jmccart

Like it says. On the week long camping stops the 40 gal. black requires a drive to a dump station.

Can I put a larger tank on there?

TexasCTD

You may have to buy a portable tank that you can carry with you if the black tank won't hold enough.....maybe something like this? http://www.campingworld.com/browse/p...ks/prodID=6073


I don't know if that is the answer you are looking for. But it would provide an option to get rid of some waste and then take the portable tank over to the dump station and drain it. Repeat as many times as needed.

You might also find some help on www.rv.net

Hope that helps.

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Jeff in TD

I guess you would have to look in the belly to see if there is room for a larger tank...

A tote might be a good option, if you are in a campground that has a dump station.

Hankpac

First thing that came to mind, is to check your usage of the black tank. the only thing going in there is toilet water/waste. by all standards the grey should fill first since dish water, showers, and sinks all drain into it. by day two, there should be a noticeable difference, with the grey being pretty full, if you fill in a week.
something is not right here.
so, here is what I suggest, not being able to actually look at the rig (mis-labled tank/misrouted drain?) or go camping with you (to monitor your usage).
If you are dry camping, or "boondocking" That is your rig is by your self, then basic rule #1 is all men go outside. That alone cuts down a huge amount of usage. Next if there is only you and the wife, and you are in a solo camp the only use is for morning water, and there is a field latrine dug at hygiene distances (100 ft from camp, 100 yds from water).In campground without hookups, then use the pit toilet for male usage. the idea is to extend your usage without having to drive to the dump.
Now if the lady of the camp rebels, then restrict usage to just the females in camp.
The thing is, you cannot expect your rig to be the same as at home. It just isn't. If the BLACK tank is filling in a week, you are over using it. We go two weeks minimum before dumping grey and black. The grey is full, the black is about half.
50 gal grey, 40 gal black.
BTW, the black tank is also a digester, not just a holding tank, so even when hooked up, leave the tank drain closed until about 3/4 full, then drain all at once, so you have adequate flow, and all waste is carried out, then flush the tank, either through the top, with a hose, or use a flush system from outside. I use a hose to fill again about half full, and drain once more, then shut the drain, and put in the chemical. good luck

1-2-3

You may just need to clean your sensors. 40 gallons of black water is an awful lot even for two weeks of camping. Remember only your toilet is going in there. There got to be several people have some really bad days to fill that up.

Jeff in TD

I think a lot of folks dump waste water into the black tank whenever they can, say by doing dishes in a little tub that gets poured out into the toilet...

1-2-3

That wouldn't make sence, and of my 20+ years of rv'ing, I've never seen or heard of anyone catching water in a sink with a drain built in and toteing it to the potty. That's just silly

Sounds like his sensors are reading wrong, which is very common. Mine read 2/3 full right now and I know it's completely empty and flushed out. I looked into it with a flashlight. Just a little paper or debris can make the sensors read wrong. And there's really no way to measure what you get out when the full light comes on, without making a really bad mess.

Only the potty is connected to a black tank. Imagine filling a potty with 40 gallons in one week. Maybe if there 10 people on the camping trip, but with just a family of 4, we've never managed to ever do that. We've had trips with 10 people and never filled ours.

Before adding or purchasing anything, I think a good flushing of the tank is needed. I think I've seen some stuff you can dump in to clean the sensors, although I just dump mine, fill about 2/3 with clean water, drive it around a bit, then dump it, and it reads right for awhile.

There are flushing options that can be added. There's a kind that you drill a hole and mount something like a sprinkler head inside the tank.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/p...er/prodID=4969

I've heard they work from some people. others say it was a waste. Plus you get a 50/50 chance of a leake at some time once a hole has been drilled. And a black tank is not where you'd want to risk any leaks.

You can also get a clear plastic fitting that goes on before the dump hose.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/p...sh/prodID=2096

It has a garden hose attatchment that allows you to shoot a stream of water back up into your tank. You let it run till the water is clear.

The only other thing is if his potty valve is leaking water and slowly filling it up. Maybe someone is flushing with 5 gallons of water after each use, or maybe he's starting out with it not empty. You do need to add about 3 gallons of water when you add chemicals to an empty tank but that's nothing for a 40 gallon tank. The three gallons is just to keep the chemicals from sitting at the bottom of the pipe against the dump valves, instead of on the floor of the tank where it's needed.

The biggest tank I see online right now is a 46 gal. Not much more if he is really having issues with not enough tank. You can get up to a 30 gallon black tote, but imagine trying to wrestle 30 gallons? That will be over 250 pounds of dead weight to deal with. And not the kind of water you'd want to spill.

My vote is to go with the cleaning of the sensors.

jballou

I have herd of putting a large amount of ice and then water in the tank and driving around helps. Agitates the brownies.

What solution would be suggested for slowing the filling of the grey tank? I have grey and black that are the same size. We fill the grey much sooner than the black, due to showers for everyone and cleaning dishes. And don't say take less showers, won't happen by anyone else other than me, wife has to stay clean.

It just seems odd that the manufacturers give us a larger water tank than grey and black combined.

Busboy

Your wife isn't a flight attendant is she? Flight attendants are taught to dump waste like coffee, tea, wine, milk ect down the lav even though theres a sink in the galley. I don't add ANY water prior to usage I wait until it's been used a little then add chemicals.

Hankpac

taking long hot showers is a complete waste of water and propane, when boondocking.
We take what we call submarine sowers, that is, turn on the shower to get wet, shut it off, soap up, turn it on to rinse, repeat. Probably use a total of about a #10 can of water.
However, if it is nice and warm outside, set up an outside shower, again for just the men and kids, and that will slow the fill up time drastically. Offer to wash her hair for her, ala "Out of Africa". Women LOVE that.
You gotta get creative here. After setting up, anything that makes you have to hook back up, and haul to town to dump, is a major pain.
And anything that keeps you in the field, hunting or fishing or playing with the kids is fair.

TexasCTD

Gray water is no big deal. Just drain some off as needed. Get a long hose if needed to drain it over to an area that won't really matter.....Not up against the trailer. And you don't have to drain it all, just enough to keep from getting it to full. I like to keep mine somewhat full though when it's time to leave...so that it can flush the hose after draining out the black.

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1-2-3

Be careful on draining greywater. Some parks are very strict on not doing this and will issue fines. Others don't care.

Busboy

By draining the grey water with all the little bits of food the smell attracts bears and you might not think you are in bear country but.........

TexasCTD

I don't put food down the drain of my TT. And I rarely ever need to drain the gray.....and when I do I am usually in an Off-Road ATV park/campground............but both of your points are well taken.


Shower and hand washing water I don't think have any major concerns at campground, in the forest, or anywhere else for that matter. If I have to do it, I run a hose well away from the trailer. But im not hooking my trailer up and going to find a dump station just so I can drain off a little gray. Sorry.


In my case the gray and black are 40 gallons each. Freshwater is 120 gallons.

What's the difference if me or my family showers outside using the "outside shower" or if we do it inside and I drain a little off as needed?

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DodgeCowboy

Or you could do what I did just knock a whole in your black water tank never fills ups that way LOL. Not too detour from the original thread here but were could a person find a tank for a 1977 Road Runner? I think I need the tank and possibly the sewer pipe fittings as we ripped all that off on a stump about 10yrs ago and just put a hose fitting on it too run a hose too a little tank for gray water only so the bathroom has been out of commission in my trailer for years and would like too some day when I can afford it fix it and a few other leaks.