The GEO Method and Space Heaters - Thoughts?

[Baja_Man]

Preparing for a week long trip. It will be approx. 300 miles one way to our destination.

1.
I wanted to take this driving opportunity to clean my RV holding tanks.
I was considering using the GEO method (minus Chlorine). My goal is to cleanse inside of tanks, especially black tank, and perhaps coat the insides with the slippery water softener (Calgon).

I would fill each tank half way (Gray and Black) with Calgon and Laundry detergent and then dump once we reach our destination.

Are other methods to accomplish my goal of clean tanks.

Thoughts?

2. Space heaters. Propane heaters use quite a bit of propane. It appears it will dip in to the high 30s-low-mid 40s during our stay. I have two 30# propane tanks.

Are space heaters safe to use or what other methods can be used for my family to keep warm AND safe?

NOTE: We are warm weather campers, so we have little experience in colder temps.

Thanks!

[SJ-Chris]

Regarding space heaters...

If I am cold camping with electrical hookups, I have a 1500w small space heater that gets plugged in on the kitchen counter. Easily heats up the 30' Class C RV. Electricity is "free" since you already paid for the site so why use your propane?

If there are no hookups, I will use the furnace that came in the RV. If it wasn't safe, they wouldn't have them in RVs.

In all my RVs, I have the factory installed propane and carbon monoxide detector. But I also put on the ceiling a smoke and carbon monoxide detector just in case.

You are glamping in an RV....there is no reason to not be comfortable! Put the heat temp at whatever makes you comfortable. I don't believe in bundling up with extra layers, hats, etc inside the RV. I'll usually put the thermostat such that it is 60-65*F inside the RV. Keep the wife happy and you will get to camp more! 🙂

Stay warm!
Chris

[SJ-Chris]

Regarding cleaning your black waste tank......

If your waste tank sensors are working/reading correctly, and there are no odors coming from your waste tank, then there is really no need to "clean" it. When people comment, "Why do you need a clean waste tank? blah blah blah" they are thinking about this scenario.

If you want to clean out your black waste tank BECAUSE the sensors aren't reading correctly, or there are odors, that is a legitimate reason. Driving around with 1/2 a tank full of clean water and/or soaps/etc often does the trick. But if you want an easier/faster way to do it you should add a black tank flush system. Sounds much fancier and expensive than it is.....I added a nice one for less than $50. You can read about it here.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30315748.cfm

Here is my experience using it... Assume I start with a black waste tank that is 1/2 to 3/4 full. I'm at the dump station. I hook up my waste hose (with a clear adapter so I can see the contents flow by). I open my black waste valve and it empties all the grossness you imagine. Then it stops. Now, if I hook up the water hose to my black tank flush and turn it on (with the black waste blade valve open) it actually sprays the interior of the black waste tank and LOTS MORE "stuff" flows through the sewer hose. What does this tell me? It tells me that a simple gravity flush gets out lots, but not all the contents of your black tank. As long as you are paying attention and don't get distracted (...suggestion: Start a timer on your phone), you can close the blade valve and fill your black tank half full of water through your tank flush system and then do a 2nd dump by opening up your blade valve. It will get even more "stuff" out of your tank.

My reason for installing the flush system was because my sensors would always read 1/3 or 2/3 full after a regular dump. My tornado flush system sprays/cleans the inside of the black waste tank in about 1 minute and my sensors read correctly. Yes, there are many people who will say, "I never read my sensors" or "I don't need my sensors". To each their own. I personally like sensors on my vehicles/RVs to work.

Good luck and happy dumping!

-Chris

[ktmrfs]

klutchdust wrote:
I made a tank wand that connects to the garden hose and insert it into the black tank when dumping at my home. A foamy mixture of dawn and some bleach does the trick. Meyer's hand soap and cleaners come in some nice fragrances and I spritz the bowl after a flush and I have eliminated all odors from the black tank. There was a video showing how a bag of ice had no effect scrubbing a tank as you drive. My method has been working fine and I quit buying those pods to drop in the bowl.
Heater, I use a small electric one and turn on the furnace once I get up. I have found that as you warm up in bed, peel off some of your heavy clothing and keep it with you under the blankets. and when you get up in the morning you have something warm to put on .
Wife made some warm bags using flaxseed from the feed store . Heat in micro for 3 minutes. Great for muscle aches and they stay warm for a nice amount of time.

Another hint I learned about staying warm at night. Put on a pair of dry heavier socks and if needed a wool hat. Key to staying warm is keeping your head and feet warm,

[klutchdust]

I made a tank wand that connects to the garden hose and insert it into the black tank when dumping at my home. A foamy mixture of dawn and some bleach does the trick. Meyer's hand soap and cleaners come in some nice fragrances and I spritz the bowl after a flush and I have eliminated all odors from the black tank. There was a video showing how a bag of ice had no effect scrubbing a tank as you drive. My method has been working fine and I quit buying those pods to drop in the bowl.
Heater, I use a small electric one and turn on the furnace once I get up. I have found that as you warm up in bed, peel off some of your heavy clothing and keep it with you under the blankets. and when you get up in the morning you have something warm to put on .
Wife made some warm bags using flaxseed from the feed store . Heat in micro for 3 minutes. Great for muscle aches and they stay warm for a nice amount of time.

