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Old 05-20-2020, 09:49 AM   #1
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Name: Donna
Trailer: Bigfoot
Alberta
Posts: 8
My new, old Bigfoot

Hello everyone,


I have recently purchased a 1985 19B Bigfoot travel trailer and I have a few questions.
First off, this is my first trailer ever, can anyone help me out here, I do not understand how the grey/blk tanks work. When I go to empty the Septic tank there is only one pull slider lever to open. That is fine for the Blk tank, but when I go to empty the grey tank, there is no lever for that tank, and on the panel it is showing 3/4 full. Are they one in the same?


Bewildered in Canada
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Old 05-20-2020, 10:14 AM   #2
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
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Originally Posted by dvenables View Post
Hello everyone,


I have recently purchased a 1985 19B Bigfoot travel trailer and I have a few questions.
First off, this is my first trailer ever, can anyone help me out here, I do not understand how the grey/blk tanks work. When I go to empty the Septic tank there is only one pull slider lever to open. That is fine for the Blk tank, but when I go to empty the grey tank, there is no lever for that tank, and on the panel it is showing 3/4 full. Are they one in the same?


Bewildered in Canada



Not sure on Bigfoot ( I’m sure a big foot owner will chime in)
But when I had a casita the lever was for both
Hey we love pictures lol
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Old 05-20-2020, 10:27 AM   #3
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Name: geoff
Trailer: bigfoot
Saskatchewan
Posts: 56
Hi, the grey water slider on my 1981 BF is not visible from standing. But if you look under the trailer, just behind the spout, it should be there. Both the grey and black drain from the same spout.

Hope that helps.
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Old 05-20-2020, 01:50 PM   #4
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Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
Well it depends. I'll be interested to hear whether you've already crouched down to take a good look. On my trailer, both black and grey tank handles are very obvious.

On old trailers, people do all sorts of modifications. There is a chance someone combined your tanks or something like that. The level display is also notoriously misleading, because especially with the black tank, bits of this and that, including soap scum, will start sticking to the sides of the tank, and if they're covering a sensor, then your monitor will tell you it's as full as that sensor that is covered.
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Old 05-20-2020, 01:51 PM   #5
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Name: Donna
Trailer: Bigfoot
Alberta
Posts: 8
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Originally Posted by alan H View Post
Not sure on Bigfoot ( I’m sure a big foot owner will chime in)
But when I had a casita the lever was for both
Hey we love pictures lol



Thank you for your incite, pic's would help for sure.
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Old 05-20-2020, 02:00 PM   #6
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Name: Donna
Trailer: Bigfoot
Alberta
Posts: 8
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Originally Posted by ZachO View Post
Well it depends. I'll be interested to hear whether you've already crouched down to take a good look. On my trailer, both black and grey tank handles are very obvious.

On old trailers, people do all sorts of modifications. There is a chance someone combined your tanks or something like that. The level display is also notoriously misleading, because especially with the black tank, bits of this and that, including soap scum, will start sticking to the sides of the tank, and if they're covering a sensor, then your monitor will tell you it's as full as that sensor that is covered.



What you said makes perfect sense that it may have been modified.

Yes, I did crouch down and also had others have a look and there is only the one handle.
I do understand about the displays being misleading however, I though because this is the grey tank that it would be more unlikely that something is covering the sensor.
I will take some pics this evening; this way maybe you or another member can tell me if they have been combined/modified.

Thanks so much for you input, much appreciated.
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Old 05-20-2020, 02:51 PM   #7
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Name: Jack L
Trailer: Sold the Bigfoot 17-Looking for a new one
Washington
Posts: 1,561
The gages that indicate tank level are very undependable. Your gage could say 3/4 when the tank is empty or it could say 1/4 and the tank is full. The grey water drain has a smaller valve and possibly the handle that operates the valve is missing.
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:02 PM   #8
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Name: Robert
Trailer: 1987 Bigfoot B-17'
Washington
Posts: 68
Like!
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Old 05-23-2020, 12:25 PM   #9
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Trailer: 1973 Bug-eyed Boler
Posts: 34
We have a 1989 19’. I’ll take a picture of the set up today when I head out there.
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Old 05-23-2020, 01:40 PM   #10
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Trailer: Bigfoot 19 ft
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I sold my ‘92 BF19 last year.

First of all congratulations. I soloed in that trailer for over 10 years, and enjoyed every minute I spent in it.

My ‘19 did have 2 separate levers for the grey & black water tanks. As I recall, one of the levers sat further back. If you purchased from a private party, contact them to see if any changes were made.

Since this is your first trailer, take advantage of YouTube. You will find plenty of how-to videos on such things as emptying the grey & black water tanks, proper sequencing for hitching up when departing and arriving at your campsite, etc.

You will want to empty your black water tank first. Emptying the grey water tank second will help clean out the sewage outlet.

One nice thing about the BF 19 is there is a cubby hole above the sewage outlet - a perfect place for your gloves, a knee pad, sewage hose attachment, and a hose to spray down sewage hose and dump area. After all that, there was still room for a small tool box.

You do have an older trailer, and the monitors do give out. If you cannot get an accurate reading on your black water tank, solid sewage may have adhered to the walls of the tank and sewage pipes over time. This affects the accuracy of the monitor. If this bothers you, you can hire a expert to scrub debris out of the tank. But these people are more specialized than your average septic removal service and charge a fair amount to do this work.

If it’s the grey water tank monitor - something may be clogging that area.

It would not hurt to find a RV service shop. Look for an old timer who works with older trailers. Find a fiberglass boat specialist as well. Many of these people also work on travel trailers.

Best of luck!
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Old 05-27-2020, 07:53 PM   #11
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Trailer: 1973 Bug-eyed Boler
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We have a 1989 19’. I’ll take a picture of the set up today when I head out there.


Click image for larger version

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ID:	135011 the grey is farther underneath and the black is near the hookup.
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Old 05-28-2020, 07:12 AM   #12
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Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
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Ah yeah I see it hiding back there.

I think it'd be hard to miss if you were really under there looking for it, though, so I'm interested to hear back from Donna. Strange that it would be missing.
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