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06-02-2008, 05:37 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol
, California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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Need Help...Electric Toothbrush in Tank
My daughter dropped our electric toothbrush inside the toilet and flushed it down. It seems to have done some real havoc in there as I cannot open the drain to empty the tank. I've had to have it sucked out from the top.
Any ideas? I've tried the coat hanger approach. I'm thinking I need to take it to a repair center and have the tank removed to correct the problem. Does anyone have recommendations on who around Santa Rosa CA works on airstreams?
Thanks,
Ben
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06-02-2008, 06:05 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville
, Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
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Oh my goodness! History repeats itself (I had a toothbrush go down my tank too). I filled & emptied mine a bunch of times, but since you can't get it open, that's not an option. I used a camera snake that plumbers use to locate the toothbrush. It was wedged next to where the hole is for the dump. If you can get your hands on a camera snake (they have them at Home Depot, I think , for under $200), at least you can locate the toothbrush. I then used a hanger to move it out, because without the camera, I was just going blind in there. Maybe you could find it & unwedge it if you do get a camera. The toothbrush actually fit down the dump tube and came out the other end. Needless to say, it was a really crappy job, but made alot of people here laugh. I now have the cleanest black tank anyone has ever seen! Good luck.......I feel for you!
__________________
Becky
1964 Bambi II
1988 Avion 32S
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06-02-2008, 06:07 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville
, Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
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By the way, the plumber's camera snake is waterproof, so if you do have some liquid in there (as long as you can see through it), it won't hurt the camera.
__________________
Becky
1964 Bambi II
1988 Avion 32S
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06-02-2008, 06:49 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
1972 25' Tradewind
North Vancouver
, British Columbia
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,421
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Really long rubber glove and just reach in and feel around until you find it!
__________________
Cameron & the Labradors, Kai & Samm
North Vancouver, BC
Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death! - Mame Dennis
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06-02-2008, 07:37 PM
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#5
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3 Rivet Member
1973 25' Tradewind
Romulus
, New York
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 139
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Better yet let your daughter do it. Just kidding!
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06-02-2008, 07:40 PM
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#6
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Rivet Master
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville
, Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
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From experience, your arm isn't long enough to go anywhere unless you remove the toilet!
__________________
Becky
1964 Bambi II
1988 Avion 32S
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06-02-2008, 07:50 PM
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#7
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Desert Fox
1985 31' Sovereign
Tucson
, Arizona
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 250
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Hi All,
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06-02-2008, 08:03 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1999 23' Safari
Perrysburg
, Ann Arbor
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 916
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What an Idea!
Gosh, I don't let our kids clean the toilet with our electric toothbrush, but I bet it'd do a great job of cleaning! Now, why didn't I think of that? I'm always looking for better ways to do things by reading this forum. Guess it'd need a tether though, huh?
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06-02-2008, 08:04 PM
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#9
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4 Rivet Member
1994 34' Excella
1978 31' Sovereign
Mansfield
, Georgia
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 275
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Hey Aluminumb,
Just a thought...
Option #1 Raise your electrice tongue jack all the way up. Run a graden hose through your open rear window to where a spray nozzel will reach the opening to your toilet.
Fill the black water tank all the way up with fresh water through the toilet. Get a broom handle. Open the toilet ball valve, stick the handle down and adgitate.
Open the black water gate valve...and pray it comes out.
Option #2 Fill your black water tank all the way full with freash water. Find a long up extremely uphill grade. Open the gate valve and drive really fast.
Good luck, please let us know the solution that works.
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06-02-2008, 08:10 PM
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#10
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Tramp Streamer
Commercial Member
1995 28' Excella
Artist
, at Large
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,002
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For peat's sake, buy a new electric toothbrush.
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06-03-2008, 11:55 AM
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#11
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Site Team
1974 31' Sovereign
Ottawa
, ON
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 11,219
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I wonder if there's much actual metal in one of those toothbrushes to stick to one of those magnets on the end of a long flexible "stick" (actually a fine coil) that I see at the hardware store?
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06-03-2008, 12:33 PM
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#12
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Desert Fox
1985 31' Sovereign
Tucson
, Arizona
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 250
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Hi,
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06-03-2008, 12:51 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
2005 28' International CCD
Willoughby
, Ohio
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 543
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My first thought was "send the kid in after it" but then I thought of what MY daughter would have said to that (Oh DAD!)
