Automatic Macerator Pump on Airstream Interstate

[lucytravel12]

In shopping for a used B to replace my '87 Falcon, I looked at a '16 Airstream Interstate (more than I can afford, but it was great!). We don't have push-button anything on our Falcon! It had an automatic macerator pump that makes "dumping" a breeze. Is this feature available on PW, LTV or other models? If yes, anyone know what year did this became available?

[Davydd]

Shearwater wrote:
Some (most?) class B's have waste tanks that are slung under the van. I've noticed that a lot of dump stations have short walls surrounding the opening that are higher than the waste valve on the RV. This makes it difficult or impossible to dump. The macerator solves that problem.

Difficult, yes, but not impossible. You just have to take some extra measures at the end and "walk" the remaining dump liquid over the curb. I never encountered a situation where I could not dump at a campground. It seems the curbs are there to contain the dump liquids at a lot of dump stations. The newer dump stations I have encountered have been better designed. However, when Bs are still but about 1% of all dumping RVs they are not going to get a lot of special attention.

I used a gravity dump slinky for 9 years with my first two Bs. It was not all that difficult and gravity is foolproof positive in a low tech way. I now have a macerator and find it less difficult still to use and faster from beginning to end. There is a real problem if the macerator fails. I understand Roadtreks for years had no backup method to dispose the tanks. I think they have since corrected that. Our macerator is bayonet mounted to the plumbing. If it were to fail I could simply uncouple it with a twist and put a slinky hose in its place. But hopefully like ryegatevt I will never have to do so.

[GailS]

Our B did not have a macerator. We had to replace the conventional hose twice in 10 years.

We now have a C with both a macerator and the conventional gravity type. Love the macerator but glad to have both.

[Shearwater]

double post

[Shearwater]

Some (most?) class B's have waste tanks that are slung under the van. I've noticed that a lot of dump stations have short walls surrounding the opening that are higher than the waste valve on the RV. This makes it difficult or impossible to dump. The macerator solves that problem.

[PSW]

In the seven years we had our RT 210P the only thing I did with the macerator pump was replace the hose. Otherwise, no worries. Guess what? Those 4 inch conventional rv hoses don't last that long either.

Paul

[ryegatevt]

NoVa RT wrote:
Roadtrek has a macerator. Not sure when that started, but I believe that was quite a few years before mine.

Our 2005 Roadtrek 210P was the first year to have a standard macerator. It has been flawless for 50,000 miles. We cannot imagine using a messy gravity dump - the macerator can even pump uphill to a toilet or other facility. For all the complaints, I'd like know how many have had an experience like ours for the last 11 years; most non-complainers go about their merry way and don't post...

[lucytravel12]

Thanks for your responses - very interesting. Just goes to show that new technology isn't always better than the old fashioned way!

[bob_nestor]

I own a Roadtrek with the macerator and as others have said, they're not without their own problems. I've had to rebuild mine once. One big downside is that if you're at a campground with full hookups you can't just leave the grey water dump valve open as you might do on a gravity dump system. (Doing this means you don't have to worry about the gray tank filling up with long showers, etc.)

One thing I really miss that my previous RV had was a black tank flush connection. Never realized how useful that was until I got the Roadtrek that doesn't have one.

The macerator pump is nice because it can be used to dump at home thru a 3/4" hose into your home sewer though. I now do this and it makes cleaning the black tank a lot easier since that tends to be a time consuming task.

Having owned RVs with and without a macerator pump I'd probably not want one in my next RV. There are portable macerator pumps that you can buy which connect to the gravity dump on the RV though and that to me seems like the best of both worlds.

[mkguitar]

as touched on above the macerator adds a level of complexity- and you should study up as to whether you need this.

there is simple beauty in pulling the handle and having gravity take all the stuff away. then flush with the grey tank.

either way you have to handle a hose.


reading some of the posts below...I've not had trouble ever dumping "uphill" etc.

mike

[coolmom42]

They are not trouble free. Lots of info on the Roadtrek forums about them.

[NoVa_RT]

Roadtrek has a macerator. Not sure when that started, but I believe that was quite a few years before mine.