How often do you dump

Black tank? Dump? Is this something I need to know? :B

DianneOK wrote:
We have a truck camper with small tanks. Black and grey 30, fresh 35. We were fulltimers for 9 years and learned how to manage the tanks.

We just finished a 9 day trip. We showered every day and used outside toilets only a few times. Dishes were done every day. By day 8 we were able to dump, and still had grey, black space left and some fresh water. So for us, dumping weekly would be very easy.

Last year I stayed here in NY for over 2 months without a water hook up in my Jayco (fresh water capacity listed as 53 gallons including water heater) but I used the neighbors water connection to fill up once.

I will not be staying here as long this time (about a month) but I am using a lot of paper plates and plastic spoons, no showers, just a quick wet down, followed by a soapy wash cloth (water turned off) then a quick rinse off. I am using bottled water for the dogs and myself to drink.

when at least 1/2 full and when I return from a trip. I also fill the tank with water and flush it before I leave on a trip.

We have a truck camper with small tanks. Black and grey 30, fresh 35. We were fulltimers for 9 years and learned how to manage the tanks.

We just finished a 9 day trip. We showered every day and used outside toilets only a few times. Dishes were done every day. By day 8 we were able to dump, and still had grey, black space left and some fresh water. So for us, dumping weekly would be very easy.

Sometimes you may not have another chance to dump for a long time. The last time I dumped at a campground on Friday of memorial day weekend, from there I stayed in the parking lot of a Camping World parking lot with electric but no dump area, I arrived in NY last Tuesday morning and parked in the driveway of a house I am clearing out and selling. The house has been winterized, water turned off house toilets not useable with electric hookup available. I will be here for at least another week, if I came here 1/2 full I would be in trouble soon.

If you are worried that a near empty black tank will not dump properly just fill it up with water

Our understanding is that your tank should be at least 2/3 full before dumping as you need the pressure from the larger release to properly empty the tank. We dump when the tank is full. When we travel, we plan at least every 3rd day to have hookups or a dump station so we can empty the grey. The black tank is usually full every 2nd dump.

Jloucks wrote:
Yea, another vote for on the way out of the site.

If we only stay a night ill run a few gallons of extra water into the tank before dumping.

YUP! I dump every time I am near a sewer connection and add water to it also if it is below half. This is a perfect time to add the water to help clean out the crude in the black tank by adding plain water. No fuss no muss and dump. I just open my bathroom sink faucets and top of the black tank with water and dump.

Once a day. Sometimes more often after DW's chilli.

Oh wait, wrong dump.

At the end of the trip or when the tank is full, whichever occurs first.

Yea, another vote for on the way out of the site.

If we only stay a night ill run a few gallons of extra water into the tank before dumping.

camperpaul wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

When I have full hookups I dump. So like once a day or every other day.

If you don't have your tank at least 2/3 full, you will only be dumping the liquid. The solids will remain in the tank.

I must have a pretty big tank then. I have been doing it this way for over 30 years and it's still not full yet. :B