Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-02-2008, 05:37 PM   #1
2 Rivet Member
 
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol , California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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
Aluminumb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 06:05 PM   #2
Rivet Master
 
Becky B.'s Avatar
 
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville , Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
Images: 19
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
Becky B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 06:07 PM   #3
Rivet Master
 
Becky B.'s Avatar
 
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville , Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
Images: 19
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
Becky B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 06:49 PM   #4
Rivet Master
 
cameront120's Avatar
 
1972 25' Tradewind
North Vancouver , British Columbia
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,421
Images: 23
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
cameront120 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 07:37 PM   #5
3 Rivet Member
 
1973 25' Tradewind
Romulus , New York
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 139
Better yet let your daughter do it. Just kidding!
jayray5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 07:40 PM   #6
Rivet Master
 
Becky B.'s Avatar
 
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville , Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
Images: 19
From experience, your arm isn't long enough to go anywhere unless you remove the toilet!
__________________
Becky


1964 Bambi II
1988 Avion 32S
Becky B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 07:50 PM   #7
Desert Fox
 
1985 31' Sovereign
Tucson , Arizona
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 250
Smile Hi All,

Back up camera now is under$59. You can use that to locate the brush. Let your doughter from now on brush her teeth in the kichen.Just kidding.
Regards Russell
RUSSELL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 08:03 PM   #8
Rivet Master
 
AirsDream's Avatar
 
1999 23' Safari
Perrysburg , Ann Arbor
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 916
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?
AirsDream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 08:04 PM   #9
4 Rivet Member
 
KeithC's Avatar
 
1994 34' Excella
1978 31' Sovereign
Mansfield , Georgia
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 275
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.
KeithC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 08:10 PM   #10
Tramp Streamer
Commercial Member
 
ArtStream's Avatar
 
1995 28' Excella
Artist , at Large
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,002
Images: 65
Blog Entries: 1
For peat's sake, buy a new electric toothbrush.
ArtStream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 11:55 AM   #11
Site Team
 
Aage's Avatar
 
1974 31' Sovereign
Ottawa , ON
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 11,219
Images: 25
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?
Aage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 12:33 PM   #12
Desert Fox
 
1985 31' Sovereign
Tucson , Arizona
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 250
Smile Hi,

Buy a new tooth brush and get a magnet and see what happens. Normaly the motor is made out of copper wire and not much iron but you may get lucky. In my AS during costruction they droped a bolt in the black tank and when i flushed it moved to the valve and stuck it open. Two hund later for the parts and my labor it was out. The problem is that AS clues everyting at the factory assuming that the valves will never need replacing. I use AS sealent on the pipes so I can take them appart as needed.
Regards from Russell in hot and sunny Tucson Az.
RUSSELL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 12:51 PM   #13
Rivet Master
 
Steve & Susan's Avatar
 
2005 28' International CCD
Willoughby , Ohio
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 543
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!
Steve & Susan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 03:41 PM   #14
Rivet Master
 
HowieE's Avatar
 
1991 34' Excella
Princeton , New Jersey
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,070
Images: 12
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

HowieE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 03:56 PM   #15
Moderator
 
jcanavera's Avatar

 
2004 30' Classic Slideout
Fenton , Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 10,403
Images: 143
Send a message via AIM to jcanavera Send a message via Skype™ to jcanavera
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
jcanavera is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 05:59 PM   #16
Rivet Master
 
2017 27' Flying Cloud
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Altoona , Florida
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,644
?

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?
Poprivet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2008, 06:06 PM   #17
Rivet Master
 
Jim Foster's Avatar
 
1965 17' Caravel
1983 27' Excella
Walnut Grove/Laguna Woods , California
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,635
Send a message via Yahoo to Jim Foster
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?
I'm with you. Nothing, except maybe a large volumn of epoxy, dropped into the tank should hinder opening the gate valve.
Jim Foster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2008, 05:49 AM   #18
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArtStream View Post
For peat's sake, buy a new electric toothbrush.
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.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2008, 01:56 PM   #19
Rivet Master
 
Steve & Susan's Avatar
 
2005 28' International CCD
Willoughby , Ohio
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 543
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!
Steve & Susan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2008, 02:15 PM   #20
Rivet Master
 
safari57's Avatar
 
1951 21' Flying Cloud
1960 24' Tradewind
West Coast , BC
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,790
Images: 10
Send a message via MSN to safari57
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)
safari57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Toothbrush Disappears in Toilet!! HELP! Becky B. Sinks, Showers & Toilets 68 08-10-2010 08:01 PM
For electric for genration hase to be oun for electric RichardT Electrical - Systems, Generators, Batteries & Solar 7 12-05-2005 08:05 PM
electric brakes Al1 Brakes & Brake Controllers 16 02-08-2005 07:59 PM
Electric or Gas electric fridge replacement?? tin can luv Refrigerators 26 03-22-2004 09:50 AM
Electric rslaymaker 1960 - 1965 Safari 2 05-29-2002 10:46 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:19 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.