Community Forums

PLNelson67 · 07-18-2019, 01:12 PM

we are looking to sell our DP and buy a 5th wheel. our DP has a Sanicon macerator on board and we love it! the question I have after looking at 5th wheels is: how hard is it to install a macerator unit in a 5th wheel. they look like the plumbing for the tanks is hidden by a panel and might be hard to get at. any suggestions?
thank you,

DegoRed · 07-18-2019, 01:20 PM

Why dont you get one of those Macerator's that just hooks up at the same spot as your dump hose does. I use one made by Flojet from time to time, one of my buddies who has a 5th wheel has same one and he uses it also from time to time. Why make your life hard trying to figure out how to replumb your rig, keep it simple, use whats already known to work, and takes 30 seconds to hook up.

Old-Biscuit · 07-18-2019, 01:22 PM

I have a Flojet 12V DC PORTABLE one ---since 2008
It has bayonet tabs so it attaches to END of dump line. Hookup 12V DC and garden hose for discharge plus water supply hose to Flush after dumping.

Best to store afterwards as it is heavy and not intended to HANG from end of dump line while traveling.....unless you have a long horizontal section then you could cut line, install the macerator/wired up and brace line section with hangers.

Then just have to connect discharge/flush hoses when using

dadnjesse · 07-18-2019, 01:46 PM

I also have a portable one, dumps my tank in about 5 minutes.

ThomB · 07-18-2019, 03:02 PM

Thetford makes a Box Mount macerator. I installed one in our RV when we bought it. I ran a wire with a breaker fuse from the battery to the compartment (that was the hardest part of the install). If you’ve got some space in the cabinet it should be easy.

The box mount is more of a permanent mount. I rarely unhook the 3” hose and we do use the gray water bypass about 98% of the time.

edatlanta · 07-22-2019, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

I have a Flojet 12V DC PORTABLE one ---since 2008
It has bayonet tabs so it attaches to END of dump line. Hookup 12V DC and garden hose for discharge plus water supply hose to Flush after dumping.

Best to store afterwards as it is heavy and not intended to HANG from end of dump line while traveling.....unless you have a long horizontal section then you could cut line, install the macerator/wired up and brace line section with hangers.

Then just have to connect discharge/flush hoses when using

I have the Flojet 12v portable one also for those times when I would need it. It has never been out of it's case in 9 years of fulltiming. But I might need it so I still carry it around.

IC2 · 07-22-2019, 05:55 AM

I, too have the portable Flo-Jet macerator and prefer it over the usual slinky.

Two negatives - (1) it can be noisy at O Dark Thirty and (2) it is portable in that I can't leave hooked up in place since legs might grow and cause it to 'walk' away to someone elses RV.

Don't know which 5er you are looking at purchasing, but most towables that I've seen have exposed sewer plumbing. While that wont prevent a permanent mount, the macerator will be always exposed to the elements underneath

dbfrv3 · 07-23-2019, 08:43 AM

I had a Class B with a macerator for 6 years. When it works, its great. When it quits, you're literally up the proverbial creek without a way to dump.

They do have a manual crank, but that is slow and frustrating, especially as the line at the dump station grows behind you. I had to have one replaced in the Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania - and finding someone to do the job was no fun. Many RV places (at the time) had "heard of one, but never seen it."

Like all electric pumps, you have to run it wet every once in a while - leaving it in the box to dry out for too long will cost you.

Then there's the cheap OEM outlet hose issue. They leak and should be replaced from the start. Also, look for a handheld or RC switch upgrade or you'll be bent over like a pretzel pushing the on button while looking to see that the output is still going where its supposed to. Since we upgraded(?) to a 5er, no more of those hose woes.

You'll also get a lot of fun commentary from folks watching you dump. Why are people so interested in how other people handle their 'business'?

So I agree with those who suggested using the portable - that way you can grind when you feel like it and let gravity do the work when you don't.

Steve R. · 07-23-2019, 09:01 AM

My take is that most towables are designed with their tanks too low to the ground to easily adapt a fixed macerator. My DRV is one of the exceptions, with it’s tanks mounted above the frame, but it would still be royal pain to plumb in a macerator.

mtofell · 07-23-2019, 01:27 PM

I'd never want to leave a macerator in place hanging off my plumbing due to weight/torque on the pipes. Also, a semi-permanent installation would scare me because after every use I find hair, TP and other stuff wrapped around the blades and need to go at it with some needle nose pliers.

Macerators are great but they are far from perfect and maintenance free. Even the big ones in residential applications fail regularly. This is why they have alarms.

imjustdave · 07-24-2019, 09:26 PM

What or why would I want one?

bddadles · 07-26-2019, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imjustdave

What or why would I want one?

Glad you asked because I wanted to know also.

Nwcid · 07-26-2019, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bddadles

Glad you asked because I wanted to know also.

https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Google tells all

It is basically a garbage disposal unit that attaches to your waste dump so you can discharge further and though smaller hose.

mtofell · 07-26-2019, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imjustdave

What or why would I want one?

The main benefit (and the reason I initially got one) is to be able to empty in a place where the sewer outlet sits above the level of your RV. Or, if the sewer outlet is a long ways away. The pumps have various ratings for how far and how high the sewage can be moved. In most cases they are very capable.

At my house all the black water pipes (3") are at the complete opposite end of where I park my RV so the macerator allows me to empty into a 2" gray water line near a sink.

When I'm out camping I usually just hookup the 3/4" discharge hose to get rid of gray water. Now that I can dump at home I just deal with the black tank there. It's great to not have to deal with black while camping. Also, it's super nice to not have to wait in line at the dump station and to allow my kids to use the bathroom the whole way home.

An added benefit is that the 3/4" hose is just so much more manageable and clean than the old "stinky slinky".