bizmin
New Member
Is there a sure-fire way to identify a black tank rupture without removing the underbelly cover?
Does a 31BHD PrimeTime Tracer have any black tank overflow protection?
Our 2023 31BHD Primetime Tracer had a broken Thetford commode valve, second trip, in the first 30 days of ownership. Forest River authorized a remote tech replacement of the commode valve so we could continue our vacation. Before that event and ever since, we had issues with black tank smell like we had never experienced in our previous Tracer24DBS or 2021 Surveyor 19RBLE. On all 3 TTs, we maintained the tanks exactly the same. On one trip back to the dealer on this smell issue, they remedied a glug-glug sound on the grey tank by attaching a vent pipe that had never been attached at the factory and replaced an air admittance valve.
Next camping trip, on our second black tank flush on the 31BHD, while my wife and I were standing a few feet away from the sewage line, we heard a very loud low-pitched sound like "FOOOM!!" I immediately stopped the blank tank flush and inspected inside the camper and outside; but found no water anywhere. The following week, on return to the dealer, the tech thought that a tank strap could have broken, so he opened a 2 foot section of the underbelly cover to do a visual inspection. He had me look at it to confirm that the strap was intact and the tank was secure. He never mentioned the possibility that a rupture could have occurred which would explain what followed.
After multiple return trips to the dealer, for the same issue, I discovered on my own out that the black tank roof vent pipe was off-center to the vent cap with a gap that allowed the gases to vent in the bathroom wall. That was also repaired by a remote tech on another trip which slightly improved the smell until we drove back home. All the circumstance seems to point to a tank rupture. Since then, we have also experienced multiple black tank overflows resulting from very short duration [3 mins] black tank flushes. The overflows have all been underneath with one exception where there was water seepage around the commode.
Does a 31BHD PrimeTime Tracer have any black tank overflow protection?
Our 2023 31BHD Primetime Tracer had a broken Thetford commode valve, second trip, in the first 30 days of ownership. Forest River authorized a remote tech replacement of the commode valve so we could continue our vacation. Before that event and ever since, we had issues with black tank smell like we had never experienced in our previous Tracer24DBS or 2021 Surveyor 19RBLE. On all 3 TTs, we maintained the tanks exactly the same. On one trip back to the dealer on this smell issue, they remedied a glug-glug sound on the grey tank by attaching a vent pipe that had never been attached at the factory and replaced an air admittance valve.
Next camping trip, on our second black tank flush on the 31BHD, while my wife and I were standing a few feet away from the sewage line, we heard a very loud low-pitched sound like "FOOOM!!" I immediately stopped the blank tank flush and inspected inside the camper and outside; but found no water anywhere. The following week, on return to the dealer, the tech thought that a tank strap could have broken, so he opened a 2 foot section of the underbelly cover to do a visual inspection. He had me look at it to confirm that the strap was intact and the tank was secure. He never mentioned the possibility that a rupture could have occurred which would explain what followed.
After multiple return trips to the dealer, for the same issue, I discovered on my own out that the black tank roof vent pipe was off-center to the vent cap with a gap that allowed the gases to vent in the bathroom wall. That was also repaired by a remote tech on another trip which slightly improved the smell until we drove back home. All the circumstance seems to point to a tank rupture. Since then, we have also experienced multiple black tank overflows resulting from very short duration [3 mins] black tank flushes. The overflows have all been underneath with one exception where there was water seepage around the commode.
