ATF: Big Country - Schematic of waste water system for 2016 3650RL

D_BTravelers

Active Member
Our Big Country develops a leak after a day of camping with the drip occurring at the front driver's side front stabilizer. I have pulled out the basement panels and not been able to find anything wet or damp or dripping, so I do not believe it is in the fresh water system plumbing. I took it in for some other warranty work and the repair place connected it to city water for 4 days without so much as a drip, so I believe it must be coming from the gray water tank at the front of the unit. I believe it must be the shower drain line at the top of the tank or perhaps a crack in the tank. I saw a post in this forum of the schematic for the waste system in another model unit and wondered if you had one for the 2016 3650RL. It would be most helpful to know where to look for this leak without disconnecting anything needlessly.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Your best bet is to call Heartland and have your VIN handy, they can email you the schematic. They don't usually respond to the forum in a timely manner.


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D_BTravelers

Active Member
I did call them afternoon and spoke with Jeff Marner in Customer Service on the suggestion of Oregon_Camper. Jeff is supposed to be sending the schematic or BIM-type drawing of the gray/black system. My repair place, The Texas RV Guys, connected it to water and left if for 4 days with no leaks so I don't think the issue is on the freshwater side. They also put 15-20 gallons of water into the gray tanks and let is sit for a day or two with no leak. Only after the first night of camping do we first see the leak, so it has to be where the shower/vanity drain connects to the tank because at that point the tank isn't near 1/2 full. I think it is the bath area because the kitchen island is mid-trailer and I have not seen a drop leaking around there. We are headed out for the weekend, and I may leave the drain open on that front tank to see if it still leaks. That would tell me it is in the pipes I think.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions, that is exactly why I love the forum. I'll keep everyone advised when I find the issue.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Jeff has taken good care of us. If you don't hear back in a day or so email/call him again.


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plshilo

Well-known member
Hey if you are here in Goshen I have the drawing of the 3560SS here on my laptop. It may be close to yours.... Either pm me or if you are here just stop by site NW 447...
 

kbbagshaw

Active Member
Our Big Country develops a leak after a day of camping with the drip occurring at the front driver's side front stabilizer. I have pulled out the basement panels and not been able to find anything wet or damp or dripping, so I do not believe it is in the fresh water system plumbing. I took it in for some other warranty work and the repair place connected it to city water for 4 days without so much as a drip, so I believe it must be coming from the gray water tank at the front of the unit. I believe it must be the shower drain line at the top of the tank or perhaps a crack in the tank. I saw a post in this forum of the schematic for the waste system in another model unit and wondered if you had one for the 2016 3650RL. It would be most helpful to know where to look for this leak without disconnecting anything needlessly.

Did you check for a leak with the pump running?
 

LBR

Well-known member
Running the front AC and residual moisture dripping from driver's side front downspout?
 

asherwin

Well-known member
I have the '13 version of your unit. I too experienced water dripping near the off-door side near the front foot. More than once actually :) . The first time it turned out to be the check valve on the rear of the hot water tank. The second it was the check valve on the black tank flush behind the shower. In both cases I did find water in the immediate areas, but water also ran down and along the bottom lip of the J wrap exiting near the front foot. It can be frustrating when the source of a leak can't be found. I hope you find yours soon.
 

D_BTravelers

Active Member
Spoke with Jeff Marner at Heartland yesterday and this morning had these two schematic drawings of the water systems for the 3650RL in my IN box. I am attaching them for anyone else that has the same unit and would like to know more about their system. We are camping this weekend and I will be doing more investigation as to the source, but I still believe it is a gray tank pipe. Ruled out the fresh water at the repair place because it was connected to city water for 4 days without a drop. Leaking started before we were running AC units, so condensation is out of the mix. As suggested I will check the small strainer at the water pump.

Thank you to everyone that has had a suggestion. We love the BC 3650RL and are doing a series of semi-local campouts to check systems and learn a bit more about the RV. While we loved our 2013 TT, we can't wait to head out to NE to see the eclipse and then tour for about 3 weeks this fall.
 

Attachments

  • 3650RL BC waste plumb prints (1).pdf
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  • 3650RL BC fresh plumb prints.pdf
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D_BTravelers

Active Member
Water leak on 3650RL

Back from a nice weekend camping and believe I have discovered where the water has been leaking from. Or at least one leak anyway. I noticed after I connected the hose from city water to the female fitting in the utility compartment that the female fitting was still very loose. It didn't snug up as it should. Shortly after I had connected the hose I could see dripping right away and it ran down, out the drain hole in the bottom and onto the front I-beam. Very quickly I had the drip at the front of the FW that I have been trying to fix. I pulled out the washer and replaced it with another from a new hose I had in the FW. I tried that with limited success, but believe the female part will need replacing.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Does it look like this?
2017-05-01 16.17.03.jpg

Very easy to replace. Three screws hold it in the UDC. The fitting on the other side is finger tight. There's even a possibility that after removing the 3 screws, you may be able to pull the fitting through the hole so you don't have to take down the rear wall of basement storage.
 

D_BTravelers

Active Member
Actually it is in a recessed bezel along with the water selector knob (City-Fill-Antifreeze, if I remember correctly). It has four screws holding the bezel in the UDC, but I would wager that the basement wall will have to be removed to disconnect the PEX before it can be replaced. Not looking forward to pulling all my gear out of the basement...again. I was already taking the unit out to my RV guy this week. We had a leveling cylinder develop a seal leak and Lippert has sent another to replace it; I'll let him take care of this also, as it is warranty anyway. Hopefully this is the source, and only source, of the leak.

Thanks to all the suggestions and advice! I joined several RV forums about 3 years ago (SOB travel trailer) and have gained valuable advice and ideas from everyone.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Yep, your coach is newer and has the 4-way Anderson Valve, and the fitting is part of that assembly. It's not hard to replace, but the wall does have to come down.
 

D_BTravelers

Active Member
Finally got a photo of the hose and Anderson Valve (it isn't rotated correctly, sorry). When I attach the water line to the female connection it is very loose. I know when I attached a home garden hose to a spray nozzle it is not loose anymore, so I think this may be the issue. I could change it out, but I hate dealing with the PEX and it is under warranty anyway. I am going to take the BC to the shop on Monday so they can get this replaced, plus switch out a Lippert leveling cylinder that has a leaking seal. The Texas RV Guys had ordered the part and told us to keep camping; they called to tell me the replacement was here and to bring it by for them to put it on.

Anderson Valve.jpg
 
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