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Old 02-01-2021, 05:51 PM   #1
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Grey Box

Any idea what this grey box is (upper right)? Located in the electrical bay of my Sunstar. Bedroom slide is above this space.
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Old 02-01-2021, 06:35 PM   #2
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My first guess would be the end of the blackwater tank!

NOTE:
Lots of amazing info here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm
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Old 02-01-2021, 07:08 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Morich View Post
My first guess would be the end of the blackwater tank!

NOTE:
Lots of amazing info here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm
I think you are right. Seemed like a weird shape and location for a black water tank, but I guess they stuff thinks wherever they fit.
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Old 02-01-2021, 08:55 PM   #4
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Yes, one of the bigger "values" I have found in Winnebago is that they do build a lot of their parts to meet their specific spaces and that does get them a bit more use out of things. Not that it is totally using the space at times as we can all see empty spots but I do think they tuck in more like working the holding tanks to fit over, around and under things which a standard box bought from somebody else might not do.

But have you picked up this spot for looking at what the RV has under all those covers?
There is an online parts catalog which many may overlook thinking it only a catalog but they are missing a really great way to get to know their specific RV.
Do a check of this link for a way to turn the Rv any direction you want and "look through walls to see things like the tanks and where they fit:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

It does take some time to figure out how to get lots of the value as there are so many options.
Some hints?
Once you have sorted down to your RV, try some item that you might know when you see it like plumbing and then sort it down to fresh or drainage.
Once to the area you want, there are icons at bottom right to choose what view, back, front, left, right and at the bottom left to pick a spot to zoom or rotate around.
You can scroll to zoom in/out an click and drag to turn it around while "looking through the walls" to see things, you never would find any other way.
About the only way to find out where all the little pipes and things are hiding !
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Old 02-02-2021, 08:21 PM   #5
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Just an uninformed guess, but seems kinda high for a tank. Shower pan?
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Old 02-03-2021, 07:41 AM   #6
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That's the value in being able to turn things around to get a good look? The first look in from the left side might make you think shower pan.
What do you see if you look down from above more?
Another "clue" might be that OP says the bedroom slide is above this area.
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Old 02-03-2021, 01:47 PM   #7
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I completly agree with Richard's assement of it being your Black Water Tank.

In my 2019 27PE my BWT runs Fore and Aft, located on the pasenger (right) side of the coach, but is clearly seen through the electrical cabinet access door, sitting above the centerline bulkhead. It would appear that WBO has rotated your install by 90 degrees.
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Old 02-03-2021, 02:23 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lowdie24 View Post
I completly agree with Richard's assement of it being your Black Water Tank.

In my 2019 27PE my BWT runs Fore and Aft, located on the pasenger (right) side of the coach, but is clearly seen through the electrical cabinet access door, sitting above the centerline bulkhead. It would appear that WBO has rotated your install by 90 degrees.
Assuming you have a Vista 27PE?
This would be the view for your tanks.

If I'm guessing correctly and this is your RV, have they given you some way to winterize the pump under the black water tank? Looks like one that could catch us if we were not really wide awake? It looks like all the pipes go up from there???
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Old 02-03-2021, 04:13 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Morich View Post
Another "clue" might be that OP says the bedroom slide is above this area.
Hey, I did qualify my post as an "uninformed guess".

Just a little surprised the BWT isn't at a lower point. But the drawing and layout make it pretty clear.
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Old 02-03-2021, 04:46 PM   #10
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Richard,

Once again you’re bang on. My error for typing from memory! Upon actually visually verifying the orientation of the tank, surprise - looks just like the 3D drawing. My bad.

