Holding Tank Terminations

[jpmyers]

A coworker recently purchased a 2021 Prowler 271BR. He's telling me that his Black Tank valve must be open for him to be able to empty his Gray Tank. This does not seem correct to me. Is this SOP for some rigs, or has there been a mistake in manufacturing?

[Huntindog]

bucky wrote:
Lot's of guessing going on here. It didn't happen without pics as often gets said on here. Merry Christmas everybody.

This is not far fetched at all. I have seen far worse

[bucky]

Lot's of guessing going on here. It didn't happen without pics as often gets said on here. Merry Christmas everybody.

[jpmyers]

I completely agree with you Huntindog! That's the very thing I told my coworker.

My apologies for the mis-spelling Huntindog. Blasted Autocorrect!

[Huntindog]

jpmyers wrote:
I'll not argue semantics here. Prowler messed up and it's responsible for the correction, bottom line. Regardless of who opens what when, Prowler has the responsibility.

Agreed, but...From experience trying to get anything fixed at a dealer I would just fix it myself.... Maybe ask Prowler to supply the parts.... But I wouldn't fight over it if they balked. The parts are cheap, and the fix is easy. I would only try to warranty stuff I could not fix myself... Which isn't much. Otherwise one would not get much camping done.

[jpmyers]

I'll not argue semantics here. Prowler messed up and it's responsible for the correction, bottom line. Regardless of who opens what when, Prowler has the responsibility.

[StarkNaked]

See the note from jpmyers above. The plumbing is installed incorrectly.

It does not matter if cap is removed or not. If the gray valve is opened first with the black valve closed nothing will come out, and both tanks will be connected to each other. Levels will equalize, and nothing will come out of the dump hose.

And accidents do happen. I don't assume life is perfect. I have seen the disaster where someone removes the cap when the valves were not closed, and the tanks were full.

[Jacksons]

StarkNaked wrote:
There is nothing stopping someone from putting the plumbing together like this.

But... If the black tank is full, and the gray tank is empty, and the gray tank valve is opened, it means that the black water would back flow into the gray tank until they are both at the same level. So, half of the black water would be in the gray tank. Doesn't sound like a good thing!

Now before someone says you should never open valves in that order, never underestimate the possibility that it could happen.

IF the black tank works as normal, there is no way unless you did not take the cap off and put the dump hose on, could back flow into the gray tank

[JBarca]

jpmyers wrote:
I've got this worked out. The Black Tank valve is on the outlet of the Y both tanks are connected to. The gray tank and it's associated valvesis on the lateral inlet of the Y and the Black tank is direct piped to the straight inlet of the Y. Simply stated, The "Craftsmen" at Prowler put the wrong person on "TANK-PIPING" that day.

Thanks for reporting back. Yes, messed up for sure.

The next hope is, the dealer will work with Prowler to get a warranty claim made and the mess fixed.

If your friend ever wants to camp with on board tanks only, for more days in a row then the grey tank can hold, (which is common the grey will fill first) they often need to dump the grey part way though the trip.

And if they need to drain some gray water into a blue tote (a dump transfer tank), they are messed up having to dump the black first which could have waited until you break camp. That is, if the dump valves are left in that odd ball configuration.

When we boondock, the 2 of us can get 8 days on the black tank and most always lasts until we break camp. I do camp choirs often and drain some grey water out every few days as it will be full well before we break camp. I leave the black tank alone. This partial grey dumping give me options, and leaving the black alone is better to have more water in the black tank when black dump time comes. I do not have to deal with the black until I want to. Loosing that feature of simplistic-ness of my choice is not good.

It never ceases to amaze me the lack of proper QC on campers before they ship. Something so simple, so screwed up.

Thanks for reporting back.

John

[jpmyers]

I've got this worked out. The Black Tank valve is on the outlet of the Y both tanks are connected to. The gray tank and it's associated valvesis on the lateral inlet of the Y and the Black tank is direct piped to the straight inlet of the Y. Simply stated, The "Craftsmen" at Prowler put the wrong person on "TANK-PIPING" that day.

[wanderingbob]

I wonder if he is confused in the instruction that he got during his PDI . They probably said open the black tank first before opening the grey tank , he not realizing they meant drain the black and then shut the valve before grey tank ?

[MFL]

^^My thought as well. This is the only obvious explanation!

Jerry

[opnspaces]

I wonder if has one of those twist on valves attached to the end of the dump pipe that people use when they have a leaking valve upstream. I can see him possibly mistaking that for the black drain when in fact the actual black drain is left open further upstream.

Link

[ferndaleflyer]

So, I have been doing this for years even in campground. I keep the valves both closed and every couple of days I empty the black till its empty then open the grey which will flush all of the black out of my slinky. Theory being if there is no liquid in the black tank solids can build up in there or in the slinky. This way its all liquid and the grey flushes out everything as it goes out last. It does not go into the black tank.

Never heard of the situation the OP mentions.

[GrandpaKip]

Actually, dumping the black tank first, then having the gray tank go through it could make sense.