After I had completely drained all the holding tanks and stored all the hoses following the 2007 Goshen Rally, my DW informed me that there was still water in the toilet and it wouldn't drain out. Having two other smaller TT's before, I was under the impression that the tank was under the commode and when I saw water and tissue under the commode the tank was nearly full and should be drained.
The problem was that my current tank monitor never read more than 1/3rd full and I had just drained the tank completely. With the help of my rally neighbor, Mel "happyrover", we tried all kinds of things to empty the tank but finally determined that it truly was empty and the water in the toilet was a different problem.
I remember visiting a farm years ago and while at the farm I asked the owner if I could use the outdoor outhouse restroom. When I entered and faced the opening I found a neat cone shaped mound of **** rising from the depths to the bottom of the seat. It took years to make that masterpiece.
That is similar to what is happening in the black tank under the toilet pipe if not enough liquid is used to disperse the solids. Because the pipe under the the commode is not straight down to the tank, there should not be any visible evidence of waste until the tank is more than full. There is a 25" drop and 12" lateral distance from the floor under the commode to the black water tank in my Shenandoah. The tank itself is only 6" or less deep where the toilet pipe enters and then I believe the bottom drops away to the rear toward the drain pipe. Solids can build up under the pipe and then eventually block the pipe from draining properly. There is nothing between the toilet and the tank to flush out the pipe. The vent pipe is at the opposite end of the tank and the tank flushing system won't help.
When I returned home I used a wand similar to the Camping World EZ-Rinse wand attached to a hose to clear out the toilet pipe and then flushed the tank as best I could to get rid of the blockage.
To close this description I must add a couple of comments. Make sure that enough water is used when flushing to disperse the solids in the tank. If you see water in the pipe beneath the toilet and it burps when you flush, check the tank level first to see if it is full. If it isn't full then it is a signal that solids are building in the tank and in the toilet drain pipe. It will need immediate attention.
The problem was that my current tank monitor never read more than 1/3rd full and I had just drained the tank completely. With the help of my rally neighbor, Mel "happyrover", we tried all kinds of things to empty the tank but finally determined that it truly was empty and the water in the toilet was a different problem.
I remember visiting a farm years ago and while at the farm I asked the owner if I could use the outdoor outhouse restroom. When I entered and faced the opening I found a neat cone shaped mound of **** rising from the depths to the bottom of the seat. It took years to make that masterpiece.
That is similar to what is happening in the black tank under the toilet pipe if not enough liquid is used to disperse the solids. Because the pipe under the the commode is not straight down to the tank, there should not be any visible evidence of waste until the tank is more than full. There is a 25" drop and 12" lateral distance from the floor under the commode to the black water tank in my Shenandoah. The tank itself is only 6" or less deep where the toilet pipe enters and then I believe the bottom drops away to the rear toward the drain pipe. Solids can build up under the pipe and then eventually block the pipe from draining properly. There is nothing between the toilet and the tank to flush out the pipe. The vent pipe is at the opposite end of the tank and the tank flushing system won't help.
When I returned home I used a wand similar to the Camping World EZ-Rinse wand attached to a hose to clear out the toilet pipe and then flushed the tank as best I could to get rid of the blockage.
To close this description I must add a couple of comments. Make sure that enough water is used when flushing to disperse the solids in the tank. If you see water in the pipe beneath the toilet and it burps when you flush, check the tank level first to see if it is full. If it isn't full then it is a signal that solids are building in the tank and in the toilet drain pipe. It will need immediate attention.