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Old 08-21-2015, 03:27 PM   #1
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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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Old 08-21-2015, 03:51 PM   #2
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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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Old 08-21-2015, 03:53 PM   #3
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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
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Old 08-21-2015, 04:40 PM   #4
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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.
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Old 08-21-2015, 04:41 PM   #5
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That is a problem that I'd figure a retired CSM could figure out. :P
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Old 08-21-2015, 08:28 PM   #6
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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.
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Old 08-22-2015, 12:54 AM   #7
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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.

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Old 08-22-2015, 07:18 AM   #8
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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
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Old 08-22-2015, 07:21 AM   #9
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Old 08-22-2015, 08:30 AM   #10
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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.
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Old 08-22-2015, 02:35 PM   #11
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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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Old 08-22-2015, 04:25 PM   #12
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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.



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Old 08-22-2015, 04:30 PM   #13
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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.
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Old 08-23-2015, 01:54 AM   #14
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I guess a 35 gallon external tank is in our future...
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Old 08-23-2015, 01:56 AM   #15
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Thanks everyone for all the help, I really appreciate it...
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Old 08-23-2015, 07:26 AM   #16
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A 35 gallon tank when full will weigh close to 300 pounds. Are you equipped to handle that weight?


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Old 08-23-2015, 09:16 AM   #17
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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.)
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Old 08-24-2015, 09:02 AM   #18
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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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Old 08-26-2015, 01:19 AM   #19
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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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