Thoughts on a weird/unique way to empty holding tanks.

[TURNKEY]

Would it work to use just the hose to dump the tanks into a pit toilet?

Once in a very blue moon we camp in an area that has no near dump stations but has pit toilets. I have researched macerator pumps like Flo-jet but $300 plus is a lot to pay for something I wouldn't use every year.

The solution would be a two person job with a long hose. You run the hose to the pit toilet and have one person hold it there to ensure it will not fall away. The second person pulls the valve open, this will fill the hose, but probably nothing will come through the hose as the far end may be higher than the tank level.

Then if you raise the hose off the ground starting near the rv and walk the raised portion towards the toilet whatever is in the hose should go downhill into the toilet. The process will take several of these "milking" moves and some time but should work...right????

[toedtoes]

TURNKEY wrote:
Ok Karen just calm down. It's not like I intend to do this all the time, just once in a great while...and my whole tank is only 25 gallons. I don't have some big 35 foot fiver or monster bus. My black always fills faster than my grey because we are such water misers. Don't judge lest you be judged.

It doesn't matter what size camper you have. It doesn't matter how small your black and gray tanks are.

It is not an acceptable way to empty your tanks while camping.

Get a 10-20 gallon portable black tank. Dump your tank in it, then drive it to the closest dump station. No need to move your camper during a long stay. Use the campground pit toilet as much as possible to slow down the filling of the black tank.

If other campers see you do it, then they will start doing it. It will become a major problem at the campgrounds and the campgrounds will take action. It doesn't matter how small your tank is, the next guy will say "but mine is only 26 gallons. What's another gallon". The guy after that will say "but mine is only 28 gallons". "But mine is only 30 gallons". And so on.

I have a cassette toilet and a 20 gallon gray tank in my trailer. I use the campground facilities as much as possible (nighttime bathroom visits are the main exception). I have a 6gal portable gray tank. I use the cassette and 6gal portable to dump in approved dump locations as needed. It's not that big a deal.

[3_tons]

Better to go on a fast..

3 tons

[RichB3125]

DO NOT DO THIS.

Most pit toilets do not drain like a septic field. They are actually large tanks in the ground. All the extra water will just sit there and they will then fill up and and become unusable very quickly. You are just adding extra cost and effort for whoever must clean, pump and maintain the toilet.

[BobsYourUncle]

And then there's trying to clean out 40 feet of stinky slinky....

Or gathering up and storing all that slinky full of unrinsed schmoo...

Even if you succeeded in emptying the thing, no way you'll be able to rinse it too. There will be a lot of leftover stuff in there.

I have done the 5 gallon pail thing myself. It actually works not too bad, provided you don't have to carry it too far, or bump the pail on your leg like I did once and wear some of it. :E

[trail-explorer]

I've yet to see an RV that sits high enough to have a tank dump connection higher than the height of a commode in a pit toilet. I guess you could get most of the tank dumped, but it won't empty.

I've never see pit toilets close enough to the campground roads to be considered useful for such a task.

If a camp host or ranger saw that activity, they'd surely have a few things to say about it.

[fj12ryder]

Sorry you didn't hear what you wanted, which was do whatever you want, but most people who visit these types of places want to be able to continue to visit them, and inconsiderate usage could curtail that, considering the shortages in caretakers.

And yes, you only have a 35 gallon tank, but do you really think you're the only one to consider this?

Yeah, if you don't like the message attack the messenger. 🙂

[FWC]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but why not just use the pit toilet as it is designed - you sit on it and do your business. No tanks, hoses or dodgy behavior.

If I saw you doing what you are proposing, I would say something.

[wing_zealot]

Ahh - yes, I'm the problem; you on the other hand are doing everything right.
Does that about sum it up correctly?

[2oldman]

TURNKEY wrote:
Ok Karen just calm down..

Who's Karen?

[fj12ryder]

It could certainly be done, but considering what happens when several people decide to do what you're doing, it's not something that should be done. Big difference between a couple of trips to the toilet vs dumping the contents of a 40 gallon black tank. Figure how much that adds up with 5 or 6 people doing it. And if there's a pit toilet, use that instead of your RV toilet.

They recommend against it for a reason, and if you want to camp somewhere secluded like this, then be prepared. Like they say: Pack it in, pack it out.

[wing_zealot]

TURNKEY wrote:
...now I want to put what would have gone into the pit toilet a little at a time in all at once....

Plus about 40 gallons of water that would not have been put in the pit toilet if you just sat on the seat and did your business. Brutal but honest truth - You are the type of person that gives the rest of us a bad name. Personally - I hope you get caught; I'd take your picture and report you if I seen it.

[TURNKEY]

Yeah ...I saw that but that requires 120 ac. We are strictly solar and 12 volt.

[gbopp]

You can always build your own Macerator Pump.

[TURNKEY]

CA Traveler I get your point. What I was envisioning was about 20' of 3" hose. Lift that near the rv and walk the high point towards the pit toilet(that I could have used anyway but wanted to use my own bathroom, now I want to put what would have gone into the pit toilet a little at a time in all at once...:R) As you near the pit toilet the effluent will slump in the hose and an air gap will occur at the top of the hose allowing air to replace the stuff. I only expect a gallon or two per lift.

[CA_Traveler]

Hose size? Are you considering using the standard 3" RV hose vs garden hose?