leaving black tank full

[yeabuddy]

Our trailer is parked on a seasonal site this year and after the long weekend our black tank read full right before leaving. I shut off the water, looked down the toilet and sure enough the "water" was just below the bottom of the drain. My question is... is it ok to leave it full for 2 weeks until we come back up so as to let the chemicals do their work (break down waste and tissue etc.) or should I empty it?

[opnspaces]

Leave it until you get back and then dump it. If it smells after dumping it, then flush the tank.

I wouldn't worry about the weight of the full tank, especially since it's not bouncing down the road.

[silvercorvette]

It probably will not harm anything but I would dump it

[dcmac214]

yeabuddy wrote:

One more thing... don't put RID X in an RV holding tank

Rid-X won't hurt anything in the RV or in wherever you dump your blackwater. But it's a waste of money using it anyplace other than a septic system.

[yeabuddy]

3 dog nights wrote:
1st question is "why would you keep it?"
2nd question is "Did you flush before you left the house?"
3rd question is "why would you tell everyone you did it?"

I'm glad you're having fun with this lol
I bet you still giggle when you fart don't you?
If you're being serious though... make sure you read and comprehend the original post before you reply.

Should I leave the black tank full (not the toilet) so as to allow the chemicals to break down the waste and tissue?

[3_dog_nights]

1st question is "why would you keep it?"
2nd question is "Did you flush before you left the house?"
3rd question is "why would you tell everyone you did it?"

[Dave_H_M]

whatever the circumstances I routinely go 30 days at time before going to the dump station.

No biggie

I don't process doo doo, I hold it in tank until I dump.

[Aridon]

There really isn't any advantage to leaving it 2 weeks. The more important thing is to leave it with water when sitting because that is when the leavings will turn to concrete. Not when its full and wet.

[rondeb]

Why would you NOT empty it. It is a simple thing to do. Either do it now or later. Why risk any reason to leave it full. You would have to empty it before it could even be used when you get back, so I would empty it. We never go home with black tanks not emptied and cleaned out.

[hershey]

It takes three weeks for me to fill our black tank so don't worry about it. Drain it when it gets full and always add 4 or 5 gallons of water in it to start the new batch of sludge.
Chemicals if you like that process or none, your choice.

[Terryallan]

Honestly. Empting the black tank wouldn't be the first thing I'd want to do when I get to my camper. I'd go ahead and empty it, and get it over with. Life will be easier when you get back.

[yeabuddy]

yeabuddy wrote:
Our trailer is parked on a seasonal site this year and after the long weekend our black tank read full right before leaving. I shut off the water, looked down the toilet and sure enough the "water" was just below the bottom of the drain. My question is... is it ok to leave it full for 2 weeks until we come back up so as to let the chemicals do their work (break down waste and tissue etc.) or should I empty it?

Thanks folks for the replies. Sounds like I'll be fine. The vent pipe is working well, I have a good liter of water in the bowl covering the seal and more than enough deodorants mixed in the tank. I was more concerned about the weight of all that being suspended from the trailer for 2 weeks than any odor.

...and the references to it being a HOLDING tank and not a septic system. I do understand these things.
But now makes me wonder if anyone here has ever tested what the chemicals advertise e.g. "break down waste and tissue"? Is there any truth to that?

One more thing... don't put RID X in an RV holding tank

"Q: Can RID-X® be used with:
Recreational Vehicles (RVs)?

RID-X® has not been tested on recreational vehicles (RVs). therefore we cannot recommend using it in RVs."

[mlts22]

I've left my rig with about 15 gallons in the black tank for several months on end. I would recommend using RV antifreeze in the toilet and in the traps.

With the black tank, having it empty is far worse than storing it full, mainly because of the "stone" forming. I add about five gallons of water + hand soap into the black tank before storing. So far, so good.

You know when you are doing it right when you have the vent fan open in the bathroom, open the toilet, and smell nothing objectionable.

[Robin1953]

powderman426 wrote:
Yep. And if the trailer stinks you have other problems. Full or empty you shouldn't smell anything.

That is what I was thinking. As long as there is water to cover the toilet seal and the vent pipe is working he shouldn't smell anything. You might want to leave more water in the bowl than normal due to evaporation.

[powderman426]

paulcardoza wrote:
It won't hurt anything to leave it, but it won't help either. It's a HOLDING tank, not a septic system. There's no benefit of leaving it over dumping before you leave the CG.

Yep. And if the trailer stinks you have other problems. Full or empty you shouldn't smell anything.