Blackwater tank Itasca Sundancer

RockyP · 06-25-2020, 11:24 PM

Greetings from the Great White North. Have a 1999 Itasca Sundancer 430V.
Need to access my blackwater tank as the pipe came loose from the tank. I do not believe the tank itself is compromised, just the Fernco coupling where the drain pipe connects to the tank itself. Problem is this has a heated "basement", where the holding tank compartment is enclosed all around: no access from underneath or from up top. Just cannot figure out how to gain any meaningful access to the raised platform in the basement where the holding tank sits in order to clean up the mess and reconnect the tank coupling. Its as if they never intended for this tank to be worked on. Put the tank on the ground then built the motorhome around it. Anyone ever come across this issue before, and if so, how did you take care of it?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give,
R

Winterbagoal · 06-26-2020, 10:14 AM

Maybe contact Winnebago Owner's resources at
[email protected]
and ask them if they know how to get at it. Give them the make/model and VIN and the Winnebago serial number (if you have it).

If the compartment is sealed off below decks, the access might be from inside the coach. A floor panel may have to be removed to get at it.
Best guess.

Morich · 06-26-2020, 12:08 PM

Do you have the parts located, if you do get into cutting access?

RockyP · 06-26-2020, 12:27 PM

Thank you all for replies. Was able to pull the blackwater pipe from the compartment and found in fact it is just the Fernco rubber coupling that had come loose from blackwater tank. Still re-useable. If I could only gain access. I think I am going to have to cut through the sheet metal floor of this compartment from underneath the motorhome in order to clean up the mess and try to reattach the coupling to the tank. Will let you know how it turns out.
R

RockyP · 06-26-2020, 12:45 PM

Just e-mailed them my particulars. Thank you for that.
R

Winterbagoal · 06-26-2020, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyP

Just e-mailed them my particulars. Thank you for that.
R

Suggest you wait for their reply, before powering up the sawzall.

I'm guessing it's accessible from under the toilet or bathroom area from inside the coach, by removing a floor panel, or something less obvious. Maybe the toilet, itself?

Morich · 06-26-2020, 05:04 PM

Hope they can give you some good info on access. Just looking at the parts drawing it appears the stool, sets on the flange 7 and 6 then those set on item 21, so that leaves the stool pretty much in the other corner of the tank from the outlet. But that is where things get messy if we try to put too much faith in drawings and plans which may not be what they actually did!
Point on the saw? You may have already gone past that thinking but one thing NOT to do is cut too deep and hit some wires, plumbing, etc. that you can't see. If you have skillsaw with an abrasive blade, it can be safer to set it just deep enough to get through the bottom but not much further---just in case there is something closeby.

RockyP · 06-26-2020, 06:26 PM

Customer service at Winnebago says no access panels for the black water tank on the 2000 model. He said only access was through the panel on the side that lets me access my drain pipe and valve. Can't get to the tank through this panel as tank sits 36" in from the opening. Looks like this is going to be a difficult repair.

RockyP · 06-26-2020, 06:39 PM

You are right, Richard. Set my cut-off saw shallow and just barely penetrate the sheet metal pan. Plan on cutting a 2'X2' panel out from underneath that will allow me to get a hose up in there and hose out the mess, and hopefully give me access to the tank coupling for the repair. I've got two issues: cleaning up the mess that is laying in there, and then making the repair. I think cutting an access hole is going to be the way to accomplish both. Wish me luck!

Morich · 06-27-2020, 08:26 AM

OH ____!
Sounds like a bad day but that seems standard anymore?
Just got to keep marching. Best of luck to you.

