Community Forums

MD · 01-09-2002, 08:10 PM

I just bought my second slide-in, a Lance 815. My first camper didn't have holding tanks, we used a porta-potti, and so dumping them is new to me. Any tips on doing this or anything I should have besides the sewer hose? Thanks for the info.

Mike

MD · 01-09-2002, 08:10 PM

I just bought my second slide-in, a Lance 815. My first camper didn't have holding tanks, we used a porta-potti, and so dumping them is new to me. Any tips on doing this or anything I should have besides the sewer hose? Thanks for the info.

Mike

GIPSY · 01-09-2002, 09:11 PM

Dumping is a pain in the a...

Gipsy

dontay · 01-10-2002, 01:26 AM

If you have both rinse water and toilet tanks dump the toilet tank first, close its valve and then dump the rinse tank. This will help get the worst out of the hose and valve area before you disconnect. Some people leave the toilet valve open when they dump the rinse tank to help flush it out. I haven't tried this.
Always make sure you have mostly liquid in the toilet tank. If it ever dries out or clogs up you have a real nightmare on your hands. If it won't dump, fill the tank about 2/3 full with water, drive around for a while and try again.
Don't worry about those monitor panel lights that tell you the tanks are full when you just dumped or are empty after a week of boondocking. They don't work. (Actually, our rinse tank monitor does work pretty good!

Badd Andy · 01-10-2002, 10:27 AM

You better trust that black water indicator cause if you don't, you'll have poop in the shower if your grey and black from the bathroom share a common tank. All it'll take is one long shower! Up here it's common knowledge to open the black then the grey right after to draw out the solids in the black.

2001 F-150 XLT SC 7700 4X4, 5.4, 4R100, 3.73
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RS 9000's
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JJ · 01-10-2002, 05:40 PM

Black first and then the grey to flush out the hose. My rig has a separate 3" dump valve with fitting for each tank, so I rinse the black tank with quite a bit of fresh water and dump again a couple of times before disconnecting the sewer hose and moving it to the grey water.

I made a slick little adapter out of a short 1/2 inch pvc threaded nipple, a 1/2 to 3/4 threaded adapter, and a 3/4 pipe-to-male-hose adapter. I use this to connect the shower hose (after unscrewing the hand wand) to one of those toilet wands Camping World sells. With wifey on the inside running the wand off the pump and me running the dump valve outside, we can clean the blank tank pretty easily and quickly. Also, with this setup, you don't need to drag the nasty old rinse water hose from the dump station into your camper either. If anyone wants a picture of the adapter and wand let me know an I'll send ya one.

The black monitor lights quit working on mine after the 3rd or 4th camping trip. The sensors in the black tank get "something" on them that makes them quit sensing properly pretty quickly. This is a common well known problem if you read any of the RV newsgroups. Somebody makes a holding tank digestor chemical that keeps the sensors clean. It's no big deal on mine since the black tank is directly underneath the toilet and you can see the blackwater level when you flush. Eyeballing the level is much more accurate than those sensors anyway.

Black and grey water in the same tank? I'd hate to think any manufacturer would do something like that.

-jj

t

1999 Silverado 2500 4x4, ExCab, Short Box, Tork-Lifts, Firestone Ride-Rite airbags.
2001 Palomino Maverick 8801 (8-1/2 ft)

Hemi · 01-11-2002, 12:11 AM

JJ,

yes, send me (duedall@fit.edu), or post here, a picture of the device you made...I think I see how you did it ...but a picture is worth >1000 words. Good idea on using shower hose to flush black tank after you dump. Depending on situations, where I am... I back flush the black water tank using one of those adaptors sold a CamperWorld. But I think I would like to use your method for the reason you mention: don't have to carry or use blackwater hose...

Yes, I have had the same problem with sensors...highly inaccurate many times....I guess do to fouling by toilet paper...other particulate material.

Badd Andy · 01-11-2002, 11:11 AM

OK, here's another plug for Fleetwood. Our tank indicators are spot on. On some manufacturers Shortbed models(like ours), the bath shares the black and grey in one tank. The kitchen has it's own grey tank. Our tanks have seperate dump valves, but share the same outlet. When you open the black valve you can see directly into the bottom of the tank, so I just aim the hose into that to get the clingons out after emptying. Gotta watch your aim though!LOL WA state dump stations have a short hose on a spring pipe without hose threads that won't reach into RV interiors.

