Hit in the face with a bucket of ??????

Went to drain my holding tanks on Saturday and when I removed the cap was greeted with a fast flow of BLACK tank contents. Luckly I had placed the hose in the drain end first and had the tank end in one hand and was able to get it pushed on before the entire tank dumped on me and the ground. After the flow was controled I looked at the handle that opens and closes the valve and it was in the closed position where I had left it the last time I dumped. Because it was a Saturday on a long weekend and service from the dealer would be almost impossible I decided to investigate my self.

What I found was the outside jacket of the cable running from the handle to the slide valve had become unconected from the crimping at the handle end and because the cable is so long it would not actuate the valve to the closed position. This cable routes through the underbelly of the unit then exits out through the frame then back through the frame so it can get to the valve at a proper angle. The holes in the frame that allow the cable to exit and enter the frame have been cut with a torch by somebody that apparently does not know how to use a torch.

If the cable is replaced then it will likly fail again in a short time this unit has only been used 3 months and it has already failed. The design and workmanship of this system needs to be looked at and revised or somebody else will be getting a bucket of ***** in the face.

One does not have to look far under the belly cover to see some very poor workmanship the same as the 2 holes that were gouged with a torch in the frame. Has no one at heart land have a drill and 1/4 inch bit.

For insurance I would get one of those gate valves that go on the end of you dump fitting. Thinking of one myself. Don't have a lot of faith of the under the belly connections.

Chopper Bill thats a good suggestion but does not cure the original problem . And why should a new owner have to buy insurance for a problem on a new rig. I have no doubt that my dealer will replace the cable assembly for me but I dont think that will solve the real problem of how the assembly is set up.

Cheerleaders join "The Covered in Crap Club".

Welcome to the "Heartbreak" covered in crap club.
After trying to drain my black water tank for 3 months in Florida with our new 3055 Bighorn our valve too broke, and I too was douced in Sewage. We where very lucky the campground did not fine us for this health hazard violation, which took hours to clean- up.
Just a few weeks ago, I was back under the trailer runing and connecting new TV cables. When I found 120 volt wires going through a hole in the frame, cut by a cutting torch with no sleeving or protection at all. This wire pass thru is a safety/fire issue and is in direct voilation of the Nation Electric Code, according to a local Master Electrician, who inspected this voilation for me and corrected the problem.
For your saftey, It pays to tear covers off and look around. In the past, I have found two other junction boxes not to code.
Thirteen years ago, we lost our Motor Home to an Electricial Fire caused by a code voilation in a juction box, according the the Fire Marshall. We are very lucky that we where not sheeping in the motor home at the time, because we would have never gotten out!
All if this is very serious & dangerest business, and not just "bad pillows". I hope that no one ever gets covered in sewage, infects a campgropund site with sewage, gets electrocuted, has a fire, an axle failure, or a tire blowout that kills someone.
Heartland Cheerleaders, keep your heads in the sand, and hope that your "Heartbreak Insurance" is in effect. Being a retired Shop Teacher, I am very concerned with safety education, and I don't mean that only Heartland has issues. It was our first, Blue Bird Wanderlodge that burnt up, and according to them, they "build the best and safest RV"!

Clarence,

We all have different styles. You have yours, I have mine etc. And while I have found several of your posts on my forum informative and helpful, I have also found many of them offensive.

Today, I deleted the end of a sentence of your post to GaryB as I felt it was a bit disparaging. Clarence, call me sensitive but to me, your comment was just not nice.

Then, below, you find it necessary to once again use "Heartland Cheerleaders" in a disparaging way. I understand that you are not on my forum to make friends. But I do not understand why you find it necessary to continue to antagonize people. I mean, do you really have a beef with other Heartland product owners?

One of the primary tenants of this forum is for users to help each other out. From time to time, you have done this and for that I thank you. But all too often, you use my forum as your soapbox. My forum is not here to serve as your soapbox.

If you would like to continue to use my forum, I respectfully ask you to tone down the rhetoric and and focus more on helping others with solutions to problems you have had with your unit. It is only on these terms that I can allow anyone to remain a user here. I realize that the terms I have laid down here and elsewhere within this forum are not for everyone. For those who find my terms a bit intolerable, thankfully, there are several other online forums who have a more relaxed rule-set.

Thank you,

Jim Beletti
Admin/Owner

Well Said Jim !!!!!!!

WW does have a good idea to take off the belly cover and inspect the underside before you go out on an extended trip. GLAD MY DEALER DID! They found a few surprise that hopefully are the end of my warranty trips.
P.S I am a Cheerleader but I don't have my head stuck in the sand. ALL brands have these problems from my extensive forum searches.

