Black tank hookup

Enjoy your new TT we were all new once i have been yelled at a time or 2 on here as well but if you dont ask you will never learn towing a house on wheels down the road is not like drivimg a car. So keep asking your questions and you will keep on enjoying your TT. Welcome to the form.

HappyCamperjk wrote:
The black tank, hooking it up to the sewer pipe for full service, do you want to leave it fully open or close it when you are done camping?

HappyCamperJK-

I suggest you leave that valve shut at all times,till is time to dump or youre going to have one hell of a mess to clean up for a while:B

HappyCamperjk wrote:
The black tank, hooking it up to the sewer pipe for full service, do you want to leave it fully open or close it when you are done camping?

I leave blank tank valve closed all the time except actually dumping.

Thank you all for your recommendations. Also thanks DutchmanSport for your welcoming me to the forum.

Think about a rock being carried downstream by the flow of water in the river....


Leave the drain valve closed until time to dump. The higher the level the easier for the 'rocks' to be carried out and away.

We leave the grey tank dump valved closed also so that tank gets full...dump the black first (rinse/flush it) close drain valve and then dump grey tank so the grey water flushes out the sewer hose when draining

Some folks leave grey open and then day or so before breaking camp they close it to get water in it for flushing after dumping black tank.

I'm lazy and only mess with any dumping chores ONCE

Welcome to the forums! Don't feel shy about asking questions or giving advise. However, always be prepared for the "unexpected" on these forums! Hope you have many good camping adventures.

To answer your question, the black tank valve should be closed unless you are actually dumping. It is recommended that your tank be full or almost full when dumping so the liquids will push out the solids. Additional rinsing may be needed, as solids do not always come completely out after the first "dump". Adding more water through the toilet bowl is the easiest way. A "Flush King" type of adapter will allow you to hook up a garden hose and flush water back into the tank to allow additional rinsing (if you don't want to add the water through the bowl), and some campers have factory installed "tornados" that also attach to a garden hose and swirl around inside the tank shooting water everywhere which also cleans out the excess that is missed by simply opening the valve. It all depends upon your camper and your equipment.

To to answer your question, keep it closed until you actually dump.

HappyCamperjk wrote:
The black tank, hooking it up to the sewer pipe for full service, do you want to leave it fully open or close it when you are done camping?

How can one leave it open when done camping? That would be illegal I am sure, since all the contents would be free to slosh out the pipe. :(

When done camping all valves should be closed, and the sewer pipe in the campground should be closed also.

While camping, the black tank valve should be closed when not dumping since you want the tank to fill up so gravity will work to help flush the tank when dumping. Leaving it open will allow the liquids to drain and the solids to stay - you do not want that.

Manufacturers recommend that the black tank be at least half full (some say 3/4 full) before dumping. Add water to achieve that level. This ensures enough water to remove all the debris in the tank.

Welcome to the forum!

Keep the black tank closed at all times unless you are dumping.

While in use it is essential to maintain liquid in the tank to aid in dissolving the solids.

If you leave the valve open, you will get the dreaded "pyramid" in the bottom of the tank.