Community Forums

SWag · 10-24-2014, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

Along this same line of question, how many of you Newmar owners store your drain hose in the little 4" diameter hole Newmar has supplied for this? The one I looked at didn't seem to have enough room to store the hose right in the compartment where the dump valves are located. My current coach has one compartment specifically for the dump valves and hose so there is plenty of room to leave the hose connected and stored right where it is used.

This seems like a lot of extra work and mess to unhook the hose each time and place it in the hole which wouldn't have the space for the elbow we have on the drain end of the hose.

You may want to consider ordering your Dutch Star with a SaniCon macerator. The SaniCon is not listed as an option on the DS but you can get it as a special request. This will get you away from that 3" hose and down to a 1" that is much easier to handle and store. I installed one in my Ventana and would never go back to the 3" hose. It takes longer to drain the tanks with the pump system but it's a lot cleaner to work with.

hawgguy · 10-25-2014, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drdonny

My tanks showed on 55% full this morning. Both toilets would flush but red light was on. Emptied black water and back to green light. Any thoughts?

Thanks

Do you have Thetford Techma toilets? Possible that the Thetford sensors are placed incorrectly / conservatively. My amber "warning" one comes on at about 35% which I feel is too soon. Have not pushed it to see when the red comes on.

MCJones · 10-25-2014, 04:27 PM

We have an 08 DS with a bath and a half set up like yours. We have had no problems at all with any backups or drainage in the system. If you are trying to stretch water usage, we use the 1/2 bath toilet which is not the macerator one because it uses less water per flush. WE like the system. Good luck. mark

08 Dutch star, 12wrangler/blue ox system

MCJones · 10-25-2014, 04:35 PM

Many of the guys I've run across, have mounted 5x5 pvc fence posts underneath the coach with end caps. This make it easy to store sewer hoses with the larger connection fittings. I used to just stuff everything in the wet bay area but I really didn't like that idea. Painted black, the posts are inconspicuous underneath the coach. good luck, mark
08 Dutch star, 12 wrangler/blue ox system

wagonmaster2 · 11-30-2014, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

The switches allow you turn the water down or up even more. In the photo, I have mine set to high bowl. With the switch set to high bowl, and toilet set on low inside, I get enough water for a decent flush of urine when boon docking. If it's number "2", I add water to the bowl by holding down the add water button on the flush switch.

If you switch it to low bowl on the outside controller and low bowl inside, you can't hardly get anything to flush. It just gives you some options to get the flush just the way you want it.

Don, looking at your picture above it looks like there is a switch #1 set to "on" and #2 in the opposite direction, maybe that's off? Are both of these switches related to the 1/2 toilet bowl? Since you said you set the bowl to high what would be the position for low bowl. When we are boondocking maybe we could use one toilet set for low low for peeing and the other toilet for the solid stuff which might stretch out our camping.
And how in the world were you able to tell which wire to cut in order to install your toggle switch? You must really be good at detecting all this electrical stuff and changing it the way your want it.

Mike and Cha · 11-30-2014, 04:46 PM

Although ours is a Gas MH, we have a bath and a half and have no problems at all. Both toilets are the pedal push type, both are porcelin toilets and flush well with very little water. We have two sewer holding tanks with a total of 86 gallons capacity and can easily boondock or go without dumping for a week. We don't have to worry about having enough water either. Some will say it is a pain to have to dump two tanks but it really only takes me about 5 minutes max to dump and switch to the other tank. Both tanks drain on the opposite side that the toilets are on, they drain quick with no problem.

It seems to me it would be a pain to have to use the CG bathrooms instead of your own just becuase your tanks fill too fast and wanting to avoid having to dump two tanks. We never use the CG restrooms for anything as we would rather use the comforts of our own MH. For all the extra money it costs to buy the "higher" end diesels in any line I would think they would make them a little more convienent to use. I would ask Newmar if they can add the regular type toilet and extra holding tank if you are doing a custom order.

Also I wouldn't have anything but the bath and a half, the space you give up for it is well worth the convienence of having two toilets and two sinks.

slabman · 11-30-2014, 04:47 PM

In Don's picture, he has the upper toggle set to "DBH", meaning high level. (Factory) this will burn about 1.1 gpf...but setting it to DBL only seems to lower it to maybe .75 gpf, as I remember. Still, I also filled my 45 Gal. tank the first 2 days I owned it!

I managed to get a later version of the Dometic macerator toilet, which has a round 2" hole in the bottom. I'm expecting the 2015's have that unit....can anyone else confirm that? It will flush at very low water consumption levels...mine is at a half gallon per flush...or a bit less. But I have tricked mine a little by dialing down the (timed) water fill rate using the Manabloc, which I don't think the DSDP yet has? So now I can go about 10-11 days on a tank. We rarely use the rear toilet, since it is the oem model and burns more water, even with the low bowl setting. On that toilet I disconnected the yellow wire (not rocket science, Wagon...

