Shower water and the Gray Water Tank

[MIKO92]

Hello,
I was wondering how used shower water gets into the gray water tank when the shower drain is below the gray water tank??? What am I not seeing?

I love this time of year, when an old man's thoughts turn to his newly acquired Argosy...

Thanks a lot!
MIKO

[SteveH]

To my knowledge the shower drain is not below the grey water tank. Last time I checked water still will not flow up hill. :-)

[Belegedhel]

Are you sure you are identifying your grey tank properly? I would imagine, unless the PO made changes to things, that your black tank sits above the floor, immediately under the toilet, and the grey tank is hidden under the floor and above the bellypan. They will both be plumbed to the same dump valve, but there should be two handles, one to open the grey tank valve, and one for the black tank.

[GeocamperAS]

Welcome to Argosy ownership.

You are correct in thinking "water can't drain up".
On the 78 minuet 6.0, the shower does not drain into the gray tank. It does however drain into the same drain line (before the drain valve) that the gray tank drains into.
So when taking a shower with the drain dump valve closed, you have about 1-1/2 gallons of water filling the pipe before the shower backs up.
You could shower with the drain valve open if where you are camping allows gray water to be dumped on the ground.
Or you could carry an portable tank like a blue boy.
Or you could install an under the frame gray tank.

[idroba]

On the Minuet, later years like yours, there apparently were two gray water tanks, one high, one low (I know, I know sounds very strange but I owned one of them for a while and the upper one was above the floor in the back closet area). The kitchen (and maybe bathroom) sinks went into the upper one above the floor, and the lower one took the shower. Now, I didn't understand that either, nor how they drained as there was only one gray water dump valve.

The black water tank was above the floor below the toilet and had it's own dump valve. I only used my Munuet a little, then someone else wanted it badly and I sold it, so I really never looked at it carefully enough to figure it out. Some Minuet owner can tell us, I am sure.

[GeocamperAS]

F.Y.I.

In the 78 minuet 6.0 the gray tank in above the floor in the bathroom closet. Road side rear.

My 74 Argosy 28 has an under the floor gray tank. So I assumed they all did. I removed the rear belly pan on my 78 minute to see for myself.
I was so bummed.

I'm carrying a portable until I get around to installing one under the floor. The will also free up some cabinet space.

[idroba]

Geo: sounds like you know just how it worked. I can't remember enough about my Minuet shower anymore, but it seemed like there was more than 1.5 gal before it backed up. But you have one now, and mine was over 10 years ago, so I am sure you are right.

I do remember the above the floor gray tank in the bath closet area.

[GeocamperAS]

Originally Posted by idroba

Geo: sounds like you know just how it worked. I can't remember enough about my Minuet shower anymore, but it seemed like there was more than 1.5 gal before it backed up. But you have one now, and mine was over 10 years ago, so I am sure you are right.

I do remember the above the floor gray tank in the bath closet area.

It is possible that a second gray tank was added to yours by a PO.
When I found out I did not have one, I did some research. To the best of my knowledge the 78 minuet 6.0 only had the above floor gray tank from the factory. I'm not sure about other year or size of minuets.

[idroba]

Mine was a '78 6.0. It is certainly possible that some PO added a second under belly gray water tank, i just don't know anymore. I spent most of my time on it striping the paint off and finding out what the aluminum looked like underneath the paint. Then doing a crude polish job. Actually didn't look too bad when done. But then someone wanted it badly for about 4 times what I paid for it, and it got a new owner. And that was over 10 years ago now.

[MIKO92]

Everyone,
The trailer is at a trailer repair facility getting some work done, now, and I hadn't dropped the belly pan, so I don't know what my under-floor configuration is. When I find out I will let you all know.

Here is my idea, though. I install a composting toilet, get rid of the black water tank, make sure there are two (maybe?) tanks for the gray water, one above the floor to catch high drains (sinks) and one below the floor to catch the shower drain, and free up some real estate in the compact bathroom.

Incidentally, has anyone moved the circuit breaker box to another location?

Thanks for the help and information!

[TanCanMan]

Welcome MIKO92, Minuets are great little trailers! My '77 Minuet has the "high" gray water tank in the rear closet that catches water from the kitchen and bathroom sinks. The shower is not plumed to a gray water tank. It was designed to simply run on the ground through a hose attached to the end of the sewer drain. Years ago is was not an issue to "water the folage" when camping. This practice is frowned upon now, although tent campers seem to be able to wash dishes at the water spicket and not be concerned about the run off. I run the hose into an external 5 gallon container for disposal when I empty the on board tanks as I'm leaving the campground. Kind of a bother but it works. It would be possible to mount an in line transfer pump from the shower drain to the above floor gray tank but that would be something else to break. Enjoy the road!

[MIKO92]

Tan,
I appreciate the info and the thoughts. I guess if someone asks about the shower water puddle or the 5 gal catch pan I could start singing "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof? I first thought about a pump, than had the same second thought you did, so I am wondering if I can get by with an under-floor gray water tank for the shower and the above floor tank for the sinks...but I will have to see if the under floor tank would dump, since it is lower....
It will be fun to find out.

Thanks very much for the thoughts and time!

[Argonaut20]

I doubt you have room for much of a grey tank under the floor in the Minuet. Space is taken up by the plumbing for draining the existing tanks and the black tank protrudes below the floor as well. Add in the P trap for the shower and a depth of about 6 - 7 inches between the belly pan and the floor and you don't get much volume available. The blue boy can hold more than one shower, but is less convenient.

[ffrick]

I own a 6.0 minuet as well. Like the TanCanMan, it's my understanding that the shower water simply goes down into the drain pipe and and out.

[Jammer]

Some newer trailers have shower pumps to deal with this problem. Some of these have basins with float switches, some are inline and you just turn them on when needed with a switch.

[MIKO92]

Ahoy!
Thank you all for the info and replies! My thesis work has been sapping all of my time, so I have just gotten back to reading what is here. I looked at the trailer in the shop, and there is a simple shower drain to the outside - no tank. Less weight and more space, I guess? The composting toilet gets rid of much of the space in BW tank, so the toilet will be moved to the side, rather than center-line in the rear.

[MIKO92]

Hello, again! I have decided to move the GW tank to the space under the oven...since I have gotten rid of the furnace (anyone need one/want one? It's in good shape) and will get a Catalytic heater. My issue now, seems to be having space above the GW tank for the inlet elbow...and keeping some slope on the lav sink drain to get GW there... I'll send pics once the ARGO gets back from the shop.
Thanks to all for the advice!