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04-13-2011, 11:47 AM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1972 31' Sovereign
Cadet
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 46
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Lost on this and need experiance
K, we have had no experience with rv's so don't laugh were just trying to understand. We don't understand if we have or don't a gray tank. If we don't were does the water go? We've asked and looked for the information on this but only get contradicting answers on this. Wether we have one or not. Then we've been told that it drains in the black tank. Is that even legal? So I don't understand, please some one explain. Oh it's a 1972 sovereign. Thank you.
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04-13-2011, 11:54 AM
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#2
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3 Rivet Member
1972 29' Ambassador
Weatherford
, Texas
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 153
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Love shack
K, we have had no experience with rv's so don't laugh were just trying to understand. We don't understand if we have or don't a gray tank. If we don't were does the water go? We've asked and looked for the information on this but only get contradicting answers on this. Wether we have one or not. Then we've been told that it drains in the black tank. Is that even legal? So I don't understand, please some one explain. Oh it's a 1972 sovereign. Thank you.
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If you take the cap off the drain pipe (be careful it may have stuff in the pipe?!) and turn on the bathroom sink and it comes out immediately then you have no grey tank. The black tank is only for the toilet. When we are plugged up to a sewer connection, We keep our grey tank open for kitchen and bathroom draining. When our black tank fills, we usually time draining it just before we take a shower. This way the cleaner shower water assists in the completely draining the sewer hose. Kind of a pain, but we are full-timing and we only have issues when we are boondocking. Let me know if this helps.
Tharon
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04-13-2011, 11:54 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
2008 27' Classic FB
1959 22' Flying Cloud
fairview
, New Mexico
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 575
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Airstream did not have a grey tank til 1974. Unless the PO put one in. I use a blue boy for the grey water.
__________________
Avion C11
1959 Flying Cloud 1969 Tradewind
1973 Safari
1983 34 ft Limited
2004 F250 superduty ext cab
2014 F350 longbed superduty crewcab
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04-13-2011, 12:18 PM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
1972 31' Sovereign
Cadet
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 46
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What is a blue boy?
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04-13-2011, 12:25 PM
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#5
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Wise Elder
2010 30' Classic
Vintage Kin Owner
South of the river
, Minnesota
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Love shack
K, we have had no experience with rv's so don't laugh were just trying to understand. We don't understand if we have or don't a gray tank.
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As others have noted your trailer did not have a graywater tank when it was manufactured.
If a previous owner added a graywater tank then it will have a separate dump valve..
Quote:
If we don't were does the water go?
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It goes straight out the drain pipe unless the cap is in place, in which case it accumulates in the pipe until it fills up, which doesn't take long.
In the 1960s the usual practice was to take the cap off and let it run out on the ground or run a short hose to a drain hole. I believe it was also more common for campgrounds of that era to provide some sort of graywater-only drain hookup at campsites in those days. They would have been simple systems that just drained into the ground.
In most jurisdictions that's no longer allowed (though there are exceptions in the desert southwest where water evaporates quickly).
Quote:
We've asked and looked for the information on this but only get contradicting answers on this. Wether we have one or not. Then we've been told that it drains in the black tank. Is that even legal? So I don't understand, please some one explain. Oh it's a 1972 sovereign. Thank you.
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Either gray water tanks or combined black/gray systems were required for trailers manufactured starting in 1973 or so. The old trailers are still legal to use but you have to use a campsite with full hookups (most don't) or use a portable wastewater tank (blue boy).
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04-13-2011, 12:26 PM
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#6
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Wise Elder
2010 30' Classic
Vintage Kin Owner
South of the river
, Minnesota
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,169
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04-13-2011, 12:28 PM
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#7
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Moderator
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,153
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Love shack
What is a blue boy?
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It is a large plastic holding tank, usually with wheels on it. They come in various sizes.
Many years ago, RV just dumped their gray water directly on the ground. When that nwas deemed ecologically inappropriate, gray water holding tanks were incorporated in virtually all RV's.
Assuming that you do not have a gray tank, you can hook up directly to a sewer line or use a blue boy or similar holding tank.
Brian
__________________
SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
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04-13-2011, 12:35 PM
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#8
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2 Rivet Member
1972 31' Sovereign
Cadet
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jammer
As others have noted your trailer did not have a graywater tank when it was manufactured.
If a previous owner added a graywater tank then it will have a separate dump valve..
It goes straight out the drain pipe unless the cap is in place, in which case it accumulates in the pipe until it fills up, which doesn't take long.
In the 1960s the usual practice was to take the cap off and let it run out on the ground or run a short hose to a drain hole. I believe it was also more common for campgrounds of that era to provide some sort of graywater-only drain hookup at campsites in those days. They would have been simple systems that just drained into the ground.
In most jurisdictions that's no longer allowed (though there are exceptions in the desert southwest where water evaporates quickly).
Either gray water tanks or combined black/gray systems were required for trailers manufactured starting in 1973 or so. The old trailers are still legal to use but you have to use a campsite with full hookups (most don't) or use a portable wastewater tank (blue boy).
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Thank you guys for answering. We can't put water through because of broken pipes. We are trying to make a list of repairs and gain some knowledge on this trailer. So we can decide what are the must be dones and what can just come as we go. We want to attend the Disney rally next year. And have alot to accomplish before it's ready for a trip. Sorry to ask questions that seem so dumb but when we have no idea what we are doing, we just want to do it right. Thank you again for your help!
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04-13-2011, 12:40 PM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member
1972 31' Sovereign
Cadet
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jammer
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Thank you for the link.
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04-13-2011, 03:33 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1973 27' Overlander
Tucson
, AZ
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,480
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I'm thinking you probably don't have the Service Manual for your Airstream... you can order one here: https://store.airstream.com/product_...products_id=96
Very useful! I have both the Service Manual and the Owners Manual. IMO, the Owners Manual is almost useless and not worth the $$.
Course, your trailer may have come with unique options and/or the previous owners may have made modifications (like adding a grey water tank or adding something to drain the grey water into the black holding tank = both which are found on airstreams newer than yours).
Laura
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04-14-2011, 07:43 AM
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#11
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2 Rivet Member
1972 31' Sovereign
Cadet
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funkill
I'm thinking you probably don't have the Service Manual for your Airstream... you can order one here: https://store.airstream.com/product_...products_id=96
Very useful! I have both the Service Manual and the Owners Manual. IMO, the Owners Manual is almost useless and not worth the $$.
Course, your trailer may have come with unique options and/or the previous owners may have made modifications (like adding a grey water tank or adding something to drain the grey water into the black holding tank = both which are found on airstreams newer than yours).
Laura
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Thank you
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09-17-2011, 02:56 PM
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#12
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3 Rivet Member
1969 23' Safari
Athens
, Georgia
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 128
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Loveshack,
thank you for all those not-so-dumb questions that I have wrestled with all day. Everyone's answers were so helpful!
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