The Fullway Termination Valve: What Is And Where Is It?
A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. All this old saying tells us is that the name on the device can change and you still get the same function. However, you may not want to smell the odor that comes with the Fullway termination valve. It is not that sweet.
What is the fullway termination valve? This valve is just a fancy way of saying black tank dump or drain valve. It is the part you pull when you want to empty your black water tank. It needs to be open before you start the flush pumps or you may have a black mess on your hands. This valve is located by the drain outlet underneath your RV.
To learn more about the Fullway termination valve just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you understand what mechanics are talking about. Other names for this valve can be waste valve, black tank drain, and so on.
What is a Fullway Termination Valve?
This is your black tank drain valve. You need to pull it in order to open up the drain and let all your black water out. There should be a warning sign next to it reminding you to open this valve before you operate the flush system.
If you don’t, you do not want to think about the mess you have just created. Another name for this valve would be a gate valve as it is the gateway for the black water to enter and flow into the dump station’s tank.
You may find that some people in different regions call this valve by different names and one would be the flux capacitor. This valve may not bring you back to the future but it certainly brings you to a more comfortable situation. The key is to make sure it is open before you operate the flush system.
Where is the Fullway Termination Valve on a Camper?
Many RV and camper owners get confused by the terminology used by mechanics, dealers, and their owner’s manual. That confusion leads them to look in the wrong places for these parts they have never heard of before, yet are quite familiar with.
Whether it is called the Fullway termination valve, the gate valve, the drain valve, or whatever other name is used for this part, you look in the same spot. It is going to be under your camper at the exact spot on the black tank where the contents leave your tank to travel to the dump station’s tank.
In other words, look for it on the lowest point of your black tank. The key is to heed the warning although many campers and RV owners don't always follow that advice. At least temporarily they don’t.
These owners let the flush system run for a couple of minutes with the drain closed after dumping in order to clean their tanks and drain hose. But they do not walk away from the system when doing this.
Accidents happen and you can only operate the flush system for a couple of minutes with the drain closed before opening the valve again.
Fullway Termination Valve Keystone
It looks like the Fullway termination valve is next to the gray water drain valve and it should be a black color. That color should make sure you do not get confused when it is time to drain your tanks.
If you have a diagram in your owner’s manual do not look for the words Fullway termination valve. That term may be placed on the warning but some RV owners have reported that it is not used in the manual.
Look at the manual and see where your black water drain valve is located and then you have found the Fullway termination valve. the two are the exact same thing. Why RV manufacturers do this is anyone’s guess but then they are good at creating games like hide and seek when it comes to different parts.
Sometimes leaving it closed for a couple of minutes after start the flush system helps bring more water to the dump process and cleans the tank better.
Winnebago
One of the issues that many RV owners and other people encounter is that the writers who create the owner’s manuals and warning signs, etc., speak in the language they are familiar with. They forget that the owner is not familiar with that language and get easily confused or lost.
This is the situation with the Fullway termination valve. The people who wrote the warning sign know exactly what they are talking about but failed to communicate that label properly to the owners.
The handle you need to pull will be under your RV and it is in what is called the water service center. Plus, there should be a black handle to pull and a white handle to turn clockwise to open the drain in the same location.
The key to draining Winnebago’s tanks is not to do the gay and black tanks at the same time. Once you make sure the valve is open and everything is hooked up right, hit the waste dump button and your tanks should empty quickly.
Airstream
RV manufacturers can get fairly tricky. On the Airstream trailers, you have to be careful as there is a water inlet for drinking water and another water inlet for flushing your black water tank. It would not be a good idea to confuse the two.
The Fullway termination valve will be exactly where your black water dump valve is located. The two are the same. Many Airstream owners are upset about this change of wording as they have not been told that the two labels direct them to the same part.
No matter if it is an Airstream or Keystone or other RV, the Fullway valve should be the blade valve you open every time you go and dump your black water tank. You want to make sure that the valve is open all the way before starting to dump. This valve should be underneath your trailer near your drain outlets.
How do I Dump My RV Black Water Tank?
The first step in this process is to make sure you have the right drain hose and it is the one that securely fits your drain outlets. That should be a given. Next, you need to find where your drain valves ate located and they are near your fresh water is hooked up.
The third step will be to get your RV in an uphill position so that the tanks will drain properly. Then hook up your drain hose. Once you have the drain hose in place and the other end is inside the dump station’s tank opening, you can now open the Fullway termination valve.
That valve is your black water drain valve that should be lower to the ground than the fresh water hookups. Use your flush system to thoroughly clean your black water tank and once you have finished flushing you need to close that valve again.
Before you unhook your drain hose, open your gray water tank’s drain valve and dump it. This will clean out the drain connection and the drain hose saving you some work. After both tanks have been drained, unhook the hose, make sure all valves are closed and put the hose away till you need it again.
Black Tank Flush Not Working
The issues that you may encounter may be different than the ones described here. The reason for saying that is different RV manufacturers make different flush systems. But these issues may help you find your problem.
There are three main sources for the flush system to stop working on a No Fuss Flush system. The first would be a clogged pipe, the second a defective check valve and the third would be a plugged flushing nozzle.
The check valve may be under your bathroom sink and all you have to do is unscrew it to check it out. If it is not the problem then you move on to one of the two remaining items.
If the problem is the nozzle, then you may have a difficult time reaching it as it is inside the tank and you have to cut through some plastic after crawling under your RV. Once you reach it, you have to remove, clean, and return it.
Some Final Words
Understanding terminology may be easy for some people but that is only if they understand the language. It is not so easy when RV companies use terms then never explain them in the owner’s manual. By the way, only those writers use the term Fullway termination valve as everyone else will use simpler more direct terms.
