Tanks not fully draining

[chris44]

Since we started using our 2024 Oliver Legacy Elite II, the gray and black tanks won't drain fully unless we lift the front as high as it will go. If the camper is fully level, the gray only drains to about 40%. Anyone else have this issue?

[topgun2]

How/where are you getting your percentage readings?

The tank sensors can be inaccurate and/or in need of adjustment.

Bill

[chris44]

45 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

How/where are you getting your percentage readings?

The tank sensors can be inaccurate and/or in need of adjustment.

Bill

It is from the internal display. But the readings seem relatively accurate, since it shows as 40% when level, and as we raise the front of the trailer, a lot of gray water drains out and it reaches zero on the display after it finishes.

[topgun2]

OK - I think I've got it.

The reason that you have to raise the front of the Ollie to drain the tanks is common to all Olivers that I know of.  This is because of the basic design of the tanks - they are fairly wide and long - but - not very tall since they have to fit between the inner and outer shells of the Oliver.  The good news is that this design helps lower the trailer's center of gravity and more evenly distributes the weight of the tank's contents from side to side and front to back.  In addition, the location provides protection to the tanks from sources outside the outer shell of the Oliver and given that in colder temperatures the area between the shells is somewhat warmer as compared to outside.  Unfortunately, the downside to this location and design is that in order to completely empty the tanks, the front of the trailer must be elevated such that the liquid contents flow more completely (and faster) towards the outlet which is basically at the rear of the camper.

Your 40% seems a bit on the high side but that could be a sensor issue (again, it really doesn't take all that much of a mis-placed sensor and/or the degree of level of the trailer to have a fairly dramatic effect on the reading).

I think that most of us develop an idea/sense of when and how long we can "go" before these tanks need to be emptied and or what our readings really mean.  But, in virtually all cases if we want to really empty these tanks, the nose of the Oliver must come up.

Bill 

[Steph and Dud B]

Totally agree with Bill. Your readings seem high, but we always have to raise the nose when dumping. If we don't, we often have 6-12% left in the tanks (according to our monitors).

[jd1923]

4 hours ago, chris44 said:

Since we started using our 2024 Oliver Legacy Elite II, the gray and black tanks won't drain fully unless we lift the front as high as it will go. If the camper is fully level, the gray only drains to about 40%. Anyone else have this issue?

Lifting the front jack is a MUST at least 2-3" high. We read the LevelMatePRO app to know. If there are two ways you can pull into a dump station, enter to be driving uphill whenever possible.

This should get the black tank 98% empty. The black tank is a taller tank and if nose up it should empty fully.

The grey tank is another story. Besides nose up the grey will only fully empty when the curbside is also up 1-2". This is because the 4" waste line exiting the grey tank heads out from the rear of the tank towards the streetside (pic1). If the curbside is very low, the grey tank could be half full and not able to empty.

Every time we dump, I'm taking our two 8" Andersen Blocks out of the truck bed, one under the front jack and one under the curbside jack, often lifting the curbside wheels up in the air. I lift the front up first and then pull the black valve, then I raise the curbside and pull the grey valve in this same order every time! Lift before you open the valves so that the waste water runs out most quickly.

We had an extreme situation at the Sunoco in Cedar City UT. You had to back into the dump station which was uphill. It took all this lifting  to dump effectively! 😎 (pic2)

[DavePhelps]

What JD said. I'll have to try lifting the curbside of the trailer next dump. But I will say that because of all the afore mentioned design characteristics of the Gray tank, it is very slow to drain! Aren't the gray tanks also "L" shaped??  Which is why a curbside lift is a great idea to help things along. One thing I do is to open the back flow valve in the bathroom to help let more air in the tank when draining, I don't think there is a trap on that drain, seems to help.

Dave

Edited 8 hours ago by DavePhelps
clarifying an error.