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06-29-2014, 02:09 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 310
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Holding tanks
This is our first time out with the Redwood. I've learned here that the tank gauges are not accurate and that when full, the grey will back up into shower. How do you really know when the galley is full? Will kitchen sink back up like the shower does? I'm showing grey 1 is full, that is the galley, correct? Thanks in advance for helping me with my confusion.
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2015 38GK
2014 Silverado 3500HD 4x4 DRW CC
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06-29-2014, 02:18 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,101
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Just to add to the confusion, Brenko on this thread
http://www.redwoodowners.com/forums/...9989#post29989
said his 38GK shower drains to the galley tank
You might ask around if your dealer has a drawing of the plumbing. There are a few model drawings already floating around Redwood sites.
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Brad & Dory - Lone Tree, CO
CURRENT - 2013 Itasca Meridian 42E/2013 Wrangler 4dr Sahara
SOLD - 2014 Redwood 36RL/2014 F350 DRW
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06-29-2014, 02:35 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 310
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Brad, I saw that but didn't want to muddle his thread with mine. I want to wait as long as possible to dump. I should add that we do not have sewer here and to get parked I used a little of the campsite across the road (which is now occupied) and hope they are weekend campers and will be gone Monday.
__________________
2015 38GK
2014 Silverado 3500HD 4x4 DRW CC
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06-29-2014, 02:42 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,092
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The never ending discussion on grey water...
Fact 1... no now really knows which is Grey 1 or Grey 2, then seem to be different in individual rigs? Is Grey 1 the Galley tank or is it Grey 2?
Fact 2... no one really knows which drains are plumbed into which grey tank, especially the shower?
Fact 3... the indicators are not accurate, it is conceivable that a totally empty tank could show full on the indicator panel [especially true on black tank]?
Fact 4... no now really knows which drain will "bubble", that is which drain will indicate a full tank. It could be the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink or the shower. could even be multiple drains???
Fact 5... using a twist-0n valve on the dump tube and opening the grey valves will allow sharing the grey tanks thus giving you a true 90 gallons of capacity.
The bottom line... you have to use your own system to get to know how it operates. Those of us who live in our rigs and those who use them frequently have our own ways of operating. Some share tanks with the external screw-on valve, some rely on the indicators, some leave the grey tanks open while connected, others don't. Every one of us will choose our own MO for grey water dumping.
Then there is the never ending discussion on black tank cleaning...
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SOB
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06-29-2014, 03:30 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 5,407
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I would recommend getting the external valve which only takes seconds to put on and adds a safety margin as well. By spending the $15, you can use all of the 90 gallons of grey which allows for a good capacity. My wife and I can go for 4-5 days of freely using the water without any issues at all.
We've all experienced leaking valves before. On my Redwood the galley valve for some reason leaked a little for a couple of weeks before i got all the food particles out of the valve. While that valve was leaking, the extra twist on valve that I installed, prevented a problem. The older Redwoods like mine, has a sewer boom which makes installing the valve a little troublesome but well worth the time and money.
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SOB "The RV Wiseguy"
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06-29-2014, 03:41 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 310
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Dave or Chuck, would you please explain how and or what this valve does and where it is attached? I know there was some discussion about this valve recently, but due to the excitement of getting ready to pick up our coach, it slipped my mind. Thanks.
__________________
2015 38GK
2014 Silverado 3500HD 4x4 DRW CC
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06-29-2014, 03:43 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 545
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Steve & Linda,
I did some testing yesterday to determine the plumbing system on my rig. I emptied all of the tanks, then one by one, I dumped 5 gallons into each drain and dumped between each fill to know which tank was tied to each. I also ran a load of laundry to verify it as well. Here are the results on my 2014 38GK:
Indicators:
Grey = Gray1
Galley = Gray 2
Source for grey water:
Washer
Lav Sink
Bedroom Sink
Source for galley water:
Shower
Kitchen sink
The black tank is mounted above a grey tank. I just had it replaced as the spin weld failed on the vent pipe, top of the tank. (Tank removal alone was 9 hours labor).
I, like many others use a valve at the exit point. It has been suggested by others that opening the galley and grey valve and closing the valve at the exit point will allow all drains to equalize thus using the total 90 gallon waste water capacity. This should be true if both the gray tanks are at somewhat the same level horizontally, a fact that I have yet to verify. With the advent of the newer drop frames, this popular solution didn't work on some manufactures.
Bottom line is that it is ridiculous to have the shower plumbed to the galley tank. Absent a washer, that means that the only use of the grey water would be the bath sinks...hardly efficient.
I hope to get a plumbing diagram similar to the ones posted on other models.
Ken
PS, My gages at this point are working....Did I say that out loud? Hope not to jinx myself!!
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06-29-2014, 03:58 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 5,407
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve & Linda
Dave or Chuck, would you please explain how and or what this valve does and where it is attached? I know there was some discussion about this valve recently, but due to the excitement of getting ready to pick up our coach, it slipped my mind. Thanks.
