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Old 02-02-2012, 09:38 PM   #1
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1974 25' Tradewind
Saint Joseph , Louisiana
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Black water tank replacement '74 Land Yacht rear bath

Hello group! I recently purchased a "basket case" 74 Tradewind Land Yacht 25' in Arizona. Thanks to the desert climate, the frame, other metal parts, and subfloor are in very good shape. However, the black water holding tank and most of the other plastic components are brittle and/or broken and need to be replaced. The existing black water tank is about 42Lx 6W x 13D and was made by El Monte Plastics. It appears to be polyethylene. The tank has 3-4 large cracks including one that goes all the way to the bottom so I don't believe it is repairable. El Monte no longer carries this tank and I haven't been able to find one. I have found some blank tanks at several on-line companies that should fit but I would appreciate suggestions regarding the best tank material (ABS, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, etc.) and what is the best way to install fittings in a tank blank? One more question- when I removed the galvanized pan under the belly there was a flexible pipe/hose connected (dog eared) to the galvanized pan. Is this the A/C condensate drain??? I can't figure what else it could be.

Any ideas/suggestions will be appreciated.
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Old 02-03-2012, 08:07 AM   #2
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1974 25' Tradewind
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Col. Station , Ohio
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Can't tell you on where to find a new tank, but if your old tank is factory it should be polypropylene. Milky white color, more or less translucent. Only way to repair these is to weld. I hear there are some fabricators that will spin new fittings on blank tanks.

The tank inside the galvanized pan is the gray water tank. Shower, sinks etc. The flex pipe is a heat duct which comes off the duct located under the roadside bunk.
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Old 02-03-2012, 08:32 AM   #3
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1966 24' Tradewind
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Inlandrv.com

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Old 02-03-2012, 08:50 AM   #4
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1974 25' Tradewind
Saint Joseph , Louisiana
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Thanks a bunch. Being a Louisiana native I suppose I was not thinking about freezing holding tanks!!! Also, thanks for the info on the tank material. I would like find a replacement tank in the same or similar translucent material because the upper half is visible by opening the vanity door. I don't plan on installing sensors if I can see the contents in the tank by opening the door.
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Old 02-13-2012, 06:03 PM   #5
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1974 27' Overlander
Houston , Texas
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1974 Overlander

Need some help, Where do I start removing the black tank? The toilet is gone.
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Old 02-13-2012, 07:19 PM   #6
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1974 31' Sovereign
Ottawa , ON
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If you have a full (rear) bath model, it goes something like this:



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Old 02-17-2012, 03:59 PM   #7
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1974 27' Overlander
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Another problem is how do you get in the under skin of the Aristream?
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Old 02-17-2012, 04:09 PM   #8
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1974 27' Overlander
Houston , Texas
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Also another question, How are the tanks connected? Are they connected together? I am new to the RV world of plumbing.
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Old 02-17-2012, 04:12 PM   #9
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1974 27' Overlander
Houston , Texas
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Where do I get a copy of the Manual that these pics come from?
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Old 02-17-2012, 04:17 PM   #10
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1974 31' Sovereign
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wayneelan View Post
Another problem is how do you get in the under skin of the Aristream?
You will need a drill to drill out the "mushroom" rivets that hold up the belly. You won't need to take it all off, but a good chunk of it. You never said: DO you have a rear bathroom model?

If you don't, the instructions above are completely wrong.
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Old 02-17-2012, 04:22 PM   #11
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1974 31' Sovereign
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Originally Posted by wayneelan View Post
Also another question, How are the tanks connected? Are they connected together? I am new to the RV world of plumbing.
Again IF it is rear bath, they are both connected (glued) to a single drainpipe that you can see inside the "trunk". They each have a guillotine-style shut-off valve.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wayneelan View Post
Where do I get a copy of the Manual that these pics come from?
Well, sometimes you see them on ebaY, sometimes your dealer has them in stock to sell (that's where I got mine), or failing that, I believe that Airstream has a service that might still offer them to the public.

They often have errors, but I still think they are worth their weight in gold.
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Old 02-17-2012, 06:18 PM   #12
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1974 25' Tradewind
Saint Joseph , Louisiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waynemuhl View Post
Need some help, Where do I start removing the black tank? The toilet is gone.
What length is your trailer? The type of tank and method used to remove the tank vary depending upon the length of the trailer. The procedures for removing the tanks in my 1974 model 25' rear bath trailer were quite a bit different than that described in another post. I had to remove my vanity and the plastic cover for the toilet and then remove the black tank from above. I would have had to remove much of my subfloor to remove the black tank from below. Let me know if you have a 25' model and I will provide additional info.
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Old 02-17-2012, 06:37 PM   #13
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wayneelan
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1974 27' Overlander
Houston , Texas
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If you're talking about Wayne, it looks like he has a 27-footer. As I recall, the Service Manual groups the 27 through 31 footers for 1974. I can tell you that my 31' unit's black tank came out from beneath the TT.
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Old 02-17-2012, 10:12 PM   #14
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1974 25' Tradewind
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aage View Post
wayneelan
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1974 27' Overlander
Houston , Texas
Join Date: Feb 2012

