The toilet behaved... the rest of the plumbing....

[David Joseph]

I had the EXACT same problem with my 98 Widebody, and spent just about as much time as you getting frustrated. The boys are onto something when they say the grey tank is not venting. You can do 1 of 2 things: always park your Burro with the tongue aimed at the ground (not recommended), or fix the plumbing under the sink.

When the boneheads at Burro put my trailer together they either canted the hoizontal drainpipe under the sink the wrong way, or they gave it no cant at all. The result was that when water went down the kitchen sink the first place it went was to the left, where the vent pipe came down from the roof, effectively blocking any venting. So, as you say, water just came burbling up out the shower drain. The solution is relatively easy if you're comfortable working with plastic pipe. I cut the vertical vent pipe about 1 1/2 inches above the elbow, removed a section of the horizontal pipe past the elbow, then installed a new elbow and pipe section, thus raising the vent end by that 1 1/2 inches. Made all the difference in the world and now the drain works perfectly.

[Gina D.]

Hi David,

Thanks for your similar experience! The engineers at work are even having a hard time with this..

Can you draw a diagram of how you did that? I am having a hard time picturing it, tho I know where everything you are talking about is.

[David Joseph]

Better yet I'll take a picture....as soon as I get a day off from work. Remind me again, why is it we have to have jobs?

[Gina D.]

Remind me again, why is it we have to have jobs?

To pay for our trailers!

Thanks! I think I have the idea, but it would be great to see it executed. It makes perfect sense, given the slight nose up attitude of the trailer (Not me! LOL!) and all the other pieces of the puzzle.

I wonder if lifting the whole assembly up and blocking it under the elbow would be easier? You would have to redo the roof seal, but thats no big deal. Possibly cut down the sink drain to adjust for the main pipe raise.

[Gina D.]

If I am understanding you correctly, it's like my crude drawing below.

1. Vent pipe is slanted DOWN from where kitchen sink drains into main pipe.
2. Water from sink goes down and blocks vent at elbow, water will always stay there after the first kitchen sink usage.
(Trailer Twisters, this would explain the constant gurgling we heard at that point)
3. Water then backs up drain pipe and heads for the shower, no matter WHAT sink or water source I am using.

If my trailer was unleveled, nose up, this would only exaggerate the problem. It was not bad, but definitely noticeable. It was still within a bubble however.

To get the drain nose down, I would have to be at a REALLY notable tilt in that direction to offset the slant to the rear in the drain pipe.

[Jim Stacey]

[b]Burp the baby.
You have air trapped in the tank.

I added a vent to the top of my tank across to the bathroom sink air vent. Worked great.

Hey Mike, Can you explain to me how you did that. I have a 17 ft Boler. The black tank is on the cabin side of the floor, under the tiolet and dinette seat. The grey tank is underneath the front of the trailer. I have a vent on the oposite side for the sink and a vent on the bathroom side up from the black tank. Hey You just may have solved my problem, there doesn't seem to be a vent on the grey tank. I will check this out tomorrow and let you know. Yours in Bolering. Jim

[Bill MacDermod]

Gina, you done good on that drawing,

[Gina D.]

I did manage to stick my head in there this weekend and see exactly what he was talking about. Yep.. that'll do it! It does cant to the left, and there is actually two elbows there (One horizontal from the line that sink is directly attached to) and one vertical from a short run after that bend that the vent is connected to. Should be easy enough to fix.

I am going to try a different route tho. Cutting the sink drain and lifting the whole assembly up, supporting with a block at teach elbow. Then refitting the sink drain pipe. It seems easier to get to that one.