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08-21-2015, 03:27 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1972 23' Safari
Hereford
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
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Water backing up in shower drain
Have a 1972 Safari 23 footer that is having water issues. We went camping and hooked up to electric and water. Only used toilet a few times and what looked like waste water filling the shower floor from the floor drain. Went and dumped and returned to water hook up and the same thing happened. Dumped and hooked up the water again and waited a few hours and nothing on the floor. I washed a few dishes in the sink and the shower was filled again. What could be causing this issue. Not sure what size my tanks are.
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08-21-2015, 03:51 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1972 25' Tradewind
Currently Looking...
McHenry County
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,171
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The '72s do not have grey water tanks. All the water from the sinks drain to the collector at the rear where, ideally, there is a tote tank or "Blue Boy" With the cap on the collector water from the sink drains fill the shower pan.
Common occurance.
Tom
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08-21-2015, 03:53 PM
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#3
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Patriotic
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston
, Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
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You have the cap on your sewer outlet...there is no grey water tank in your trailer, and nowhere for the grey water to go, so it backs up into the shower (being the lowest point).
The sink/shower drains connect to the sewer outlet pipe, below the black tank valve. Running water is supposed to exit from that pipe, either onto the ground, into a slinky-hose that leads to a sewer connection, or into an external waste tank (blue-boy).
Your black tank valve is open (or missing), so when you use the toilet, the waste water is held back by the same cap on the sewer outlet, and backs up into the shower drain.
Your black tank valve should be closed; get a blue-boy, and connect that to the sewer outlet; drag this over to the dump station before you break camp. (or use a bucket. Or let it drop on the ground...which is not likely legal. )
There are sewer outlet caps that have a 5/8ths garden hose connection on them; these are to run a length of garden hose from the sewer outlet to the blue boy.
Thetford Garden Hose Adapter 02283
Portable Holding Tanks | Tote Tanks | Portable Tote Waste Tank
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
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08-21-2015, 04:40 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
2006 23' Safari SE
Biloxi
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 8,278
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You either need to hook up to a drain or a portable tank. I had the same issue when I got my 64 Bambi II. Baffled me to no end until figured my mistake out.
__________________
MICHAEL
Do you know what a learning experience is? A learning experience is one of those things that says "You know that thing that you just did? Don't do that."
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08-21-2015, 04:41 PM
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#5
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Always learning
1972 29' Ambassador
1962 19' Globetrotter
1951 21' Flying Cloud
Central
, Texas
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,881
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That is a problem that I'd figure a retired CSM could figure out. :P
__________________
Lance
Work is never done, so take time to play!
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08-21-2015, 08:28 PM
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#6
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4 Rivet Member
1963 16' Bambi
Stevens Point
, Wisconsin
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 318
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Hey Bscott,
Get a bathtub stopper from vintage trailer supply, keeps the shower floor from filling up with drain water when we forget to open the valve to the Blueboy.
Tim
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08-22-2015, 12:54 AM
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#7
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2 Rivet Member
1972 23' Safari
Hereford
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
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Thanks for the quick replys except for Top's (just kidding). I think that's a pretty shitty design for crap to come up the shower drain. The third time when I only washed a few dishes it filled up real quick. I now know the tank is only 14 gallons but I only used about 5 gallons.
Thanks
Bob Scott
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08-22-2015, 07:18 AM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1972 31' Sovereign
1975 31' Excella 500
Currently Looking...
Benton
, Arkansas
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5,868
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Back in the day, your trailer was built for the sink and shower water to drain directly to the ground, of course this is frowned upon or is illegal now..
I am amazed that the the pipes hold near 5 gallons...
You need one of these to capture your grey water.
http://m.campingworld.com/shopping/i...7-gallon/82132
__________________
The fact that I am opinionated does not presuppose that I am wrong......
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08-22-2015, 07:21 AM
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#9
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Rivet Master
1972 31' Sovereign
1975 31' Excella 500
Currently Looking...