WildWind and JIM

WildWind I understand that you too have had a Black tank drain problem but you did not elaborate on what it was and what was the eventual fix for it. Perhaps you could reply and let us know any input to a fix would be helpfull.

Jim I agree with your Admin status on WildWind post . Being new here and a little frustrated and "Smelly " the other day when I posted first I was only looking for others that may have had the same problem and what the fix was for their unit . As I stated I dont think replacing the cable will make it better for very long before the cable fails again. I have contacted my dealer and they are to look at the problem this week and was hopefull that I would maybe have some soultions to offer them when the come to fix it. Yes my dealer makes house calls now I think that is service .

I am discouraged by the quality of the workmanship that I am finding under things on my new Sundance but they are things that we would never have seen on a PDI unless we started uncovering things.

Over all we like the Sundance its the little things that annoy us sometimes.

Jim;
I have enjoyed this forum since the first day I saw it and have gotten many positive items from it. I have also tried to contribute in a positive vane in my numerous post. I am pleased at the position that you are taking and the gentlemanly approach that you used with the inappropropiate comments that were made. Thank you for attempting to keep this a friendly and family oriented forum.

John

There is a fix for the cable trouble

There is a fix for the cable trouble and I have done it on my cyclone I will post before and after picturs of the fix for everyone to see. I am in the middle of a total rebuild of the under side of my rig just because it makes me crazy to see this type of work. I have some other posts in the cyclone area. You can check them out and see some of my repairs to date. I am going to fix our rig better than they built it!!!!!!

Apparent leak on waste drains

I don't know if anyone has had this issue, and I don't know if it is because of the cables. My husband cannot get under the camper to check so that will have to be my job. Here is my problem.

Everytime I go to attach my sewer hose and take off the cap on the camper, pint of liquid comes out (I think it is grey water). This has happened since day one and we have had our Sundance since February and we camp usually 1-2 times a month. Does this mean that we have a leak from one of the lever push & pull rods? How can I check to see that the valves are completly closing?

I hate to make another trip to the dealer, but it may require one. Thanks for any help.

Lots of us have the same issue. //heartlandowners.org/showthread.php?t=501&highlight=sewer+leaking

Steve & Donna,
I would think that if you had a leak you would get more than a pint. It may be that the line from the tank does not have enough drop in it and when you move the trailer and travel down the road, the water works it's way to the cap.
Ken

It often happens if the unit is not level or leaning to the opposite side when dumping and the liquid flows to the low spot when traveling.

I had the same problem and my dealer told me that I was probably closing the drain off to quickly after I drained the tank. Th leak was what was left in the line not coming out of the tank. I have the termination cap on the end of the drain that has the water hose connection on it. So I usually get my sewer hose out and in the campground sewer then I hold the end that connects to the camper under the water hose connection,take the small cap off this water hose connection and let what is left in the sewer line on the camper drain before I make the connection.

fireflipper

To all having this problem. I know that htis has been address in a previous thread, but here is the low down on the matter. It does take some time for all the water to drain out of the pipes. To make a quick and easy fix, buy a vavle and install it at the cap position. This prevents any liquids from spilling onto the ground, and provides for safety. This way you hook up your sewer hose to all connections, than open the vavle at the end. No more sewer on the ground, be it black or grey.

I have ordered one of these valves,Fireflipper was talking about from camping world. The item number is 27868, and it twists on the end of the sewer line where the cap is.

Great Safety Idea But....

I think that the valve on the end of the connection point will solve those problems of accidental spills but I am wondering what will happen if the regular black tank valve and either of the grey valves become left in the open position like in my original post would the tank with the higest volumn in it not flow into the other thus having some of the contents of the black tank in the grey and since the grey plumbing pipe is smaller at least on mine then I could see this causing a plugged pipe . I think some caution should be used with this setup as it is very hard to tell that your valves are properly closed with a cable system rather than rods. If the cable is faulty you may think you are closing the valve but your not I have proven that fact .

Have Fun
Rick

In Your Face !!!!

I had the unfortunate experience of being hit in the face with gray water also. We just purchased the Sundance 3200ES a week before and parked it for a week. When I went to drain, bang I got hit with the full force of sewer. The cable does not work and had been left open. A bit of a disappoint for a brand new rig. Seems to be a common theme here. I have a long list of difficiencies for my dealter to correct already and have only had the unit for 2 weeks.

Picking up my new 3300SK next week. Have these problems been resolved on the '08 models?