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mojo · 02-15-2016, 08:31 AM

Removing the toilet is really not that difficult and since your trailer is new should came off easily. Then you have the ability to get a flexible light and mirror in the access hole and determine how to grab it.

caseywsj · 02-15-2016, 09:30 AM

The flex hose pic brought back memories I had summer of 2014 in the MH. Too much TP clogged it up. Happy ending, but not fun at the time. Good luck with the fork!

**GCinSC2** · 02-15-2016, 09:40 AM

Time to buy a new fork. He said not having done the same boo boo, yet.

smccollister · 02-15-2016, 09:44 AM

I would have started the original post with "So my friend has this problem..."

Protagonist · 02-15-2016, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zstreamer

Made an embarrassing rookie mistake. Grey tank was almost full and dishes needed to be washed. I use a bowl to catch sink water and then I flush it down the toilet.

I have done this a few times. But when I empty my dishpan into the toilet, the toilet flush is CLOSED so that the toilet bowl fills. Then I flush. Anything that accidentally gets dumped never gets a chance to make it into the black tank because it's trapped in the toilet bowl where it can be fished out without needing arms like an anorexic orangutan. Fewer odors escaping that way, too.

m.hony · 02-15-2016, 10:44 AM

I ain't the smartest man in the world, but...
Looks like to me you just got a fork in your black tank...
It may be there forever-
It may come right out when you drain-

lsbrodsky · 02-15-2016, 11:03 AM

This is not going to be helpful to the OP, but I gotta say that my best entertainment comes from reading posts on this Forum! I make it a point to learn from every post possible!

Larry

dower.bill · 02-15-2016, 11:40 AM

If you really want to resolve this, you likely could find a plumber who has a fiber optic grabber tool, and (after a thorough drain/flush cycle or two), have them run this tool through the toilet into the tank. These tools have light and remote video, so even if the tank is not immediately below the toilet, they will be able to find and likely retrieve the fork. Unless the plumber is your uncle/aunt or nephew/niece, there will be a charge for it, but if you take the trailer to the plumber's place of business, maybe it would be relatively minor. Pretty easy and quick, compared to how those things usually get used. I would call around and see what prices get quoted, being clear on how short a distance it is going to be, and pointing out how this will simplify their tool cleanup work.

Likely there will be no issue on just leaving the fork in place, unless the fork catches some toilet paper and gets dragged into the valve seat during an 'empty'.

Best of luck.

comprose · 02-15-2016, 12:18 PM

Please let us know how this comes to pass!

dcasr · 02-15-2016, 01:34 PM

Of all the possible explanations about how your fork got into the toilet holding tank, yours was probably the least disgusting. Why didn't you pour the sink basin contents into the toilet before you opened the drop valve? Never mind, hindsight is always perfect.

Memo to self, don't do this.

JCWDCW · 02-15-2016, 01:37 PM

I would dump the black tank, mount a strong magnet on the end of a plumber's snake and fish through the dump valve (duct tape time). You might even get it through the toilet. As far as the tongs and fork or anything else you use just give it a good wash and bleach it in a bucket. No reason whatsoever to discard it.
JCW

Minipad · 02-15-2016, 01:42 PM

I had the same thing happen with a table knife. I dumped as normal (several times actually) and after the dump, had my wife run her skinny little arm into the black tank from the dump side with the valve open. She easily retrieved the knife. Knife and wife have both been sterilized and returned to service.

The fork is probably shorter than my knife and may go out with the flush. If not, it will likely hold up in the 90 degree bend from your tank to the valve.

By the way, I always wash my dishes in a pan and then dump it in my black tank to help balance the waste water storage. Now, I'm just a little more thorough on checking my dish pan before I pour it in the toilet!

Best of luck.

SeeMore · 02-15-2016, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Same advice for a fork as for a toothbrush. Clean thoroughly before returning it to service.

Just be glad it wasn't dentures

markdoane · 02-15-2016, 02:07 PM

Use your iPhone and a selfie stick down the hole to find it. What could go wrong?

PKI · 02-15-2016, 02:13 PM

Going to keep checking in on this one. FYI, they make flexible video cameras for investigating places you can not see and tool stores have those flexible snakes with a set of spring loaded grabber claws which spread when you push them out of the tube and retract to grab the object when the spring pulls it back into the tube. No way would I go get the wife. She did not get enough chocolate for V-day to pay for that work assignment. But buying new tools, now that is a winner! Pat

Oh, I see Pro mentioned that tool early in the thread. Should have read it all before posting. All trailers need one of those. And KJR got the camera on the job in the next one. I took a couple of years trying to justify one of those.

**Janet H** · 02-15-2016, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minipad

I had the same thing happen with a table knife. I dumped as normal (several times actually) and after the dump, had my wife run her skinny little arm into the black tank from the dump side with the valve open.....

Saintly....

Nomad518 · 02-15-2016, 03:10 PM

They say confession is good for the soul, so here goes. A few years ago while camping at a very nice RV park with full hookups, I decided I would take advantage of the good water supply and give my black tank a good flushing. I bought a cheap toilet bowl brush to scrub the tube between the underside of the toilet flush valve and the top of the black holding tank. While flushing with one foot on the toilet flush lever and scrubbing with the brush, the stem of the brush separated from the handle leaving me holding the handle as the brush dropped into the black holding tank. It didn't float. I drained the black tank hoping the brush wouldn't go down the drain tube and get stuck. I got lucky. Once the black tank was drained, I turned off the city water supply, stepped on the toilet flush valve to open it up, then I shined a flashlight down into the tank. Sure enough, there was the brush laying on the bottom of the tank. I got creative and used a straightened coat hanger and the awning strap rod to fish the brush out. And, I promptly threw it and the coat hanger away. The awning rod got a good scrubbing. I told my neighbor what I had done and he disappeared into his trailer reappearing in a minute with one of those rods you use to pick up trash and stuff (squeeze handle on one end gripper claws on the other). $1.99 at Harbor Freight. Evidently he had it on board after a similar problem. I felt better knowing I wasn't the only person to experience this. Hopefully you'll feel better now too.

gghayes · 02-15-2016, 03:17 PM

As an aside, regarding "I am glad it was not dentures", I was on a class reunion cruise one time that was going thru some very rough water. One of my friends got very sick and lost his dentures in the toilet. There was no retrieving them.
Gloria

m.hony · 02-15-2016, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

Use your iPhone and a selfie stick down the hole to find it. What could go wrong?

Uh oh...

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

Zstreamer · 02-15-2016, 05:24 PM

You guys are funny. I was able to dump no problem this morning but I have no way of knowing if the fork is sill in there. I like the magnet idea so I will try that with some fishing line and see what happens. I will also try to convince my wife to stick her arm in the dump valve and see if she feels anything. I'm sure if she somehow agrees to this, I am going to pay the price one way or the other. Actually that makes me more worried than anything......looks like I may be calling a plumber.