Thetford SmartTote2 LX usefullness

My tote is designed to be towed so I tow it. I can't see it so I roll the window down and just listen. I always get waves from old timers. I drive along at 5 mph and have never had a spill - including black water. I'm of the opinion that using the tank is far less trouble than breaking down camp, but if people want to do that fine with me.

My tank gets the job done with minimal equipment. It may take more effort than a pump, but I'm just not into that stuff.

Now sometimes the campsite is sandy making it hard to pull the tank to the hitch and once there was a slope where the tank sat a little higher than the TT connection, but hey, I'm camping and I see this as one of those things that needs to be done. Sometimes I'll dump the gray water into the tank so there is enough room in the tanks for showers/dishes, then haul it in the morning. After about a 30 minute job, I'm back to business as usual.

I drilled holes and mounted winch directly to bed. It came with a remote for the winch so it is easy to operate. I wanted a permanent install I cut down an old Plastic battery box to fit over winch hold it in place with a wing nut. It does not take up much room and is handy to help loading my sons dirt bikes also.

Thanks again for replies. I appreciate people taking the time to describe their situations and solutions. As result, think I understand how the Thetford and Barker totes operate including pluses and minuses. I find some of the innovations intriguing, especially the idea of using a small winch to yard a tote into the back of a pickup. You wouldn't happen to have a picture or previous post that describes how you do that? How do you attach or brace the winch in the back of the pickup?

SoundGuy wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I'll break camp to go dump vs toting/hauling/making multiple trips and I even have a macerator :B

WHY?

Simply because I can hook up go dump and set back up in about 1 hour total time.

An hour?! :h Holy Smokes, I don't invest anywhere near that amount of time dealing with the tanks ... I'm an early riser so my usual routine is to take our dog for an early morning ride while my wife is still sleeping and head over to the dump station to collect a fresh batch of potable water when the place is empty and there's never any waiting. If I've got some grey water I've off loaded the previous night, or even macerated black water (uncommon but occasionally possible), I'll take advantage of already being at the dump station to get rid of it at the same time ... but it sure doesn't take an hour. :E

The tote takes about 15 minutes and you don't have to break down/move anything. But that's our case, in which we dump our grey tank in our
32 gal tote. YMMV

I have 32 Gallon tote and I did not like slow towing it to dump station.

So I put a small electric winch in bed of truck.

I put straps around my tote and now use 2 2x6 I take every time anyway for a ramp.

Hook the winch to straps and presto tank is in truck no lifting involved. Then off to dump station takes about 10 minutes.

I have used the winch to help with lots of other things also it was cheap on sale Harbor Freight $35 dollars.

I don't use the tote often but when I do it is easy.

DutchmenSport wrote:
if you're going to get a tote, you still want the biggest you can get (and afford).

..and carry.

DutchmenSport wrote:
If I had larger holding tanks, then yes, Old-Biscuit's way would be the perfected way.

Auto-complete is making comprehending posts more and more challenging.

2oldman vs Old-Biscuit. You are both correct! It all depends upon one's personal convenience, if and when anyone wants to break camp or not, and the size of your tanks. If you have a 25 gallon gray and a 25 gallon black tank and have 4 in the camper, you won't want to be breaking camp every day and going through all the processes 2oldmen has to go through. (I fall into that same category, except mine's a TT, not a 5er.). If I had larger holding tanks, then yes, Old-Biscuit's way would be the perfected way. If we had 125 gallon holding tanks, we'd never have to use a tote. We very seldom, (if ever) stay more than 6 nights at any one location. 125 gallon tanks would hold us for a month! So, it's really a matter of big your tanks are in the end.

Still, if you're going to get a tote, you still want the biggest you can get (and afford). It just saves a lot of hassle.

Ron3rd wrote:
We're here to give the OP ideas on what works for people and that includes their likes and dislikes.

Which is why I brought up the alternative idea of using smaller, portable containers rather than a wheeled tote tank. If someone else doesn't like the idea, so be it, but that won't dissuade me from continuing to use this method nor bringing it up when the subject of tote tanks is raised.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I'll break camp to go dump vs toting/hauling/making multiple trips and I even have a macerator :B

WHY?

Simply because I can hook up go dump and set back up in about 1 hour total time.

An hour?! :h Holy Smokes, I don't invest anywhere near that amount of time dealing with the tanks ... I'm an early riser so my usual routine is to take our dog for an early morning ride while my wife is still sleeping and head over to the dump station to collect a fresh batch of potable water when the place is empty and there's never any waiting. If I've got some grey water I've off loaded the previous night, or even macerated black water (uncommon but occasionally possible), I'll take advantage of already being at the dump station to get rid of it at the same time ... but it sure doesn't take an hour. :E

I think a lot of the debate, disagreement, etc, turns on the fact that people camp in different ways and use different methods to accomplish the same thing. Some don't use their shower or toilet at all, instead preferring the facilities at the campground. That's fine if that's what you like to do. For us, the Barker tote is a lifesaver with 3 girls taking showers and grand kids getting baths every day. The Barker tote is a simple solution to the problem of "how to get the water out" and whether you use Aquatainer totes or break down and take you rig to dump, you're accomplishing the same thing in a different way. Personally, I don't care how other people do it but for us, the Barker tote and 60 Gal Waterboy portable water bladder is a lifesaver that we've relied on for years. To me, the Barker tote is so easy to use and tow to the dump station that I don't get the push back on the method. The one member I do understand is the one that said he has a tote and he's never used it and it sits in the garage. No need to own one if you don't need it. Camp the way you like and use what works for you. We're here to give the OP ideas on what works for people and that includes their likes and dislikes.