R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Hanger for black and gray water tank drains
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedHanger for black and gray water tank drains

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
JR View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 31 Aug 2018
Location: Manistee, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 343
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hanger for black and gray water tank drains
    Posted: 31 May 2019 at 3:15pm
Just got back (the first part of May) from a 2+ month trip.  Went from Michigan to Florida to New Mexico and returned to Michigan (missing some of the cold weather).  One very important thing that I picked up on the forum that saved me untold misery on this trip was that many people have had problems with the black water drain line becoming disconnected from its mounting bracket and then hitting the pavement while driving down the road, with all kinds of horror stories.  Well this time I listened and in February in an unheated storage building in Michigan I installed two safety straps one on the gray water drain line and one on the black water drain line. After putting about 3000 miles on the new 179 my safety strap on the black water tank paid off!!!!  The bolt broke holding and suspending the black water drain line, if I had not installed the safety strapping I would have been replacing the drain line after I had cleaned up the mess.

What I found after examining the gray water drain line suspension (and thinking that both the black and gray water suspension were assembled the same way) is that 1) you have an "L" bracket secured to the frame with 2 self tapping screws (which was not a problem) 2) you also have a circular bracket that goes around the black water drain line and this bracket is tighten with a nut and bolt on the bottom of the circular bracket (which was not a problem).  The problem occurs when joining these two brackets by a bolt and nut, when this bolt fails the two brackets separate, allowing the black water drain to hit the road and break.

If the circular bracket was put on top of the "L" bracket and the nut and bolt installed then the weight of the circular bracket and the drain line would be supported by the "L" bracket (not just the bolt).  The nut and bolt would just be used to keep the circular bracket from sliding off the supporting "L" bracket.  I think that this should work just fine but I have not removed my safety straps on the black or gray water drain line. 

A big thank you to everyone that pointed out this problem....I can't remember (guess I just too old)  if any solution was given to the problem other than the safety straps.  I have passed on my suggestion to Forest River to change their assembly process.  Maybe one less headache for us the end-users. 
Jay

179/2019
Back to Top
SC for Huskers View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 22 Feb 2017
Location: Goose Creek, SC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 144
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2019 at 3:52pm
Prior to winter, I found where the brackets are bent at a 90 d angle, (1/2" from the bolt) out right broke off. Replaced all of it with hanger strap. Looking at the bold didnt do me any good. Would  advise everyone to make a backup and place it next to the existing one.
Happy Traveling,
Tom
2017 172pod
2011 F150 STX
Back to Top
PilotPodder View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 04 May 2016
Location: Portage, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 305
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2019 at 7:56pm
Glad to hear the simple hanger fix saved you major trouble. I learned the hard way, but haven't had any issues since fixing it. Along with the hanger strap I used a longer bolt and locking nut and they have never loosened in thousands of miles now. All the best!
Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
Back to Top
mjlrpod View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2019 at 8:45am
My 172 has both the grey and black drain in one single drain pipe. I love that setup not only because it is not necessary to change the hose over to dump both, but, the two help hold each other up, and rely less on the inferior strap. I am thinking of getting a 195 in the next year or so, once they become more available, (I can't even find a place near by to just look at it), and I will have the 2 drain pipe system on that model I believe. I'll make up a nice clamp system at that time. One advantage of being a machine shop instructor, I have access to machines, materials, and student labor. 
2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
Back to Top
rpod190 View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 07 Apr 2019
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 45
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 11:17am
On our maiden voyage to colorado, OUR black tank strap broke. The strap is actually a hurricane tie-down used to hold the wooden frame in place. There are many of them along the chasis. RPOD chose to use one of them as a blank tank holder strap. The problem is when 5-6 gallons of water sits in the 3" black tank pipe, it now weighs 50+ pounds and eventually breaks the strap!!!

Its not a matter of IF, but WHEN as the 3" pipe fills up if your taking a long trip and the water settles there as it will.

You need to add your OWN strap because the hurricane strap they used is NOT rated to carry the load of the 3" pipe once it is filled with water!!!!!!!

Hope this helps MANY people !!!!!!! RPOD needs a design change to actually add a strap capable of holding 70lbs minimum!!!
Cry
Wynnster
Back to Top
wthoms2000 View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 06 May 2017
Location: Costa Mesa, CA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 44
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2019 at 8:12am
Porta Poddy
Wil and Luz, Orange County, CA
2017.5 179 HRE
2021 Ranger XLT FX4
REDARC Brake Controller
Back to Top
JR View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 31 Aug 2018
Location: Manistee, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 343
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2019 at 4:00pm
I can't get the link to work???
Jay

179/2019
Back to Top
Motor7 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Jan 2019
Location: E. TN
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 196
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 6:20pm
My Black tank line drain bolt also snapped. I had used heavy duty zip ties as back up and it held. Going to put a HD steel strap on there now and leave the zip tie as redundant. 
2016 R-Pod 176T
Back to Top
StephenH View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6283
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 7:00pm
My solution was to take a piece of strap aluminum and bend it around the pipe. Then I gave the legs a quarter twist and attached them to the frame. Since the loop is not physically attached to the pipe, the pipe can move in it without continually bending and flexing the support. After having not just one, but two of the factory designed hangers fail, I did not want there to be a third time.

The excuse is that "it is industry standard." If the "industry standard" keeps failing, it needs to be changed to something that will work. Why not use something that can flex and yet be strong enough to support the weight. Alternately, why not put the valve right next to the tank outlet and have an empty tube being supported by the hanger? Then the weak support would not be such an issue.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
Back to Top
tcj View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 05 Jul 2018
Location: Central WA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 140
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2019 at 10:12am
Strap made from some 3/16" thick conveyor belt.


2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz