Dump techniques....

bcarroll wrote:
Ok, the 23 minute dump time thread, that is now closed, got me to thinking - what is the most efficient way to dump.
I am in my 3rd year of my first trailer, and feel I am not very efficient when it comes to dumping.
I just came home from camping this week and when I dumped, in the FHU campsite, it took me much longer to dump than 23 minutes.

But there has to be a better way...

When we have a full hookup site (which is most of the time), I might spend 30+ minutes cleaning the black tank. When at a dump station, I usually only rinse once, twice if there is no line. Not all dump stations offer an option to rinse the tank.

That being said, I don't empty the gray tank until I am satisfied the blank tank is thoroughly rinsed. You can get a clear sewer hose fitting for less than $10. It is definitely worth the investment.

Our Hybrid Travel Trailer did not have a blank tank rinser, so I bought a Hydro Flush which worked okay. I wish I had bought a Flush King instead. I did not know it existed when I bought the Hydro Flush. The Flush King has a waste gate that you can close so the water will fill the black tank. With the Hydro Flush only a little bit of water actually makes it back into the tank. Once the tank is 2/3 or more full, open the waste gate on the Flush King.

Our Motorhome has a blank tank rinser, which is great. Our toilet sits right about the black tank and the rinser is just below the toilet. It sprays water in all different directions except up. I use the rinser to fill the tank then flush. There is a warning to always make sure the blank tank valve is open when using the black tank rinser, however, it is best to empty the tank when it is 2/3 or more full. While the rinser is on and the waste valve is closed, I look down into the toilet to monitor how high the water level is. Then I go out and pull the blank tank valve when the water level in the tank is high enough.

The suction of all that water rushing out of the tank is what pulls debris out of the tank. I just dumped my tanks this morning. I rinsed the black tank 4 times after the initial dump. Then I emptied the gray tank to rinse the sewer hose. Took me about 30 minutes. I generally leave the gray valve open for a day to let it rinse the sewer hose even more. We fill the gray tank about every 2-3 days. The blank tank every 3-4 days.

-Michael