If you're talking about Wayne, it looks like he has a 27-footer. As I recall, the Service Manual groups the 27 through 31 footers for 1974. I can tell you that my 31' unit's black tank came out from beneath the TT.
Thanks. I hadn't noticed that Wayne's description shows that his trailer is a 27' Overlander. The 1974 Service Manual groups the trailers by International vs. Land Yact series; not by length. The tanks are supposed to be removed from below on the Internationals and from above on the Land Yachts.
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Old 02-18-2012, 06:33 AM   #15
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1974 27' Overlander
Houston , Texas
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Thanks again for all of the great information, I am still kinda confused, I have a 27' 1974 Rear Bath, My Airstream has the International Sign on the side, but is it the Overlander also?
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Old 02-18-2012, 07:10 AM   #16
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1974 25' Tradewind
Saint Joseph , Louisiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wayneelan View Post
Where do I get a copy of the Manual that these pics come from?
I recently purchased the Owners Manual and a Service Manual on CDs from Vintage Literature Reproductions. The Service Manual was $13.99 plus $2.99 for shipping and handling. I think the Owners Manual was the same price. I strongly recommend you purchase them for your "new" 74 model.
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Old 02-18-2012, 09:59 AM   #17
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1970 27' Overlander
Summit , Mississippi
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Inlandrv.com has the replacement tank. I have a 1970 27' International Overlander with the rear full bath and I had to replace mine as well due to age causing the plastic tank to get brittle. I got a black one from Andy at inlandrv.com. As far as how to do it? I lowered the front jack as far down as possible and raised the rear jacks as far as possible making sure the unit was stable. I just started taking it apart by dropping the rear belly skin enough to expose the box that houses the tank. It was in bad shape so I had a sheet metal shop down the street fab me a new one. Bought new styrofoam at Lowes and cut it to shape to fill the gaps and insulate the tank from cold. After that I just took it all apart and put it back together in reverse order. While I was at it I replaced the dump valve new from inlandrv.com, cut out the dropped belly skin and replaced it with a new sheet of sheet metal and replaced the supporting crosss member angle iron pieces with new improved ones that required drilling some new holes in the main frame. Also replaced some rear exposed floor rot by splicing in a new piece and installed a new toilet. Had to use some rubber hose clamp type sleeves to reconnect the ABS black plastic black tank vent piping. If you are not fairly advanced with handyman skills you should let a RV repair place do it for you. It will almost asssuredly require some self applied adaptations to make it all work but I saved a ton of money doing it myself and feel like it is better than the original.
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Old 02-18-2012, 10:23 AM   #18
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1974 25' Tradewind
Saint Joseph , Louisiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SummitAir View Post
Inlandrv.com has the replacement tank. I have a 1970 27' International Overlander with the rear full bath and I had to replace mine as well due to age causing the plastic tank to get brittle. I got a black one from Andy at inlandrv.com. As far as how to do it? I lowered the front jack as far down as possible and raised the rear jacks as far as possible making sure the unit was stable. I just started taking it apart by dropping the rear belly skin enough to expose the box that houses the tank. It was in bad shape so I had a sheet metal shop down the street fab me a new one. Bought new styrofoam at Lowes and cut it to shape to fill the gaps and insulate the tank from cold. After that I just took it all apart and put it back together in reverse order. While I was at it I replaced the dump valve new from inlandrv.com, cut out the dropped belly skin and replaced it with a new sheet of sheet metal and replaced the supporting crosss member angle iron pieces with new improved ones that required drilling some new holes in the main frame. Also replaced some rear exposed floor rot by splicing in a new piece and installed a new toilet. Had to use some rubber hose clamp type sleeves to reconnect the ABS black plastic black tank vent piping. If you are not fairly advanced with handyman skills you should let a RV repair place do it for you. It will almost asssuredly require some self applied adaptations to make it all work but I saved a ton of money doing it myself and feel like it is better than the original.
Thanks for the good information on your successful remodel. I've decided to purchase a couple of aftermarket tanks in order to increase the gray water storage capacity. One of the on-line vendors has tanks will better utilize the available space between the floor and belly pan than the OEM tanks. They will also spin-weld female pipe thread fittings where I need them for drains, vents, and inlets for a small additional fee. Since I'm doing a complete rebuild of my bathroom anyway, this seemed like a good idea. I hope I will feel this way when I'm finished!
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Old 02-18-2012, 05:49 PM   #19
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1974 31' Sovereign
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Airstream played fast and furious with the names

Quote:
Originally Posted by wayneelan View Post
Thanks again for all of the great information, I am still kinda confused, I have a 27' 1974 Rear Bath, My Airstream has the International Sign on the side, but is it the Overlander also?
My '74 TT is a Sovereign of the Road International Land Yacht. Years ago, the Flying Cloud was merged with the Safari. Now, the Safari model is back to being named the Flying Cloud.

All that to say, you have a '74 27-foot Overlander, rear bath. You'll find the information for that in the Service Manual.

For example, here is the frame diagram for the 1974 23' and 31' models.

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Old 09-22-2012, 10:29 PM   #20
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1974 31' Sovereign
Bothell , Washington
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aage,

How long did it take you to install your new blackwater tank? Including underbelly removal/install?

My tank is currently out and I've finished my welding repairs on a foot long cut on it... Now I just get to start the adventure of putting it back in. Trying to get an idea of time and any "gotchas" that might come up!!

Thanks
Leo
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