Interesting way to dump the black tank

[ctilsie242]

I saw a motorhome a couple weeks ago, apparently from the 1970s/1980s, that had an interesting way to dispose of black tank contents. It had a thermister in the exhaust pipe, and would slowly spray contents from the tanks into the exhaust stream if the gases were hot enough, effectively incinerating the contents. I think it was made by Dometic.

Anyone hear about a system like this made today, or is this something that is a relic of bygone days?

[jfkmk]

j-d wrote:

jfkmk wrote:
...Or while driving over a bridge...

I seem to recall an incident where a name band's tour bus dumped on a bridge right when an excursion boat was passing under it.

Which makes me think there's a requirement/regulation somewhere that our sewer connection must be capped for travel. Anybody know if that's true?

That was the Dave Matthews band tour bus that I was tongue in cheek referring to. The drive dumped the tank crossing the Chicago River. The disgusting thing is it landed on passengers in a boat taking a tour.
I'm not sure if it is a law to cap the outlet. It might be, but it it is, I think it was in existence before the bus dump incident.

[dougrainer]

j-d wrote:

jfkmk wrote:
...Or while driving over a bridge...

I seem to recall an incident where a name band's tour bus dumped on a bridge right when an excursion boat was passing under it.

Which makes me think there's a requirement/regulation somewhere that our sewer connection must be capped for travel. Anybody know if that's true?

Probably not a rule/regulation specific to an RV, but I will bet most States/Local areas have a law that means you cannot have ANYTHING dripping or coming out of your vehicle on a public road except water. Even in California 40 years ago, if your Car was burning oil(blowing out smoke), you could get a ticket for that. Doug

[j-d]

jfkmk wrote:
...Or while driving over a bridge...

I seem to recall an incident where a name band's tour bus dumped on a bridge right when an excursion boat was passing under it.

Which makes me think there's a requirement/regulation somewhere that our sewer connection must be capped for travel. Anybody know if that's true?

[valhalla360]

gbopp wrote:
It was better than dumping your holding tanks in a storm drain or on a Walmart parking lot. 🙂

Actually back in the day, most cities had combined storm/sanitary sewer systems, so no real issue dumping down a drain.

Today, they are typically separated so not such a good idea.

While there probably is enough heat to kill off most of the biological activity, the solids and minerals would presumably build up on the inside of the exhaust system eventually blocking it off. Or worse, it would only pull the liquid out leaving a solid sludge to build up in the holding tank.

[AllegroD]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Cousin Eddie's motorhome could have used this "complete waste destruction" technology. Oh wait ... if he had that, I think the entire motor home would have sucked into itself and self destructed! :B


But my-oh-my, just think how much fun that would be to push the button when that annoying idiot of a tailgater just refuses to get off your bumper!

I was thinking that Cousin Eddie might have invented this.

[maddog348]

I have a license plate frame around my Winnebago plate on my ladder that says "BACK OFF !! OR I"LL FLUSH!!"

Guess that is where that came from. JM2¢ ~~ YMMV

[PhilipB]

My uncle's 1978 Holiday Rambler had this.

[DutchmenSport]

Cousin Eddie's motorhome could have used this "complete waste destruction" technology. Oh wait ... if he had that, I think the entire motor home would have sucked into itself and self destructed! :B


But my-oh-my, just think how much fun that would be to push the button when that annoying idiot of a tailgater just refuses to get off your bumper!

[drsteve]

This must have been before 02 sensors and catalytic converters.

Also, there's a joke about tailpipe emissions here somewhere...

[NMDriver]

Ah the good old days....

[kerrlakeRoo]

25 or so years ago, a high school friend went camping with my new wife and I. We were leaving the Campground on Kerr Lake and going to my new duty station in Memphis the next morning and he pranked us by laying a half dozen or so slices of limburger cheese on my muffler. We stopped 2 or 3 times over the next 2 days while travelling , trying to find where the dog had cr@**ed in the camper.

Have to believe those rigs would have smelled about the same.

[jfkmk]

gbopp wrote:
It was better than dumping your holding tanks in a storm drain or on a Walmart parking lot. 🙂

Or while driving over a bridge.

[ViewOfAKindArt_]

Thanks for the flyer Old Biscuit, pretty crazy!

[RSD559]

I'm pretty sure that to get that kind of heat, it would have to be up near the engine. I'm also pretty sure that by the time it made it through the muffler and to the end of the exhaust pipe at the back of the MH, it would have cooled enough that some would settle and become part of the exhaust system. That would be some really foul smelling exhaust!

[gbopp]

It was better than dumping your holding tanks in a storm drain or on a Walmart parking lot. 🙂