Harald · 01-16-2002, 09:34 AM

I have seperate tanks/valves that come out a single outlet in the bottom of my insulated tank housing. I'm a believer in completely dumping the blank tank first and then dumping the grey tank to flush out the hose. When getting a sewer hose it pays to get the more expensive ones. The really cheap ones get holes in them quickly.

It's best to fill the black tank before dumping and to dump after traveling. This ensures that solids get broken up and flushed out. Also, it's a good idea to precharge the black tank with some water after dumping so you don't end up with black pyramids.

My Alpenlite has a real nifty system for flushing the blank tank. It was a factory option I ordered. There's a garden hose fitting externally on the camper that forces water into the black tank through a spray nozzle. There's also a check valve inline to avoid contaminating your supply hose. I usually only use it once a year though. I believe you can buy such a system through camping world.

I've been lucky with my tank monitor system. Usually reliable, probably due to my black tank dumping methods. I've heard that a good fix for bad indications is to dump a couple bags ice and fill half full of water and then drive around. Using a bacteria on a regular basis supposedly helps also. I'll probably go to a bacteria system after I use up the seemingly lifetime supply of Potty Toddy tablets I bought years ago.

Harald

2000 F350 CC DRW 4x4 Lariat V10 with Alpenlite Pendelton 11'10" camper. Torklift tie-downs and Superhitch, Firestone Ride Rite air springs and Rancho RS9000 shocks.

Email me at HARALD at FOXINTERNET dot NET

EricD · 01-16-2002, 01:49 PM

There is a device that is a clear 3" pipe with a back wash valve on it. You put it on your dump valve then connect your sew hose to it. They are 18 or so bucks at camping world. I have one and it works very well. The fitting is clear and its gross to watch but it sure lets you see when the tank is flushing clear.

Eric Dye
Lance Owners of America
www.lanceowners.com

Scotty Michaelsen · 01-17-2002, 01:53 AM

I have the device Eric mentioned and can vouch for it too. It also works to back flush the gray tank when it starts to drain too slowly.

2000 F350 Lariat LE CC ShortBox Dually Auto WD chip Bilsteins
Bigfoot 2500 8.11 and yellow lab

Art · 01-17-2002, 04:49 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by EricD:
There is a device that is a clear 3" pipe with a back wash valve on it. You put it on your dump valve then connect your sew hose to it. They are 18 or so bucks at camping world. I have one and it works very well. The fitting is clear and its gross to watch but it sure lets you see when the tank is flushing clear.

What is a back-wash valve? Does a hose connect to it to get fresh water into the black tank? If not, how do you get enough fresh water in there?

Does the 3" extension remain on the dump valve while traveling? That could be a clearance problem. If not, where do you store it?

1999 Lance 1130
1999 Dodge Ram 3500 QuadCAB 6x6 5.9L gas
Old Town Camp 12 foot 35 lb. canoe

Boz · 01-17-2002, 05:39 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>What is a back-wash valve? Does a hose connect to it to get fresh water into the black tank? If not, how do you get enough fresh water in there?

Does the 3" extension remain on the dump valve while traveling? That could be a clearance problem. If not, where do you store it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Take a look HERE to see the item. You hook a fresh water hose (NOT your drinking water hose!) to the hose fitting, and your regular 3" sewer hose hooks to the bottom of the whole thing. There is a backflow preventer in the hose fitting. I used one of these with my TT with good results. I found I got the best results if I raised the sewer hose while backflushing so the majority of the fresh water would go into the tank instead of down the sewer hose. (New fiver has a built-in flushing system.)

The fitting remains in place while you're hooked up. When it's time to go home, you disconnect it from the sewer fitting and store it. I always kept mine in a plastic bag in the storage compartment.

Ed

'98 Dodge Ram 2500 Club Cab SLT Long Bed, 4x2, Cummins Diesel, A/T, 4.10 rear, Air Lifts
'00 Damon Challenger 33MLB Fifth Wheel

[i]God Bless and Protect the Armed Forces of the U.S. and our Allies.[/i

roadranger · 01-17-2002, 07:01 AM

We use a device called a Sewer Solution.(Camping World)

It hooks up to your sewer outlet pipe, and has a water hose connection with a backflow preventer.
It is a water jet device that blows all the tank material down a small 1 in. hose.

When you go to dump your tank, just hook up a water hose (from site spigot, or outside shower on camper),turn on the water, then pull the dump valve.
The waterjet head can swivel inside the clear 3 in fitting to backwash the tank until you see it's flowing clean.

No more stinky slinky with trapped disgusting bits
in it to fool around with and store. (whew!