Just received from RV Tips today about dumping. Boondocking. Interesting.

Thought I would share this. Also another email I read about boondocking is empty the gray water in a bucket and reuse it in the toliet. I thought was a great idea. Why didn't I think of this before. DAH

I did not want to be a pest, posting too much on Trailmanor owners page, but though this info might be helpful to others. Since I have time while we are on the road I get to share info I found.

RVing Tip of the Day

Everything you always wanted to know about dumping
(Reader's Digest version)
by Greg Illes

Dumping: The topic that everybody loves to hate. Here today, we present a composite of dumping procedures and handy tips, all in one place for the new guy or the grizzled veteran.

PLACE: Always dump in a dump station or a sewer/septic. Be sure it will accept your 30-50-80 gallons of sewage. NEVER dump black water anywhere else. Grey water MIGHT be okay to dump "off road" as long as it can be absorbed. This takes some judgment.

QUANTITY: Always have your tanks at least one-half to three-fourths full. Add water if necessary. The large volume helps to "swoosh" the sewage out of the tanks.

SHAKE IT: If at all possible, drive around a little bit before dumping. Make several turns, starts and stops. This helps stir up settled solids.

ORIENTATION: Dumping depends solely on gravity. MAKE SURE the dump port is not higher than your dump valve; if it is, you will not be able to empty your tanks or your hose — a truly horrible situation.

GLOVES: These are a personal choice. They may or may not avoid illness, but they certainly make cleaning up easier.

CONNECTIONS: Use the best hoses and fittings you can buy. Make sure all fittings are fully engaged and snug. Leaks are really annoying. Use a clear fitting in your dump hose so you can monitor the sewage "quality."

SECURITY: If the dump receiver port is not equipped with a threaded fitting, be sure to hold the hose firmly in place while dumping. Don't count on a rock or the port lid for this job — the surge of sewage can be quite forceful, and you sure don't want that hose flying out of the hole. Having a hose or connection break loose during a black water dump will make you wish you’d never been born.

BLACK FIRST: ALWAYS dump the black tank first. (The grey is dumped afterward to flush out residue.) Don’t be timid, open the valve fully so that the flow is not impeded.

FLUSH: Flush the toilet a few times, or run your dedicated flushing operation, until the water runs clear, which you can see through your clear fitting. This step is best with two people; be sure to leave a window open so you can hear each other. (You may need to skip this step if there's a long line behind you or if the dump station does not provide the necessary water.)

CLOSE IT: CLOSE the black tank valve (double-check) and then dump the grey tank(s). The grey water is much less vile than the black water, and it helps flush the dreadful stuff out of the dump hose. CLOSE the grey tank valve (double-check) and cap the line.

FLUSH: Flush and store your dump hose, capping both ends. Again, some dump stations don't provide flushing water; you can use your own water or just store the hose as is, wet with grey water.

CLEANUP: Strip off your gloves and wash your hands, THEN fill your fresh water tank.

When parked in one place for a while:

DO NOT leave your drain valves open. You need that tank volume build-up to help generate a good flushing flow. Let your tanks fill to three-fourths before you dump them.

When sitting still, the black tank contents will tend to settle and "sludge up." If you can't or don't want to drive around to shake things up, you will have to invest time and/or appliances in tank-flushing.

If things get really "sticky," you can try the time-honored trick of pouring a couple of bags of ice down the toilet with about one-fourth tank of water and driving around for 10-20 minutes. The ice cubes tend to knock loose old deposits and accumulated crud. Let them melt before you dump.

[tentcamper]

Thanks for sharing.

The comments about driving around with almost full tanks, and using ice, are relevant to RVs that have black water storage tanks. The waste solids and toilet paper can create a mass that is difficult to flush out.

Our trick in the fifth wheel was to fill a bucket in the shower, and dump it repeatedly in the toilet after the initial dump. Repeat until no solids or toilet paper were visible in the clear sewer line connector. We sat here in FL for months not moving the trailer, and didn't have any problems as long as we were diligent about the flushing.

Closing the grey water tank valve and letting it fill for a day or so before dumping waste is the most important thing for a TM. That grey water flush of your sewer line keeps the nasty stuff to a minimum when you disconnect.

