ask for this problem to be corrected. In many posts in the past the vent is inserted in the tank too far not doing its job being submerged.
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Old 06-01-2018, 03:11 PM   #3
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Pleasant tone?

Sorry, two Forest River RV's and at least 25 design/construction failures on each one, I'm out of pleasant tones. I'll work with my dealer to see if they can use a "pleasant tone" with FR. As for the vent pipe insrted too far - there has to be a vent pipe for it to be inserted too far. There simply isn't one at all. This isn't a mistake, it is a design change to save a few bucks by someone.
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Old 06-01-2018, 03:22 PM   #4
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Sorry, two Forest River RV's and at least 25 design/construction failures on each one, I'm out of pleasant tones. I'll work with my dealer to see if they can use a "pleasant tone" with FR. As for the vent pipe insrted too far - there has to be a vent pipe for it to be inserted too far. There simply isn't one at all. This isn't a mistake, it is a design change to save a few bucks by someone.
You are partially correct. You sink is vented inside the cabinet with a Studer vent. Some call it an air admittance valve. It's to prevent holes in your pretty new roof. It may be stuck. Go to Home Depot and buy a better one.
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Old 06-01-2018, 09:00 PM   #5
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air getting out?

so when I run water down the drain, any stinky air in the grey tank enters the RV by bubbling past the j-trap.....

Yes, I know, my grey tank shouldn't really stink. Its just they idea that they are making money by creatively providing us with an inferior product.
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Old 06-02-2018, 02:46 PM   #6
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You are partially correct. You sink is vented inside the cabinet with a Studer vent. Some call it an air admittance valve. It's to prevent holes in your pretty new roof. It may be stuck. Go to Home Depot and buy a better one.
This is what you aer looking for and how it connects. It may be black (ABS) instead of the white, PVC) but both work and look the same:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Oatey-Sure-...8AAOSwyKxaAsTx

Yours is most likely stuck closed and not admitting air. This is a common problem and complaint. HD or a local plumbing store can get you either one. You can even use a PVC one on ABS and visa versa with the correct glue/cement.
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Old 06-02-2018, 02:50 PM   #7
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No, not like that.

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so when I run water down the drain, any stinky air in the grey tank enters the RV by bubbling past the j-trap.....

Yes, I know, my grey tank shouldn't really stink. Its just they idea that they are making money by creatively providing us with an inferior product.
No, it doesn't work quite like that.

Instead of using scarce space to plumb sink waste pipes to the vent stacks, they use the "Air Admittance Valve", connected to the waste pipe just after the J-trap, between the trap and tank. It's a "check valve," sometimes called a one-way valve. It lets air into the pipe when a vacuum is drawn, but will not let air out of the pipe. So air is admitted when you are draining the grey tank (so as not to empty the j-trap), and also when you drain a big slug of water from the sink/shower/bath. Here's a sample image.

These valves are plastic and just screw onto the end of the pipe, usually under the sink. The problem is that they sometimes stick. If they stick closed (ball won't move) no air is admitted, the problem you described. If they stick open, the trailer gets smelly. You could soak yours in warm, soapy water or just buy another one at Home Depot or a hardware store. Some of the folks on this forum swear by the "Studer" brand.

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Old 06-02-2018, 07:29 PM   #8
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So when you add water to the tank how does the air get vented that is displaced by the water. The explanation takes care of venting when draining a tank but if the valve only works one way it will not vent when being filled.

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Old 06-02-2018, 07:39 PM   #9
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Look under sink for something like this.
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Old 06-02-2018, 07:42 PM   #10
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so when I run water down the drain, any stinky air in the grey tank enters the RV by bubbling past the j-trap.....

Yes, I know, my grey tank shouldn't really stink. Its just they idea that they are making money by creatively providing us with an inferior product.
sometimes the gray smells worse than the black.
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Old 06-02-2018, 08:00 PM   #11
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Well...

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Originally Posted by wa5tku View Post
So when you add water to the tank how does the air get vented that is displaced by the water. The explanation takes care of venting when draining a tank but if the valve only works one way it will not vent when being filled.

Wes
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Well, you certainly wouldn't want the displaced air to be vented back into the trailer!

Larry
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Old 06-02-2018, 09:21 PM   #12
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So when you add water to the tank how does the air get vented that is displaced by the water. The explanation takes care of venting when draining a tank but if the valve only works one way it will not vent when being filled.

Wes
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One of those valves is stuck. find it and your problem will be solved.
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Old 06-05-2018, 02:04 PM   #13
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Ok, I'm wrong - sort of. I was looking at an older set of 3050 drawings. And we all know how hard it is to get current drawings form FR on the RV's they make. The diagram showed the bkack tank vent leaving tank - taking a short side jog to the left via two 90's - then exiting straight through the roof. The grey tank exited the grey tank, turned 90 forward, hitting a T - one side of the T going to the shower drain and the upper side heading up - and joining the black vent. The grey vent pipe was to the Right of the black.

when I opened the inspection port in the closet - I couldn't see the black vent - as it was hidden behind the grey pipe. I couldn't see the bottom of thre gray pipe as it was enveloped in grey foam.

As I wanted to install a See-level tank system, I wanted a better look at the fresh tank - and I figured I could get a better look at the vent area - I pulled the floor out of the front closet. And was able to see the black vent behind the grey. The fresh tank is 19-20 inches tall on the front side. The back of the tank has about a 4 inch step in it to allow connection of the fill and vent hoses. The tank sensors are on the back of the tank - which would have to be access from the rear storage area (yet another stapled panel).

SO, I have a grey vent. It isn't working. whats worse - it isn't working pretty much all the way down to empty. If the vent pipe was just inserted too far - when the liquid got down even close to the end - it would suck air like crazy. When it chugs - there is maybe 10 seconds left to drain. I"m thinking a plug or something got left in the pipe.
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Old 06-25-2021, 11:56 AM   #14
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Kitchen sink not draining

I had a problem of the Grey tank not accepting more water. Even when the tank was almost empty. The problem was that I had parked the motorhome 22QB about 5" nose low. Somehow this blocked off the vent. There is a vent for the grey tank but it is not a pipe straight up from the top of the tank. It runs sideways to connect to the black tank vent. The angle allowed water to block off the vent.
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