Minuets and 'blue boy' portable waste tanks

[mutcth]

I just got a snazzy Thetford Smarttote LX 18 gallon "blue boy" portable waste water tank. Pulling it out of the box though, I'm a bit concerned - the fill hose inlet is about a foot off the ground. The outlet on the Minuet (which I don't have in my driveway right now - it's at a restoration shop) isn't all that high.

In a question I should have asked before ordering the tank, what are other Minuet owners using for a portable tank? Seems to me that our trailers are uniquely low, complicating things.

I'm wondering if I need to send this not-cheap tank back (ugh - shipping) and get a smaller or flatter tank.

Thanks
Tom

[toddster]

Shouldn't your Minuet already have a gray water tank? Or is this just to give you extended stays w/o moving the trailer?

[mutcth]

The Minuet has a gray tank - but it's only for the sinks. The shower drain is too low and goes straight out.

The goal is basically to have something to catch that shower water (something better than the folding wash basin I've used.) I might just go to a little 5 or 6 gallon tank if I can't figure this one out.

A bigger tank would also let me dump at home - I have accessible clean-outs but they are on a raised terrace that I can't get the trailer up onto.

Tom

[2airishuman]

isn't the thetford tank GRAYish?

seems i saw one in action last week and it was gray, not blue.

have u tried it yet?

even with the height issue it can work.

u may have to run the drain hose THROUGH the opening and into the bottom of the tank (with a seal at the hole)...

so water coming directly from the shower pan (which is MUCH higher) should still flow INTO the tank...

u may have to prime it, however...

cheers
2air'

[biggoofball]

Hmmmm ... knowing what I know about the repairs you are having done ... Will she return higher?

[mutcth]

Originally Posted by biggoofball

Hmmmm ... knowing what I know about the repairs you are having done ... Will she return higher?

Probably about an inch - but I'm not making any axle geometry changes.

We'll give it a try when it all comes back. Maybe using a garden hose adapter on the trailer outlet and running that hose through the portable tank's inlet would work - more pressure, less hose sagging.

Otherwise, there might be a good deal on a Thetford 18LX blue/gray-boy at the birthday bash...

Tom

[biggoofball]

That hose thing will never work!!!!!


First dibs on the "gray boy" deal!!


The hose adapters are what I use on my Argy. It's outlet is very low.

[Chuck]

Don't listen to that man behind the curtain! He's just tryin' to score a cheap blue-boy!

It'll work. I use a washing machine hose, which has double-female fittings. one end screws onto the outlet cover w/ the threaded fitting; the other end can screw onto the fitting on top of the b-boy. It doesn't have to be a straight path from "up" to "down"; as long as the top of the b-boy is lower than the shower drain, it'll work.

[mutcth]

Chuck, the washer machine hose is a great idea - now I understand that you can hook up Supertank by either a small hose or the 3" pull-out hose/drain.

Skip will probably tell me that it won't work though...

Tom

[2airishuman]

it's never a great idea to shoot turds n tissues into the tote...

whatever color it may be.

so using a 2xf emale hose segment should be SOP for wash water transfers...

many of the tote tanks come WITH a short section of hose like this in the box, or 2 female 3 inch connectors...

or make one from an old section of white/gray/green 3/4 or 5/8th hose.

now at the DUMP site its ok 2 use that built in 3 inch tail pipe...

which will eventually leak and become messy messy to clean and transport.

cheers
2air'

[mutcth]

2air, I thought about that - using the garden/washer hose method keeps me "honest" about what goes in that tote tank.

Or at least that's the theory...

Tom

[biggoofball]

Originally Posted by mutcth

Chuck, the washer machine hose is a great idea - now I understand that you can hook up Supertank by either a small hose or the 3" pull-out hose/drain.

Skip will probably tell me that it won't work though...

Tom

You're right!!

It'll never work. I'm thinking 75% off due to the box being opened.


I too use the washing machine hoses.

[mutcth]

An update:

Originally Posted by biggoofball

Hmmmm ... knowing what I know about the repairs you are having done ... Will she return higher?

Yes. Yes it did. The original axle had a whole lot of sag going on. New axle = goodness. It rides a lot better and the whole trailer is 2-3 inches higher than before.

Fitting the Smarttote under the outlet isn't a problem now.

Tom

[Stefrobrts]

Just don't forget to open the other inlet on the tank for venting, or you'll be sorry. Ask me how I know

Unless they have a built in venting system of some sort. I saw this in an online description Level Gauge/Valve stops flow when tank is full to prevent messy over-filling. That makes me a little nervous. I'd rather the messy overfilling happened outside the trailer than inside!

[biggoofball]

Originally Posted by mutcth

An update:



Yes. Yes it did. The original axle had a whole lot of sag going on. New axle = goodness. It rides a lot better and the whole trailer is 2-3 inches higher than before.

Fitting the Smarttote under the outlet isn't a problem now.

Tom

Woot!!!


wait. does this mean I don't get a cheap tote?

[Janet H]

We rerouted valves and plumbing so that the shower would drain into the grey tank. Still the shower is so tiny that only a real dirt emergency would cause us to actually use it....

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Tom's Minuet went up significantly with the new axle. I was loving what a low rider she was when she came to the shop. I have a thing for the old style low rider trailers. The new axle is factory start angle and I think she went up closer to 5". Have you used the Thetford tank? I used to have one and found it impossible to drain all the liquid out. If a switch is still possible, the Barker Brand(it really is blue) will empty 100%.

[3Ms75Argosy]

I'll second Frank's assessment of the blue tank, and warn you NOT to EVER use it for emptying the black tank. Ask me how I know.... two episodes left me speechless, and hunting for the hills after use, as I was sure my fellow campers were after my hide. (one, the hose blew apart while dumping into the tank, the other, the vent came off while driving to the dumpstation.... left a trail of "brown" to the station... YUCK!!).

Besides, you'll NEVER get all the liquid out, which if used with black, can be VERY stinky. I just use my short hose that came with it (hose style) to dump right into the big opening on top.
Marc

[myboyburt]

Originally Posted by Janet

We rerouted valves and plumbing so that the shower would drain into the grey tank. Still the shower is so tiny that only a real dirt emergency would cause us to actually use it....

What a great idea! I'll get Leon started on this right away.

I don't have a problem with the size of the shower but I'm only 5'1" tall but my Leon is 5'9" - what a difference, he needs to bend his knees to fit inside.

[biggoofball]

Originally Posted by Janet

We rerouted valves and plumbing so that the shower would drain into the grey tank. Still the shower is so tiny that only a real dirt emergency would cause us to actually use it....

Originally Posted by myboyburt

What a great idea! I'll get Leon started on this right away.

I don't have a problem with the size of the shower but I'm only 5'1" tall but my Leon is 5'9" - what a difference, he needs to bend his knees to fit inside.

Is that what that thing in the bathroom is?!?!?! humans actually fit in there? unpossible!!! I thought it was to wash the cat. Mostly it's the spot where my blue boy rides.