Configuratioin of Plumbing in 1966 Ambassador

[elhoppy7]

We just bought a 1966 28' Ambassador. Its in pretty rough shape. We will be gutting it but there does not appear to be any dump valves on the outside of the camper and we can't figure out where the black, gray and fresh water tanks are. Are these all enclosed under the floor? It looks like there is a covering over the bottom of the camper in the back. Is this where all of the plumbing and valves are held? I would just like an overview explanation of this configuration. Thanks!

[overlander64]

Greetings elhoppy7!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Airstream ownership!

Originally Posted by elhoppy7

We just bought a 1966 28' Ambassador. Its in pretty rough shape. We will be gutting it but there does not appear to be any dump valves on the outside of the camper and we can't figure out where the black, gray and fresh water tanks are. Are these all enclosed under the floor? It looks like there is a covering over the bottom of the camper in the back. Is this where all of the plumbing and valves are held? I would just like an overview explanation of this configuration. Thanks!

With Vintage Airstreams of this era, the dump valve was often accessed through the rear "one-stop" service compartment. The Thetford valve should be in the near vicinity of the toilet. I am not sure whether Airstream had switched back to the above floor black water tank or if they were still utilizing a below-floor black water tank similar to my 1964. The one way to tell is if the toilet is mounted directly to the floor, your tank is below floor -- it is sitting up on a platform, you have an above floor tank. If your coach doesn't have a "one-stop" service hatch on the rear, look along, under, and behind the bumper for the dump valve handle. Most of the plumbing will be hidden by the bellypan -- about all that you will see in many cases is the dump valve outlet and the handle. Unless a previous owner has added a gray water tank, your coach will not have one as Airstream did not install gray water tanks in its coaches until the mid 1970s.

Good luck with your project!

Kevin

[elhoppy7]

Thank you! Based on what you said, our toilet does sit on a platform, so I guess it is above the floor. I guess the "one-stop" service is located in the hatch in the back. There is a small combination lock on the door but the previous owner had no key. Are you saying that is where the dump valve should be? So, if there is no gray tank in these models, where and how did the gray water leave the camper? Did gray water go directly into the black water tank? Do these years have fresh water tanks? Thanks so much for your explanations. This has helped!

[Kwuser]

I have a 65 Ambassador. They is no gray tank on this vintage. Just a clear water tank in the front behind the lounge and the black in the rear under the toilet. The dump valve is accessible via the one stop service panel.

[Kwuser]

Continuation of the above. In the old days it was seen as ok to either dig a gopher hole for the “gray water” contents or dump it on the ground as it was just dish water or shower water. Now in the modern area that presents an issue. I am looking to install a specialized gray tank on my unit. Currently, I use a portable dump tank if I do not have access to a dump station handy.

[overlander64]

Greetings elhoppy!

Originally Posted by elhoppy7

So, if there is no gray tank in these models, where and how did the gray water leave the camper? Did gray water go directly into the black water tank?

A little additional information may help. The gray water and black water exit through the same outlet. There is a "gate valve" at the end of the black water tank -- then there is length of pipe where the gray water plumbing joins the black water plumbing -- the gray water continually drains through this outlet while the black water only drains when the gate valve is released. When camped, you must remove the "termination" cap to avoid having the gray water back up into your bathtub or shower pan as it will seek the lowest point in your plumbing once the length of pipe between the gate valve and "termination" cap is filled (the caps also have a garden hose adapter so that you can use a garden hose to drain the gray water -- or a washing machine hose to connect to a "blue boy" portable waste water tank). One other hint, if you find that you need to replace your "termination" cap, there is a very high probability that it will take a "Thetford" termination cap which is unusual in today's RV world -- still readily available, just not stocked by every RV parts outlet -- the same can be said for the adapter to attach your dump hose to the outlet -- it also needs to be "Thetford" rather than "Valterra".


Good luck with your coach!


Kevin