Black Tank Set Up At Campground

[BillAdams]

9 hours ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

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

I would say that describing camping hook ups a "most have openings high enough" is an exaggeration.  While some are that way, "most" of the RV parks we have visited have a good downhill connection to the sewer (as they should).  Leaving the grey or black tank connections open for any reason after dumping is, IMHO, a bad idea.

[BillAdams]

6 hours ago, fagnaml said:

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)!

I never travel with an empty fresh water tank but I do try to dump grey and black at appropriate times.  I don't want to break down on a weekend with no water and be sitting there wishing I could take a shower.  I try to keep about 1/2 tank of fresh and the others empty or below 1/4 a we travel to ensure I will be able to live in the RV without sacrifice should something bad happen.

[lmsooter]

I leave both tanks closed until time to dump.  A couple of times we have found a nice swarm of sewer flies in an RV park sewer connection when we removed the cap.  I don’t really want them in my gray tank.  I just waited until the tanks were full, opened the black tank and flushed the critters back where they belonged.  Then the gray tank to finish

[wildebill308]

4 hours ago, BillAdams said:

I would say that describing camping hook ups a "most have openings high enough" is an exaggeration.  While some are that way, "most" of the RV parks we have visited have a good downhill connection to the sewer (as they should).  Leaving the grey or black tank connections open for any reason after dumping is, IMHO, a bad idea.

Well Bill, no it is not an exaggeration. While I did not keep as exacting records as you require. Perhaps I should keep a diary for you. While I don't travel full time I have stayed in over 35 campgrounds so far this year. In over 50% of them it required you "walk the hose" to drain it. Now if they were all like you have reported this wouldn't be necessary. 

You may continue to use  whatever method that suites you. 

Bill

[tbutler]

OK, who can pass up the chance to talk sewage?  Like it's source, everyone has an opinion and we all know ours is the "only" right way to do things.  That is because what we do has worked for us.  

For us, the gray water is always open until it is time to dump the black water.  We love taking long showers, Louise likes to keep up with laundry with our Splendide washer/dryer.  Our black water tank is 40 gallons and with our Thetford Aria II Deluxe toilet (electric) set on minimal water, we go about two weeks between dumps.  For those interested in mileage, that amounts to as much as 4000 miles per black water dump or if you wish, 400 miles per gallon!  Our gauges don't work, Louise knows the "sound" of a full black water flush.   

So we dump black water when it is 90 to 100% full when it works in terms of schedule and travel.  We always try to follow that with a nearly full (60 gallon) tank of gray water.  Our gray water mileage is considerably lower than the black water (a familiar story I'm certain).  We dump gray water at rest stops when on the road, some do have a dump station out west.  At other times we dump gray water when we stay in a campground. 

By the way, fun fact, in New Zealand and Australia it is standard practice to drain gray water to the ground in the campground!  Some have drain connections at the campsite but many it is just drain to ground.  They don't have large RV's or campers.  It's mostly dish washing and hand washing water.  We showered and used the toilet facilities in the campgrounds.  They were spotless in New Zealand and near spotless in most Australian campgrounds.

Sewage stories, every RV'ers glory.  No wonder it made a special scene in RV, the movie!

[manholt]

Quote

 

Both tanks closed....I don't need a snake or whatever to use my dump line as a highway into coach!  I have the electric macerator toilet (POS) and feel that it will allow a slurry to set up as fast or faster than solids!! I pull the black at 3/4 F and same with gray as needed (more showers, more dump).  Travel with tanks empty and 1/2 fresh for whatever!

WBill, enjoy tour "P" trap...Even the ones in house, if not used enough, can get to smell bad.