T1N Interstate (gravity dump) - best sewer hose?

[InterBlog]

Old-style gravity drain on the T1Ns, Valterra fittings and also IIRC, all T1N Interstates had the short Valterra storage tubes installed under the chassis (aft). See blog post here for our tube DIY extension.

Because we went to the trouble to splice and elongate the OEM Valterra storage tube, I'm not currently interested in switching to any branded equipment that is not compatible with it. That ain't broke and I ain't fixin' it.

BUT -- our dump hose itself is now 4.5 years old, needs to be replaced. You would think this would be an easy matter - just get a Valterra hose, and surely it will be compatible with the rest of the Valterra equipment and fittings.

Well, the reviews seem to pan Valterra's hoses on the stated grounds that they are too flimsy. A lot of folks seem to prefer the Camco RhinoFlex. BUT -- that one may or may not fit the Valterra tube. There are conflicting reports on that point.

If I could get one at a brick-and-mortar, I could verify compatibility in person, but I'm probably going to be stuck with Amazon.

Recommendations? Thanks.

[Tincampers]

Are you wondering about the diameter or the length? I have seen some pretty bad reviews in the Camco as well.

[InterBlog]

Mostly diameter. Some of them come in sections, so they can be daisy-chained and lengthened if the situation calls for it. But the fancy fittings on the ends of them... those are what may not fit into the existing Valterra tube.

Incidentally, another review comment worth noting - some of the heavier, springier coils are difficult for one person working alone to stretch out and clean properly. If they tend to accordion short of their own volition, then they trap waste in the internal pleats. I think that's another reason why the RhinoFlex is popular - it's easier to control.

[Lily&Me]

I’ve had a Rhinoflex for years, and it fits the connector on the Interstate without problem, but it’s wider parts don’t fit in the storage section under the rig.

My other Interstate had to have the rig mounted fitting piece adjusted a bit to make room for the larger bits on the Rhinoflex to get in there.

I haven’t used the proper technical terms, but the bottom line...a Rhinoflex should fit, but you will have to find a new way to carry it.

Maggie

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I’ve had a Rhinoflex for years, and ....it’s wider parts don’t fit in the storage section under the rig.
....

Ugh, that is what I was afraid of.

I may get to eat my own words yet again, munch munch. How many times have I said, "I am NOT opening that can of worms," aaaand then that sucker just somehow pops right open of its own accord. I'm now evaluating whether it's worth replacing the OEM storage implement.

Does anyone have any experience with this product in the Interstate context? It looks like it could be promising. Video is 2 minutes. The product is a couple of years old now, so it should be vetted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xlvdJt5adw

[Tincampers]

Valterra makes one of those and people are saying they can get a RhinoFlex in there with all the fittings. Some report that it is tight, but they will go in there.

Valterra Products Inc Black 34"-60" A04-3460BK Sewer Hose Carrier Adjustable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAU762Z..._Thb2Cb2THQR0R

Here’s the link for the SuperTube:

https://www.dwincorp.com/product/sup...le-super-tube/

I am leaning towards the latter product as it seems beefy and there doesn’t seem to be an issue with elbows. Mounting looks to be stronger than the Valterra.

[InterBlog]

I like the look of the Super Tube. It clearly shows in the video that there is no struggle getting the Rhino in and out.

Our old-style Valterra tube is a P.I.T.A. with respect to the cap. We have to line up teeny tiny notches on the cap in order to seat it properly so that the hose won't fall out. Reaching under the van and struggling with it because it's black, and I can't see the notches clearly. I always try to do it by feel, and by that stage of the dump process, I'm running out of patience.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I like the look of the Super Tube. It clearly shows in the video that there is no struggle getting the Rhino in and out.

Our old-style Valterra tube is a P.I.T.A. with respect to the cap. We have to line up teeny tiny notches on the cap in order to seat it properly so that the hose won't fall out. Reaching under the van and struggling with it because it's black, and I can't see the notches clearly. I always try to do it by feel, and by that stage of the dump process, I'm running out of patience.

Ours too. Always takes too long to get that cap threaded back on there. I worry it will fall off and the tube will fall out somewhere. Plus, I want all those fittings out of the van. No matter how carefully you clean them, are they really clean?

The electric dump valve on ours crapped out so had to install a manual dump valve.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Tincampers

....

The electric dump valve on ours crapped out so had to install a manual dump valve.

You had an electric dump valve on a T1N Interstate? Not a manual Valterra blade valve to start with?

I'm wondering whether it was the previous owner's mod.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

You had an electric dump valve on a T1N Interstate? Not a manual Valterra blade valve to start with?

I'm wondering whether it was the previous owner's mod.

No, it was factory installed. Ours has a combination black/gray tank.

[Lotus54]

I recall reading the rear bath that has the combo black/grey water has the remote electric valve.
I like being able to dump the black, then ‘flush’ the hose with the grey (sort of).

Mine does not have a tube (removed for the hydraulic levers installed by PO). I did fit one to my motorcycle rack - but it came loose and I tossed it. Perhaps with my new rack I could use one...

I clean it as best possible, then put into a large ziplock bag- then under the rear couch beside the hot water heater. It really has never been a problem (never leaked etc) but I still don’t like it. After every trip I put a bit of bleach in the bag, fill it with water and soak for a little while.

The current hose I have (I forget the make, I bough it when on the road after the tube came loose and trashed it) - likely would not fit in that tube anyway. The 90 degree fitting (which is quite handy, will tread into many sewers) is sort of big.

Mark

[InterBlog]

Plunge taken - I just ordered both the SuperTube (which must be gotten directly from the manufacturer) and the RhinoFlex kit from Amazon.

