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Bathroom floor drain gray water valve problem


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I don't know if this is the right place to ask about this, but here goes.  After camping several times with our Ollie, we arrive home the last time to find that the floor pan in the bathroom was flooded with water that had come up from the floor drain.  I had drained both the black and the gray tanks at the last campground dump station, where we had been connected to city water supply.  The monitor read that both tanks were empty, yet...there was obviously water coming from the gray water tank into that pan!

Any ideas?

Charlie

Hull 734 - 2021 Oliver Elite II

pulled by F-150

Out of Florida

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Did you use the bathroom sink faucet while the backflow valve was closed?  If you did, the water that drained down the bathroom sink, backed up against the backflow valve and into the shower pan.

Andrew

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Andrew

 

2019 Legacy Elite II  2018 BMW x5 35d 

 

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Just because your tank monitor read zero doesn't actually mean that the tanks were empty - as strange as that may sound.

Depending on how level your Ollie was when dumping there can still be a few gallons of liquid in the tank even though the monitor reads zero.  When looking to REALLY make sure I'm as empty as possible I really raise the front and curb side of my Ollie.

Or, what AndrewK said.

Bill

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Near Asheville, NC

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The gray and fresh tanks are both very flat.  Any amount of “unlevelness” will affect both filling a draining.  Like Bill said, it’s a good idea to raise the front of the trailer if you really want to ensure the gray tank is empty.  If the back flow gate was closed before you left there shouldn’t be any gray water in the shower.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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I bet every owner has had this happen, one time, and then you learn and it probably won’t reoccur... For me it was in the middle of the night in my socks, I discovered the isolation “travel” valve was still closed when I ran water in the bath sink and it backed up out of the floor drain and soaked my feet. Many bad words!!!

Get a black Sharpie and write “Push in for travel” right beside the handle.

John Davies

Spokane WA

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: 

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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I’ve experienced wet socks more than once!  It’s one of those checklist items that gets left out when your setup routine is interrupted. The good news is that if it’s closed and you run water in the bathroom sink you will quickly realize what you forgot to do!  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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Yep - 

I've got two of the same bath mats just for this reason. 

When one gets wet because someone (me) forgot to open the valve then I've got a spare while it dries or gets laundered. 

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Near Asheville, NC

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  • 1 month later...
On 12/10/2021 at 9:31 PM, AndrewK said:

Did you use the bathroom sink faucet while the backflow valve was closed?  If you did, the water that drained down the bathroom sink, backed up against the backflow valve and into the shower pan.

Andrew

 

Charlie

Hull 734 - 2021 Oliver Elite II

pulled by F-150

Out of Florida

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18 minutes ago, Citrus breeze said:

The reply about the level of the unit while draining the gray tanks is very interesting.  Now, I'll have to figure how to raise the Ollie while at a dump stations, and I'm attached to my truck.

Charlie

I put a block under the front jack and lift it up.  Usually you can go a couple of inches until the load is off the truck.  If necessary, I keep going, raising the back of the truck a little with the jack.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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1 hour ago, Citrus breeze said:

The reply about the level of the unit while draining the gray tanks is very interesting.  Now, I'll have to figure how to raise the Ollie while at a dump stations, and I'm attached to my truck.

Is your Ollie level or just a little nose high when towing? If it is nose down, that makes things a lot harder, all the time.

Most dump stations that I encounter have a distinct grade down and to the left, so you can position the trailer so it drains naturally. I have a big ball level on the front of the hull, I can watch it in the rear view mirror to see if the trailer is leaning properly. And of course, it works great for getting  the trailer as level as possibly on the campsite slab. I highly recommend this mod: … https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2082-how-to-install-a-big-bubble-level-no-drilling/

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: 

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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2 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

I put a block under the front jack and lift it up.  Usually you can go a couple of inches until the load is off the truck.  If necessary, I keep going, raising the back of the truck a little with the jack.  Mike

Just please don't do what I did the first time we dumped.  We raised the trailer at the dump station, emptied the tanks stowed all the hoses.  We got in the truck and started to leave.  Terrible noise!! We forgot to lower the Ollie and raise up the jack.  The lower shaft was badly bent.  Fortunately some of the guys working at the state park had a portable saw with a metal blade.  We had to cut the shaft.  We called the jack manufacturer directly as Oliver didn't have an extra in stock.  We had it sent express to our next campground.  We stayed hooked up that night.  The jack arrived the next day and I installed the new jack.  PIA but we learned a lesson early on and fortunately it only cost us a day and some $.  No one got hurt.  Embarrassing for sure.  I was able to keep the barley used jack motor so I have a heavy working replacement with me if needed.  