). So if in an emergency, I can get in excess of 10 more flushes because the red light shutoff is disconnected. And BTW...I believe all these coaches have inaccurate tank gauges....you need to do your own testing to see when yours are really full. The only accurate one is the red light associated with the toilets....it's not tied to the main tank level monitors.

Since my initial shock, I've managed to really like these macerators. You do have to watch what anyone puts in them, but the output is nothing but liquid. I have an external Sanicon unit as well, but will never use it because it's redundant. I can empty the black tank with a garden hose, so many times don't even install the 3 in. "slinky" when we camp. No, it does not plug.....and cleaning the black tank is much easier, since everything readily flows out.

The only thing Newmar needs to do differently is increase the size of the black tank. While this may not be as feasible on the smaller-tired models, the higher end ones certainly have enough CCC to allow more tank size.

slabman · 11-30-2014, 05:04 PM

One more thing......
Regarding those considering asking Newmar for a direct drop toilet, an important thing to consider is tank location in relation to the toilet. Because of weight considerations, tanks are customarily placed just forward of the drive axle. This means the forward toilet has to be essentially above this location. Given the needs of certain floorplans, it likely will be real tough to move the toilet location from it's designed location. And unless there's space in the rear for a tank, that toilet always going to be a macerator. Hence the advent of the macerator toilet which can be located anywhere.

In my judgement, the ideal setup is to use macerators with a large tank. This will give Newmar complete design flexibility to enhance floor plan design. We, the consumers, will benefit all the way around.

wa8yxm · 11-30-2014, 06:30 PM

Millage may vary but on my Bath and a half model

Both toilets (the half bath has a standard Sea-Land type like most RV's. the main Bath has a macerator type) dump/pump into the same black tank (Amidships under the half bath)

Kitchen and half bath lavs go to the main Gray

Main bath lavs and shower go to the rear gray tank.

I normally preach "Do not leave the dump valve open) (this is when using a 3" stinky slinky)

But on the half bath gray I use a 3/4 inch hose, due to the way it lies it forms a natural water trap so I leave the valve open.

Scottybdivin · 11-30-2014, 07:47 PM

This is one of the "Nuts and Bolts" issues that never occurred to me. I was aware that macerators were used in many MH's and it makes perfect sense for a rear bath. I wasn't aware that they use a lot more water since they don't have overly large holding tanks. I am a big fan of gravity over mechanized. I spend my days building municipal systems to make "..it run uphill". It adds a lot of expense and an element of high maintenance. Are these macerators built to last?

wagonmaster2 · 11-30-2014, 07:57 PM

If Don's upper switch can set the 1/2 toilet to high or low switch, what does that bottom switch control? 3/4 of a gallon per flush would be better than 1.1 gal, it might give us a couple extra days camping.

slabman · 11-30-2014, 10:18 PM

The bottom switch isn't one that'll help us...not sure what it does. I need to make a correction to my earlier post. I have that toilet screwed down to where it flushes with only a half QUART of water...not a half GALLON.....Guess I wasn't thinking straight when I wrote the earlier post.

Again, the fill/consumption amount is time-based, so if you flow water into the bowl more slowly, you will see the bowl fill to a lower level and burn less water. Hope that makes sense.

Now, as for your trying to crank things down too tightly, keep in mind what some posters have said. If you get to about a half gallon per flush( +/-), the flush won't even be enough to change the color from yellow to clear, meaning an incomplete flush. Toilet paper? Forget it!...It'll stay in the bowl, as will "anything else" deposited.

The only reason mine will achieve such low rates is because of it's later design. I was told by Dometic this new model would be std. by mid-2014. Sure hope it's on the 2015's.

PanJH · 12-01-2014, 06:42 AM

We have a 2013 4338 DS... the rear bath has a macerator, the 1/2 bath a dropthru pedal operated one. When we boondock ( not often) we try to use the 1/2 bath toilet the most to conserve tank volume.
Regarding storing the hose, we also put a fence post cover below to hold the hose as the Newmar tube is not usable with the connectors on the hoses.

harleychief · 12-01-2014, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

Along this same line of question, how many of you Newmar owners store your drain hose in the little 4" diameter hole Newmar has supplied for this? The one I looked at didn't seem to have enough room to store the hose right in the compartment where the dump valves are located. My current coach has one compartment specifically for the dump valves and hose so there is plenty of room to leave the hose connected and stored right where it is used.

This seems like a lot of extra work and mess to unhook the hose each time and place it in the hole which wouldn't have the space for the elbow we have on the drain end of the hose.

I keep an extra length of hose in the "hose storage" in case I need some extra length. The main hose I keep in the wet bay and I found that I have room to keep the extra hose fittings and the inclined holder there as well. I just make sure that if I dump the black tank through it I rinse the hose well before storing it.

If you ask some of the other Hoots you can ask them for some pictures of a hose holder they made that hangs under the coach. A very good idea and it keeps things neat and orderly.