Newbie tank question...

03-18-2010, 11:46 AM

We bought a 2009 3023 about a month ago and have already spent 6 nights in complete comfort -- we love this camper! I am an avid hammock backpacker and often my nine yr old son and I sleep out in the hammocks while the wife and two smaller children (4 and 2) sleep warm and comfy in the TM.
Now for the question: Our outing last weekend was to a beautiful CG called Elliot Branch in the Bear Creek Wildlife District in Hodges, AL. There was no sewer access at the site so, I had to dump at the station once during the stay (break down, tow to dump station and then set back up) and again on the way out. I have seen some Thetford portable tanks and even saw some campers using them this weekend and they look very convenient but, I do not know where I would transport the tank when towing. Can they be mounted anywhere on the TM for transport or would they have to ride in/on the tow vehicle? The main interest is to be able to dump the "black" water and rinse the toilet prior to packing up. Any experience using these tanks would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

03-18-2010, 01:28 PM

I’m guessing you are talking about a blue tote. They come in various sizes, mine is 11 gal which plenty big enough to dump the thedford into and still small enough to handle. It has wheels so you can either walk it to the dump station if it’s near by, tow it behind your TV, on even lift it into the back of your TV if it’s a PU. I carry mine under the TM. I drilled a couple of ¼” holes in the cross members and hold it up with two bungee cords. I only carry it that way when it’s empty of course. It can be a pain in the butt to get it down and put it back some times but for the few times I need to use it, it is worth it. Some one else on this forum built a really nice rack under the TM to carry theirs, much easier to use. Do a search and you’ll find pictures of it. Having to break down to go to the dump station can take some of the fun out of a camping trip.

4Kids2Dogs · 03-18-2010, 02:17 PM

The Thetford tote has been discussed in this thread and it doesn't seem good...
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...highlight=tote
Because of reading that thread, when I decide to get one, I am going to get a Barker Blue tote as seen here: http://www.jcwhitney.com/tote-along-.../p2003277.jcwx

03-18-2010, 03:21 PM

Some of the totes have a float that indicates when they are full. Seems like a nice idea, but when the float says it is full and you still have a discharge hose full of black water, you are up the proverbial creek. If you use one, I would empty it each time I used it just to be safe especially if you use some gray water to flush the chose. When I get home, I add about1/2 gal hot water and some Odoban and shake it around then rinse it out. Keeps it almost as good as new.

03-18-2010, 03:42 PM

I wouldn't mind having something like this too. I'm surprised that TM hasn't picked up on the need for this and integrated something into the bottom of the TM (like the spare tire). I'm sure they'd see one for every TM they produced (at least). If they had a retrofit kit, those would sell like hot cakes too. Seems like a simple thing they could put a college intern on to come up with a solution.

All this said, there are other manufacturers out there that look like they're constantly improving on the design of these things so be sure to look around if you're considering one. I don't tow with a Pick Up and kind of like "full hook-ups" so I haven't really bothered with one yet.

Phil

**Bill** · 03-18-2010, 06:57 PM

I have an old-old Barker 10-gallon tote, inherited from my father, and it is great. It has small wheels, so I can walk it to a dump station/rest room. I'm not sure I would tow it behind a vehicle with those small wheels, but that's a different question. Digger's point is right on - weight matters. When I walk this tote to the restroom, I often have to lift it up onto the toilet. A full 10 gallon tote weighs about 80 pounds, so I can manage it. But if I had filled a 20-gallon tote (160 pounds) and walked it to the restroom, I'm afraid it would be out of my class.

As we were camping this week, I saw a guy with what had to be a 40-gallon tote. He was towing it behind a 4-wheeler, and with its bigger wheels, it was working well. But he was headed to the dump station (1/2 mile away) because he couldn't possibly have lifted it into any closer facility. If you have a 4-wheeler, this works. If not, maybe a smaller tote is a better choice.

But no matter what, a tote is a better solution than closing down the TM, driving to a dump station, driving back, and setting up again. And FWIW, I usually carry mine in the back of the Tow Vehicle. Good luck!

Bill

03-19-2010, 08:52 AM

Thanks for all the replies -- I am going with a 10-gallon Barker tote. I am hoping I can mount it on the frame in front of the 3023.

**Bill** · 03-19-2010, 09:15 AM

Some folks have been able to mount a 10-gallon tote on the spare tire carrier, beside the tire and wedged up between the frame rails. I'm not quite sure how this works because my old-old Barker tank won't quite fit - it is a bit too thick. As near as I can tell, new ones are a bit thinner, so perhaps that is the difference.

As far as I remember, this solution first came up here - and Tim is still with us years later. Thanks, Tim!
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=1880

Bill