Drain Master, A word about Sewage and Hoses

I rarely if ever endorse products. However, I've found one product and in particular the company for which I can speak highly, Drain Master. This company is American owned and operated out of Holister, Calif. In fact the owner was a former full time RV'er who traveled the country for 10 years.
Regular readers of this blog may recall that my original sewer hose that came with our Carriage Cameo developed leaks from mice chewing holes into it. 

Old sewer hose chewed by mice

We had been at a National Wildlife Refuge volunteering when I discovered the holes. I'm sure it was mice due to the random pattern and the fact that the area was crawling with the little critters and there was mice feces under the outdoor carpet that I had covering the hose to protect it from the brutal sun.
Knowing that we would eventually be in a similar workamping situation, I wanted to purchase a sewer hose that would withstand any future attacks from Mother Nature.  Also my Carriage came with a "cam-loc" system in place of the more common "bayonet" system. So, I contacted Drain Master, a company that had a new proprietary sewer hose with the nozzle that I really liked.

New and old Nozzles

Fits in the sewer hose compartment

You see, not only did the nozzle fit the storage compartment of our RV, it was also very useful in preventing sewage spills/ leakage it allowed me to shut-off the hose or seal it to prevent leaks when I finished draining it. The nozzle shut-off is also very helpful with rinsing the hose as it can be shut so as to rinse the hose and fill it with water then open it again to flush. Very handy before stowing it away for travel.  Now the hose itself from Drain Master is crush proof and puncture resistant and more importantly guaranteed. It also stretches to 16 ft. So I ordered the upgraded hose system at a cost of around $135. Expensive but designed to last.

New and old hose

Unfortunately the hose I purchased was defective. Four or five months after receiving the hose system while in Texas I noticed a series of 7 holes all in a row on top of the hose in a straight line.
My immediate thought was that it was from a bird, even though I hadn't seen any birds bothering it. I contacted Drain Master and spoke to Doug whom I later learned was the owner.  Doug, was extremely pleasant and helpful.  He confirmed that it may be a defective hose and immediately shipped a new one minus the nozzle to replace it. Upon receiving the hose, I simply followed their instructions to attach the nozzle from the defective hose. I cut up the defective hose and mailed the defective portion back to them for examination.
Well, as bad luck would have it, I received another defective hose and it developed blisters that were soon to become leaks and to top it off the Nozzle broke inside at a valve pivot point. 

New defective hose 

Nozzle

Broken pivot inside nozzle

Because it was a weekend and we were traveling, I sent an e-mail via the Drain Master website explaining the problem. The following Monday, Doug contacted me directly by phone. After discussing the issues, he immediately offered to replace the hose and nozzle explaining that a batch of defective hoses from the factory had been discovered and they were taking measures to replace them. These measures now include a pressurization test before shipping. Within a few days I received a new hose and nozzle.
While talking with Doug he made me aware of some of the issues related to sewage spillage at RV sites and attempts by some law makers to curtail the industry or perhaps regulate it more. He explained how their systems help prevent spillage when used properly. It is up to us as RV'ers to prevent spillage by dumping our tanks properly and by using the proper equipment and thus take the potential threat of legislation off the table. There are a number of educational videos and information related to the proper operation of RV sewer systems and tank dumping procedures on the Drain Master website. I would encourage any RV'er to take a moment and review their website and the valuable information. Likewise if you need a new sewer hose system, check them out. I felt it necessary to share my experience, because even though I had problems with their product initially, they made it right and I was assured they were making corrections at their end as well. Certainly their guarantee and customer service is in my opinion second to none.


Update: I received this e-mail from Doug at Drain Master that he wanted to share:

Hi Darren,

I tried to respond to you by posting this on your site under comments Darren,

I want to thank you for hanging in there with us while Murphy was in our shop messing with us. We did get rid of him through a more rigorous testing procedure and learned a valuable lesson regarding incoming QC. The hose manufacturer stands behind this product 100% even though it was designed by us. The defect has been identified and corrected so we do not expect issues in the future. It has been a pleasure doing business with you and if you and Joyce find yourself in our area we would love to have you come by, we have a great RV space for you on our ranch.

With appreciation,

Doug

Drain Master

My email address as well as our web site address was rejected.

Please let me know what to do to post this comment if you think it appropriate.

Doug

 www.drainmaster.com Specializing in RV Waste Management
877 787 8833
831 636 9775

Follow this link and join us on Facebook
To See Polychute click here 

To See HepvO http://www.hepvo.com

Replacing the Sewer Hose and Other Fine Chores

November 30, 2010. Bill Williams NWR

The Cattails lining The Bill Williams River and Confluence into Lake Havasu are turning yellow.

We are beginning to get the hitch itch. We have about 3 more weeks here at the refuge as we are tentatively planning to leave a little early before Christmas. You may recall that we arrived here a month early at the end of August. When we arrived we were told that if we completed 500 hrs. of volunteer work we would get a National Parks Pass good for a year. We are over that mark so we are looking forward to that reward.
Yesterday, I received a new sewer hose that I had ordered from Drain Master. Our Carriage Cameo came with a cam fit sewer hose system made by Drain Master. The system uses cam fittings instead of the typical bayonet fittings. New this year is a Polychute hose that is supposed to be nearly indestructible. It has a clear tube portion next to the unique nozzle for monitoring the flow when dumping the tanks (isn't that exciting)! The hose can be sealed at both ends for storage with the valve lever on one end and a red cap at the other. The new hose is 16 ft. long when stretched. I've never needed anything longer than that. The hose complete with fittings cost $150! It better outlast the other one!

I ordered the new hose because the previous one has suffered in the heat and sun. The old hose and nozzle fitting got constant exposure to the sun during the day which discolored it to a burnt shade.

In addition the hose itself developed small holes on the top either from the sun or from critters chewing on it.

I'm going to continue to use the old hose till we leave as it is not leaking on the ground and I don't want to risk exposing my new hose system to whatever created the holes! The new one fits nicely in the sewer hose compartment bay on the side of our Cameo.

Today was our day off so I got to work installing the hinges and cabinet supports in the rig that I had wrote about a few days ago. I've also begun waxing the rig in sections and making small preparations to depart such as emptying and flushing the water tank.

New neighbors arrived today. They will be doing volunteer work for the refuge ecologist, counting birds, plants etc.

We have the next two days off. We are currently thinking of doing a hike but we'll see what happens. It's been pretty cold with temps in the upper 30's in the morning and a high in the 50's today. It's not bad in the sun as long as the wind isn't blowing.