Community Forums

Hurricane-TX · 05-23-2021, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

When toilet 'burps' upon flushing.......time to dump
When sink/shower drains slowly........time to dump
When shower backs up...............should have already dumped
When water pump goes burrrrrrup.....time to refill fresh water tank

Dump waste tanks when full
Volume/weight of liquid will carry solids down and out
After dumping...close drain valves then flush 2 full toilet bowls so black tank stays wet and drain full sink so grey tank stays wet

***NO need to drag a hose into/thru TT

Keep it Simple....

Best advice on in this thread. To many people treat camping like it's a trip to the moon. It is not. Go camping and enjoy. The tanks will let you know when they need emptying. It is all part of the learning curve.

Ray,IN · 05-23-2021, 12:22 PM

Empty black tank first, then when you empty the grey tank it flushes out the slinky hose.

LETMGROW · 05-23-2021, 12:52 PM

When it comes to these tanks remember "Water is your friend". After draining the tanks, fill them back up with clean water and then dump them again to be sure anything left behind from the first dumping is flushed out. If you feel you want to do this more than once there is no harm in doing so.
Add a couple gallons of fresh water to each tank and leave it. As you travel down the highway the water will help loosen any solids which may have been left behind and leave them suspended. Use of tank treatments is optional. I prefer to use them myself to keep odors at a minimum.
Never allow your tanks sit for any period of time completely empty. Any solids which may be left in the tanks will become permanent residents. Then the fun really begins to get them evicted.

twogypsies · 05-23-2021, 04:03 PM

One other thing for new RVers.. or anyone, for that matter... if you have the time, don't leave early morning when the mad rush to get out happens. Wait until later morning and you won't have a line of RVers behind you at the dump station therefore you won't have any pressure while doing your dumping.

smiller · 05-23-2021, 05:58 PM

On many RVs the lavatory sink drains into the black tank (to ensure that the black tank gets enough liquids.) Check to see if this is the case and if so then it's very easy to fill the black tank prior to discharge.

Old-Biscuit · 05-23-2021, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

When it comes to these tanks remember "Water is your friend". After draining the tanks, fill them back up with clean water and then dump them again to be sure anything left behind from the first dumping is flushed out. If you feel you want to do this more than once there is no harm in doing so.

Except for the waste of good water

Add a couple gallons of fresh water to each tank and leave it. As you travel down the highway the water will help loosen any solids which may have been left behind and leave them suspended. Use of tank treatments is optional. I prefer to use them myself to keep odors at a minimum.
Never allow your tanks sit for any period of time completely empty. Any solids which may be left in the tanks will become permanent residents. Then the fun really begins to get them evicted.

Adding some water back into the waste tanks will keep tank bottom wet and any stuff left behind
Fill/dump repeat.....why waste all that good water on holding tanks that are just going to get dirty next trip

LETMGROW · 05-24-2021, 04:31 AM

If you don't keep an adequate amount of water in the tanks the level sensors will not get cleaned or will dry out with something on them so they don't read correctly.
It's not really like you are wasting water. After all, the water came from somewhere. Out of the ground, lake, river or whatever. When you drain your tanks the water is going into the ground eventually. It will be back someday.

SKP Kirk · 05-24-2021, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smiller

On many RVs the lavatory sink drains into the black tank

While occasionally true, that isn't common and in 40+ years I have never seen it true in an RV with small tanks. (6 gallon black)

Quote:

If you don't keep an adequate amount of water in the tanks the level sensors will not get cleaned or will dry out with something on them so they don't read correctly.

He doesn't have tank level sensors.

LETMGROW · 05-24-2021, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKP Kirk

He doesn't have tank level sensors.

That was a generalized statement. In his case it can be disregarded

Mudfrog · 05-24-2021, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

If you don't keep an adequate amount of water in the tanks the level sensors will not get cleaned or will dry out with something on them so they don't read correctly.
It's not really like you are wasting water. After all, the water came from somewhere. Out of the ground, lake, river or whatever. When you drain your tanks the water is going into the ground eventually. It will be back someday.

I know I'm in the minority but my experience, of many years, has been that flushing and keeping water in the tanks are not needed. I usually just dump and go. I'll sometimes add a few gallons back into the tank via the stinky slinky and then let it drain a second time but I rarely do that. I have never added water back into the tank after after a dump. Our 18 year old rig has never had a problem with the plumbing or the sensors.

icamp2021 · 05-25-2021, 05:19 AM

After too much worry and all the horror stories I heard from Youtube, my black and gray water experience went off without a drop. Flushed smooth as ever and the water and the hose ran clear. My sweetheart video taped me in hopes to catch an experience that would go viral. She was happy and disappointed at the same time. HAHA.