Newbie 5th Wheeler

A lot of people seem to think it is ok to leave the grey tank "open"? First, if you leave the grey tank open, you leave a way for bugs and other creatures to crawl up into your tank. This will cause problems. Two, when washing dishes, even if you are careful, garbage will be washed into the tank. Over time this garbage will build up in the grey tank, and rot! Ever been in a city when there was a garbage pick up strike? Not pretty, and in some ways a worse smell than from your black tank. Third, the water in the grey tank tends to be soapy, from dish washing, hand washing showers, and shampoos. I use this to my advantage, by draining the black tank first, then draining the grey tank. It helps clean the plumbing with the soapy water. BTW, the tanks, both black and grey are called "holding tanks"! There is a reason they are called holding tanks, it is because they are designed, engineered, and manufactured to HOLD there contents until dumped! When you pick up your fiver, you will do a walk thru, pay attention take notes, have someone video it if possible. During this PDI, make sure they show you how to connect the sewer hose, which valve is for the black tank, and which is for the grey tank. It is only a 5 or 10 minuet "drill" that you will have to do at least once a week, but it is no big deal! Good luck on your purchase!

Here is the routine I have developed over our winters in Arizona.

1. Get a clear sight adapter and put it between the trailer and the sewer hose.
2. I leave the black tank closed for a week at a time. Grey tanks open.
3. I form a pee trap in the sewer hose with a couple boards, one 2x and a 4x4.
4. To dump and flush, I remove the pee trap boards.
5. Close the grey water tanks.
6. Open the black water tank and turn on the hose to the built in flush system.
7. Watch the sight tube until I am down to just hose water coming out.
8. Go inside and do two full bowl super flushes. "Bomb the Pile!" Note: Full bowl means filling the bowl to the bottom of the upper rim.
9. Go back outside and view discharge.
10. Close the black water tank and run the flush water in for four(4) minutes. Do not let anyone distract you at this point.
11. Open and drain and repeat 10 again.
12. Flush a bit and verify that you have nice clear water coming out of the tank. If not go back to step 8 and start again.
13. When you have nice clear discharge, put the pee trap boards back the sewer line and fill the pee trap.
14. Close the black water tank and add about a minute worth of water to the tank with the flush hose.
15. Secure the flush hose. I have a little inline valve adapter at the side of the trailer and the other end get turned off.
16. Open the grey water tanks and go add your chemical to the tank.

I have had the burping a couple of times, however the super flushes seem to have fixed that issue.

Having piles in not good!!

Chris

When you pick up they will go over all the systems with you. Reason you don't just leave your tanks open is the liquids will go down drain and solids will remain. Lol yuck. Also hopefully your new fiver will have a black tank rinse. Hook hose and let it do its thing. I've never had tank smell with the rinse.

Miss Ellie wrote:
Also what does the hard wired mean for the computer access.

I'd suggest asking them. I don't know.

You will get use to the black tank and it won't be a problem. We use U digest it additive and have found that it really helps prevent any black tank build ups. I learned all that the hard way. Enjoy the new rig. Everything thing will become second nature to you. I was very nervous when I started 13 years ago. Today I just do everything and don't worry about it. Stay on RV net and you will learn a lot.

Sorry, you are still going to have to "do the dreaded black tank thing"
The park on question probsbly is saying onmtheir web site that they have FULL hookups. Meaning water, sewer, and electric. When parked, just like any other RV you need to leave the black tank valve closed until the tank is at least 3/4 full, then dump. Followed by lots of water to flush the lines.
As for internet? Never seen or heard of a hard wired park. Most have wifi available, which is generally unuseable for 75% of the people due to band width limitations.