A Better Sullage Arrangement for 2003/2004 Winnebago Leisure Seekers

Over the years Winnebago has tried many sullage systems and most of them have been absolutely first class. Our old Freeway was a delight to use and caused us zero problems. The system used on the 2003/2004 Leisure Seeker models quite frankly leaves a lot to be desired, as they seem to have lost the plot in this vital area. Apart from the mechanical problems detailed below, it's just not practical. You MUST open a bin to access the dump valve. All this is on the driver's side, so you are in full view of the public when trying to do the deed! The waste then flows horizontally out onto the road!! Not good. Previous models had the valve outside the van and water flowed parallel with the motorhome or straight down from the centre of the tank. So far on ours we have replaced the black sullage pipe three times and requests for spares under warranty have been promptly handled. Sadly despite explanatory emails with photos, they keep sending up the same low grade pipe that just isn't up to the job. This same pipe sent a caravan manufacturer broke last year as it ruined the inside of most vans by rotting out the floor when it failed. Many RV manufacturers fall into the trap of using the sullage hose supplied by Coast to Coast and Bunnings at around $3.00 a metre. What they don't realise is that this grade is only suitable for straight runs laying on the ground. For this use it is ideal. As soon as hot water flows through any 90 degree bend it fails very quickly. The correct grade is stocked by Camec and is $8.05 a metre. This is easy to spot as it has a smooth interior surface and is about twice as heavy. We have yet to see a failure using this top grade hose! The photos below show typical failures of the low grade hose with one actually inside the bin - not toooooo good folks as water leaking into the bin has nowhere to escape too and the floor is not sealed on the total perimeter, only where one can "see"! All is not lost though as we have modified the complete system and it now works fine and dare we say is now foolproof and should last the life of the motorhome..

We mounted the complete assembly on four spacers made from 20 mm electrical conduit - you can clearly see this in the photo below right. We used 1/4" gal cup head bolts right through the floor. The under the motorhome discharge pipe was simply clamped under the bin towards the centre of the motorhome, and once again you can see this in the photo below right. We used water pipe galvanised saddles for this. An added bonus is if you are on grass or dirt and want to dump really quickly, just open both valves together. They are very easy to operate - they are "off" when pointing towards the side wall. You do not have to kneel down at all. The photo below left shows the new layout inside the bin. We used a 40 mm white plastic waste pipe flange to neaten things up a bit. Fill the gap up with sealant after testing for leaks. We used cheap irrigation 90 degree elbows (around $1.00 in Bunnings) at all corners as this makes for a much neater job.