Mike and Carol

In my trailer, yes, I am sure. Input to the black tank is from the toilet on top. There is also a vent opening that is on the right side of the black tank. Except for the dump opening, that’s it. In my trailer, the bath sink drains down and goes under the shower, joining with the shower drain to empty into the gray tank. I had an issue once where the bathroom drain pipe unattached itself from the gray tank causing gray water to flow the length of the trailer and out by the back bumper. I epoxied the drain pipe back onto the gray tank and problem solved. Your black tank is 15 gallons, gray is 30ish. That may have had some effect on your bubble test. I’ve spent plenty of time under the bathroom sink doing work and (in my trailer) there is no connection between the sink and the black tank. Someone will point out that there is a shared vent connection, but I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here. Mike

Before you connect your power cable to the trailer check each of the three lugs on the trailer to ensure they are tight. I had a loose one and it ended up melting the connections on both the cable and the trailer. If they are tight I would track the cable where it enters the trailer (under the back dinette seat) and start checking connections along the path to ensure none are loose. Mike

Welcome to the group! This is a helpful place so don’t hesitate to ask. Mike

There are advantages to a tankless. I like the simplicity of the Suburban tank, any needed repairs are pretty straightforward. My last issue was an installation problem, not a tank problem. Mike

Interesting trip report! I read it a week or so ago over on fiberglassrv. Thanks for sharing. Mike

We opened a FB account years ago because our kids were on it. They do very little on FB these days and we rarely open it. We never posted pics or personal information. I have a niece that has put her entire life on FB, not good. Mike

If her gray tank is full then water draining from the kitchen sink could cause backed up water to flow back into the bathroom and out of the shower drain. I don’t know of any connection between the gray tank and the fresh water system. Gray tank inputs are from the kitchen and the bathroom, one each. No fresh water inputs. Mike

We’ve got a 2020 Ram 2500 diesel. Tow on the ball, no sway control. Lots of miles and never an issue. Mike

Sometimes you get a wild hair and make impulsive travel changes. We were at Lost Dutchman one January and decided to visit our son/family in Durango. Once we got past Payson the temps started dropping. By the time we hit Farmington, NM we were in the 20’s. The week we were there overnight lows were teens and highs near 30. No trailer issues. Another January we were at Dead Horse Ranch and checked temperatures at Zion, highs in the low 60s. The campground there was empty and we stayed a week in an empty Zion National Park. On the drive back to AZ we had temps in the 20s, ran the furnace and got back to AZ with no issues. Travel flexibility! Mike

Works well for us!

We’ve run the furnace while driving too.

We use Brave for our browser and DuckDuckGo for our search engine.

He initially went to a Black Series HQ19, we saw it at Quartzsite just after he got it. He’s since moved on to other Australian trailers. He hasn’t been on the forum in a while but does answer PM’s. Mike

That looks like some good camping!!

Zane and Mary, welcome and congratulations on you new Oliver! Looking forward to meeting you. Mike

Anyone who used to be called Big Bruiser will get back to a good activity level in short order! Keep up the walking and the trailer work! And, no more shortcuts into the basement…. Mike

I was always active, marathons, triathlons, racket sports, etc. I lost the ACL in my left knee due to a college football injury. I kept up the activity even without that ACL which resulted in re-injuring that knee multiple times. I had ACL replacement surgery, meniscus repair surgery, excess fluid drainings and kept up the activity. Finally, the pain pushed me to go to a sports orthopedic surgeon who told me bluntly to stop all the sports stuff! He told me the last thing I should do is a knee replacement, spend the time you would be running to do strength exercises for both legs. He sent me to physical therapy to do that. That was 15 years ago and now I just walk. He told me that if after physical therapy day to day activities did not result in pain, then avoid knee replacement. At the time, even my walks (a few miles) resulted in pain, but after the physical therapy and continued strength training that pain has been gone for years. I still tweak that knee occasionally, but it heals after a few days. I can squat, climb a ladder, lift, slide under the trailer and drive long distances pain free. Hope this helps, just another variable in your decision equation! Mike

The service was good, too.

We went to Dream Cafe on Main Street in Grand Junction. It was good.

Agree. They are pretty quick. I don’t know which fridge you have, we left ours on propane. Probably should have switched to 12v, but the ALCAN guys didn’t seem to care. It was an open bay and they were done in a couple of hours. We drove over from James Robb State Park, dropped off at about 7:50, went to breakfast, walked around Bass Pro Shop and got a text just before 10:00 that they were done. We then drove down to Ridgway State Park near Ouray for a relaxing stay before heading down Highway 550 to Durango. Mike

Welcome! Lots of expertise on the forum so if you have questions feel free to ask away. We were in the PNW last August and September, really enjoyed the area! Mike

As John mentioned we used Epoch Essentials. Very satisfied so far.

I would think your best bet are the first two options. You can replace your current batteries and significantly increase your amp hours. I just replaced three 100ah batteries with two 300ah batteries, doubling our amp hours but using less space. An additional panel is easy to do also. We carried a generator for years, and used it when the weather was non-solar. They are a pain and I don’t like that option either. We also carry a Jackery 1000, but it is for Starlink power when we’re off the grid. Mike

Anyone with the Suburban hot water tank should check their power connections annually. Had I checked I could have caught the issue before the meltdown. I’m sure it’s been going on for years. One screw is all that is holding the cover on. Mike

Bill, we’ve got the same spare tire issue you had, 16” wheel with a lower profile tire than what’s on the trailer. In fact, I still have the original spare tire, probably should change it out. I’m thinking I’ll go to ST tires from the LTs I have now. We swapped out the original BF Goodrich tires after about 6 years and have had these Cooper AT3 LT tires for the last 4 years. Mike