Hi my GF and I are thinking of getting an RV and traveling for her week on work shift(DE) hopefully a year round RV park, and my parent's land her off week (MD)My parent's land has well and a septic tank/drain field and I was wondering what would be some good methods of emptying the blackwater tank. I checked local regulations and there isn't anything against it. Completely new and thinking build a connection site of some sort, any thoughts and tips would be a huge help.

You would need to empty into the septic system via a direct connection. Certainly couldn't just dump on the ground or the smell would run you out. Remember you don't HAVE a septic system in your RV, it is merely a storage tank that you empty into a sewer or septic connection. Make certain that their system can handle the gallonage you would be dumping all at once since it's NEVER a good practice to try to empty in small batches. There must be a sufficient amount of water in your holding tank to flush solids across the bottom and out of the tank and with out enough water your holding tank will very quickly build up solids and become clogged (not to mention very smelly)Good luck / Skip

I suppose I should say what are some good methods of connecting? Running a hose in to the toilet or popping open the lid of the septic tank both seem unappealing. If I wanted to have a modification done to the septic system what kind of connection would I want to get installed?

Skip's advice is very good and should be followed. Don't forget that your gray water needs to be drained into the septic too and not on the ground.In regard to utilizing the septic on the property I would set up a formal connect using a slightly elevated cement drain with a PVC pipe leading into the system. This way you won't create a spot in the ground that puddles. You should also have a metal or PVC plastic cap to cover the hole when not in use. Take a look at various RV dump stations for ideas.

You should be able to just put a clean out fitting in their line before the tank. You need to check how their tank is sized to insure it can handle your dump. If they have a 4 bedroom home but there are only two of them you should be ok. If they have a smaller home and are already at their design limit there maybe a problem. 30 or 40 gallons in one shot maybe to much. Can you get your rig close enough for a direct drain or will you use a macerator?

pitch wrote:You should be able to just put a clean out fitting in their line before the tank. You need to check how their tank is sized to insure it can handle your dump. If they have a 4 bedroom home but there are only two of them you should be ok. If they have a smaller home and are already at their design limit there maybe a problem. 30 or 40 gallons in one shot maybe to much. Can you get your rig close enough for a direct drain or will you use a macerator?^ Pay close attention to this post ^If you overwhelm the septic system, your problems could be huge and expensive. Ridex can be added after each tank dump, which will help it digest solids, but volume must be considered.

Site setup& septic system | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

ESGrizz
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
I suppose I should say what are some good methods of connecting? Running a hose in to the toilet or popping open the lid of the septic tank both seem unappealing. If I wanted to have a modification done to the septic system what kind of connection would I want to get installed?
skipnchar
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
You would need to empty into the septic system via a direct connection. Certainly couldn't just dump on the ground or the smell would run you out. Remember you don't HAVE a septic system in your RV, it is merely a storage tank that you empty into a sewer or septic connection. Make certain that their system can handle the gallonage you would be dumping all at once since it's NEVER a good practice to try to empty in small batches. There must be a sufficient amount of water in your holding tank to flush solids across the bottom and out of the tank and with out enough water your holding tank will very quickly build up solids and become clogged (not to mention very smelly)
Good luck / Skip

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Site setup& septic system

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