Hey Y'all! Have a noob question!
Hello. The Wife and I are from Texas and we just bought a new Lance 1995. It will sit on our lease the vast majority of the time and we have a question about our blackwater tank. We'll use it ...
Forum Discussion
So I'm going to fly in opposition to some of the posts on here. I never, as in never, use any kind of holding tank treatment in my tanks. Been doing it this way for 14 years and don't have smell issues. I have also let my blank tank sit with stuff in it for the entire summer and it was no better or worse than dumping after a weekend of use. If there is more than a few gallons of water in your tank you will be fine. Where the problem comes in is when people don't use enough water when flushing and the poop just drops and piles under the toilet.
Since you're not going to be moving the trailer you won't have the benefit of water sloshing around and breaking up the pile and floating it away. So you're probably going to have to add enough water to the tanks after dumping that the poop can be float away.
Two other thoughts that popped into my mind when reading the replies above.
I think you misunderstood the cassette potty suggestion. Most of the popup tent trailers with bathrooms use a cassette potty. At the end of the weekend you pull the cassette out from under the toilet and carry it off to empty it into a toilet. The cassette automatically seals as you pull it out so aside from the actual minute you're pouring it into a toilet there is no mess or smell. Just pull the cassette at the end of the weekend and put it in the back of the truck and empty it at home. Just don't forget to bring the cassette back to the trailer when you come back the next weekend. If I had to make a choice between a 5 gallon cassette or a 20 gallon blue boy tote in the back of the truck. I would go with the cassette any day of the week.
Not to get into the legalities of the homemade septic idea, but you mentioned the nearest well is 4 miles away. You also mention filling the tank with lake water. You do realize the restrictions on septic placement and such are based on distances from water sources, not just wells. Hopefully the lake is uphill from or at least a good distance from all the home grown septic systems around it.
Since you're not going to be moving the trailer you won't have the benefit of water sloshing around and breaking up the pile and floating it away. So you're probably going to have to add enough water to the tanks after dumping that the poop can be float away.
Two other thoughts that popped into my mind when reading the replies above.
I think you misunderstood the cassette potty suggestion. Most of the popup tent trailers with bathrooms use a cassette potty. At the end of the weekend you pull the cassette out from under the toilet and carry it off to empty it into a toilet. The cassette automatically seals as you pull it out so aside from the actual minute you're pouring it into a toilet there is no mess or smell. Just pull the cassette at the end of the weekend and put it in the back of the truck and empty it at home. Just don't forget to bring the cassette back to the trailer when you come back the next weekend. If I had to make a choice between a 5 gallon cassette or a 20 gallon blue boy tote in the back of the truck. I would go with the cassette any day of the week.
Not to get into the legalities of the homemade septic idea, but you mentioned the nearest well is 4 miles away. You also mention filling the tank with lake water. You do realize the restrictions on septic placement and such are based on distances from water sources, not just wells. Hopefully the lake is uphill from or at least a good distance from all the home grown septic systems around it.
