Brand New Cat, First Camping Experience

I am brand new to this forum, so I apologize for posting this in the wrong place if I've done so, but I had my first camping trip in a new '10 FR Wildcat 28t bumper pull trailer last weekend. Even before I used it I decided to check some things out and found that they had put a 1 3/8" hose on a 1 1/4" connection and then just used some white putty goop around it. Needless to say, I got water in the under belly that came flowing out when I looked under the trailer. Well back to my camping trip. Things went fine until I reached the dump station. Okay...I pulled out my waste hose, and grey water flush hose ready to hook them up. Hooked up the gray flush hose, and kneeled down to open the black water cap. Just like a baseball catcher on his knees to stop a pitch into the ground. Oh yes, and I did check the values to make sure they were closed. So off came the cap, and whooosh...out came all kinds of...well try to vizualize Robin Williams in the show "RV". There was some good pressure behind it too. Well after several attempts to put the cap back on and/or check the value, I just had to give up and let it flow. Needless to say what a mess. I called the trailer outfit when I got home and reported this. Hmmmm...I was hoping for more sympathy I guess. Anyway, right now I'd really like to scrap the trailer and get my money back. Just thought I'd share.

Thats all I got to say about that.

Well it can only get better !!

We have a little water behind our cap sometimes but nothing like yours. Once you get these things fixed I'm sure you will have many happy travels in you cat.

The first trip we took in ours we hooked up to the water only to find out a short time later that they had reversed the tags on the city water and black tank flush connections. Thank god we figured it out before the toilet overflowed.

Mine had the black and gray dump valve lables swapped. Lucky I found this before the black tank was "used".

Earl

There are always some "minor" problems with new units but I'm sure with a little patience and a dose of TLC you'll be able to enjoy many a pleasurable trip. Hang in there, it can only get better, and thanks for the

Welcome to the forum, bradybr, and welcome to great joy of owning a Cat. Sorry about your problems.

Thanks for your encouragement and experiences fellow forum buddies. I guess it takes a couple of days to get over this type of experience and at this point I guess I do have to laugh at myself, and realize things will get better. I do look forward to better days in my new trailer.

I don't think your alone with the catchers mit, I've heard a few other one's like that. As forest gump said, " its like a box a chocolates, you never know what you might find behind that cap."

I gave up on the rubber gloves about the second trip out. I just keep a bottle of hand wash handy when I'm done. I try to flush the hose good with clean water before I disconnect that way all I have to do is pretty much rinse the outside and throw it back in the bumper, wash my hands and i'm done.
Black tank first , gray tank 2nd, and then the galley tank last since its got dawn and other soaps in it to rinse the hose out good. Then a few minutes of fresh water down the gally side to wash the hose out a little more before disconnect.

I use oldelmers advise ,,, After I flush the hose good and close things up, I add a little water to the black tank with some of the orange break down stuff for odor and tissue break down and it swooshes around while your going down the road and the next trip out theres nothing stuck in the bottom. I haven't had a problem since I started doing this. Before I've had the tank back up a couple times.

We spent a little over a month in Bay St. Louis last February and March. While we were packing up and preparing the trailer for our departure back to MO, a number of other snowbirds came by to wish us well. The distraction was enough that I forgot to close the grey water valve on the galley tank. I didn’t hook up the sewer hose again until two days later at our last stop before getting back home. When I took the cap off, two days of grey water came spewing out. I still thank God it wasn’t the black water tank. BTW, I learned a long time ago to be off to the side when I take the cap off the drain.

My '05 27RL was really messed up when we got it. The valve for the black tank was put in the main trunk of the piping, not right off the black tank as it should have been. Because of this, the only way we could drain our grey tank was open the black valve first. We visited the dealer and told them about it, they looked at me like I was a moron. I told the dealer I am no idiot and would bring it in to prove it. They were shocked when they saw it and apologized for doubting me. The next day they cut down all the pipe and replumbed the system. Works great now, just surprised how FR could make a mistake that obvious.

I fitted one of these valve to help stop leakage, and of course the forgetfulness of old age, http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=27&u=15454105
SEan

from Ft. Worth!