I'd use a combination of a car mechanic's mirror (small mirror on a telescoping wand), a good flashlight, and a car mechanic's "dropped screw picker upper" - flexible cable with a "claw" on the end.
And I agree with the sentiment for getting a new toothbrush!!!
__________________
Steve & Susan
WBCCI# 03876
AIR# 6511
2005 28' CCD, 2011 Sierra 5.3L, Equal-I-Zer
Empty Nesters - spending our money on OURSELVES for a change!
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06-03-2008, 03:41 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master
1991 34' Excella
Princeton
, New Jersey
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,070
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Drop as much belly pan as necessary to get to the valve and the elbow leading the the tank. Take a hack saw and cut the valves out. Just make sure you leave at least 1 in of pipe at the tank end to attach the coulplings too when finished. Once you have the brush out you can put things back togeather with a Fernco Fitting that you can buy at any Home Depot.
Better yet go buy the fittings first so you can see what you are working with.
You will most likely have to cut the piping from both tanks and may have to support the assembly after you put it back togeather. This support may be necessary to resist your puling on the valve handles as the Ferncos are just rubber.
This will cost you about $10.00 for the 2 fittings and some time.
__________________
WBCCI 12156 AIR 3144 WACHUNG TAC NJ6
2004 Excursion 4x4
1991 34 ft. Excella +220,000 miles, new laminated flooring, new upholstery, new 3200 lbs axles
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06-03-2008, 03:56 PM
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#15
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Moderator
2004 30' Classic Slideout
Fenton
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 10,403
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Reminds me of my encounter last fall.....For those of you new to the Forum.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f239...ler-37085.html
Jack
__________________
Jack Canavera
STL Mo.
AIR #56 S/OS#15
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500
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06-03-2008, 05:59 PM
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#16
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Rivet Master
2017 27' Flying Cloud
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Altoona
, Florida
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,644
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?
I'm confused as how anything droped into the tank could prevent opening a gate valve. If it were a problem with closing the valve then I could under stand. Can anyone help me here?
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06-03-2008, 06:06 PM
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#17
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Rivet Master
1965 17' Caravel
1983 27' Excella
Walnut Grove/Laguna Woods
, California
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,635
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pop Rivet
I'm confused as how anything droped into the tank could prevent opening a gate valve. If it were a problem with closing the valve then I could under stand. Can anyone help me here?
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I'm with you. Nothing, except maybe a large volumn of epoxy, dropped into the tank should hinder opening the gate valve.
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06-04-2008, 05:49 AM
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#18
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Aluminut
2004 25' Safari
.
, Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ArtStream
For peat's sake, buy a new electric toothbrush.
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Problem is that on some 25ers, the PVC bend will capture the electric toothbrush, blocking the emptying of the tank.
Once you find it, or even if you don't, take a shop vac, shove the hose into the tank from the head, and fish it around in there. As long as you have a good vac the suction could grab it and if not ingest it and pull it into the vac, at least bring it closer to the entry point of the head to grab it some way. I would try this before yanking the tank. You'd be surprised at what a good shop vac can pickup. I have one from Sears and although I've never attempted this type of use with it, I would think this might work given some of the things it's caught just doing normal vacuuming around the garage. I used it to clean out some junk children threw in an HVAC vent at the house. Unreal what it pulled out of the vent.
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06-05-2008, 01:56 PM
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#19
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Rivet Master
2005 28' International CCD
Willoughby
, Ohio
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 543
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If you take SILVERTWINKIE'S method, be sure to get a new filter for that shop vac
So, what is the progress? What worked?
__________________
Steve & Susan
WBCCI# 03876
AIR# 6511
2005 28' CCD, 2011 Sierra 5.3L, Equal-I-Zer
Empty Nesters - spending our money on OURSELVES for a change!
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06-05-2008, 02:15 PM
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#20
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Rivet Master
1951 21' Flying Cloud
1960 24' Tradewind
West Coast
, BC
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,790
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I think Silvertwinkies idea is a good one. I've used my shop vac to get stuff out of some really awkward places. It can be messy for sure but very worth a try.
Your best bet though it to borrow a friends shop vac as yours must be "broken".
Barry
__________________
Barry & Donna
Life is short - so is the door on a '51 Flying Cloud (ouch)
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