Black/Grey tank roof vent failures

[silverback]

We have had several failures of the tank roof vents where the valves (?) become stuck. Oasis RV replaced several under warranty and at least one that we paid for. Failure to vent either tank can lead to an unpleasant experience when you open the trailer door. Whew. Not enough to set the CO alarm off but... At first I thought I was adding non performing chemicals to the tanks but that wasn't it. The failure typically occurs after we have been using the trailer and then tow down the road a hundred miles or more. I'm thinking it may have to do with our extremely dry south western climate drying out the valve material. Has anyone else experienced this in their 06 vintage trailer (or other)? Anyone have a D.I.Y. fix or preventive measure?

And I did search the forums and didn't find other posts on this topic.

Thanks,
Ken

[Air2Go]

Hey, Ken—
I can't vouch for this personally, as I am still in the process of finding an Airstream to call my very own , but based on many online recommendations (and the fact that it was on sale), I purchased The Holding Tank Cyclone, made by Camco. It's designed to pull waste gases out of the trailer using the cyclonic effect; you probably are aware of these gizmos.

But it occurs to me that adding the cyclone to the vent opening would also offer additional protection from the elements for the vent opening itself.

Just a thought. Good luck!

[azflycaster]

Ken,
Maybe the problem is caused by the lack of water in the P-traps. The water in the trap prevents gases from the tank from backing up into the trailer. You should be able to identify a dry trap with your nose.

[Chuck]

plumbing vent valves?? what valves??

CO?
not from the waste tank. methane (stinky and explosive) sure. I don't think you'd have a methane detector in your trailer...but hey, they think of everything these days....

dry traps would make it stink inside the trailer. another possibility would be a vent stack pipe that isn't completely attached to the tank. although, you'd smell that all the time, not just immediately after a drive.

[2dabeach]

Originally Posted by silverback

We have had several failures of the tank roof vents where the valves (?) become stuck. Oasis RV replaced several under warranty and at least one that we paid for. Failure to vent either tank can lead to an unpleasant experience when you open the trailer door. Whew. Not enough to set the CO alarm off but... At first I thought I was adding non performing chemicals to the tanks but that wasn't it. The failure typically occurs after we have been using the trailer and then tow down the road a hundred miles or more. I'm thinking it may have to do with our extremely dry south western climate drying out the valve material. Has anyone else experienced this in their 06 vintage trailer (or other)? Anyone have a D.I.Y. fix or preventive measure?

And I did search the forums and didn't find other posts on this topic.

Thanks,
Ken

Ken.... What tank roof vent valves are you referring to? Our 2007 25' has round white plastic roof vents that just cover up the plastic ABS vent pipes coming up from the gray & black water tanks as they come through the roof. The only "valves" we have are the ProVent vacuume breaks that are installed on the plastic ABS gray water waste lines adjacent to the shower and the kitchen & bathroom sinks?