Geosman · 07-01-2020, 09:26 PM

Home Depot and Lowe’s have flexible inspection scopes typically 12 volt rechargeable. I use one by Milwaukee. You have the hole through which the black water line exited the enclosure. If you do not want to disconnect from the gray tank there should be bolts on the slide valve body that allow the lines to disconnect at the slide valves.
Scope out the tank fitting and it’s depth back from the enclosure opening. You now have at least a 3.5” hole to work through for inspection and any cleaning.
With a little precise measuring it’s likely you could use a tapered come drill bit as would be used to drill an electrical knockout to get through the metal base there’s likely wood and insulation foam board above the metal for tank support and insulation. The hole you drill should be offset to the side of the fernco so that a nut driver can be inserted to engage with its band clamp.
Clean up or clean out may not be so easy. I might suggest a wet vac adapted to a hose to try and suck up any mess.
If this bay is insulated it may also have a 2” heat supply air fed off your furnace to supply warmth when using the furnace. If so Winnebago can answer if my suspicion is correct. In which case you may want to connect a shop vac hose at the enclosure opening to draw air the through the coach and around the tank to help dry the compartment and remove odors. Hydrogen peroxide squirted back into the enclosure may help but again it’s iffy given the tank was literally built into the rig.
If you find you need to remove the entire bottom panel under the tank I suggest using a hand grinder with cutoff abrasive blade plus good eye Safety protection. The grinder sparks will burn through any shirt and are no fun. Take that from experience. With a little caution you should be able to make shallow cuts to drop the metal base panel without damage to the tank. Same goes for the suspected wood backer panel using a shallow blade setting on a battery circular saw. To scarf / score cuts in the wood so it can be easily split and pulled out.
Sorry I’m not there to assist with this challenge.

RockyP · 07-02-2020, 02:17 PM

Success. Was able to remove the waste piping from the gray water tank, and the black water tank (as it was already disconnected from black water tank, thus the reason for this repair), and remove piping from basement compartment. Then was able to fabricate a spray wand that I was able to finagle up inside the compartment. I had the motorhome tilted towards the access panel by raising the passenger side tires up on some leveling blocks so that all soilage could "drain" towards the open compartment access. I raised the temperature on my water heater up to 160 degrees, and commenced to hosing down the inside of the basement compartment. The inside had an insulation/sound deadening layer that was like a thick black tar with slick aluminum-faced foil layer on it. This provided a perfect "slick plate" that allowed all the stuff to slide towards the open compartment. I then used my wet vac to suck up all the nasties. Then I took a Miracle Grow garden fertilizer/feeder container and filled it with a swimming pool/spa disinfecting chemical I obtained from my local hot tub dealer. I then screwed this container on to the end of my hose, put my fabricated spray wand on the end of this, then hosed out the compartment again. This allowed me to add disinfecting chemical to the compartment. I let it sit for a couple hours, then hosed all this out with clean, hot water. Let it dry overnight with a leaf blower running in the compartment to thoroughly dry it out. The next day, I cut the 3" ABS blackwater drain line at the 18" straight portion of piping that comes right out of tank connection. This allowed me to only work with a small 12" nipple of pipe that had the Fernco coupling on it. By doing this, I was able to keep the rest of the drain piping out of the way and the smaller nipple allowed me to reach up in the compartment and resecure the Fernco to the black water tank. Then I was able to glue a 3" ABS coupling on the end of the nipple and reconnect the rest of the drain pipe. Then I fabricated a brace/support for the drainage pipe as previously there was no bracing or support for the entire drainage pipe system. All weight of the drain piping was supported only by the Fernco's at the black water and gray water tanks. Not a good design. I am now back in business and actually went much smoother than I was anticipating and didn't have to cut in to my belly pan. Thanks to all for chiming in with their help. Appreciate it.
Rocky

Morich · 07-02-2020, 03:06 PM

You be the MAN!
Dirty man, perhaps but happy to be done I bet!!

Geosman · 07-02-2020, 06:12 PM

That was an awesome repair. Thank you for posting your cleanup process. What a nightmare that was. And all for the lack of a support.

Upinsmoke · 07-03-2020, 03:05 AM

I've posted this previously but it never hurts as a reminder. Both my gray and black water tanks drain in the wet bay. There is a big manifold setup there all of which is (was) hanging by the Fernco couplings.

I was in an empty (luckily) campground about to empty my tanks when the entire manifold just fell off! This allowed both the black and gray tanks to empty completely, and very quickly, into the compartment and then on the ground! While you can imagine the mess, luckily, both tanks were only partially full.

I replaced both of the couplers with new and made sure they were as tight as I could get them. I also took plastic plumbing strapping and wrapped the manifold forming a little support, but more importantly, preventing the manifold from ever dropping off again.

One of my beginning & end of season checks is now to throw a wrench on the coupler clamps. Just an fyi!

Nice job the the OP for the thorough job of the problem and especially the solution.