Odors, Pipes, tanks...........OH MY!!!!

[pbraunton]

Hello:

I am new to owning a glass egg, we bought a rough, but structurally solid 1973 Boler a couple of weeks ago

the door on it is bowing out at the top and bottom, but I am in the middle of the fix for that (long weekend and no welders are open), but I do have a few other questions

1) did these ever come with a toilet under the front storage hatch, passenger side? well mine does, it sorta looks like an after market job just from initial inspections

2) is the sink supposed to have a trap under it?, mine doesn't and i can sort of smell the black water tank!! ( i know it is hooked up wrong cause it actually uses a garden hose for drainage ) which is also loose where it goes into the tank!!!

3) The vent on the black water tank is loose in the opening under the drivers side front storage hatch, could someone post a pick of what it "should" look like ( i am a visual learner and like pictures) this is also another source of the tank smell

4) eventually i would like to replace the tank, it is metal and i am sure, over time it will rust and leak, does anyone know of a place that sells poly tanks?

that is it for now, I am sure as i dive into fixing her up that i will find more issues and come her to find a solution, ..........

greta site though,

I have only one suggestion, I am finding it hard to find any thing specific just to bolers, for instance i typed in "black water tank", and got posts for scamps, uhaul, bigfoot etc, and had to search through for ones just on Boler

Is it possible to get sub categories for the different trailers?, that way if you have a fix/mod/question re: a certain trailer then you go into that category of the forum and everything relates just to that particular trailer????

just a thought, I am on another forum Fred's TDI Page. TDIClub.com. VW TDI Enthusiast Community and they break it down to model year of vehicle that way you can look under your vehicle and find a specific post/answer!!!! it is really easy to find info!!!!!

[Donna D.]

If you're interested in only Boler info, have you checked out Bolerama? http://www.bolerama.org/Bolerama/Welcome.html You'll find the forum link second from the left. However, other than the body and frame, all these molded trailers are more alike than different. Windows, axles, appliances, tanks, etc. are manufactured by someone other than the trailer manufacturer. Plumbing is plumbing, propane is propane, etc. no matter the brand.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by pbraunton

Hello:
1) did these ever come with a toilet under the front storage hatch, passenger side? well mine does, it sorta looks like an after market job just from initial inspections

2) is the sink supposed to have a trap under it?, mine doesn't and i can sort of smell the black water tank!! ( i know it is hooked up wrong cause it actually uses a garden hose for drainage ) which is also loose where it goes into the tank!!!

1) They were manufactured without Toilets. Yours was most likely done by a previous owner, who didn't have any guide to go by and probably made it up as he went.

2) What you have may not be "recognizable" as a trap. When I first saw one I didn't realize it was a trap.
Link to a standard Sink Drain
Does yours look like the one in the Link? The cup part that attaches to the bottom of the sink is actually a trap, but that design was never intended for use with a Black Water Tank. Sinks generally are connected to a separate Gray Water Tank, buy your previous owner might have thought the trailer was too small for separate tanks.

[Raya]

I have never heard of a 1973 Boler coming with a grey water tank from the factory, so I would imagine a PO modified the camper. In which case, unless you got really lucky, there is probably a certain amount of "fudging" in the installation. So, presuming you want to keep the grey tank (and maybe you don't - I don't have one nor wish for one), then you might want to go over the whole installation -- from one end to the other -- and check it over with any eye towards possible.... shortcuts (or just lack of knowledge on the PO's part).

I have never seen a 1973 Boler with a passenger side toilet, so my guess would be that that was a later add-on as well.

Also, I agree with Donna. Sure, there are some unique features to each camper; but overall they are more alike than different, especially when it comes to "clones" (Boler/Scamp/Eco/Love Bug; Cloud/Burro/U-haul, etc.). Then too, there are things like wiring and plumbing, towing and shelving, vent installations and more that are common to all of our trailers.

Congrats on your new Boler!

Raya

[pbraunton]

Okay thanks for the advise

Now how many people would think a triolet is a plus???

We are thinking of removing it, the black/grey water tank leaks like seive

So in it original state it would have just had the grey water tanks for the sink and a fresh water tank???

Thanks, we could use the storage so I think we will be taking it out the toilet itself is also in rough shape!!!

[Raya]

pbraunton, I don't think there is any consensus on that one. Personally, I would take it out in a heartbeat. I spend less than 10 minutes per day using the facilities, so I can't see having them take up 20% of my trailer space (in a 13-er). But that's just me, and everyone is different. Some people specifically seek out a 13' camper that has a bathroom.

On the other hand, I can't imagine anyone wanting a poorly installed, leaky smelly toilet. So even if you want to keep a toilet, I would not keep *that* installation, but would instead re-do it.

But again, you'll get opinions on both sides, and ultimately I would suggest going with how YOU want it. It's a 1973 Boler so it's not like you're taking the mirrors out of Versailles

Raya

[pbraunton]

yeah we have decided to take it out,

just for storage space, and WE would never use it, .....we would rather walk the 5 minutes to the campground toilets

once i take it out though I am going to have a huge hole in the floor, guess i get to do some fiberglassing sooner rather than later,

do anyone knwo where to find a replacement tank?, maybe a poly one?,


or would it be best just to buy a generic one that fits the space and then add the drain and inlet pipes?

gotta go an walk the dogs before it rains

Paul

[Lizbeth]

13 ft Bolers did not have a gray water tank at all. The sink drains into a free standing "tank" of the owner choice.

[slbran]

Try

water tanks, plastic tanks, septic tanks

Google rv holding tanks and there are several links.