A trick of mine - buy hose clamps and secure all the fittings on your sewer lines. In hot weather, the glue they use to secure the fitting ends will liquefy and the fittings will slide out. The spiral wound sewer lines can be tricky to put back on once they are off. Been there, done that...

keeping valves closed until dump time with hookups is the same for any rv.
Never leave them open.

Originally Posted by 64tbolt

keeping valves closed until dump time with hookups is the same for any rv.
Never leave them open.

Your statement is correct for RVs with black water storage tanks that TMs don't have. Gray water tanks on any RV can be left open on full hookup sites unless you need to flush your waste lines after a black water dump. Gray water is shower and sink water, with very little risk of sludge buildup unless you dump a lot of food waste down your kitchen sink.

[Kidkraz]

I have used the gray water to water my roses if the camp ground doesn't have a dump site. I install a hose cleaner adapter, connect a garden hose, run the hose over to the area and open the valve.
I only went to this option after realizing some housing areas around my neighborhood have gone to using gray water for watering lawns. Why pay to use good water when I can recycle what I've used.

[dr carver]

Originally Posted by MisterP

Gray water tanks on any RV can be left open on full hookup sites unless you need to flush your waste lines after a black water dump.

However, if your gray water system has any untrapped openings in the camper (which our Trailmanors do -- tub/shower) the rising sewer gas from everyones discharge will soon fill YOUR camper. The results are most unpleasant.

One time we were camping and a younger couple backed in their brand-new fifth wheel mega camper in the spot next to us. They were a very nice couple but had no experience with campers and had no problem telling us so. We offered to help if they got in a jam. They set everything up with only minor difficulty which they worked through themselves quite nicely.

The next morning the husband came over and asked if it was normal for the bathroom to smell so badly and that it was making his wife sick. We talked about deodorant for his tanks, which he used - check. Does the valve in the toilet close after flushing - check. Then I noticed that the valve to his dump hose was open. I told him to close that valve, open the windows, and go for a walk and that things would be fine. The rest of the weekend was fine for them. I'm sure they won't make that mistake again!

We also gave them the tip about saving enough gray water to rinse the hose after dumping black water.

Don

[kikeehn]

Dr Carver,
When I had my Class A I read some where or just recently read that if you create a trap with your waste hose you creat a P Trap effect like the P Trap in your home, and this causes a trap that won't let gases back up.
I would assume you could do this by using 2 risers and run your hose, letting it dip between the risers, so some of your waste water is trapped in the hose causing a block until you run more waste water out. Remember your only running GRAY water not BLACK.
Just thought about something, may by with that couple being such newbies they may have been using there dump hose as a sewer line with both dump valves open, flushing BOTH Grey and Black water at the same time, that would definitely cause a STINK.
I will be using a cassette toilet when I get my TM, since my DW and I don't plan on doing any Boon-Docking or Dry Camping.

[tentcamper]

Gray water, I have found every two years or so, or when your monitor sensors start to give you false reading. I wash the gray tank to cut the oil/grease that have collected on the sensors and tank. I pour about 1 cup of dawn dish soap and about 4-5 gallons of water down the kitchen sink. I let is slosh around on a trip out to a CG and dump when I arrive. Longer trips are better.

I don't leave my drain valves open when at a full hookup site. The black water; I want the paper and wast to break down and to have very good water flow so I don's have paper or wast collected in the hose. The gray water; I use to rinse the hose out with the gray water after I dump the black water. Not sure what I would do with a TM's with two dump hoses.

One other thing I have seen; People filling their water tank with the water source at the dump station. We never do this. We feel there is lots of cross contamination with that fitting or hose at the dump station. Look for a portable (drinkable) water source away from the dump station.

[kikeehn]

Tentcamper
I was speaking about Grey water ONLY, true you must leave your Black water tank valve closed so Solids and TP can desolve, and you use your Grey Water to flush out the hose, that's why you leave the grey water valve closed, but If your using a cassette toilet there's no need to use grey water to flush out the hose, you just empty the cassette, when needed.
This is all a moot point if your Dry Camping or Boon Docking, and don't use a cassette toilet like we can in our TM's.
To accomplish just discharging Grey Water read my #8 post in this thread as I explained it.