More importantly though, you have pointed out a weak point in the 27PE’s (and obviously the follow on 27E) Black Water System. There is no way to gravity dump the BWT (at least not easily and without a good deal of replumbing). The BW Macerator pump lifts the discharge up and over the centre line bulkhead and tees into the discharge valve on the drivers side.
I could not think of any way of getting antifreeze into the pump without breaking into the actual plumbing.
However, as it is a self priming pump and effectively clears the impeller cavity after removing all waste from the tank, I rationalized that no appreciable amount of fluid remained in the chamber after season end dump so freezing should not be an issue. That coupled with the fact that here on Vancouver Island we very seldom get a cold snap of any depth or duration that I probably would be OK.
Now if I was to live in the interior of BC or somewhere else here in the Great White North where winter truly plays havoc with plumbing I would install an inlet fitting just between the tank gate valve and the pump inlet where I could inject antifreeze.
The inability to protect the Macerator is definitely an oversight on WBO’s part, so adding the ability will definitely be a mod I will be considering this spring.

I will also be looking to see how to MacGiver an emergency gravity dump if heaven forbid the pump was to explode when I have a full tank! I'm not planning on buying and travelling with a spare just in case...
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Old 02-03-2021, 10:50 PM   #11
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I was surprised to see a macerator pump on this rig. I have owned various TTs and one other MH prior to this and had never seen this set up. I don’t like it for obvious reasons, but this was the floor plan we wanted (king bed, tv in front of the couch). Prior to Covid, we never pooped in the rigs, so it was not an issue having a macerator pump. Now I live in fear that it fails and I have to replace it. That’s what I would call a crappy job!

We live in WA, on the coast, so our winters are generally mild. I never thought about having to winterize the macerator lines, but did run the black water tank dry, using the pump. I think this should be sufficient. We will see this spring when we start camping again.
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Old 02-04-2021, 10:38 AM   #12
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NYer,

I understand and share your concerns; but on the upside a good friend of mine has a 2016 QP (brilliant layout but WBO ceased making it) ex-rental. So the unit got a lot of use, and you'd have to think that not all users were fully experienced RV'ers. His too uses a Macerator lift pump to empty the BWT, and so far he has not seen any issues at all. He uses his unit primarily as a summer lake side cabin so is emptying his tank on a regular basis.
I'm going by his unit's record that the system is tried and proven. Until proven otherwise, which according to Murphy if and when that happens will no doubt be at the worst possible time.
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Old 02-08-2021, 12:54 AM   #13
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My Sunstar has a half bath which uses a maceration pump. I've never had any issues with it, save a plastic tank plug (from manufacture) bind the impeller.

As far as winterizing, I drain the tank, run some fresh water in and drain that ,and then dump RV antifreeze right in the toilet and run the pump for a second or two just to get it into the impeller area.

This seems to, so far, be sufficient and to the best of my knowledge, Winnie doesn't address it separately in the winterizing portion of the manual.
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Old 02-08-2021, 08:19 AM   #14
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I think the pink antifreeze is the way to go. My first thought was that it is uphill in all directions from the pump and freeze damage happens most often in some small space where things can't expand. That and how there is almost always a bit of water left in tanks that slowly run down to collect made me thin this "could " be a hazard if we are not thinking really sharp.
I almost got caught with water in the drain valves, just due to not thinking it all the way through. I pulled into the normal spot at home drained and did the winter thing, then later decided to look at a leveling jack question and tilted the RV left/right, etc.
But we don't have too much freezing and a few weeks later when I changed the cap on the drain, I got an ugly dose of sewage which had been tipped and tilted out of the holding tanks into the drain.
I THOUGHT it was empty but in a hard freeze it could have broken the valve!
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Old 02-08-2021, 09:55 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Upinsmoke View Post
My Sunstar has a half bath which uses a maceration pump. I've never had any issues with it, save a plastic tank plug (from manufacture) bind the impeller.

As far as winterizing, I drain the tank, run some fresh water in and drain that ,and then dump RV antifreeze right in the toilet and run the pump for a second or two just to get it into the impeller area.

This seems to, so far, be sufficient and to the best of my knowledge, Winnie doesn't address it separately in the winterizing portion of the manual.
That’s a great idea.
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