Black / grey water hookup while camping

[jornvango]

When camping with full hookups, we've been told to leave the grey water hookup open.
Is there a reason why we shouldn't also open the black water at the same time, or does the dumping mechanism not allow both tanks to be opened at the same time?

[dznf0g]

Yes, The liquids readily run out and into the sewer while the solids may and will accumulate in the tank as there is not enough rush of flow like at home. Soon you will have such an accumulation that it is a nasty and potentially expensive problem to get the solids out.

I usually don't leave the gray open either if I am doing a lot of dishes with food particles in the dish water. It is for the same reason, but I don't think it would ever plug up....but remaining food particles can become smelly. I like the fast rush of both tanks to draw out as much solids as possible. It's no big deal to pull the gray handle once a day or so and the black handle once a week or so. for me.

[Lily&Me]

The big plus to leaving your grey valve closed is that then you have that relatively clean water to flush your sewer hose.

You can always leave your hose hooked up and just pull the release valves when needed.

We like to get lots of water into our black tank before emptying, to make sure all runs out smoothly.


Maggie

[utee94]

Originally Posted by doug&maggie

The big plus to leaving your grey valve closed is that then you have that relatively clean water to flush your sewer hose.

You can always leave your hose hooked up and just pull the release valves when needed.

We like to get lots of water into our black tank before emptying, to make sure all runs out smoothly.


Maggie

Yes, all of this. My gray and black tanks have separate dump openings (since my trailer is old and did not come with a stock gray tank, mine is an addition during renovation). So I leave the hose connected to the gray, but leave the gray valve closed and dump it every day or two. Then, after a few days, I switch the hose to the black tank, dump it, then back to the gray to dump an flush out the hose with "cleaner" water.

-Marcus

[withidl]

As mentioned above you need to have the black water tank filled with substantial water to allow for flushing out the solids, after which the grey water will flush the black water from the stinky slinky. Additionally, a relatively full grey water tank can be used to “back-flush” the black water tank (if the two tanks are manifold joined as mine are) so as to dislodge solids that may not have flushed out. This is done, after draining the black tank by leaving the black tank valve open, holding the stinky slinky above tank level, opening the grey valve which allows grey water to enter the manifold and move backward into the black tank and then closing the grey valve before the tanks equalize, and then lowering the stinky slinky to allow the black tank to again empty (this can be done several times with a full grey tank).

Additionally, to gain more grey storage on a manifold system, when my black tank is essentially empty and I have a full grey tank I have left the drain cap in place, opened the grey valve which then fills the manifold, and then open the black valve to allow the two tanks to gravity flow ALMOST equalizing, at which time I close the black valve first and then close the grey valve. The only down side to this is when dumping you will spill the manifold contents of grey water when removing the manifold cap, but it can give up to 15 gallons of additional grey storage in a pinch.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by withidl

As mentioned above you need to have the black water tank filled with substantial water to allow for flushing out the solids, after which the grey water will flush the black water from the stinky slinky. Additionally, a relatively full grey water tank can be used to “back-flush” the black water tank (if the two tanks are manifold joined as mine are) so as to dislodge solids that may not have flushed out. This is done, after draining the black tank by leaving the black tank valve open, holding the stinky slinky above tank level, opening the grey valve which allows grey water to enter the manifold and move backward into the black tank and then closing the grey valve before the tanks equalize, and then lowering the stinky slinky to allow the black tank to again empty (this can be done several times with a full grey tank).

Additionally, to gain more grey storage on a manifold system, when my black tank is essentially empty and I have a full grey tank I have left the drain cap in place, opened the grey valve which then fills the manifold, and then open the black valve to allow the two tanks to gravity flow ALMOST equalizing, at which time I close the black valve first and then close the grey valve. The only down side to this is when dumping you will spill the manifold contents of grey water when removing the manifold cap, but it can give up to 15 gallons of additional grey storage in a pinch.

You could add a third valve where the cap on the manifold goes to help with both those situations.

Valterra T58 Twist-On Waste Valve : Amazon.com : Automotive

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by doug&maggie

The big plus to leaving your grey valve closed is that then you have that relatively clean water to flush your sewer hose.

You can always leave your hose hooked up and just pull the release valves when needed.

We like to get lots of water into our black tank before emptying, to make sure all runs out smoothly.


Maggie

Sage advice! And, don't forget to use the black tank flush when you dump ... either built in or the add on at the outlet.

[jornvango]

Originally Posted by mefly2

Sage advice! And, don't forget to use the black tank flush when you dump ... either built in or the add on at the outlet.

Ours doesn't have a built in flush as far as I know. Next to the city water hookup, there's a hookup for the tank flush. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but when I hookup a hose there and turn on the water + open up the black tank, no water is coming out of the black tank, and after a few seconds the water starts coming out of the hose hookup ... as if the water from the hose isn't going into the system into the black tank.

Could it be clogged up, or am I doing something wrong?

[dznf0g]

I have heard that they are prone to clogging. Mine is still fine...but it's 12 years newer than yours. Are you saying that water pressure forces a leak at the black tank flush hose connection?

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by jornvango

Ours doesn't have a built in flush as far as I know. Next to the city water hookup, there's a hookup for the tank flush.

I don't understand, if you have a hookup for the tank flush wouldn't that be the built in flush? (As far as I know that is what everyone else calls it.)

[Bk Yd Safari]

When sewer hook-up is available I connect the sewer line and leave both valves closed, and drain only as needed. This prevents any potential back-up of odor from the sewer into the trailer.

[mefly2]

There is an adapter that connects a water line to the sewer line outlet... below the valve ...that will approximate a tank flush by reverse flow of fresh water back into the black tank.

[Skater]

Originally Posted by jornvango

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but when I hookup a hose there and turn on the water + open up the black tank, no water is coming out of the black tank, and after a few seconds the water starts coming out of the hose hookup ... as if the water from the hose isn't going into the system into the black tank.

Could it be clogged up, or am I doing something wrong?

I have similar problems with ours (also a '95). Sometimes I can get it to work, but like you said it's usually just spraying water all over the place at the connection. I assume it's at least partially clogged like dznf0g said, possibly because it wasn't used enough.

I have some sensor cleaner that I intend to use in the tanks this spring (said the guy that's been carrying it around since July...). With a little luck maybe it'll help with the flush too.

[Sbb]

In the same delicate thread...I have a new to me 2006 Bambi. Will my Rhino Sewer hose system work on this trailer or does Airstream have a specific sewer hose all models have to use due to the size of diameter of discharge pipe? Thanks in advance. I plan to go ou the first time in a couple of weeks and at moment can't get to the pipe thanks to Mother Natures Snow. sbb

[dznf0g]

Valterra hookup configuration won the market some time ago, over the Thetford configuration. Going form an 05 to an 06....everything should switch right over.

[tkowalyk]

Originally Posted by Sbb

In the same delicate thread...I have a new to me 2006 Bambi. Will my Rhino Sewer hose system work on this trailer or does Airstream have a specific sewer hose all models have to use due to the size of diameter of discharge pipe? Thanks in advance. I plan to go ou the first time in a couple of weeks and at moment can't get to the pipe thanks to Mother Natures Snow. sbb

Your Rhino sewer hose will fit -- AS uses the standard connections.

BTW -- we have a Rhino hose, and it is awesome. Keep the other hose, and buy Rhino fittings so you can connect the two hoses together if you need an extension.