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07-05-2020, 01:46 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 17
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Where do I put the sewage tote??
Hi all,
I’m wondering if you could give up some of your hard won experience and help me solve a problem.
I have a 31ft 2014 Forest River Puma with a bunkhouse slide out for the kids. We bought it second hand and nowhere were the specs on the holding tank sizes. With some internet searching I’m pretty certain my black tank is 32 gallons, 42 for the grey and 51 for the water.(+6 in the hot water heater.)
When we camp, if we go for a week, it’s just not enough capacity for all of us. It’s pretty much a given that on or about day 5, I have to pull the beast over the sanitation station.
What an aggravation.
So naturally I’m starting to look at portable sewage tanks. While not the most pleasant task, they certainly seem like a better option than breaking camp. I’m currently looking at the Barker 42 gallon model. (Weighs close to 50 lbs, empty)
My problem is that I don’t know how to transport it when we’re on the road. I tow with a Chevy Suburban. It’s full of people in the seats and some equipment in the back. I have zero desire to put a sewage tank in the car with us. I suppose I could strap it to the roof rack but honestly, I’m not interested in heaving it over my head. Carrying in or on the vehicle is out.
I don’t want to put it IN the camper either, for obvious reasons.
That leaves strapping it to the outside of the camper somehow. I don’t feel like the rear bumper is a good idea because of how flimsy they are. I did, however, wonder about slinging it between the frame beams just behind the rear axel and tires. My camper has one solid piece of plastic covering the entire underside of the camper so I have no access to much of anything except the two main beams.
I’m wondering about using ratchet straps to hold it snug to the underside, or maybe even fabricating a rack to slide it into. I’m pretty good with a welder so making something sturdy would be easy. The biggest thing I can think of is that it can’t ever drag on the ground.
How do you carry yours, if you have one, assuming you don’t have a pickup truck with a nice, convenient truck bed?
Am I crazy for wanting to sling it under the frame somehow? Can anybody shoot some holes in my idea for reasons I just haven’t thought of?
I’d sure like to hear your thought on the issue!
Thanks in advance,
-Dave
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07-05-2020, 04:04 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Posts: 2,594
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I've seen a lot of them strapped to the ladders. Fifty pounds seems like a lot of weight bouncing on that ladder, though.
You've just hit on the reason we don't carry one
__________________
2021 Keystone Outback 221UMD
2018 Tundra Limited 5.7 liter
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07-05-2020, 04:49 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Alberta
Posts: 1,976
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Rather than buy a plastic tank, would it be feasible to fabricate an additional tank and hang it between the frame rails? This could be plumbed in to the main system or filled and emptied with a pump. Likely a pump would be easier and would save you the hassle of plumbing with 3" pipes. A 3" emergency drain fitting would be a good idea I'm thinking.
Hope this might help.
__________________
Jeff and Annette Smith. Sparky, lemon Beagle.
2022 Chevy Equinox RS.
2007 Dutch Star
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07-06-2020, 03:21 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 17
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Interesting idea . . . Fabbing up a secondary black tank . . . I’m a fairly smart guy but I’m pretty certain that I’d miss something and have a bigger problem on my hands by adding in to the existing black tank system. I’d rather not mess with it. Also, it would involve peeling off the plastic cover that protects the trailer’s underside. The bottom of the two main steel beams are visible/accessible so I’m finding myself leaning towards hanging the portable tote from them. Just for travel/storage. I’d still remove it when I’d have need to use it.
I agree . . . 50lbs off of the ladder while bumping down the road would worry me as well.
Any other ideas?
-Dave
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07-06-2020, 03:30 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 94
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More importantly, what are you going to do with it when full? Is the dump station close enough to walk it over? Probably won't be lifting it in the truck when full.
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07-06-2020, 03:47 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 236
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You say you're a fairly good welder, install a 2" receiver hitch welded and bolted to the frame. Then a basket that you can carry it in empty, attach a ball hitch and a set if wheels you can attach to the SUV and tow it to the dump site. I did this for a 3000 generator foe boondocking never had a problem.... JAT
__________________
2001 XL3550 BSL (Blue Ox)
2011 JK Wrangler
Co-pilot Sandi Visalia Ca
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07-06-2020, 03:55 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Vancouver Wash
Posts: 7,227
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When it's full, that's 386 lbs......make sure you get a towable one and use a bumper pull hitch......and it's a slow tow.......you'd be better off with a smaller one and make more trips.....and a 4 wheel style 100% better then a 2 wheel version.....
