Mid-bath Black Tank April 22, 2019, 09:46:11 am The 27' mid-bath has some pretty extreme plumbing bends in order to accommodate the toilet placement over the wheel well. What I don't understand is why the main pipe drops on to a shelf in the holding tank. If ever there is a problem that's where it is. Unless you use copious amounts of water, tp and solids collect there unaffected by any tank water or chemicals. I wonder if there is a black tank replacement that allows a direct shot in without the shelf? We have learned to be super careful but if you have a guest using your bathroom that Robin Williams movie "RV" is not that much of an exaggeration.
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #1 – April 22, 2019, 10:57:56 am Love that movie!Do the newer MB’s have the same plumbing configuration?
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #2 – April 22, 2019, 11:32:19 am I know the bathroom looks identical. If they improved the tank on the newer ones I think I would be willing to retrofit it. I replaced everything else!
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #3 – April 22, 2019, 12:00:48 pm What you see is what you get. The physical location of the MB's toilet has been the same for years and it probably will always be the same unless Ford changes the wheelbase and moves the wheel well.. In recent years, LD has raised the height toilet to give the drain pipe more drop for better flow, it's still iffy and requires careful use.If you suspect they have a new, better holding tank, I suggest calling LD and running it past them, everything constructed in a LD has has been thought out for decades, they are aware of drainage problem and have made the possible adjustments .If a better holding tank is available, used in later models, LD is only reliable source of information on if it can be retrofitted.I wouldn't hold my breath.Larry 3 Likes
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #4 – April 22, 2019, 01:55:48 pm Before we sold the mid-bath in 2015 I thought I found a leak near the black tank vent fitting. I called Vince at the mothership and asked him how hard it would be to drop and repair/replace the tank. He persuaded me it was more work than I wanted to undertake for a "could be broken" item.Mark H
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #5 – April 22, 2019, 04:19:51 pm The midbath's crooked plumbing from the toilet to the tank has long been a s source of annoying clogs.But getting back to Jagerbeast's question, why the shelf in the black tank? It seems unrelated to the jog in the plumbing necessitated by the midbath's toilet location. Yes, the pipe leading to the dump valve exits there, but surely that could have been accomplished in a better way.For reference (those who are squeamish may want to skip this), here's a photo of my 2003 midbath's black tank interior looking aft.
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #6 – April 22, 2019, 04:48:42 pm Just wondering how you got that photo, Andy?
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #7 – April 22, 2019, 05:58:35 pm I don't see why they could not have put a slope at that spot - 45 degree slope above that ledge would help things slide down into the tank easily without giving up a lot of tank "sq ft"-age.
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #8 – April 22, 2019, 07:03:08 pm I don't know what LD is using now but they have changed the shape of the tank over time. This is a long-term, well know issue with the Mid-Bath and LD has addressed it.It's been thirty years since your rig was built, they have improved things since but I would guess the improvements now are as good as it gets.The location of the toilet is the biggest flaw in the Mid-Bath, an otherwise almost perfect design.Wonder how a 27' MB would fit on the 31' chassis?Larry
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #9 – April 22, 2019, 07:05:33 pm My thought would be to mold the end of the tank on a 45 and then plumb accordingly. I know that ground clearance is the main issue and this way they can exit the tank with plumbing as high as possible and still get grade to empty the tank completely. I wonder if the inside of our tank looks like Andy's?Jon....
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #10 – April 22, 2019, 10:33:06 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - April 22, 2019, 04:19:51 pmThe midbath's crooked plumbing from the toilet to the tank has long been a s source of annoying clogs.But getting back to Jagerbeast's question, why the shelf in the black tank? It seems unrelated to the jog in the plumbing necessitated by the midbath's toilet location. Yes, the pipe leading to the dump valve exits there, but surely that could have been accomplished in a better way.For reference (those who are squeamish may want to skip this), here's a photo of the tank interior looking aft.That is a great reference picture. After a thorough back flushing rinse I took everything topside apart and scoped it out. No one wants to borrow my camera anymore either.
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #11 – April 23, 2019, 02:40:12 am "No one wants to borrow my camera anymore either."Heh heh. :-) I didn't actually have to put my camera in the tank to get that shot; I took the picture through the hole in the front of the tank that I'd drilled to install the tank rinser.
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #12 – April 23, 2019, 09:39:41 am The infamous shelf... I make a point, from time to time, to fill the toilet to the absolute top and then mash the pedal down allowing how ever many gallons to hit the shelf with some degree of authority . Does this sound like it would be affective to some degree? Frank
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #13 – April 23, 2019, 09:54:16 am Does the TK (or other models) have this shelf also, or is it only a MB thing?
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #14 – April 23, 2019, 10:34:27 am Greg,The RB sits in the rear corner of the coach. The tank is directly below it and affluent enters the tank from directly above. There is no shelf to contend with.This is another reason we chose this floor plan. I prefer to have my thrown closer to the floor. It also makes cleaning the tank from above more efficient when using my garden hose spray nozzle. Camco’s just don’t “cut” it. 😖Kent 2 Likes
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #15 – April 23, 2019, 01:24:21 pm "... and affluent enters ..."KentDo you actually put money (affluence) down your toilet?Strange, I put 'effluence' down mine while sitting on the Throne! 1 Likes
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #16 – April 23, 2019, 03:57:27 pm Steve,Effluence...affluence...hmmm... well we did buy new so semantics, in this case, may be appropriate in either case. 💩Kent 3 Likes
Re: Mid-bath Black Tank Reply #17 – April 24, 2019, 01:56:58 am "I make a point, from time to time, to fill the toilet to the absolute top and then mash the pedal down allowing how ever many gallons to hit the shelf with some degree of authority. Does this sound like it would be affective to some degree?"I do likewise when dumping, to help flush out the last of the tank's contents. I can't offer scientific proof, but it does seem to help. 1 Likes