[InterBlog]

I confirmed what other(s) have already reported - the Rhino is too wide to fit into the OEM dump hose carrier on the T1N Interstate.

I have the SuperTube coming, but it was not an Amazon shipment, so it won't be here for several more days.

Once we get it, it will become a surgical operation. If you look toward photo left, in the background you can see that the existing carrier is not attached to the chassis using the standard bracket (e.g., visible at front of the tube). It penetrates a thin steel plate and is suspended that way. So we are going to have to engineer something to form this second attachment point for the SuperTube.

Three years ago, we extended the ridiculously short OEM tube - I wrote this blog post about that, and you can get a better view of the forward mounting plate in there.

[InterBlog]

Hmmmmm..... the interesting part is that the 10 foot section of Rhino plus its disassembled parts placed in the proximal end of the SuperTube... these things stack to about 43 inches.

I don't know if I have that available in the current dump hose location, on account of a conflict with the leaf spring. Back in 2016, I knew that I didn't have the 46 inches that the standard-size Valterra hose carrier would have required (I blogged that fact).

If necessary, I could store the fittings in a separate carrier, which would drop this thing down almost 10 inches (the SuperTube is adjustable). And I know I do have 33 - 34 inches behind that spring.

One way or another, it shall be made to work. But not today. Given that I'm prepping a former cabinet butt end panel to become a new hinged door, the van went back back into storage for a few days. I need time for the oil-based enamel on the trim of the panel-cum-door to both dry and set up (thread here).

[InterBlog]

Here is how this project finished up.

I wish the SuperTube had some metal parts on it for greater robustness. It does not - it's all plastic. But it does have a secondary hole for securing the caps that are found on each end, which is a good thing, because the cap that you will NOT use for removing and returning the hose to the tube, you will probably want to zip-tie that one closed, as I did - especially given that our forward SuperTube end is mounted up-side down, which might allow the release lever to vibrate open due to gravity, which might cause us to have a Rhino hose escape.

We re-used the original Airstream mounting plate, re-adapting it yet a second time for the Rhino and the larger-diameter SuperTube.

Originally, Airstream had terminated an unworkably-short dump hose carrier to the aft side of this plate - see how short it would be in these pics, if the hose holder only came as far forward as the plate itself. In doing our 2016 modifications, we cut a hole in that plate, extended our Valterra hose carrier using a piece of sewer pipe, shoved the whole apparatus through the hole we had created, and thus accommodated a much longer dump hose.

So in this photo approx. center, you can see the original mounting plate that still attaches to the chassis, as added by Airstream, and subsequently "holed" by us.



Given that the SuperTube *telescopes* (it is actually called SuperSlider SuperTube, woo-hoo), we had to find a way to fix the unmoored end (forward of the vertical plate) in place. We did so by adding a thin metal plate that would extend from the OEM vertical support plate back to the mounting holes on the non-business end of the SuperTube:



What you'll also notice here is that the second plate we added serves as a heat shield. That beige line running directly underneath it is the generator exhaust line, which gets quite hot. Heat and polyethylene do not make good bedfellows.

You can see that shiny plate under the SuperTube extending back to the screw holes in the mounting flange, photo right in the first photo.

Our maximum length did not allow for the incorporation of both pieces of Rhino end hardware (maximum because a mud flap and a leaf spring were impinging on the space). The 90 degree elbow fits along with one 10' Rhino length in this tube, but the dump line adapter would not fit in. No problem - I added a gear tie and I'll just attach it adjacent as shown here.



It has been years since we have found ourselves in a situation that calls for more than 10 feet of dump hose. I've got the other 10 foot section that came with the Rhino kit, but I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet. Maybe zip tie it under the chassis somewhere, in case I ever need it. Perhaps on top of the gray water tank.

[wachuko]

I like what you did there... I am worried of some road debris taking out the drain system or cutting the hose...

I want to try to install something that would at least give it a chance to survive something hitting it while traveling. Might not prevent it, but will minimize the likelihood of being damaged... I need to see what mounting points I have in that area to make and install something similar to that plate you have there...

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by wachuko

... something that would at least give it a chance to survive something hitting it while traveling. Might not prevent it, but will minimize the likelihood of being damaged... ...

Your comment reminded me of the dude who emailed me off-forum because he hit a piece of tire re-tread and it ripped off his exhaust train.

I had to email him pics of what the T1N Interstate's system looked like, because his repair shop knew that the line had been re-routed around the generator, but they had no idea how.

An angled plate might be the best bet in your application. For instance, Van Compass sells engine and drive train skid plates for 4x4 Sprinters. An analogous device would likely work, but it would be tricky to engineer the angles and chassis mounts.

[InterBlog]

For the first time today, I graduated to a 21st century experience where tank dumping is concerned.

Do you see that clear elbow on the business end? IIRC, older Rhino hoses had opaque white polyethylene there. Or translucent. No, trust me on this one - you want the clear elbow. Suddenly I have visual confirmation of when I can stop wasting my time because my tank has already been adequately flushed. For the past 5 years, I've just run water, and run water, and continued to run more water until I figure it must be all done - sheer guesswork. Having the visual makes the process much more efficient.

[InterBlog]

Update on the Rhinoflex -

Great hose, rotten gasket design.

Guess what?? If one of your gaskets accidentally falls out and gets lost, as it is sure to do, your fancy expensive hose basically becomes useless.

I recommend everyone with a Rhino pick up a pack of these (below) or something similarly compatible. Guess what?? There’s a reason why they sell them in 8-packs. It’s because you’re going to need that many.

Do I sound annoyed? That’s because I am. Being presented with a dumping predicament after I spent a lot of money on a “better” hose has a way of bringing about that result.