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Old 02-27-2010, 09:18 AM   #1
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Exclamation HELP! New/used Bambi has crap in the craper!

I just brought home my bambi and everything seemed good winterized etc but I was playing with the moniter and the black tank now shows full. It was showing empty last week so I got out my flashlight and looked in the toilet and there is a large pile in there! Anyway to flush just the black water tank without de winterizing it? I dont want to have any problems down there. It looks like there is antifreeze in there now but I've been running the heater so now the is a faint smell when I looked in the toilet. Please help! ;(
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Old 02-27-2010, 09:23 AM   #2
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You could pour buckets of hot water (from your house) down the toilet without dewinterizing. Let the gate go (if you have a place to dump what comes out) & repeat it a few times.
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Old 02-27-2010, 09:26 AM   #3
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I would suggest the buckets of hot water also. In addition, you may have to do it several times, I would also drive the trailer around with the hot water in the tank to help dissolve and shake the contents up before dumping.

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Old 02-27-2010, 09:29 AM   #4
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Thanks will do!
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Old 02-27-2010, 09:58 AM   #5
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Sounds like the previous owner either didn't practice dumping the tank full, or never was instructed that you don't leave the black water drain valve open when connected to a full hookup site.

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Old 02-27-2010, 11:03 AM   #6
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garden hose

If you have access to a garden hose you can always attach a wand to that and blast the @#$%^ off the bottom, with the sewer hose connected if you have a way to dump at home. Good luck!
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Old 02-27-2010, 11:04 AM   #7
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Flushed it out with hot water. Not too much in there but flushed it out unitl clean water flowed through a couple times. The tank moniter still shows full. It looks compleatly empty and I put @ cup of antifreeze in the toilet. Shoud I re calibrate my sensors? Or maybe it is a faulty sensor? Any idea how I can check? As for not dumping correctly, could be the case. They only camped in her 3 times and when I went to fire up the furnace the instructions were still inside the heater. So far everything looks good. Dead maggots are gone too! A perfect way to spend a Saturday. Thanks again for all of the help, maybe someday I will learn enough to return the favor for the next newbe!
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Old 02-27-2010, 11:26 AM   #8
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Flushed it out with hot water. Not too much in there but flushed it out unitl clean water flowed through a couple times. The tank moniter still shows full. It looks compleatly empty and I put @ cup of antifreeze in the toilet. Shoud I re calibrate my sensors? Or maybe it is a faulty sensor? Any idea how I can check? As for not dumping correctly, could be the case. They only camped in her 3 times and when I went to fire up the furnace the instructions were still inside the heater. So far everything looks good. Dead maggots are gone too! A perfect way to spend a Saturday. Thanks again for all of the help, maybe someday I will learn enough to return the favor for the next newbe!
Sometimes that will correct itself after cleaning as everything slips off the sensor. The level monitors are notorious for reading full all the time, though. Especially the black tank. Thetford makes a product called Level Gauge Cleaner to address the problem. You should be able to find it or something similar at a RV place.

Instructions are:

Usage:

1. For cleaning Holding Tank Level Sensors: Choose a warm day - at least 75°F. Fill 40-gallon tank with water. Add ½ bottle. Mix by driving vehicle. Let sit 24 hours. Drive vehicle again to loosen deposits. Empty and rinse holding tank.

2. Alternative Use Method: Fill tank ¾ full with water. Add ½ bottle and deodorant to tank. Use holding tank as usual.

And another paragraph telling you to use often, etc...

When it's all said and done, I just look down the toilet when I suspect it is getting full and pretty much ignore the monitor.
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Old 02-27-2010, 11:29 AM   #9
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It's probably got "crud" on the sensor, a very common problem.

One less expensive fix is to wait until some warmer weather, then dump a couple of bags of ice into the tank along with some water, and take a nice, bumpy, curvy drive. (Dump, rinse, and repeat, as needed, just like the shampoo manufacturers suggest.)

But the comments from others are right on target: Never leave the black tank open, but rather dump only when it's closer to full. And at the conclusion of a trip, give it a good rinsing.


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Old 02-28-2010, 08:58 AM   #10
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Thanks for the advice. I'll look forward to spring! I wish it would hurry up and get here! I have the AS bug BAD!
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Old 02-28-2010, 12:02 PM   #11
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Thanks again for all of the help, maybe someday I will learn enough to return the favor for the next newbe!
Keep reading the forums and before you know it you will be an expert in one or more areas of Airstreams and will be dishing out advise left and right.
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Old 02-28-2010, 01:19 PM   #12
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ya you got piles, very hard one.the only cure is soapy water and warm weather.
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Old 02-28-2010, 01:47 PM   #13
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We had the same problem. Empty black water tank but sensor read full. There is a phone jack type connection under your trailer near the clean out. This gets road dirt and sometimes needs to be cleaned off. My hubby just removed the cable from the phone jack and rinsed it off with a cup of water. Plugged it back in and it fixed the problem. Hope this helps. The sensor is right at the base of the black tank.
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Old 02-28-2010, 02:55 PM   #14
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I second the phone line fix, same problem and same fix for my 08 19' Bambi
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Old 02-28-2010, 06:06 PM   #15
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I tried the phone jack trick. Then I re-calibrated the sensor. (Measuring H20) It worked at home. The first time I took it out and thought I had the thing fixed---it showed me. Not! You might get it to work but don't count on it.

Let me know if you do and how. I've been dealing with this for about 3-1/2 years.

Randy Bowman
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Old 03-01-2010, 02:44 PM   #16
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We had to have ours re-calibrated at the factory when we went up to have body damage repaired...don't ask.
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Old 03-02-2010, 04:53 AM   #17
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Sorry to hear about the body damage. On the way home with mine I wanted to buy a ton of bubble wrap to protect her from the idiots driving 75 + on ice and snow!
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