Sewer Hose & Coupler

[wlanford]

While waiting for my recently ordered 2012 Flying Cloud 25FB to be built, I'm trying to purchase a few items I know I'll need. One of these items is a sewer hose/coupler. I have seen several in a major camping store catalog such as the "Rhinoflex", and also some macerator type units. I thought I read somewhere that Airstream trailers use an odd size sewer pipe and that many couplers won't work. Is this true? If so, what size/type coupler do I need? Also, what is everyone's advice for the best type of sewer system to use?

[Jammer]

The new trailers use a standard Valterra coupler.

Your dealer will deliver the unit with a standard hose which is perfectly sufficient for using dump stations at campgrounds and the like. Typically it's a cheap 10' long, 3" diamter hose with a connector on the trailer end and no connector on the other end.

If you anticipate staying in campgrounds with full hookups, or if you will be dumping tanks at your parking location, you might want something more than that.

I have the Sewer Solution and don't recommend it because it doesn't solve any problem that I've ever actually had.

I have the Rhinoflex hose and don't recommend it because it's expensive to replace the hose when somebody steps on it or whatever which will happen surprisingly often if you camp with full hookups. And if you don't camp with full hookups you don't need a fancy hose because the cheap one with just a trailer end connector will work fine.

There are two approaches to use if you have full hookups.

1) For greywater only you can use a length of garden hose with proper adapters. This works well and stores well and will hold up to people stepping on it or tripping on it or driving over it or whatever.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002F676O

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006MRR2Q

I suggest a 3/4" rubber garden hose as these will flex readily and won't be confused with a drinking water hose.

Then if you just are going to dump the black tank once or twice during the stay you can use the cheap 3" hose you use at the dump station.

2) If you are going to dump the toilet tank too on a regular basis then you'll need a 3" hose with some extra length and extra fittings. The collapsible hoses usually used, that are easy to store, don't hold up very well and so you want them to be cheap so you can replace when necessary. You want couplers on both ends and a suitable elbow.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006MTR9C
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQR8TE
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002N5L9N2

20' is long enough for most situations although you might want to carry a second hose if you use full hookups frequently or anticipate camping someplace where you know the placement of sewer connections is particularly poor.

The macerator pumps are heavy, expensive, and a nuisance to use. They aren't necessary in most situations and few people use them.

[moosetags]

New Airstreams use the RV standard sewer connectors. We gave up on the "stinky slinky" and went to the Sewer Solution four years ago. We have an '05 25FB that we have camped in over 800 nights and towed 80,000 miles. Check out the Sewer Solution here on the Forums. There are several threads on the subjsct.

Brian

[Jammer]

There are three other special situations that probably don't apply but for completeness here they are:

1) You might be camping seasonally in which case you might as well buy some 3" schedule 40 drain pipe from the home center along with suitable fittings and some of that pvc glue, and use that instead of a hose, since it's much more durable and costs the same.

2) You might be dumping into a tank in the back of your pickup, which a few people do if they are out in the middle of nowhere and don't want to pull the trailer all the way to civilization. In that case you need a macerator pump or at least one of those shower basin pumps (if you're only dumping greywater). (though many people in this situation dump into a portable tank using gravity and then lift the tank into the truck)

3) If you have a camping location or parking location, maybe in your driveway or a friend's driveway, where you have a sewer connection available but it's uphill, and there's just no other way to make things work, you can either use a macerator pump or the Sewer Solution.

[Wingeezer]

I like to buy the best quality 3" hose I can find - thickest "mil" spec., as I have found the cheaper and thinner ones tend to develop pinholes quickly even from slight dragging on the ground.

I know someone mentioned possible damage due to someone treading on the hose and being more expensive to replace if you have bought a top of the line hose. I guess that could happen, but personally, in many years of RV camping, I have never had a sewer hose damaged by someone treading on it.

I also always buy the longest hose that will compress into the storage tube - I think about 20' because not infrequently I have been in campgrounds where the sewer connections for some reason have not been located in an ideal spot and 10 feet would not reach.

An alternate would be to carry a coupler and a second ten foot length of drain hose.


Incidentally, although they are not inexpensive, I also carry an extra 30 amp electrical extension for the same reason, as well as adapters that will allow me to plug into not only a 30 amp receptacle, but also 15 amp or 50 amp. I have had to use them all at one time or another!

Oh yes, I carry an extra 25' length of water hose toop and have had to use that in some instances!


No, I'm not a boy scout, but being prepared isn't such a bad idea!


Brian

[Jammer]

I agree with Wingeezer that carrying extra length for the electrical cord and water hoses is worthwhile, although you'll rarely use them unless you camp in dodgy places.

If you camp in ersatz campgrounds (driveways, fairgrounds, etc) you should carry a 12 gauge, 100' extension cord.

I would suggest having a second electrical cord of some kind (they'll give you a 30a one) so that you have a spare in case you forget the main one someplace or something happens to it that you don't have the time, inclination, or parts to fix right away. There's a 30a-to-20a Marinco cord that takes the place of your regular one, for example, that you might consider.

[Silver Goose]

We bought our slightly used 27FB about a year ago. We found that most of the time, the slinky was adequate but ran into several private and public parks in the past year where the sewer inlet was either nearly level or uphill from the Airstream's outlet. That's never good! Compared to most other brands of trailers, the Airstream sits lower to the ground. I found the Sewer Solution solved that problem and use it whenever I find myself in one of those sites and found it capable of lifting 12-18" above the Airstream's outlet with adequate water pressure.

The Sewer Solution requires water pressure to operate. Although it has a back flow preventer built in, some may have concerns about working with a fresh water connection attached to a black water device and I can understand that.

