Holding Tank Procedures

[68 Overlander]

Probably true Maurice. If you tell yourself something enough times, you start to believe it!

[HOG-I]

One last peice of advice from anothe relative newbe: After flushing the black tank (ours only has a black tank) be sure to CLOSE the valve prior to putting the cover on. You had to ask! - I didn't and when I removed the cover, the next time, it took a second or two (seem more like a minute or two) to slam it shut. I don't think I have to describe the results of one or two second delay!!

[skyvalley]

You might want to think about something to lay that sewer hose on. We stopped at an RV park that had new brushed concrete slabs to park on. As I pulled the drain hose across the concrete slab to hook up, (had to use my 20 footer there) a thousand tiny holes developed, to be discovered later at the first dump. We now use a sewer hose support, a good idea in all hookups.

Good luck,
John

[68 Overlander]

John,
Good advice but remember there are many different ply hoses available and the first thing I would do is ditch the one that your dealer supplied you with. There is no excuse for a hose developing holes from dragging it across concrete...brushed, smoothed or otherwise.
Laying a protector down is not the answer when any dealer can supply you with a higher grade hose. Supports are great, don't get me wrong but I have dragged my hose all over setting silly supports up and never a leak.
Those supports do nothing functionally in most situations except make you look tidy. If they direct flow, understandable.

[katsix]

Does anyone use the sewer soluation. I used it with my Casita and liked it. I plan on using it with my new airstream. It was cleaner and easy to use. Rob

[katsix]

it is just a garden hose size with a pressure emulzafier on it no mess. I never even used gloves.

[Tim A.]

We have switched to the Sewer Solution and been very happy with the results. Our tanks are relatively small which may have something to do with being satisfied. On other threads, those with larger tanks have not always been happy with how long it takes the Sewer Solution to empty a tank. We have modified ours so that it is possible to have a positive backflush. That has been very handy and we no longer use our FlushKing.

[TBRich]

We use a sewer hose support system not to look neat but to help gravity with the flow from high to low ... When walking through a campground with sewer hookups I am continually amazed by the sewer hoses I see hooked up to the RV...running along the ground, and then upward to reach the dump hole...in effect requiring s*** to run uphill. It just ain't gonna happen and if one thinks it will, one is in for a surprise when it backs up or gets blocked! The $15 or so that the support systems cost is so worth it. (Then there are the makeshift supports made with rocks and sticks and pieces of firewood. Makes me smile.)

When dumping at a dump station, however, we have never had need for the support system because the "hole" is most usually lower than the outlet on the AS.

TB

[blkmagikca]

With an old non-AS trialer I used to have I used one of those clear plastic RV Hyrdo-flush fittings that allowed me to backflush the waste tank. I can't get it to fit on my '94 LY as the waste valve is set back and is set to drain via a hole in the floor of the storage compartment which houses it all. I had purchased a portable FloJet mascerator pump, but it looks like I'm going to have to modify the waste fillings to get it to fit.

For chemicals, I have been using Pinesol (the original liquid cleaner) since the mid-1980's. While in motion, it washes the tank, there is a bit of oil in it which lubricates the valves and it has a pine smell to it which is not unpleasant. It's also easy to find and much less expensive than some of the packet cleaners.

I've got to admit that I squirmed in my seat when I watched the antics of Robin Williams in "RV", especially when he was connecting up the waste hoses.