Poop tower

[sjo]

I’ll put this as delicately as possible. We have a 2017 28’ International Serenity that cant flush crap, for crap. When we first took it out we could always see paper when we looked down the toilet so, remembering what we’d read earlier from others, we started throwing all tp in the trash. However, this only helps some. Even buckets of water poured down doesn’t clean it out. You could rapidly end up with a poop tower if you weren’t always playing with it, I find this intolerable. Anyone else have this issue and, if so, what’s your solution?

[majorairhead]

Something isn't right with that crap

Seriously though, only thing that comes to mind for me is, are you putting sufficient water in to the bowl prior to doing your business? We make sure to fill the bowl with a good bit of water prior to doing the number 2.

Secondly, we always use rv friendly toilet paper.

And third, we add black tank treatement regularly.

[overlander63]

And fourth, are you using the toilet with the black tank dump valve in the closed position?

[RandyNH]

Lentil and split pea soup, maybe some kimchi as a side dish....

[paiceman]

No TP in the holding tank. Always use more water than you think you need when flushing. Always start with about five gallons of water in the tank. Use several of the enzyme pods until the tower is dissolved. Back flush as often as you can and run until water is clear, but there will still be some hiding in there.

These things should help with your issue.

[Dragline]

^^^^😂😂

[OTRA15]

Well April First has come and gone, so assuming this is not an April Fool's Joke . . .

First, before you used the toilet, did you add 3-5 gallons of water to the black water tank, plus some tank treatment powder or solution? After the first bowel movement, any solid material [incl. TP] should have disappeared into the water at the bottom of the tank.

As asked already, is your black water tank dump valve closed?

Subsequent bowel movements and urination should also disappear into the solution, as the tank fills. If you can see TP etc., add some water until you cover what you can see. [But don't overfill the tank obviously ]

Before attempting to dump the black water tank, you must tow the trailer for a few miles to agitate the contents, so that everything becomes a uniform slurry, which you can then dump ASAP before any solids settle/stick to the bottom of the tank.

Please report that this is not all a joke, and comment on your compliance with the steps suggested above. IMO you may not have added enough water/treatment to the tank before you started using it.

Thanks,

Peter

PS -- It is OK to put TP in the tank if you use RV or single-ply paper. There are tons of threads here about TP:

https://www.google.com/search?q=TP&s...=airforums.com

. . . so hopefully this will not become one of those TP threads!

PS2 -- Welcome to the forum!

PS3 -- Maybe your black water tank is leaking liquid? Check under the trailer for signs of this ASAP.

PS4 -- Page 5-6 [PDF p. 38/108] of your owner's manual discusses the toilet and holding tanks:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...ers-Manual.pdf

You should also read Section 8 on dumping the tanks.

[featherbedder]

Also leaving dump valve open when hooked into sewer system will cause this as over time stuff drys out and builds up then very hard to dissolve.

[geezernbabe]

we had a bad dump valve that would leak through very slow so what water we put in would be gone before you noticed and bingo tower, put in new valve and never had a problem again.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

Secondly, we always use rv friendly toilet paper.

I switched from the RV brand to what I use at home.
Charmin Gentle. I noticed how fast it dissolved in the toilet, I think faster than the RV brands, and it's.........gentle too!

Try a test. Put four sheets in a container with water, shake it, and see what happens.

[Soyboy]

Lots of water. I think many folks don't use enough - if any water. Many of us have 30+ gallon tanks. Do folks really think they are going to fill that up? Me? I add 10/15 gallons plus treatment. I use a bucket (empty kitty litter pail) to fill mine and a Johnny Chock to hold the flap/valve open while doing it. There is no reason not to use a lot of water as even at 1/2 full you aren't going to "fill it up" any time soon unless you have an army using the loo. We use the "septic friendly" Scott's toilet paper from Costco with no problems. Much cheaper than the "RV" specific brands and it dissolves nicely.