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07-07-2020, 07:21 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 94
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A few things we don't know are how many people and how you camp. If I'm in a park with no hookups but they have facilities, I will use those. If I'm dry camping with absolutely no services we will use the rv toilet. I start with 5 gallons of fresh water in the BW tank. I usually dig a hole and go outside. I let the girls use the rv for #2 and other than night time use ask they pee outside. I've never been close on black water. As for gray, you can check with your local officials but many allow dumping of gray water on the ground. Which when you think about it makes sense. When we were tent camping we didnt haul our dish and wash water home with us. We used it and dumped it out. I know there's a certain level of fresh water that needs to be in a black water tank to keep things from hardening up but 32 gallons is a lot. We go on river trips where we basically have to poop in a bucket and haul it out with us. One 5 gallon bucket can accommodate around 50 uses. Usually more than adequate for 5-6 people on a 5 day trip.
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07-07-2020, 10:51 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 17
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Hi folks,
Thank you for all the good ideas. Keep ‘em coming!
The model of sewage tote I’m looking at is a 4 wheeler with a handle that will slip over a ball hitch. (It’s the Barker 42 gallon model).
Making trips with smaller quantities is a good idea. I generally don’t think about emptying the black tank until it’s over 2/3rds full. For my 32 gallon black tank, that’s about 21 gallons. Water weighs 8.3 lbs per gallon and sewage with solids, a little more, so I’m probably looking at around 200+ lbs to tote in the portable tank. With 4 wheels, I’m not worried about rolling it over to the vehicle and hitching it up for the drive to the sanitation station. I have indeed heard that you must drive slow with it. I usually don’t drive any faster than 5-6 mph in the park anyway just because there are little kids all over, riding their bikes/scooters/etc . . . Going a little slower with the tank behind me is fine.
We generally only camp at state parks. It’s not a rule with us, it’s just how it seems to go. Between 2 adults and 3 kids and the state park environment, and now the coronavirus variable, there’s no going out in the woods or use of the restrooms at the park. We use the camper, exclusively, for our business. I’m fine with that. (Yes, I know the restrooms are open but until covid-19 settles down, we’re not using them.)
I think I can make a low profile carriage to mount under the trailer to slide the sewage tote into for travel. If it’s somewhat close to the axels I shouldn’t have to worry about it hitting the ground on a hill. (We’ve all been in spots where the back bumper is practically on the ground and the front jack is on a bunch of blocks, right?)
Might try ratchet straps first . . .
-Dave
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07-07-2020, 11:08 AM
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#10
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Community Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Full timing
Posts: 6,153
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__________________
2018 Road Warrior 427
2013 Can Am Spyder RT Limited
2017 Ram 3500 w/Aisin w/4:10
2 Dachshunds DJ (RIP 9-12-19) & Joey (RIP 5-14-21)
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07-07-2020, 10:39 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 17
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Hamm2018!!!
That’s a perfect solution! Thank you for that link!
I don’t know if that specific product will work to carry a sewage tote but I can absolutely build one that will. I love the way you don’t have to crawl under the trailer to get to it! Just pop a pin and pull it out! I can shamelessly benefit from all the engineering they’ve already done and custom make one that will securely fit the tote I buy. I don’t know how much a spare tire and rim weigh, exactly, but I bet it’s not too far off from the weight of an empty tote.
I hadn’t gotten to the point where I started sketching possible carriage designs on my own. This provides a huge leap over a whole bunch of pencil chewing.
What a great tip! Thank you, again!
I’ll post some pics of what I make when finish it.
-Dave
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07-21-2020, 10:56 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 257
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Not sure if it's a help but I have a 15 gallon, and I lay it on it's side on the rear bumper behind the spare tire (between the spare tire and the back of the rig). I put some rubber edging on the tire mount so no sharp edges touch the tote. Although it would probably just sit their on its own, I put a couple of cinch straps on it.
__________________
Miles & Lisa
2020 Forest River "Vibe" 26RK
Skagit County, WA
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07-22-2020, 12:08 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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42 gallon Barker blue boy here.
Carry it on the rear ladder - using one of those racks designed to hang lawn chairs from the ladder. Pick up the swivel wheel end and hook it over the rack - lift the other end and pivot up to verticle. A bungee cord to hold it while I put a couple cargo straps around it. Pretty easy to do.
Use a macerator pump to move stuff into the tank - while it sits in front of the coach. This way I dont have to drag it over grass or whatever to the side of the RV. Tow it to the CG dump station to empty.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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07-24-2020, 02:59 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 17
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Interesting solutions, desdinova, & vsheetz.
Especially the use of the macerator pump. Can you tell me a little more about your pump setup, vaheetz? I don’t know much about them other than they use power to grind up the solids and a garden hose is usually attached to help the process along. Although I don’t know that a garden hose is used with all of the systems.
How big is your black tank? Do you use a water hose with it your macerator?
I use an enzyme drop in and it seems to do a pretty good job of liquifying the solids. Do you use anything like that in your black tank or just rely on the macerator?
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