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By putting an additional valve at the end of line (where you connect the sewer hose) you can utilize the entire 90 gallons of grey water capacity. You keep this valve closed and then open the 2 grey valves. When you're ready to dump, you close the 2 grey valves.
After hooking up the sewer hose, open the "new valve". This will empty the standing water that had accumulated in the piping. Then drain your tanks as you normally would.
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SOB "The RV Wiseguy"
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06-29-2014, 04:13 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,092
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Good explanation Dave, you're right on!!
One note... BEFORE dumping the Black water tank you SHOULD [for me MUST] close the two Grey tank valves, then open the added valve at the end of the line, then open the Black valve to empty the black tank. Once the Black tank is empty I rinse the black tank throughly [at least twice], then close the Black valve and open the two Grey valves and finally close the added valve at the end of the dump tube.
Note... I close the grey valves one day prior to dumping the black tank so I'll have rinse water to flush the lines after dumping the black water.
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SOB
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06-29-2014, 05:05 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,101
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Ken,
Didn't realize you had two sinks up top. You know, if you add the wash machine, you're balanced pretty well realistically. I have the Washer and between it and the shower, it fills that Gray tank up so fast I'm afraid to leave it closed. I over ran it once.
Here nor there, but the valve they are talking about sure helps. I use it because I had one but haven't used it to pair the tanks yet. Hardest part if remembering its there Nothing worse than opening the black the first time and nothing comes out . Done that a couple of times.
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Brad & Dory - Lone Tree, CO
CURRENT - 2013 Itasca Meridian 42E/2013 Wrangler 4dr Sahara
SOLD - 2014 Redwood 36RL/2014 F350 DRW
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06-29-2014, 05:20 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 545
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Brad,
True enough, but when dry camping, I don't use the washer so the gray tank will be useless unless the balancing works between the two.
Our experience dry camping is that even though we take "navy showers", the shower tank filled long before the galley on the Montana. Having the shower and galley together on the Redwood might be a problem. I sure hope the balancing will work!
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06-29-2014, 05:29 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,101
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No reason it shouldn't! It will just make preparing for dumping the black tank a bit different.
I'll be dry camping this week again -no washer, but I can't resist the Dishwasher
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Brad & Dory - Lone Tree, CO
CURRENT - 2013 Itasca Meridian 42E/2013 Wrangler 4dr Sahara
SOLD - 2014 Redwood 36RL/2014 F350 DRW
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06-29-2014, 05:56 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 310
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Thanks everyone for the input. I'm going to get that valve ASAP.
__________________
2015 38GK
2014 Silverado 3500HD 4x4 DRW CC
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06-29-2014, 06:19 PM
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#15
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Traveling
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 910
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We overran our grey tank on day 3 of ownership... with the washing machine. I didn't know that Todd had closed the valves... and I washed a bright red bathroom rug knowing it would "bleed" and sure enough, washer ran over and I had pink water streaming out of my bedroom slide. It's a source of consternation for LOTS OF REASONS!!! UGH. Of course I thought we had a leak, bad hoses under the bed, took the bed all apart, mattress off, etc... and THEN I discover that the valve was closed. NOT a happy girl. ;-(
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06-29-2014, 06:27 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,101
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Yep, that's what I did. But it was all my fault - I had the valve closed.
__________________
Brad & Dory - Lone Tree, CO
CURRENT - 2013 Itasca Meridian 42E/2013 Wrangler 4dr Sahara
SOLD - 2014 Redwood 36RL/2014 F350 DRW
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06-29-2014, 08:20 PM
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#17
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 5,407
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TNTBaker
We overran our grey tank on day 3 of ownership... with the washing machine. I didn't know that Todd had closed the valves... and I washed a bright red bathroom rug knowing it would "bleed" and sure enough, washer ran over and I had pink water streaming out of my bedroom slide. It's a source of consternation for LOTS OF REASONS!!! UGH. Of course I thought we had a leak, bad hoses under the bed, took the bed all apart, mattress off, etc... and THEN I discover that the valve was closed. NOT a happy girl. ;-(
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You're just building memories......If everything went as planned...there wouldn't be anything to laugh about later.
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SOB "The RV Wiseguy"
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06-30-2014, 03:04 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,353
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Have a friend that calls those "memorable misadventures" .
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Danny & Linda
Full-timed 10+ years
Former '13 FB owner
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Currently rv & truckless
Replacement undetermined
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06-30-2014, 09:42 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 545
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I called Redwood today and got the plumbing diagram for the 38GK. Sure enough, the shower and kitchen drain to the galley tank.
It looks like the external valve will work by equalizing the level allowing use of both tanks.
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06-30-2014, 09:45 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,092
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My 36FB shows the shower going to the galley tank...it doesn't.
The only thing that drains to the galley tank is the kitchen sink, everything else goes to the grey tank.
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