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10-31-2017, 04:21 PM
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#101
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
Not stupid at all - and you pretty much answered your own question. Take care of all the drinking water pipes, etc and just make sure the black and grey pipes are empty. Anything left in the tanks themselves will have plenty of expansion space. I leave the grey and black tank valves open to help them dry out over winter.
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How do you keep critters out with your valves open?
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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10-31-2017, 04:27 PM
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#102
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Speaking of leaving valves open, I opened my low-point drain a few days ago, along with the fresh water drain.
Today I pumped 2/3 of a gallon of antifreeze in through the city water and out through the low-point drain, which I'd forgotten to close. Not sure where all it went before exiting the plumbing, so I started over.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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10-31-2017, 04:27 PM
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#103
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: West Coast, Florida
Trailer: None now
Posts: 1,266
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
How do you keep critters out with your valves open?
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I was told to dump and close the valves to keep the drain flies out of my tanks. They do actually exist by the way. We knew someone who had them. They kept seeing small flies coming out of the toilet when they flushed and the person they took it to dumped some insecticide in both tanks.
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10-31-2017, 04:29 PM
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#104
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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On the black and grey traps, I was wondering if it isn't better that they be wet ( from antifreeze ) than the seals be allowed to dry out.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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10-31-2017, 04:39 PM
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#105
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
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I coat mine with Vaseline, I've also heard of folks pouring vegetable oil into the tanks. Or you can buy premade solutions for the purpose.
I used to coat the toilet seal too, but haven't done so since I got the Escape.
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Happy Motoring
Bob
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10-31-2017, 04:48 PM
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#106
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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I note the Odorloss tank treatment says it lubricates valves, but I couldn't find a similar claim for the anti-freeze I bought.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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10-31-2017, 04:51 PM
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#107
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
How do you keep critters out with your valves open?
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Too cold for them up in here the North! Drain flies?? We have lots of critters up here, but haven't heard that they are around -- yet!
It's stored in my concrete slab metal sided shed and so far the mice have munched on the delicious mouse bait I have generously left for them and not caused any problems. I generally spray some silicone lube on the seals and open and close them a few times over the winter. Somewhere I read that the ethanol that comes in most antifreeze anymore is bad for seals,
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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10-31-2017, 05:06 PM
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#108
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,043
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If you really want to keep the caps off your tanks and let them dry out, Little House Customs builds a valve cap with a "garden hose" adapter and screen. No critters or flies.... leave the cap on and let the air flow!
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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10-31-2017, 06:25 PM
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#109
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Jeromesville, Ohio
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21' pulled with 2014 Silverado Crewcab
Posts: 854
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
I have installed the flush on other trailers that had the black tank outside, but with the Escape tank being inside, the chance of a leak around the hole exists and then you may have a mess inside.
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My thoughts exactly!
__________________
Carl,
"Isn't it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation?"
Zig Ziglar
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10-31-2017, 06:31 PM
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#110
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,543
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
I have installed the flush on other trailers that had the black tank outside, but with the Escape tank being inside, the chance of a leak around the hole exists and then you may have a mess inside.
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Properly installed, there is no reason for concern, just like any other fittings connected to it. As well, it is usually mounted up high from what I remember, and not below the liquid level.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
I leave the grey and black tank valves open to help them dry out over winter.
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I might have missed it breezing through the posts here, but what is the reason for this? I know with home drain lines that sit for a while without use, they tend to clog up easier. And do the tanks actually dry out completely anyway, as there is no flow of air though, unless of course you keep the flush valve open.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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10-31-2017, 06:50 PM
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#111
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
I might have missed it breezing through the posts here, but what is the reason for this? I know with home drain lines that sit for a while without use, they tend to clog up easier. And do the tanks actually dry out completely anyway, as there is no flow of air though, unless of course you keep the flush valve open.
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I can't speak to the grey as I cannot see anything, but yes the black tank does seem to dry out. Even though there isn't significant air flow thru the tank, the dry winter air should still be exchanged with the moist air inside.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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10-31-2017, 07:06 PM
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#112
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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To install these fixtures a hole is drilled in the tank side very carefully and the hole has to be captured to keep from entering the tank. A fitting is inserted with a sealing washer all of which is hard to accomplish thru the fiberglass hull or working under the bed. A lot easier for access on other trailer models but not the Escape 21. Any leaks would be around the new hole while flushing, not from the contents inside the tank.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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