Elkridge 38RSRT dump valves

I just purchased an Elkridge 38RSRT. The unit has 2 full bathrooms. The rear bathroom is simple, 2ea dump valves that are independent and y into a main waste. As I just found out, I have three grey tanks, one being for the kitchen and it also opens into the main dump valve under the rear bathroom.

My biggest concern that I just learned is that the top, or front black tank has to be open in order for the top or front grey tank to empty. This means when the front grey tank gets full, you have to dump the black tank every time!

Do any of you have this set up and how do you deal with this? We are full time RV'rs so this is a problem. Normally I would leave the grey tanks open and the black tanks closed and empty them when they reach the 1/2 way point.

Thanks in advance for the help...
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi Bob,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.

If I understand, your front gray tank won't drain properly unless the front black tank valve is also open.

This suggests to me that the front gray tank is not vented independently, or perhaps the vent isn't working. You might check the vents on the roof. You should find at least one vent for each front tank.

If there's only one vent up front, a possible solution would be to add a Studor air admittance valve in front - perhaps under the bathroom sink, after the p-trap.

Before adding a Studor valve, to test the idea, you could remove the p-trap under the bathroom sink and try dumping the gray tank without opening the black tank valve.

I've attached a picture of a Studor valve installed in a kitchen island.
 

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danemayer, perhaps I didn't explain that correctly. The front bathroom has 2 valves. The grey tank valve when pulled goes into the main waste valve Y. The main waste valve must be opened because that is the black tank waste valve. It is installed after the grey valve. The only way to keep the grey tank open so that it will drain constantly is to also keep the black valve open.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
danemayer, perhaps I didn't explain that correctly. The front bathroom has 2 valves. The grey tank valve when pulled goes into the main waste valve Y. The main waste valve must be opened because that is the black tank waste valve. It is installed after the grey valve. The only way to keep the grey tank open so that it will drain constantly is to also keep the black valve open.

I'm still not sure I'm following your description. The pull handles operate gate valves that are typically attached right at the tank outlets - within 2 or 3 inches of the tank. The pipe on the outlet side of the gate valve then goes to a sewer outlet where you would connect your flexible sewer hose. The gray and black tank pipes are Y'd together somewhere after the gate valves and before the sewer outlet. That's the normal arrangement. If properly vented, the black tank valve does not need to be open to drain the gray tank.

Now, if you're saying that you've removed the coroplast and inspected how and where the valves are connected to the tanks, and found that the gray tank pipe is Y'd into the black tank pipe IN-BETWEEN the tank and the gate valve, that would not be a typical arrangement. If that's what you found, you should call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030. Have your VIN # ready. If you're the original owner, I'd expect they would want to correct that for you under warranty.

Alternatively, if the coroplast is already down, you might just change the pipe routing so the gray empties into the outlet after the black tank gate valve.
 
This is exactly what I'm talking about......

Already contacted Heartland and they said that the drawings for this model were designed this way. When I get the chance, I'm thinking I'm going to replumb it the way it work for my needs. This unit will not be up and down the road that much. It's a full time house for us.

danemayer said:
Now, if you're saying that you've removed the coroplast and inspected how and where the valves are connected to the tanks, and found that the gray tank pipe is Y'd into the black tank pipe IN-BETWEEN the tank and the gate valve, that would not be a typical arrangement. If that's what you found, you should call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030. Have your VIN # ready. If you're the original owner, I'd expect they would want to correct that for you under warranty.

Alternatively, if the coroplast is already down, you might just change the pipe routing so the gray empties into the outlet after the black tank gate valve.
 
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I fixed it. Rerouted the ABS waste around the black waste dump.

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Gray valves shouldn't be left open for many reasons...

Watch this five minute video to learn why (must watch it all):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4A-41EdBBc

Very interesting. I have never kept the grey tank closed on any RV I've ever owned. The Elkridge has a washer/dryer in it so if I were to keep that grey tank closed, I would have to empty the grey tank 2 or 3 times per week. The way it was plumbed I would also have to empty the black tank every time. Not only is that wasteful (no pun intended :), it is time consuming. I would be going through black tank treatment like crazy. Not to mention I am not there during the week, only my Fiance and her daughter. They no nothing about it LOL. They gag at the fact they know I'm out there doing it when it needs to be done.

No worries though I can totally relate to what the video has to offer and I will consider keeping the grey tanks closed. Thank you for sharing.
 
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