We finally took the plunge

Steve 911 wrote:
My inclination was to never have a completely dry tank. Just want to know what seasoned rv'ers do.

Being a "seasoned RVr" doesn't necessarily mean they're doing it right but can mean they're just repeating the same mistake over and over again. :R Once you've serviced your grey and black water tanks every manufacturer will recommend adding tank chems, along with a few gallons of fresh water (10% of the capacity of the tank being reasonable) in order to control odour and prevent the formation of pyramids of hard residue that will always remain despite how thoroughly you think you've "cleaned" your tanks. ;)

I do 2.5 gallons...10% of my black tank capacity.

Biggest thing is knowing what drains into which tank. On my View, the shower and kitchen sink drain into the gray tank, and the bathroom sink and toilet drain into the black tank. Since the shower, even if shower water is vary meagerly used, I expect the gray tank to fill first, so I generally don't use the kitchen sink, I want a fair amount of water in the black tank to transport the solids out, so I precharge it with about two to three gallons of water and then use the bathroom sink for all washing purposes. It has worked out OK so far.

Charles
2007 Winnebago View 523H on a 2006 Dodge (Daimler-Chrysler aka Mercedes) Sprinter 3500 chassis (T1N). Bought Sept 2015 with 18K miles on it, Prog Ind HW30C, Prog Dymanics PD4645, Chill Grille, PML/Yourcovers.com deep alum trans pan, AutoMeter 8558 trans temp gauge, Roadmaster sway bar, Koni Red shocks (rear), Fantastic Ultra Breeze hood, added OEM parabolic mirrors and RH aspherical mirror.

I probably go overboard on water usage. I usually add 3-5 gals (I have a 30 gal BT) of water after dumping. Each usage with #2 is followed by about 15 secs or so of water per usage. Wife and I can generally go 4-5 days that way before we have to dump.

Mike

I occasionally add ice if I feel that my sensors are gunked up. Not sure if it actually does anything, but it doesn't cost me anything (use ice from home) and makes me feel better.

OP, I usually stand on the flush pedal for about 10-15 seconds before we use the toilet at a campground. The biggest issue is to use sufficient water when you flush and sufficient water when you drain your black tank. If you are at sewer sites, use plenty of water. If you are without sewer, use plenty of water to start, and you can be more sparing once the tank has a decent amount of water.

I don't really use chemicals. My wife likes them, so I either drop a baggie down or else I tell her that I did. Not sure either one of us has noticed a difference if drop a baggie or not... :)

Congrats on the trailer and hope you have a LOT of fun. I miss the days of a simple camper. We've got 2 kids and 3 dogs now... 31 foot camper with a big slide, etc. I miss a small simple trailer and the simplicity therein!!!

Thank you all for your comments.

Nothing to add to the thread beyond congratulations on your new purchase! I considered an R-Pod and it was hard to pass over.

I would go with 1 gallon of water. Forget the expensive useless potty chemicals they are real good at one thing and one thing only.... Flattening your wallet.

I never leave any water in my black or grey. When I dump I use the black tank rinse for as long as it takes to empty the grey tank. Usually about 5 mins.
I do add water to it before we use it though. Never had an issue with any of our trailers doing it that way. We've had our current 5er for 4 seasons and the black tank never stinks. I don't waste time on chemicals either.

"et2" wrote:
Some people even add a bag of ice before starting their trip.

Saw a YouTube about this a while back. Guy built a rig to test the theory of using ice in the black tank. Looks like it is pretty much a waste of time and for the obvious reasons that he points out at the end. But, if people believe in it, it doesn't hurt anything. YouTube link is below for those who may be interested.

Black Tank and Ice; is it worth the bother?

Happy Camping!