Black Tank Set Up At Campground

[Vegasmailman]

Just read where when you hook up your sewer at a campground, you open only the gray portion, and leave the black handle closed till you ready to leave the campgrounds. His justification was if you open the black tank only the liquid drain leaving you with a solid buildup in your tank.

 I always open both then back flush black when I am leaving.  Wonder method is most common.  Would love to hear your thoughts.

[desertdeals69]

I open the grey valve and leave the black closed until I need dumping.

[rossboyer]

We can go 5 to 7 days without dumping black tank. So I leave gray open until a day or two before I want to dump black. Doing so allows me to dump black and the flush hose with gray water. 

[nitehawk]

I take it you have installed the "third valve", enabling you to first drain the black tank, close the third valve, then open the grey tank valve and let it run until the level equalizes with the black tank. Then close the grey, open the 3rd valve, close 3rd valve when draining stops, then repeat.

We always use this method. I keep the black tank valve closed until at least 3/4 full before draining. The fast exodus rate tends to take most of the solids out, assuming of course, that you use a sensible amount of water with each use of the commode.

I close the grey water at least two days before a departure so that the tank builds up a decent amount of water for back flushing.

I also "predose" the empty black tank with Dawn dish soap (cheap bottle from Dollar Tree) and Calgon water softener. Others may say nay, but my sensors on our 1989 still function correctly, so I will continue the process.

[wolfe10]

Indeed, do not leave the black tank valve open.  Let it fill over half, then drain and flush.

[jleamont]

3 times on mine also.

I leave both closed, empty the black when its 3/4 full or just before we leave, gray as needed. I have seem some pretty disgusting stuff happen from leaving the gray open.

• Snake got up into a trailers gray tank.
• Campground has a clog down a bit, everyone that left their gray open had everyone else's sewage and waste water in their gray tank, the poor guy all the way down had it coming out into his sinks . Clogs are common, especially when one person drops 8' of hose down the hole and blocks the pipe under ground.
• The particles in your gray water will also build up in that tank, most often it can make it stink worse than the black tank. The only way to keep it somewhat under control is to empty when almost full. Think about it.. food particles, tooth paste, soap scum.......all laying on the tank floor due to lack of water.

I will open the gray when there are multiple showers going on in a row, often close it when the last person is 1/2 way through the shower process to keep some water in the tank.

[wildebill308]

This is almost as common of a thread as the fuel mileage threads.

OK, I am in the middle I always leave the black closed and sometimes leave the gray open. Mostly when using the washer. I have a flush system in my black tank so I can use that to flush the hose. The more important part is the clear plastic elbow that lets me see if the tank is flowing clear. Also make sure you close the gray tank before dumping the black. I don't want my black back filling my gray..

Can we do a thread on mileage now?

Bill

[wayne77590]

4 hours ago, rossboyer said:

We can go 5 to 7 days without dumping black tank. So I leave gray open until a day or two before I want to dump black. Doing so allows me to dump black and the flush hose with gray water. 

X2 but I also have a back-flush inlet so when I'm dumping black the water is flushing the black tank.

Oh, I have 2 tanks. Black, grey and galley. First dump is black with back flush, second is galley and third is grey.

I also have an adapter (pick up at Wally-world) that when I disconnect the sewer line after flushing the adapter connects and I run clear water through the sewer line and flush it out well.  Not a smell one inside my compartment.

Sewer Line Rinse Cap

[nitehawk]

Bill, I can get close to 1,200 miles on the 80 gallon black tank capacity

[wildebill308]

36 minutes ago, nitehawk said:

Bill, I can get close to 1,200 miles on the 80 gallon black tank capacity

Does your milage go down when you have a head wind?

Bill

[elkhartjim]

I average 15mpg with or without a head wind. 9 on motorhome and 21 on Jeep. It makes me feel better to say I get 15mpg.

 

[hermanmullins]

I have two tanks, Holding (Black) and Gray Water. I may drain my Gray more then two times before I dump the Holding. I always try to have water in the Gray to flush the hose after dumping the Holding. 

I also have a built in flush connection but do not use it until I return home. Since we will be dumping every third day while  on the road. When we return home I will flush several times till the water shows clear in the drain elbow. I will then put 3 or 4 gallons of water in the Holding tank add a deodorant pack in and store the coach till the next trip.

[nitehawk]

I think I get a propulsion assist with a "tail wind".

[hermanmullins]

Jim, sounds like Government Math to me. 

Herman

[kaypsmith]

59 minutes ago, Elkhartjim said:

I average 15mpg with or without a head wind. 9 on motorhome and 21 on Jeep. It makes me feel better to say I get 15mpg.

 

 

48 minutes ago, nitehawk said:

I think I get a propulsion assist with a "tail wind".

Wow! Must eat lots of the LARGE Limas! Seriously, I was parked nest to a campground manager from Florida at a campground in Tennessee, He had a huge family of girls, girls, and more girls with him on that trip. I had already told him of the importance of only dumping the Black tank as needed, response was with this many girls it was not necessary, two days later, he started the next day and a half of trying to clear the black tank. Needless to say, next day he came over and told me that was his last time of using his old method.

[desertdeals69]

I have a manifold which I control water to fill each tank with fresh water for 3 minutes, controlled with an electronic timer and solenoid valve (so not to over fill) and flush each tank several times until clear water comes out.

[five]

We keep the black closed and the gray open.  However, we have some friends that have two of the new electric toilets that keep both tanks open.  Apparently the new toilets use enough water with each flush to keep the black tank "clean."

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, FIVE said:

We keep the black closed and the gray open.  However, we have some friends that have two of the new electric toilets that keep both tanks open.  Apparently the new toilets use enough water with each flush to keep the black tank "clean."

I am much happier they are testing that theory than me.

Bill

[CarlAda]

Why would anyone want an open line from the sewer to their living spaces?  I keep my valves closed until dumping.  Your mileage may vary.

[maddog348]

AMEN !!!

[rfsod48]

I keep both tanks closed until they need dumping, do black first and then gray.

[wolfe10]

2 hours ago, rfsod48 said:

I keep both tanks closed until they need dumping, do black first and then gray.

Same here.

[wildebill308]

Most campgrounds the opening to their sewer is high enough it doesn't create a problem leaving the gray valve open as the opening to the sewer being higher acts as a "P" trap. If it isn't you can run the sewer hose over a block of wood to create a "P" trap so no gases can get back into the tank. 

Bill

[hermanmullins]

2 hours ago, wolfe10 said:

Same here.

X-2 The best way.

Herman 

[fagnaml]

5 hours ago, wolfe10 said:

Same here.

Ditto for me.  While in an RV park both tanks stay closed until they need dumping.  To help with mileage when traveling, all of my tanks (fresh, gray and black waters) are all empty to avoid transporting 900 pounds of water with assorted solids (only exception is when "boon docking" for a LSU football weekend)!