Cleaning & storage of septic hose

[lizzieb13]

We have a 28' keystone bullet travel trailer and are leaving on our cross country trip soon. After dumping the gray and black water tanks, how do you sanitize the hose, and where do you store it? I do NOT want the hose in the RV. Inside the rear bumper is not an option as the hose ends are too large. Come on people! Help me come up with a solution. Presently we have the hose in a Rubbermaid tote sitting outside on the ground. Our Toyota Tundra is capped with generator and gas cans, etc. what are you all doing? HELP!!!!

[goducks10]

Just rinse the sewer hose when done dumping both tanks. Usually there is a non potable hose at dump stations. We have the same problem with our ends not fitting in the bumper. I made a sewer hose out of a 5" plastic fence post. Painted it black using some plastic paint spray like you would use for outdoor plastic furniture. My 5'er has all black trim so the white didn't look right.

[Ron3rd]

PapPappy wrote:
Like Scott, I just flush it with the gray water....and store ours in a plastic container in one of the basement storage bays.

Works for me. I may eventually put in a "fence post" as mentioned, but for now, it's working fine.

That's pretty much what I've been doing for the last 10 years. Some folks rinse the hose out after dumping but I've never done that. If you dump the grey tank last as you should, that gets the hose about as clean as it's gonna get IMO. I use one of those Rubbermaid plastic bins with the snap on top to store my sewer hose. The bin rides in the bed of the truck.

[rightyouareken]

bukhrn wrote:
Like the rest, I don't sanitize a sewer hose, after dumping black, then grey, I rinse it & store it in the rear bumper.
I don't know what you have that won't fit into the rear bumper, but all hoses are a standard size, I do have to turn mine in a certain direction to make the locking lugs go in. Never heard of a hose that won't fit.

Our RhinoFlex hose was a VERY tight fit in our bumper, enough so that after one try putting it in there I decided I didn't want to do it again. There was some rub marks in several places and it was hard to get out. I store ours, with end caps in place, in a clear plastic bin with locking lid in the front storage area.

[bsinmich]

We have a seperate compatment for the sewer hose. I haven't disconnected the hose in a few years. After running the grey water through and tipping it to drain thoroughly I just leave it in it's compartment and shut the door. I have a 20' hose and if I need it I have another 20' that I carry in a 5 gal. bucket with fittings already attached so I just couple the 2 together. I remember 1 fellow up in Wisconsin who rinsed his sewer hose thoroughly with his fresh water line. He took the line off of his TT and ran it through the sewer hose. I also have the disposable rubber gloves that sit in the next compartment and get used when I do the dump job.

[gotsmart]

I have one of these hose rinsers. I don't use it much anymore. When I flush both tanks, I use the grey water to back-flush the black tank. After I flush and rinse the tanks prior to leaving the park, I fill the grey tank one last time with about 10 gallons of water to flush out the sewer hose - then I put the hose away. That's it.

[Effy]

I would imagine after a while that bleach would break down the material in the hose and risk a leak. No fun there. Bothe tanks full (top with water if needed) black first, gray second, stow. Done.

[pappcam]

Dumping the grey water last cleans the hose. Ours fits in the back bumper except for the clear fitting I use to see if I'm done and the 90 degree elbow for hooking up to the sewer connection. Those go in a pail with a lid on it.

I think people over think the whole dumping process. I know when I first started out I was worried about the whole thing but after a couple of times it's quick and easy.

[notruffinit]

I keep mine in a 5 gal bucket and put it in the basement of the 5er. I do not sanitize like most others, but I got a bucket with a lid and close it up. If I do want to "wash" the hose, it is an easy step to fill the bucket with water and detergent.

[JRS___B]

Never even considered sanitizing the hose.

After rinsing the black water tank, and flushing the hose with grey water, I put our hose in a plastic trash bag and twist tie it closed. Then I put the bag in a Rubber Made tub and put on the lid.

I come back after 6 months and pop off the lid and notice no odor.

[lizzieb13]

What a bunch of great ideas! Thank you all so very much! 😄

[bukhrn]

Like the rest, I don't sanitize a sewer hose, after dumping black, then grey, I rinse it & store it in the rear bumper.
I don't know what you have that won't fit into the rear bumper, but all hoses are a standard size, I do have to turn mine in a certain direction to make the locking lugs go in. Never heard of a hose that won't fit.

[2gypsies1]

Never heard of anyone sanitizing the sewer hose. We dump black first then grey, then we're finished. Even using clear water after the grey isn't going to do any more to it. Definitely - at a full hookup site, don't hold your sewer hose under the fresh water faucet to try and clean it. How would you like to using that faucet for your drinking water?

[old_guy]

the only thing I do is sanitize my hands even tho I wear rubber/vinyl gloves when handling the hose. I buy the gloves at harbor freight and just throw them away each time I use them,

[eabc5454]

We had a 2011 250RKS Bullet and stored our Rhinoflex hose and fittings in the bumper. Doughnut and septic wrench went into a small plastic container with snap lock handles (Walmart, $6). You really don't need to sanitize the hose (if all the yuck stays on the inside) - simply putting gray after black runs soapy water through the hose.

If your hose won't fit, the fencepost solution seems like a great idea.

Elizabeth