Problem with 2017 Northern Lite 9-6Q SE gray water dumping

[Deb]

We purchased this unit new in the fall, which was winterized. This summer, after a couple of successful trips and uneventful dumps of both gray/black water, the next time we went to empty just the gray tank nothing came out each time we opened the gray water valve. At this point, the monitor indicated that the tank was about 3/4 full (seemed accurate for what we had used), but only a few ounces came out. Back to the dealer we went, only to have them open the valve exactly as I had been doing, which now seemed to work just fine.

Fast forward to arriving home from the dealer, and I attempted to briefly open the valve, but nothing came out. Thinking that it might have something to do with being on a slight incline at the dealer (the back end was a teensy bit lower than the front), I pulled the truck from its level concrete pad to a sloped incline (rear end much lower than the front) and then opened the gray valve. A fair amount of water then emptied out, but not nearly enough compared to how much should have been in the tank. Both times that we had dumped previously, there was a definite incline downward toward the rear of the vehicle.

I then decided to inspect the valve (Bristol 1.5”) and was able to remove it, expecting to be flooded with water when I pulled it out. There was, however, NO water on the other side of the valve. The valve itself appeared to be functioning properly. I am perplexed as to why no water would have been in the pipe between the tank and the valve, and I even ran the faucet for awhile afterward so there would be some water to empty. Perhaps I just don’t understand how it is SUPPOSED to work. Can anyone enlighten me, please?

Possibly related is a missing cap from the vent on the roof above the kitchen area. There is a 2nd and 3rd vent (both still with caps) above the bathroom, presumably one for black and one for gray. Could this vent have gotten clogged somehow (debris, critters, nests) and be preventing us from emptying the gray tank? Since there still appears to be a functioning vent with cap for gray water from the bathroom, this option does not make sense to me.

I would appreciate any wisdom from the group on this baffling situation, please and thank you!

Deb Hurlbut
Evergreen, CO
2017 Ford F-250 4 x 4 Super Cab long bed
2017 Northern Lite 9-6Q SE

[Russ]

We too have a ’17 NL, but Sportsman model; I think the plumbing would be the same. We have not had any problems with ours, but I find that the grey tank is shallow (to accommodate the shower drain) and the sensors don’t take much liquid to register partially full. Ours needs some slope to the rear to drain effectively. I would expect that even if your vents were plugged, unless your shower and sink drains were also plugged, the system would drain. Our grey tank is located in the basement, midship drivers side. If you remove the side cover just ahead of the drain compartment you should be able to see the end of the tank, and might be able to get a visual liquid level. If there’s liquid in the tank and it’s not draining downslope, I would try a snake from the drain valve.

[Author]

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