Waste discharge elbow

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

We picked up our '99 Contessa last weekend (our first RV) and had an uneventful 100 mile drive home, until I pulled into our driveway.  At the foot of the driveway is a half-barrel planter and -- you guessed it -- I caught it with the port side of the coach and dragged it up the driveway.  I heard nor felt anything and didn't discover this until the next morning.  About 4-5 inches of the half-barrel was lodged under the basement door that leads to the black/grey water discharge mechanisms.  After removing the planter, I discovered that the discharge elbow on the bottom of the coach was pretty loose. 

Question 1: Is that elbow meant to rotate to accommodate positioning the discharge hose relative to the sewer?  Mine now rotates and has a lot of wiggle to it.  Question 2:  I also noticed a couple of wood screws coming down from the coach, indicating to me that at one time there may have been a bracket of some sort holding the elbow in position. 

Thanks!

Larry

[Grant Ralston]

Larry, our 98 Contessa must be similar, and no movement of the waste elbow and no brace on ours.  Sounds like you have broken the manifold that connects the black and grey waste lines just above the bay floor.  Access is behind the fresh water panel.
Grant

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

Thanks, Grant.  The coach is in winter storage now, but this fix will top my spring list.

Larry

[Grant Ralston]

Larry,
Once you remove all the screws you can work the fresh water panel front down out of the way to provide access to the waste manifold and the knife valves.  If you search the forum you will find others experience dealing with cracked manifolds.  Have Fun.
Grant

[Gerald Farris]

Larry,
The discharge elbow should have no movement. It is probably broken at or before the valves. The repair will be a little time consuming, but it is fairly straight forward for the average handyman. This repair should defiantly be done before anything is allowed to enter the waste tanks because the drain valves will have to be removed.

When repairing the broken plumbing for your waste tanks you will probably need to replace the "Y" fitting where the gray and black tanks join together. If so, I would terminate the drain pipe just below the basement floor with the fitting going straight down. It is a little more trouble when hooking up a sewer hose (I use a clear removable elbow), but the permanent elbow below the floor is commonly damaged because of the low clearance. The "Y" fitting, valves, termination cap, and any other necessary parts should be available at most RV supply stores. However, if your "Y" fitting has a 4th fitting where the washing machine drains into it, they are a little harder to find, and you may need to order it from BCS. 

If you have any questions, call me. You have my number.

Gerald