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19 minutes ago, Mattnan said:

Just please don't do what I did the first time we dumped.  We raised the trailer at the dump station, emptied the tanks stowed all the hoses.  We got in the truck and started to leave.  Terrible noise!! We forgot to lower the Ollie and raise up the jack.  The lower shaft was badly bent. 

That is why you should ALWAYS place blocks under all jack feet, even the back ones. If you drive away with them lowered, the jacks will slide off the blocks and hopefully not get trashed. If they are resting on the ground, as yours was, they have no chance at all. 

I have a red safety flag that I keep in the truck, for any situation like this, I loop it over the gear shift handle, as a reminder that I can’t drive away yet. As I get older, I need to pay a lot more attention to routine stuff.

John Davies

Spokane WA

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: 

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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5 hours ago, Citrus breeze said:

The reply about the level of the unit while draining the gray tanks is very interesting.  Now, I'll have to figure how to raise the Ollie while at a dump stations, and I'm attached to my truck.

Charlie

I thought the same thing.   How is that done? 


John and Debbie, Beaverton, Oregon,  2017 Ford Expedition EL 4x4 3.5 liter Ecoboost, with heavy duty tow package. Hull #1290, twin bed with Truma package (a/c, furnace, hot water heater with electric antifreeze option), lithium pro package, picked up November 7, 2022

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2 hours ago, Mattnan said:

Just please don't do what I did the first time we dumped.  We raised the trailer at the dump station, emptied the tanks stowed all the hoses.  We got in the truck and started to leave.  Terrible noise!! We forgot to lower the Ollie and raise up the jack.  The lower shaft was badly bent.  Fortunately some of the guys working at the state park had a portable saw with a metal blade.  We had to cut the shaft.  We called the jack manufacturer directly as Oliver didn't have an extra in stock.  We had it sent express to our next campground.  We stayed hooked up that night.  The jack arrived the next day and I installed the new jack.  PIA but we learned a lesson early on and fortunately it only cost us a day and some $.  No one got hurt.  Embarrassing for sure.  I was able to keep the barley used jack motor so I have a heavy working replacement with me if needed.  

For very few $ Barker will sell you a new lower tube and you can fully repair that jack. It's an easy fix once you figure out how to get the two tubes apart.

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Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Lucy, Maggie and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 

 

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6 hours ago, John Welte said:

Now, I'll have to figure how to raise the Ollie while at a dump stations

I was thinking about driving the rear wheels of my truck onto some leveler blocks. Not as easy as using the jack, but not as damaging if you forget about them before you leave.

Stephanie and Dudley from CT.  2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior.

Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4.

Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed

Where we've been RVing since 1999:

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48 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

I was thinking about driving the rear wheels of my truck onto some leveler blocks. Not as easy as using the jack, but not as damaging if you forget about them before you leave.

Seems like a good idea.   If the dump station is level (quite unlikely), what side of the rear of the truck should be raised with blocks and do you owners do that? 


John and Debbie, Beaverton, Oregon,  2017 Ford Expedition EL 4x4 3.5 liter Ecoboost, with heavy duty tow package. Hull #1290, twin bed with Truma package (a/c, furnace, hot water heater with electric antifreeze option), lithium pro package, picked up November 7, 2022

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1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:

I was thinking about driving the rear wheels of my truck onto some leveler blocks. Not as easy as using the jack, but not as damaging if you forget about them before you leave.

I never run my jacks all the way down.  I have 8” blocks for each jack and 20 big yellow legos.  Total jack movement for any of them is just a couple of inches.  Saves battery and reduces any damage if I decide to drive away without raising them.  Hasn’t happened, but you never know.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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Yup we use blocks all the time when we set up and and park.  This was our very first time at a dump station and our very first time with a travel trailer.  Good learning experience. Hind sight is 20/20.  I share the experience in hope of saving someone else from the same experience.

Lots of folks on here are very new to camping with a trailer or RV like we were. We are learning lessons all the time.  I learn on this forum and by doing.  To me it is part of the experience and growth learning new things and solving new problems.  We are seeing lots of new places.  

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15 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

I never run my jacks all the way down.  I have 8” blocks for each jack and 20 big yellow legos.  Total jack movement for any of them is just a couple of inches.  Saves battery and reduces any damage if I decide to drive away without raising them.  Hasn’t happened, but you never know.  Mike

What a great idea. Everyone should take note here.

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Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Lucy, Maggie and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 

 

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