A portable macerator uses 12v instead of H2O, and likely costs twice as much to purchase and there's more of it to stow someplace. So there are several choices for you to consider. I'm able to store the SS in the small exterior street side compartment along with an extension outlet hose and my slinky's elbow and adapters.

I carry a transparent male/female bayonet coupler that connects between the TT outlet and the slinky so as to monitor what's going on. I really like to know that the slinky is empty before disconnecting it from the TT. It also gives me some sense of how well I'm doing when I flush the tank.

The better grade of slinky won't compress as much as the cheaper light weight varieties. As I recall a 15' Rhinoflex pretty much fills the underbelly storage tube with bayonets on each end. You may be able to put a 20' low cost blue hose in the same space. The local RV parts store was able to get me a black Valterra storage tube identical to what came from JC. I mounted it adjacent to the existing one and put a 5' and a 10' with bayonets on them which offers me various combinations from 5' to 30'.

Along with a 30A extension cord and an extra coil of white hose, I feel prepared for that once or twice a year thing I'm glad I have them.

As you can see, there's not shortage of opinion on this subject.

[sandlapper]

When possible I try to park so the sewer pipe on the trailer is lined up for a straight shot to the dump hole in the ground. I carry a 5', 10' & 20' hose so I have as little excess hose as I can. Makes for a quick, effecient swoosh when the stuff doesn't have to travel through a bunch of twists & turns on it's way out. I have one of those clear, angled connectors to help get it pointed in the right direction when I can't line up just right.
Use good hoses and connectors. I like the red connectors that screw on, both ends, with the thick hoses. The sewer system is perhaps the most important system on the trailer. Take good care of it. If it messes up, its a s----y job to fix and no one wants to work on it. Enjoy your trailer, safe & happy travels. John

[Silver Goose]

Reminds me of the sign painted on our plumber's truck: "A straight flush always beats a full house!"

[JBinKC]

I recommend the RhinoFLEX Swivel RV Sewer Kit for about $35 and a Slunky Sewer Support for about $25. These two items and some careful parking will be perfectly adequate for almost every situation where you have a sewer on the campsite. But for the times when you don't, you'll be very happy with how capable your camper is. I don't believe you need expensive solutions to this simple problem.

[Chipster]

The sewer solution is the only way to "go" ! Quick, clean, efficient, don't have to maneuver to get the "angle right". No problem if it gets stepped on.
You can "see" whats going on during the total process of dumping tanks. It will also dump up-hill. Cleans itself and uses little room for storage. Check their website.
The slinkys ok but SS is the best IMHO.

[moosetags]

I originally bought the Sewer Solution to solve an Airstream dump situation at SuEllyn's Dad's house where we set up Lucy fairly often. The sewer clean-out is about 60' from the trailer and slightly up hill. I originally used six 10' sections of stinky slinky. It was quite a job lifting the various section of the slinky to complete the dump.

I found out about the Sewer solution here on the Forums. I bought one to try. It worked great on the up hill grade with two sections of PVC in the system. It work3ed so good that we started using it exclusively. We have used the sewer solution for at least 500 dumps without the slightest problem of any sort.

I recently purchased a back-up Sewer Solution just in case.

Below are a few pictures of the Sewer Solution in use on Lucy.

Brian

[Silver Goose]

What's the orange handle looking thingamajig behind the SS?

[TG Twinkie]

Are you telling me that a brand new AS does not come with a first class sewer hose? I would expect it to have a potable water hose and of course a shore power cord as well. Maybe it's just me.

[Jack46]

I tried a Sewer Solution and found that with my two dump pulls being located so close to the outlet, that I was not able to position the Sewer Solution cap in such a way as to allow for hookup of the water input valve? What did I miss??? We have a 2011 Flying cloud 30'

Thanks, Jack

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

I like to buy the best quality 3" hose I can find - thickest "mil" spec., as I have found the cheaper and thinner ones tend to develop pinholes quickly even from slight dragging on the ground.



Brian

Good point, Brian. I might get myself a backup hose to cover the pinhole issue and to have if I ever need that extension. A coupler will be on the shopping list, too.

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Incidentally, although they are not inexpensive, I also carry an extra 30 amp electrical extension for the same reason, as well as adapters that will allow me to plug into not only a 30 amp receptacle, but also 15 amp or 50 amp. I have had to use them all at one time or another!


Brian

Not strictly on topic but it's a good point; at Inverhuron Provincial Park, some of the electric cable runs were listed as being over 100 feet! No wonder some of the sites weren't booked. Perhaps I will be looking at a second 50' cord

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by Jack46

I tried a Sewer Solution and found that with my two dump pulls being located so close to the outlet, that I was not able to position the Sewer Solution cap in such a way as to allow for hookup of the water input valve? What did I miss??? We have a 2011 Flying cloud 30'

Thanks, Jack

Try a right angle M/F bayonet elbow. This will put the SS horizontal just below the outlet. That will give you a better position to hook up the input hose.

[Mexray]

Jack - did you know that the 'lever' in the SS can be assembled in the opposite position - swapping ends, as it were - if that would give you the room to operate it...

However, you should send it back to SS and let them do the modification...I did it myself, and it doesn't exactly line up properly and I had to do some filing inside to make it work right - a slight 'slip' with the drill could have messed up the main housing!

The instructions I got with my SS a few years ago mentioned that the user could do the modification...I called SS when the parts didn't line up properly when I reassembled it from the other end, and they said it wasn't field changeable currently and they would do it free, with the correct parts - I was leaving on a trip and so did it myself, but wouldn't again...

The SS is our ONLY solution when we have hook-ups...when boon docking, we still use the stinky slinky for those later quick dump station visits, etc...

Happy drains out there...

[Darkspeed]

Is the SS better than a 12v Macerator Pump?