Benton
, Arkansas
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5,868
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By the way, have a meal at Riccardo's for me!
You live right next to my most favorite restaurant...
__________________
The fact that I am opinionated does not presuppose that I am wrong......
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08-22-2015, 08:30 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master
2006 23' Safari SE
Biloxi
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 8,278
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Perfectly normal and exceptable design for the period your trailer was built. It was built prior to environmental awareness and political correctness. Some have added gray tanks to their vintage trailers to bring them up to date.
Note about using a stopper, if you can find one that fits tight enough to actually stop the back wash the water still has to go somewhere. That other place might not be as easy to clean out as the shower floor. Learned from actual experience with a wet bath 1964 Bambi II.
__________________
MICHAEL
Do you know what a learning experience is? A learning experience is one of those things that says "You know that thing that you just did? Don't do that."
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08-22-2015, 02:35 PM
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#11
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2 Rivet Member
1998 31' Excella 1000
Clear Lake
, Minnesota
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 54
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Get a Zircon Leak Alert Electronic Water Detector and place it next to the shower drain (Battery operated signals loud beep when water appears below it). That way as soon as water backs up you know it. And it is possible that it may save an incident of overflow onto floor and down the hall. Also get one to place next to your water heater at home!
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08-22-2015, 04:25 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1974 Argosy 26
Morrill
, Nebraska
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,014
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Water backing up in shower drain
I think you are confusing the black water tank which would be about 14 gallons in the '70's.. Unless a grey water tank has been installed there is no meaningful storage capacity in your coach for grey water.
The design has not changed and would be difficult to change since the shower/tub is the low point in the plumbing system. While it is above a grey water tank (if installed) once the tank or in your case the sewer pipe is full the first place the grey water will appear is in the shower.
The solution is to be connected to a sewer or install a grey water holding tank or get a blue boy or equivalent portable tank.
But keep in mind any tank you install or use. Once it is full it will still back into the shower pan. Only a connection to a sewer will eliminate the back up situation.
If you use a portable tank be sure not to over fill it. If you do you won't be able to disconnect the portable tank without making a BIG MESS because you have no way to close off the grey water to install the cap.
Sent from my iPod touch using Airstream Forums
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08-22-2015, 04:30 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
1972 25' Tradewind
North Vancouver
, British Columbia
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,421
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Been there, done that! Just be sure the cap is off the sewer outlet and you eliminate the problem. As mentioned, there's no grey tank and the waste water from your kitchen sink has no place to go but up (the shower drain) if the sewer cap is left on.
__________________
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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08-23-2015, 01:54 AM
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#14
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2 Rivet Member
1972 23' Safari
Hereford
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
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I guess a 35 gallon external tank is in our future...
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08-23-2015, 01:56 AM
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#15
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2 Rivet Member
1972 23' Safari
Hereford
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
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Thanks everyone for all the help, I really appreciate it...
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08-23-2015, 07:26 AM
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#16
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Rivet Master
1974 Argosy 26
Morrill
, Nebraska
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,014
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A 35 gallon tank when full will weigh close to 300 pounds. Are you equipped to handle that weight?
Sent from my iPod touch using Airstream Forums
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08-23-2015, 09:16 AM
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#17
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Patriotic
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston
, Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
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I think he's talking about an external tank, which sits on the ground, so....weight is not an issue. (unless you have to drag the thing uphill to get to a dump station, but tanks of this size typically have a hook of some sort so they can be towed by a vehicle.)
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
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08-24-2015, 09:02 AM
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#18
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1 Rivet Member
2013 23' International
foster
, Kentucky
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 6
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I have a 2013 International. If after doing dishes I let the kitchen sink stopper out to drain the sink ...it bubbles up in the shower before (I believe) making it to the gray tank. I have to bleed it out.
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08-26-2015, 01:19 AM
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#19
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2 Rivet Member
1972 23' Safari
Hereford
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
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Got to look at the underside of the dump valve and saw the grey water drain pipe was below the valve. So I now fully understand why the water backs up into the shower pan.
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