Portable waste tanks

Why not get a macerator pump and a large tote with a dump valve? I've found this a decent way to boondock because I fill up the tank in the bed via the macerator, drive to a dump station, attach a short sewer hose, and let gravity do the rest when dumping. No heavy lifting needed whatsoever.

We like the 18 gal Thetford Smart tote with the built in hose. Our holding tank is larger (40g), no issues when draining due to a popup button on the tote that tells you it is full. We use for black/gray; as said empty black first, gray next will provide a rinse. Remember the larger the unit you have, the more space it will take up in transport. They are kinda bulky.

trb46 wrote:
Go to http://www.campingworld.com/ and search "portable holding tank."

X2 These have handles that are specifically designed to go over a ball hitch. These have an indicator that tells you when full, and a small hose to hook into it to wash it out. I use it for Black, then Gray, using thivk rubber gloves. And while I like the fact that the Barker has a valve, the front wheels are not as sturdy. Whatever one you like, they sure come in handy.

We have a Barker blueboy tote that is pulled behind the vehicle. There is not a mess dumping or rinsing at the dump station. Smaller ones may make a mess and be hard to use, not sure since we never had a small one. We used ours an entire summer for both black and grey and we had no problem.

Lantley wrote:

NanciL wrote:
I wouldn't have anything larger then 15 gallons. They are just to heavy.
Also don't put black water in it. Just gray. It is just too messy to clean black water out of them.

Jack L

I think you should try to get a tote as large as your grey tank. If the tank is smaller it will overflow. It is a pain to attempt to empty a 40 gallon tank into a 15 gallon tote:S. Do the math.
Weight of water is not an issue. The larger totes have wheels that allow you to pull the totes like a wagon. You never have to pick up the tote. Pull it over to the truck and tow the tote to the dump station via your hitch.

Agreed but depends on Your family. If you can use the bathhouses and minimize water use, maybe you can be happy with a smaller one. My 14yr old daughter and wife, do not understand the concept and the smaller ones means many trips to the dumping station for ME. I had a 18 gallon one, gave it to a friend after the first season when I bought one of the 27 gallon Thetford Smart Tanks much closer to my 30 gallon holding tanks. I love these tanks because of the connected hose and ease of use. Great product, pricey but worth it. I don't want problems when dealing with gray and black water.

I use ours for both black and gray tanks. I just always do the black first and then once I dump it, come back for the gray and do a second dump.

We're satisfied with our 32 gal Barker tote. Basically, the choices are Thetford or Barker; two or 4 wheel models; optional side discharge valve. I've got the basic Barker two wheel model. They all have a handle that will drop over your hitch ball so you can slowly tow it to the dump station.

Personally, I wouldn't want to go larger than 32 gal as it's very heavy when full. I've got the top discharge model that requires you to lift the tote vertical to dump it.

If you do go larger than 32 gal I would recommend the 4 wheel model with side discharge, but they're pricey.

We only use ours for grey water as showers fill up the grey tank fast. In 9 years of camping, we've never filled up our black tank.

NanciL wrote:
I wouldn't have anything larger then 15 gallons. They are just to heavy.
Also don't put black water in it. Just gray. It is just too messy to clean black water out of them.

Jack L

I think you should try to get a tote as large as your grey tank. If the tank is smaller it will overflow. It is a pain to attempt to empty a 40 gallon tank into a 15 gallon tote:S. Do the math.
Weight of water is not an issue. The larger totes have wheels that allow you to pull the totes like a wagon. You never have to pick up the tote. Pull it over to the truck and tow the tote to the dump station via your hitch.

I wouldn't have anything larger then 15 gallons. They are just to heavy.
Also don't put black water in it. Just gray. It is just too messy to clean black water out of them.

Jack L

How big are your waste tanks? Is there a shower house or restroom to use?
I can make 4 days fairly easy on my tanks and I would just conserve water use to avoid the tote.

Go with a Barker, and go with the largest size you're willing to pay. Do a search online for the best price. I just purchased the 42 gallon Barker and it was delivered in about 3 days from RvpartsCountry.com. I had the 30 gallon Barker, and needed a larger capacity. I sold my 30 gal on Craigslist in a day. The main reason I have a tote is when I want to go somewhere without full hook-ups, I can go without the hassle of hitching up just to go dump. Some of best scenery out there doesn't have full hook-ups. Good luck