Black tank repair

[purman]

I just bought a 68 ambassador. There is a 30 gal black tank in the back and 20 gal. fresh in the front.

1 st thing... Can i upgrade the fresh water tank to a bigger one without effecting the pull?

2 nd can I put a black and grey tank in the back easily or is this a major job?

3 rd my grey water pipe comes in after the valve on the black tank, so I have the cap on and the valve open so the grey water goes into the black tank. But once i close the valve to the black tank and take the cap of to hook up a drain hose I get about 4 cups of "Well stuff" pouring out... Is this common with older airstreams or has this been modified?

My last thought was to buy a portable gray tank to hook up, but this seems a pain... is it....?

Thanks

[HowieE]

A 50% change in the front tank won't effect you towing that much. Keep in mind how often will you tow with a Full Fresh Water Tank.

Take a look at this site and or others to see what you options are as far a size.
RV Holding Tanks

I had a tank maker take a stock size tanks refitted with the inlet and out let I needed. The cost of the tank and shipping was 75% of retail.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by purman

I just bought a 68 ambassador. There is a 30 gal black tank in the back and 20 gal. fresh in the front.

1 st thing... Can i upgrade the fresh water tank to a bigger one without effecting the pull?

2 nd can I put a black and grey tank in the back easily or is this a major job?

3 rd my grey water pipe comes in after the valve on the black tank, so I have the cap on and the valve open so the grey water goes into the black tank. But once i close the valve to the black tank and take the cap of to hook up a drain hose I get about 4 cups of "Well stuff" pouring out... Is this common with older airstreams or has this been modified?

My last thought was to buy a portable gray tank to hook up, but this seems a pain... is it....?

Thanks

The front water tank was made with a 30 gallon tank.

Putting a gray tank near the axle, is a far better choice, and eliminates many problems from the beginning.

When you allow gray water to enter the black tank, the black water also backs up into the gray water lines, which in short terms, has created a health hazard big time.

Now you must disinfect the gray water lines, completely, to make sure that any and all bacteria that backed up into the gray water lines, has been eliminated.

Flushing the gray water lines with at least a couple of gallons of Clorox, should do the trick.

Either get a tote tank, for the gray water, or allow it to back
up into the gray lines, or design a small gray water holding tank setup.

Andy

[purman]

Thanks I measured it out and it is 30 gal. So that must make the black tank 40 gal, correct?

Also there is a crack on the out let of the black tank has anyone had luck with epoxy fixing this.. It is not a fiberglass tank... I just want to get it to stop leaking till I can tear into it this fall and winter...

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by purman

3 rd my grey water pipe comes in after the valve on the black tank, so I have the cap on and the valve open so the grey water goes into the black tank. But once i close the valve to the black tank and take the cap of to hook up a drain hose I get about 4 cups of "Well stuff" pouring out... Is this common with older airstreams or has this been modified?

Back in the days before the Greenies the gray water was dumped directly in what is called a gofer hole. The cap was left off while camping so the gray just drained. The black was saved until you got to a dump station.

To correct this you can see if there is room forward of the black tank to install a gray water tank and plumb it with a separate gray water valve to the cap.

If you can not get a 30 gallon gray water tank in there install as large a tank as you can. If the gray water fills up while you are camping it will back fill the shower stall, lowest point. If this happens what I do is, with the cap on, open the gray water valve then open the black water valve. The higher level of gray water will flow into the black tank. When you hear the water slow down in flow rate close the black water valve and then close the gray water valve. You will now have additional gray water space but you will have your 4 qts. of gray water to deal with when you open the cap.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by purman

Thanks I measured it out and it is 30 gal. So that must make the black tank 40 gal, correct?

Also there is a crack on the out let of the black tank has anyone had luck with epoxy fixing this.. It is not a fiberglass tank... I just want to get it to stop leaking till I can tear into it this fall and winter...

The black tank is more like 15 gallons.

Length x width x height = cubic inches

Divide the cubic inches by 231, that equals gallons.

Shave about and inche from all the dimensions.

You cannot epoxy repair the plastic. It won't hold past the first bump or two.

Andy

[purman]

Ok, things are starting to make sense... Thanks HowieE I couldn't figure out why it was set up the way it was.... So getting a portable grey tank till I can put one in sounds like the way to go....

Thanks Inland RV i will have to pour water in the toilet till the black tank fills up as I can't get to it to measure it...

And I'm guessing the only why to get to the undercarriage "and the black tank" is to drill out the rivets and pull the underbelly skin off..

Guess I better get my self a rivet gun...

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by purman

Ok, things are starting to make sense... Thanks HowieE I couldn't figure out why it was set up the way it was.... So getting a portable grey tank till I can put one in sounds like the way to go....

Thanks Inland RV i will have to pour water in the toilet till the black tank fills up as I can't get to it to measure it...

And I'm guessing the only why to get to the undercarriage "and the black tank" is to drill out the rivets and pull the underbelly skin off..

Guess I better get my self a rivet gun...

You will also need some rivets, and some number sized drill bits, #11, # 21 and # 30.

Andy