Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > MH-General Discussions & Problems
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-03-2021, 12:14 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
K4LK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 18
Grey water tank - leave open while camping?

After hooking up the sewer we open the grey for the duration of our stay. A friend told me he never does that because the tank could fill with gas from the sewer and end up in our coach! Not sure if the gases could make it past the P traps? What do you do?

Thanks
Dana
K4LK is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 06-03-2021, 12:17 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
dons2346's Avatar
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Totally possible as there is no "P" trap to keep gasses out of the tank. There are traps to keep gasses from getting in the coach.


I leave mine open until I get ready to dump the black tank then I close the grey to use as a hose flush
__________________
Don
2002 Country Coach Intrigue
dons2346 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 12:21 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Cousin Ed's Avatar
 
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Posts: 1,795
The tank is vented through the roof; you can't get a gas build up. If we are going to be in a site for a week or more I leave the gray tank open. I'll close it to get enough water to clear the hose after dumping the black tank. The way we use water we can go a week on the blank tank but the grey fills in a couple of days.
__________________
Jeanie, Ed & Slade the GSD(RIP)
Cape Cod, MA
2017 Entegra Aspire RBQ & Silverado Crew or GC
Cousin Ed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 12:25 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
astrnmrtom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Pacific Northwest and Arizona
Posts: 2,040
No. I keep both valves closed so the tanks can fill to at least 2/3rds, then dump and reclose the valves. I want enough water to build up in the tanks to whoosh out any solids or crud that may settle in the bottom of the tanks. The exception is, when my wife wants to do laundry, our washer/drier combo requires the grey valve to be open. After she's done I close the valve.

Yes, you could get sewer gasses venting back into your system, but if all your traps are working, it'll vent out your roof vents, not inside. Depending on the wind this could make it stinky around your rig. We stayed in one campground where there were a lot of long term campers and it was obvious people left their grey valves open because, the place reeked of sewer depending on the wind direction.
__________________
Tom and Pris M. along with Buddy the 18 year old Siamese cat
1998 Safari Serengeti 3706, 300HP Cat 3126 Allison 3060, 900 watts of Solar.
Dragging four telescopes around the US in search of dark skies.
astrnmrtom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 12:33 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Chargerman's Avatar
 
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,281
X2 on what Tom said [emoji106]
__________________
Steven & Laurie
2006 Moncaco Executive Ranier
Detrioit Series 60 (515HP), Allison 4000 series
Chargerman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 12:36 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Podivin's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 3,542
I see that many people put intentional low spots in the drain line, in effect putting a P trap in the line itself. That would eliminate the issue of sewer gas and/or flies getting back into the RV.
__________________
2013 Winnebago Sightseer 36V
Podivin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 12:38 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 1,134
We leave the gray open until the morning before departure, then let some accumulate for hose flush after the black dump.
__________________
2016 Fleetwood Bounder 33C. Towing 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
Elwood58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 12:43 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 320
There are warning signs all over my regular campground to not free flow the sewer lines, it causes problems with their septic system.
__________________
2015 Forester 2801qs
Custom trailer for Hobie and Yamaha
Tombsy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 01:04 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Old-Biscuit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,643
Have you ever SMELLED grey waste....old grease/oils from cooking, bits of food rotting, hair breaking down, pee, slughed skin cells, scum etc

Grey can stink worst then black tank

I prefer to leave grey tank dump valve close just like black
Then when time to dump I only have to mess with tanks valves once
Plus I prefer the WHOOSH effect on black AND Grey to remove 'stuff'

I never leave sewer hose connected......birds like pecking at it and if in a CG maintenance folks can whack it when weed whacking/mowing etc

Hookup hose, open black then follow with grey
Simple........
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
Old-Biscuit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 01:08 PM   #10
Community Administrator
 
Lt Dan's Avatar


 
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 21,151
If you leave the gray tank open all the time food debris, soap scum, grease, etc can accumulate and dry out on the bottom of the tank. Better to keep it suspended or at least wet in the bottom so it will flush out when dumped. Having obtained an Itasca with gray tank problems, I don't want to go through that cleanout procedure again. Just my $0.02 worth.
__________________
2017 Phaeton 40IH XSH Maroon Coral - Power Glide Chassis with IFS
Previous '15 Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA and '06 Itasca Sunrise 35A
'16 Jeep JKU Wrangler Sahara or '08 Honda Goldwing
Lt Dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 01:09 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
69Stang's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,881
Closed until it's close to full.
__________________
2010 Phaeton 40QTH on a PG Chassis.
2017 Lincoln MKX.
Air Force One brake system and Blue OX Towbar.
69Stang is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 01:14 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Old-Biscuit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,643
Tank full, then dump --- WHOOSH



Tank dump valve left open ---trickle
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
Old-Biscuit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 01:20 PM   #13
Senior Member/RVM #90
 
MSHappyCampers's Avatar


 
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by dons2346 View Post
Totally possible as there is no "P" trap to keep gasses out of the tank. There are traps to keep gasses from getting in the coach.


I leave mine open until I get ready to dump the black tank then I close the grey to use as a hose flush

X2! I agree!
__________________
Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
MSHappyCampers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2021, 01:33 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
Old MH, left both valves open, 4 years no issues, even with multi month stays.

New MH, I just leave the gray open. With the installed macerator, the gray flows through it.

The day before departure, I close the gray, saving water for a hose flush, after pumping black.

Does anybody store your waste in your house's for a weekly dump ?
twinboat is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
camping, tank, water



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
BLACK TANK: "can we" or "can we not" leave the black tank open in an RV park?? doodlebug52 Travel Trailer Discussion 20 12-06-2023 01:45 PM
Why not leave Black Tank open after dumping and while Gary Tank is dumping CountryB Class A Motorhome Discussions 41 09-20-2017 10:17 AM
Do you leave black and grey tank open? pasonsinokc iRV2.com General Discussion 59 03-20-2017 03:53 PM
Kitchen Grey Tank - OK to leave open?? Raven13 iRV2.com General Discussion 8 09-03-2013 05:06 PM
Grey Tank: Leave open or closed ? michguy RV Systems & Appliances 10 07-23-2011 07:05 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:03 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.