I will immediately plead ignorance here and apologize in advance for the layman type questioning. Please do not assume I have not done research as I have done plenty; however, just wanted the input from some seasoned experts such as yourselves. (Take the compliment and share on social media if you'd like haha) Tank Chemical Recommendations: I know I will need these; what's the best stuff out there, does it matter which one, any cons with the ones recommended such as hardens water etc. Anyone in Central WA State? I am active duty military and moving there, I know there are actually some pretty nasty areas in regards to property theft, is a lug covering boot sufficient or should I be looking for more means to secure my RV (normal storage will be on a military installation, I am more concerned with while away from my TT while camping)Thanks again for your candid feed back!!Jon

Thank you for serving our country.When it comes to chemicals for the holding tanks, there are many opinions. Some insist on using chemicals. Some use only water. Some (me) use The Geo Method or something similar.Some just use a cup of lemon dish washing detergent.Try all your options, see what works best for you.I have seen, on the forum, many use a chemical called Happy Camper and are pleased with the results.As for theft deterrent, most will probably tell you not to camp in areas with known theft problems.As we all know, if a thief wants something, they will get it. With all the cordless tools available it is not difficult to cut chains, cables, covers, etc..Enjoy your travels.

My choice for the black tank!I've been using Happy Campers for a couple of years and like it better than anything else I've tried. And, I like the fact that it doesn't use any harsh chemicals.

jernst1978 wrote: Tank Chemical Recommendations: I know I will need these; what's the best stuff out there, does it matter which one, any cons with the ones recommended such as hardens water etc.You'll find as many recommendations as there are chems, from nothing but water to bacterial acting formulations to chems that contain formaldehyde to those that don't, with everyone swearing what they use is the best. :S I've tried quite a few over the years, didn't care for bacterial products like Odorlos and Happy Campers, can't stand the heavy chemical smell that many products have, but have always found The Geo Method to work just as well as anything else, but inexpensively. A year ago I had the opportunity to try some tank chems by Walex and really liked the results so these days I now only use Geo when I service the tanks here at the house and then prep the tanks for the next camping trip by adding Walex to both the grey and black tanks ... works well for me. :)

Over the years, we have tried a little bit of everything. Remember, your holding tanks are just that ... "Holding" tanks. They are not septic tanks, or city sewage stations. They "hold" the contents until you can dump it.All you need to do is attempt to keep the odors down, when the tank has "stuff" in it and when it is "empty".The absolutely BEST thing you can do to prevent odors is to keep some water over the valve seal in the bottom of the toilet! Really, that's it! Everything else is just a personal choice.Another thing, keep a couple gallons of water in the black tank when traveling. Put a couple squirts of Dawn Dishwishing liquid down the toilet, and drive away!The sloshing action of the water and dishwashing liquid will keep your tanks clean. Very simple! You will NEVER NEVER NEVER get the tanks clean like new again. But you can come close.

jernst1978 wrote:Anyone in Central WA State? I am active duty military and moving there, I know there are actually some pretty nasty areas in regards to property theft, is a lug covering boot sufficient or should I be looking for more means to secure my RV (normal storage will be on a military installation, I am more concerned with while away from my TT while camping)I use a coupler lock when leaving my trailer unattended. It has a piece that inserts where the ball goes.Chemicals... I rarely use them. Really about the only time I use them is on an extended trip. Weekend trips I don't. If it were more than one person using the commode, then I'd use chemicals, but since it's just me, I don't. Were are you moving to in WA? I'm in Spokane.

Must Haves for New to RV World (Chemicals) | Good Sam Community

SoundGuy
Explorer
Apr 16, 2016
jernst1978 wrote:
Tank Chemical Recommendations: I know I will need these; what's the best stuff out there, does it matter which one, any cons with the ones recommended such as hardens water etc.

You'll find as many recommendations as there are chems, from nothing but water to bacterial acting formulations to chems that contain formaldehyde to those that don't, with everyone swearing what they use is the best. :S I've tried quite a few over the years, didn't care for bacterial products like Odorlos and Happy Campers, can't stand the heavy chemical smell that many products have, but have always found The Geo Method to work just as well as anything else, but inexpensively. A year ago I had the opportunity to try some tank chems by Walex and really liked the results so these days I now only use Geo when I service the tanks here at the house and then prep the tanks for the next camping trip by adding Walex to both the grey and black tanks ... works well for me. :)
scbwr
Explorer II
Apr 16, 2016
My choice for the black tank!

I've been using Happy Campers for a couple of years and like it better than anything else I've tried. And, I like the fact that it doesn't use any harsh chemicals.
gbopp
Explorer
Apr 16, 2016
Thank you for serving our country.

When it comes to chemicals for the holding tanks, there are many opinions.
Some insist on using chemicals. Some use only water. Some (me) use The Geo Method or something similar.
Some just use a cup of lemon dish washing detergent.

Try all your options, see what works best for you.
I have seen, on the forum, many use a chemical called Happy Camper and are pleased with the results.

As for theft deterrent, most will probably tell you not to camp in areas with known theft problems.
As we all know, if a thief wants something, they will get it. With all the cordless tools available it is not difficult to cut chains, cables, covers, etc..

Enjoy your travels.

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