As to your problem, can you get a stick and break it up (yep that's gross, but that's what 1/2 of plumbing is about). Maybe while dumping some hot water in the tank? Then fill it up with lots of water and some good treatment (make sure you use enough - maybe double it up). We us Campa-Chem by Thetford. We've tried others but this works the best a liquifying and deodorizing out tank. It never gets stinky even in our hot and humid summers around there. After you fill it up and treat it, I would drive around for a good while, maybe on the way to your next camping trip. Hopefully, that will loosen it up and you can dump it.

No way am I throwing fecal matter (used TP) in my trash. I don't do it at home and I don't do it when camping. I have never had any reason to do so and don't expect to. Just put enough water, use the right paper and treatment and you shouldn't have any problems once you get Mt. Poop squared away.

Also, like someone mentioned, never leave your black tank valve open when camping with hook-ups. Let the water and treatment stay in the tank which will allow them to do there job. Only dump it when you need to (full, stinking, leaving etc.). I actually top my tank off (again with the bucket) so it gets a nice "blast" when I pull the valve and dump it.

Good luck!

[wave man]

All sound advice I’ve read over and over in posts old and older...

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by sjo

. . .
what’s your solution?

Welcome to the forum! Wondering if you are following along here?

Thanks,

Peter

[Foiled Again]

BTW instead of "poop tower" forum wits usually refer to it as "the black hills" an oblique reference to the Dakotas.

The leaky black valve would be my number 1 suspect. You can buy a tank sprayer to break up ancient petrified deposits, but be wary; they used to be made of copper - now they are plastic with a glued on pressure tip that can blow off on the first use....grr. You do well to make your own out of PVC pipe or at least glue on the tip yourself before the first use.

[DBinSD]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

I switched from the RV brand to what I use at home.

Charmin Gentle. I noticed how fast it dissolved in the toilet, I think faster than the RV brands, and it's.........gentle too!



Try a test. Put four sheets in a container with water, shake it, and see what happens.

I second that, same as home never a problem.

[ArkFortyCal]

We had some of the same problems I noticed early in our RV’ing years with the paper tower building up underneath the toilet.

This was simply solved by following the below steps:

1 - Ensure you are putting 3-5 gallons back into the black after dumping (this is the most important thing)

2 - Use a good toilet chemical and not all function the same (we use Thetfold Aqua-Kem since TCT Orange didn’t seem to breakdown stuff in the tank as well)

3 - Use single ply RV toilet paper (we use Scott Rapids Dissolving for RV’s and Boats)

4 - As mentioned if it has built up, just drive the trailer around to agitate the contents in the tank. This has always worked for us.


Hope this is helpful.

[ROBERT CROSS]

..... never open the black tank valve when hooked up, let the black tank fill before emptying. 👍

What's also worked for us.... We travel at least 25 to 50 miles letting everything slosh around before dumping. May not be convenient if you don't have the ability to dump at home.

As far as maintaining...the Geo-Method has worked for us for many years.
After the first several applications just adding the Dawn once in a while has been enough to keep our black tank poop tower free. 😂

Another benefit, the sensor still works fine.😚

Bob
🇱🇷

[Hoagie]

Here's a couple of other solutions I have heard some have used to good success:

1. When you are heading out to a campground that has full hookups, First put enough water in to cover any waste you can see. Then dump a bag or two of ice down the toilet right before you take off. The ice sloshing back and forth will help break up any deposits. Once you get to the campground immediately dump the tank, then add 5-10 gallons of water and your treatment.

2. Dump a bottle of Calgon water softener down the toilet along with a lot of water. Again, as you travel to the campground this will help soften up any deposits making the dumping procedure much smoother.

I have used the bag of ice method to clean the cheap tank sensors on a previously owned SOB. It worked great on a 25 mile drive to the CG. Haven't tried the Calgon method yet.

[Countryboy59]

Try a few miles on Michigan roads. It will loosen everything up.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by sjo

. . . your solution?

Any tower solution yet?