By Cheri Sicard
In this video, Izzy from Endless RVing shares a cautionary tale about a huge RV mistake that is easy to make, especially if you are a beginner. Heck, Izzy is NOT a beginner, and he still made this significant RV error.
This RV mistake is thoroughly disgusting, and once you make it, I guarantee you will never, ever do it again!
But a far better idea is to scroll down and watch Izzy’s short video. Why? Because this mistake is so disgusting that even hearing about somebody else making it is bound to keep you from ever doing so.
Here’s what happened: Izzy dumped his RV’s black tank as usual and carefully replaced the cap after doing so. Then, Izzy and MJ went on with their day and their travels.
All was well until the next time he had to dump the tanks. It was only then that he discovered what he had neglected to do at the previous dump station.
Yes, Izzy had replaced the cap on the black tank outlet. However, he forgot to close the valve, which meant that sewage had been backing up in the pipe!
As you can imagine, when he went to take off the cap to attach the sewer hose, this made a huge, ugly, stinky mess. It’s a memorable mess that Izzy will never forget. He will likewise never, ever forget to check that the valve is closed before driving off again.
Hopefully, if you think of Izzy and this video when you dump your black tank, you won’t forget to double-check that the valve is closed, either.
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RVDT2730
Yep. best to close the valve before capping. Haven’t had an issue, but trained myself to always check the valve control rods before removing the cap as a second line of defense.
If the control rod is open, close it then find a small bucket. And ease off that cap! Got gloves?
Does shopping at Camping World count?
You only do it once, then you won’t forget. Trust me.
I always look first at the valve to make sure it is closed. But I also hold a small bucket under the tank outlet as I slowly open the cap. Just in case the valve has been leaking that bucket catches anything that may drain out, and the valve can be quickly closed if too much stuff is getting into that bucket.
Robin Williams in the Rv movie……… Wow!
Thank you sharing the YouTube “short,” Cheri! The video was narrow and prevented me seeing their sewer compartment very well. We both have Newmar RVs, but his configuration is a bit different from ours. I connect the sewer hose with two valves between the sewer outlet and either tank. That is, there is a valve for each waste tank, but also another that prevents anything entering the hose, exiting the sewer connection until it also is opened. Might be a good upgrade, especially for forgetful valve closers. 😉 Of course, one could forget to close both valves and still have a mess. 🙁 Have a great weekend and safe travels!
Get a clear cap with a hose connection. If there is a leak you can see it, and you won’t have as big of a mess.
I use a cap that has a garden hose fitting on it. I carefully loosen it to see if I’ve had a valve failure. Easier to control a 1” jet than a four inch blowout!