[MFL]

I use a well designed electric heater, when temps are cooler, but above freezing. It has a heavy duty grounded cord, that does not get hot, like some of the cheaper model electrics.heater review

[JRscooby]

My camper, when hooked to a 30AMP post has 2 circuits. 1, on a 20 amp breaker, is under a bench and for the AC. the other, 15 amp breaker, is for everything else.
If it is cold enough to need heat, will not need AC. (AC has heat strip. Very useful if the ceiling is cold, I guess) I made up a short (5-6 ft) 12 gauge cord with double duplex outlets. Plug a heater and the mattress pad into that. Bedtime we put that heater on low. Less cycling, stays on. Have another 12 gauge cord that I feed thru a zipper, and to the 20A on post. Plug a oil filled heater in there. We carry a 3rd heater, for spare. Sometimes when have been out of camper, all heaters off I will replace the oil filled with another until camper warms up.
Also keep Little Buddy in pickup. Will heat camper fast, but hard to use without burning something.

[austinjenna]

I run 1 or 2 cheap electric heaters. I run a heavy duty extension cord to the pedestal 120 outlet and through the slide seal to the inside and plug it in, this way its not taking and of my 30 amp power so I can run other things in the morning.

[ktmrfs]

As for the GEO method. My solution to inaccurate tank gauges is the SeeLevel gauge, and in the tanks I use some of the "probiotic" stuff and then before we head home dump in some HE liquid laundry detergent and some calgon in all the tanks. We have easy access to our sewer cleanout, so I dump at home, and this method seems to be easy to empty the tanks pretty quick.

[ktmrfs]

Bobbo wrote:
I won't use a propane heater with the combustion chamber INSIDE the RV (eg a portable propane heater). However, the propane furnace built in has its combustion chamber outside, so I consider it totally safe to use at any time.

as long as you have a working CO detector in the case of a malfunction allowing combustion air into the trailer.

We've camped for some motorcycle rides with lots of folks running generators during the day. With a breeze coming your way, it's suprising how far away a generator can be and still have enough CO in the exhaust to trigger the CO detector in the trailer. We make sure if we are running a generator exhaust is downwind of the trailer and 20ft or more away from the trailer.

That said, a propane furnace turning on and off during the night results in a poor sleep for us, it wakes us up. so.... on goes the quilt, thermostat down to it's min temp (45F) and set to come on at 6:30 about the time we wake up. It's the alarm clock and pre heater so it's warm when I get up around 7 put on my robe, start the coffee.

[Bobbo]

I won't use a propane heater with the combustion chamber INSIDE the RV (eg a portable propane heater). However, the propane furnace built in has its combustion chamber outside, so I consider it totally safe to use at any time.

[spoon059]

We cool and cold weather camp often. I have 2 small electric heaters with thermostats that we use with no problems in the camper. On cold nights, the camper is small enough that the 900 watt setting on most heaters works great. I put one in the front bedroom and one in the kids bunkroom. Set the T-stat for comfortable and go to sleep.

On just cool nights I'll set up one on 1500 watt setting with the T-stat for comfortable in the main cabin and turn on the AC fan. The heat rises up to the AC ducts and gets blown all over to warm up the whole camper.

Plenty comfortable. Modern space heaters have tip over protection and don't get hot enough to burn anything even if they fall. Takes less electricity than the AC in the summer and its already included in the cost.

GEO method, I've never done it. I usually flush out my tank a couple times a year if I have full hookups. If I ever got frustrated enough with the tank sensors I might consider a deeper clean, but I figure I'm going to poop in it the next morning anyways, so why bother...?

[pianotuna]

My daughter is a CO survivor. I will NOT run an unvented combustion heater. I do not run a generator while sleeping.

I use an induction hob for cooking.

I prefer oil filled radiant heaters because their surface temperature is much lower.

[IAMICHABOD]

As for the GEO method I always do it after each dump with about bowl full of water,without the chlorine,the tank sensors all work just fine on this 16 year old Former Rental.

I really did not like to sleep with the propane heater on,although I have done it. I preferred to use an electric heater but I did not like to run it off of the outlets in the RV as they are a bit flimsy for running something that uses that much power.

I decided to run an Extra circuit that I could plug in the outside pedestal just for that use,it has worked out very well.

I like the Vornado it is safe and also has a remote.

[toedtoes]

ktmrfs - sorry I wasn't suggesting it is ONLY a danger when you are sleeping. Just that it IS a danger when you are sleeping.

[Grit_dog]

Pbutler97 wrote:
I guess if you need squeaky clean holding tanks carry on, its your time and money. They'll at least be nice and clean until your next morning constitutional, then rinse and repeat.

2nd that. Akin to flushing before you go to the restroom.