Black tank question

Great, thanks. Our first stop is a FHU, the second is boondock at a Camping World. Have a genset for the second stop. Our main stop is 3 or 4 days with FHU, so this will work out good for us. For all the rest of the answers, good tips on all.

Back to the question. If its just an overnight stop I won't connect any hoses at all and just keep moving in the morning. 2 days most likely will not dump either and just keep moving.
I see no point in connecting hoses and going through the trouble. Of course this assumes my final destination is a FHU site.

dave17352 wrote:
I would not dump the black until you need to like 2/3 full. Dump the grey tanks whenever you want. Just make sure to leave enough water in your black tank and always put a few gallons in after dumping. That really all you have to do and you should have no problems. Pretty simple stuff. No way would I dump the black tanks everyday.

I agree, we're in our 11th season and have yet to flush out the tanks. We simply dump them when they're full. No stink, no fuss. We don't even add water to the tank after dumping. Now, with that said, I always dump when we leave the campground. Perhaps I'm being overly cautious but I'm concerned about the additional weight in the rear of the camper taking weight off the hitch, thus leading to sway.

As was stated earlier a home septic is not the same as a RV holding tank system. First of all a home septic relies on living bacteria to break down the waste. A holding tank system uses chemicals to break down waste. For that reason you really don't want to add that same chemical to your home septic system because it could kill the living bacteria that breaks down the waste causing very expensive problems.

Just ask your local septic company. That's where I first heard about this and since have read it online somewhere.

I do use a solution of 2 cups laundry detergent, 1 cup water softener, to a gallon of hot water to pour into my black water tank and use just 1 cup softener in the gray water since it already gets soap from showers and washing dishes. This helps with making everything less likely to have waste stick to it as well as reducing the stink. Along with this I still use tank chemical to break down waste. Thats a must.

I would not dump the black until you need to like 2/3 full. Dump the grey tanks whenever you want. Just make sure to leave enough water in your black tank and always put a few gallons in after dumping. That really all you have to do and you should have no problems. Pretty simple stuff. No way would I dump the black tanks everyday.

I myself am one who believes that a black tank does not have to be " surgically clean " . I can not believe that it makes that much difference . We use our trailer at least every two weeks and have never had a stinky tank .. I have found it is much easier to dump the black tank when it has been "agitated " by a few hours drive . But I will not fault you folks who scrub and clean as long as ya do not take an hour and a half at the dump station !

mbopp wrote:
I used to use 25' of sewer hose to reach the sewer cleanout on my yard, but it's easier to use my macerator pump.
Issue - I don't believe the macerator pump lets through a good enough rush of water to empty the black tank of solids. I put a "Y" in the house hose line I use for the tank rinser, and use both the in-tank rinser and a toilet wand to clean the black tank. "Clean" is when the black tank sensor reads EMPTY.

I used my "sewer solution" (poor man's macerator) for the first time yesterday. I agree that it doesn't drain fast enough to get a good flush out of the black tank. I flipped it to rinse, filled the tank a bit, and dumped again about 5 times before it was clean.

With the sewer solution I was able to dump about 50 feet away into the main sewer line in my basement - including a 4-foot rise into my basement window.

I used to use 25' of sewer hose to reach the sewer cleanout on my yard, but it's easier to use my macerator pump.
Issue - I don't believe the macerator pump lets through a good enough rush of water to empty the black tank of solids. I put a "Y" in the house hose line I use for the tank rinser, and use both the in-tank rinser and a toilet wand to clean the black tank. "Clean" is when the black tank sensor reads EMPTY.

If I am near a dump station while traveling Ill dump both. The black tank sloshes around plenty during travel that I have never had any clumping or blockage. When on site I dump the tanks when they are full and flush the black tank with water from the toilet. I dont use geo method, deodorizers, ice in the black tank, etc. When leaving for home I dump the black tank a put a couple gallons of water in it then a cup full of laundry detergent. 10 seasons with the same rig and no problems.

I put a bayonet connector on the top lid of my septic system (collars and lids, so they don't have to be dug up for a pump out). Final trip dump and final winterizing dump can be done at home. Be advised, there's reinforcing wire in the concrete cap (went through 8 or 9 cement drill bits to get through). You could get extra hose and just have it at home for that "home dump", not carry it around all the time.

Be sure to dump your tanks after you winterize! My sister and bil omitted this step once. Took a trip south in the dead of winter. Got there and the tanks were both cracked. The big slabs of ice in the tanks got bounced so hard they shattered the plastic. Expensive repair, all that was salvaged was the end cap.

Any hole made in the septic lid that can accomodate your dump hose will do. I only went with the bayonet type because it has a nice, secure cap.

Ralph