Getting waste to flow up into a waste tote.

Sani-con or flo-jet macerator pump much better idea than digging up trenches in campgrounds . We have the Sani-con which came with poor customer support at no charge, if buying again would try the flo jet. Connect the pump to the trailer discharge and pump into the tote.

bikendan wrote:

your gray tank will fill up WAY faster than your black tank.

Come on folks PLEASE realize that not everybody in the world is exactly like YOU before you make statements like that.

My black tank always fills up first.

As for the OP, if the height difference is no more than the diameter of the hose, just dump the grey tank second and then manually raise (most of) the hose before you uncouple it starting at the RV and working toward the tote. What spills out when decoupled (RV end first) shouldn't be much and shouldn't be too nasty.

I use my Flojet to pump it into the tank.

Like has been said you'll always fill the gray first anyway but with 4 people in the camper I'd empty my 30g black tank a couple time in a full week of camping.

The Flojet makes it real easy. I keep the portable tank by the truck so I don't have to manually move it. I've got a 25 gallon portable tank and full it's well in excess of 200lbs.

Two Suggestions, both work, one works real good

1: Raise the RV.. of course this may not be practical if you need more than a few inches of lift... *or* (Even better)

2: Flo-Jet portable Macerator pump

The Link is to Camping World.. NOT where I got mine

In the photo at the top of the (That's what's that part is for) motor there is a rubber cap.. under the cap is a shaft with a slot.
On this pump if not used often the rotor "Sticks" and you must use a flat tool (IE: Quarter) to turn the shaft in the direction indicated by the outlet connector.. Then it works (Do this when hoking up)

Finally figured out what that rubber cap is for.. Thanks for making me look this up.

(The cap was loose in mine).

This device uises 12 volts to pump up hill.. You can even put the tote in the bed of a pickup truck and pump up to it, if you do this though put something high you can hang the hose on when you are full up.. There is a flush fitting, I run several gallons of fresh water through the pump at the end of the dump cycle to clear the line.. The "line" is a 50 foot black rubber hose.. Yes, Black hose for Black water.. I also have a 25' Gray hose (Wash water tank drain, but that's another story).. No other hoses are black or gray in this RV.

The answer for the OP is NOT to spend more money on a new tote, especially for one that fills at the bottom (those are horrible in my opinion), or to learn to back in better. Not every site is sloped 100% perfect. Every campsite is different and presents their own challenges. The OP needs instructions on how to use the tote when the fill hole is higher than the drain hole on the camper.

Although my trailer sits pretty high, there are occasions when the slope of the ground makes the top of my Barker Tote higher. And this is about the only way to take care of it.

The bottom of the tank in the camper will still be higher than the fill hole on the tote. (don't worry abou the height of the drain hole or valve. So the black tank will drain out completely. But once the contents raeach the level spot, it will stop running.

The only way I have found to finish draiing the hose is to simply lift the hose a little at a time (nearest the tote), and let the hose begin to drain out. Then put the hose back to the ground again and let it fill back up, then lift the hose again. You may have repeat this a dozen times, but it will eventually drain the hose out.

Once the contents are below the camper valve, you can unhook the hose from the camper and simply lift it straight up and let the contents drain into the tote, lifting it all up so it will all drain out.

This is the only way I've found to make it work when the tote fill hole is highter than the bottom of the trailer drain hole. Just keep lifting the hose up and down until it's drained out. Time consuming? Yes. The secret is to NOT get in a hurry.

Two things I've learned about RV camper ownership. 1) Never get in a hurry hitching up. 2) Never get in a hurry dumping your tanks. Do both carefully, methodically, and thughtfully.

This works. I had to do it just the last week-end again.

And YES, I dump both black and gray. I dump every day when camping. I dump the black first, and backflush the gray shower water into the black tank and dump the black again. I repeat 2 or 3 times and it washes out the black tank.

We can take 4 showers and dump both tanks and it will come close to filling our 32 gallon tote. We can take 6-8 showers if we dump at the at dump stations. But 4 showers and toilet use come close to filling the tote so it won't over fill. And the back flush pulls everything out of the black tank. Works for me.

And one more note: I've been using the same tote for over 13 years years now, black and gray water. I rinse it well at the dump statin. Never, never, never, any smells, and always clean.

I have/use a 32 gallon... Barker 4 wheel.

Gray tank needs emptied every 3 days..
Black tank needs emptied every 12 days.
both gray and black tanks are 40 gallon.

2 adults only.

besides the only way to learn backing up is by doing it over and over.

last week I needed to backup my rig 1200 feet.(gravel/dirt).. a very long driveway. and no way to turn around. and I did it in one shot. NOT bragging.. just saying >.. LEARN.. you Will need it, and use it.

F 250 supercab long bed. and 30 foot Coachmen travel trailer.

SoundGuy wrote:

pdcostantino wrote:
Any suggestions on getting waste water to flow up hill into tote?

The obvious answer has already been offered - elevate the trailer. However, from your description that may mean elevating it quite a bit so an alternate solution, though costly, is to put that way too big, way too heavy tote tank in the back of your truck and pump waste (grey & black) into the tote with a FloJet Waste Macerator Pump. You'd then also no longer have to drag a heavy tote to hook it to the truck nor drag it to the dump station at "walking speed" but can simply drive your truck to the dump station with the tote in the back.

That is the best solution and the first thing I thought of. Also solves the weight problem with the large tote.

pdcostantino wrote:
Any suggestions on getting waste water to flow up hill into tote?

The obvious answer has already been offered - elevate the trailer. However, from your description that may mean elevating it quite a bit so an alternate solution, though costly, is to put that way too big, way too heavy tote tank in the back of your truck and pump waste (grey & black) into the tote with a FloJet Waste Macerator Pump. You'd then also no longer have to drag a heavy tote to hook it to the truck nor drag it to the dump station at "walking speed" but can simply drive your truck to the dump station with the tote in the back.

You could buy enough hose to get it to the other side of the camper which I am guessing is downhill. Your problem then becomes how do you rinse out 20 feet of stinky slinky.