Black Tank Renovation

[Goldendog]

We have a 44' Haulmark MH. Love it EXCEPT we have an electric toilet because the black tank is not directly beneath the toilet. We normally get 3 days before I need to dump. This puts a huge damper on dry camping! It's a 60 gallon tank. The electric toilet uses too much water to flush pee and not uncommon to require two flushes to dispose of the "other". I want to get a different tank that's larger and have it positioned beneath the toilet if possible. I would also get the pedal type toilet. I may lose a small bay but it's the one where the dump valves, etc are located.

Does anyone know of a company that does this type of work? Have you had personal experience with them and are they good to work with?

Haulmark says it's not possible but that may be because they don't want to modify the coach.

[Full.Monte]

20 gallons a day in the black tank? Sounds like a lot to me. With our gravity flush, we can make it at least 2 weeks without dumping. OK...enough of that. I've never had an electric flush. Does it automatically use water to pump out the bowl? We flush without water when going #1 so we don't use a lot of water. Is it possible to turn off the pump manually?

[Goldendog]

thanks for the post. there is a macerator at the toilet, hence, electric toilet. there is no way to regulate the water flow. We can make 5-6 days IF we do the "yellow is mellow and down with brown" method. that also includes if we're someplace with facilities we can use during the daytime.

[Full.Monte]

Well, that changes my opinion of macerator toilets. I think it's unacceptable for a toilet system to last only three days between dumps. If it's fed with water from the water tank, there must be a line between the water tank and the toilet. Maybe there is a way to put a valve in that line that would cut down the amount of water used.

[gray ghost]

We have the macerator toilets and just like the gravity fed we used to have the amount of water is governed by how much we put in the bowl, it is not automatic.

The macerator is sort of like a blender, trying to blend solids goes better if some liquids are added.

[Bondad]

I have a buddy that introduced me to RVing. He carries a 5 gallon pink bucket with him and empties his black tank about 4 1/2 gallons at a time when boondocking. He does not allow paper in the bowl so it's 100% waste. He dumps it deep in the woods away from all trails, roads and streams. I'm not 100% comfortable with what he does but it's not much different than tent camping with no toilet facilities.

[RanCarr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldendog Love it EXCEPT we have an electric toilet because the black tank is not directly beneath the toilet. We normally get 3 days before I need to dump. This puts a huge damper on dry camping! It's a 60 gallon tank.

That's outrageous! We have a 37g BW tank and it goes for over a week with two people. Can you look into the tank after dumping it to see if "solids" are building up on the bottom? Both feces and globs of toilet paper? It's a common happening sorry to say. The more it builds up over time, the less room remains in the tank for waste.

I know if we don't "flush" our BW tank it starts to build up in the tank right under the toilet bowl no matter how full the tank is when dumped. Our TT has a built in flush thing we attach a hose to and let it rip.

[RanCarr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bondad I have a buddy that introduced me to RVing. He carries a 5 gallon pink bucket with him and empties his black tank about 4 1/2 gallons at a time when boondocking. He does not allow paper in the bowl so it's 100% waste. He dumps it deep in the woods away from all trails, roads and streams. I'm not 100% comfortable with what he does but it's not much different than tent camping with no toilet facilities.

I hope he has the common decency to BURY the waste and not just dump it on the ground which is what it sounds like by what you describe. I tent camped years ago and waste was buried in out of the way places. No matter how remote the location, we buried it.

[WeatherTodd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bondad I have a buddy that introduced me to RVing. He carries a 5 gallon pink bucket with him and empties his black tank about 4 1/2 gallons at a time when boondocking. He does not allow paper in the bowl so it's 100% waste. He dumps it deep in the woods away from all trails, roads and streams. I'm not 100% comfortable with what he does but it's not much different than tent camping with no toilet facilities.

I dont want to meet or camp anywhere near your "buddy"

[Full.Monte]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bondad I have a buddy that introduced me to RVing. He carries a 5 gallon pink bucket with him and empties his black tank about 4 1/2 gallons at a time when boondocking. He does not allow paper in the bowl so it's 100% waste. He dumps it deep in the woods away from all trails, roads and streams. I'm not 100% comfortable with what he does but it's not much different than tent camping with no toilet facilities.

What he is doing is unsanitary and illegal. If everyone did that, there would be major pollution around all RV boondocking sites, and RVs would be banned most places. I hope he changes his ways and figures out how to carry his waste to a dump station.

[Goldendog]

Thanks for all the hints. If there is a regulator valve neither the mfgr or I can find it. I have been "playing with the levels and a possibilty of an inaccurate seelevelII gauge???

I'm on day five and no problems yet and it can't go into the gray tank as a safety net.

[rollondown]

Dometic has several macerator type that use low water quanities. The Tecma easyfit is one that is used alot in boats and yatchs. Pushbutton flush too.