To The Dump !

[az-streamer]

i was just reading another thread which mentioned filling the black water tank completely before dumping.

i normally just dump whats there and flush with the contents of the gray water. i also drain the fresh water through the gray/blank tanks.

we have not yet done any long trips so both tanks can be between 1/4 - 3/4 full depending in use.

is it recommended to fill each tank again before draining?

i see where you might/would end up with cleaner tanks but it seems that it would also take some time to fill them and a large use of water as well.

any thoughts?

thanks,

[au_ee]

I have a 2007 Classic and it has a black tank flush connection. During our trips we normally just dump the black tank when it gets up to about 3/4 full. We follow that with dumping the gray tank. When we return home, we stop at the welcome center dump station. We do the same procedure as mentioned plus we connect a hose (not the fresh water hose) to the blank tank flush and let it run until the liquid is good and clear.

[Bluto]

The reason people say to fill the black tank before dumping is because the head pressure forces most of the contents of the tank out thru the dump valve. If you dump a partial black tank there is a chance that something (toilet paper) will get caught in the dump valve and will cause a problem with the valve closing. With a partial there is less head pressure to force the contents thru the valve cleanly.
It's a PITA to change out a valve that has something stuck in the groove of the seal of the valve. If you have a service dept. do the work they will charge about $250 to replace one.
Gray water tank does not have to be full when dumping as long as it is just dish and sink water and no solids to gunk up the valve.
You are right about dumping black first followed by the gray to clean out the pipe and hose, but it does not clean out the black valve on these newer models, because of where the valves are located.
My trailer has large tanks on it so sometimes when travelling I will not dump the black tank till the end of a 2-3 week trip because it does not get filled as fast as the gray tank. If I'm at a place where there is time to add water to the black tank during the trip I might do that and then dump it when the water level reaches the full mark.

[TBRich]

When we are on a trip where we are dumping regularly between destinations, or if there is a line at the dump station we usually do a "quick dump" (that's what we call it) where we drain the black tank followed by the gray tank...like you are doing. The more liquid there is in the black tank, the more pressure there is to take out all the "stuff"... when we have time (and when there's a threaded rinse hose at the dump station, which is not always).. or when we are home, we hook up the black tank rinse system to a dedicated grey water hose (don't use your fresh water hose) and let it spray into the black tank. We close the black water tank valve and let it fill to 3/4 or 7/8 full...keeping an eye on the monitor light...when it hits red we then release it again. We use a clear elbow between the black water exit point and the slinky that allows us to see when it is running clear. (I know...icky...but you'd be surprised what is still in there after 2 or 3 flushes like this...). If you don't have the flush system you can fill the black tank using your fresh water and just letting the toilet flusher run, but it takes longer....some folks use a 5 gal bucket to fill the black tank through the toilet more quickly if they want to do a thorough flushing. When we are done, even if it's not going to be used till next trip, we add the chemical packet and a couple of gals of water to help break down whatever is left, if anything.

By the way, when we are at a campsite that has sewer hookups, we leave the gray water valve open all the time since that contains little solid material, but we leave the black water closed until it's 3/4 or 7/8 full...if you leave the black water drain open all the time, the liquids drain away, leaving the solids behind...not a good thing. If we know we are gong to dump the black water that day, we'll close the gray water valve so that some grey water builds up to rinse out the hose after the black water dump.

[deauxrite]

Great advice here in this thread. The bottom line is that water is your friend when dumping. More water in the black tank is especially helpful in reducing problems. Taking the extra 10 minutes to double fill the black tank and flush it again is a small investment for a clean tank and a thorough flush. We do not do it every time, but when not in a hurry and when facilities are available..we double flush.

[NevadaGeo]

Sheesh, 164 views
on a black water tank review,
what sordid thoughts these airsteamers must peruse.

a poet I am not neither

[az-streamer]

thanks to all for the replies and great info,

i always know where to go for an answer!

the LAST thing i'd want to deal with is a stuck valve

so i guess i'll just add the 'full flush' to the routine. it's not a
big deal and better than having a problem later.

".....We use a clear elbow between the black water exit point...." - good point.

at the end of a dry-camp trip we usually run the fresh water into the grey tank and then use it to flush the black tank.

i prefer to dump all the tanks before travelling - just don't like the idea of all the extra weight hanging from below.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

You are in serious problems here. Your getting advice from men, and men do not have clue ONE about how to be romantic. When we are, it is always by accident. We always just think we know how. You might want to solicit female only responses.

[driftless]

Just stand, looking at her, and say something like, "Just the look of you makes me feel proud. You are beautiful both inside and out. You make me feel secure, warm and protected. I'll never go anywhere without you and I don't even mind spending the money to see that you have everything you need."

Then, when you are finished talking to your Airstream, say something nice to your wife, like, "Gee, HOney, you look nice tonight. Have you lost weight?"

[noreen&sal]

Originally Posted by driftless

Just stand, looking at her, and say something like, "Just the look of you makes me feel proud. You are beautiful both inside and out. You make me feel secure, warm and protected. I'll never go anywhere without you and I don't even mind spending the money to see that you have everything you need."

Then, when you are finished talking to your Airstream, say something nice to your wife, like, "Gee, HOney, you look nice tonight. Have you lost weight?"

It got pretty warm yesterday, so I got the bucket os suds and gave the AS a bath. WhenI was half done I sat down for a break. DW walked over and said: "I wish you loved me as much as you love that camper." {married 48 yrs.} Sal.
p.s. She spent the rest of the day planning a trip in the clean AS.

[3 Dog Nite]

When at a place with full hookups, I'll fill the tank with water before dumping. This gives me the same full force flush without having to eat a bunch of high fiber foods just to "dump full".

Ricky

[wworx]

Originally Posted by noreen

"I wish you loved me as much as you love that camper."

Reply: It's not that I love the AS more, it's just that it needs work to stay beautiful, unlike you. (married 17 years - planning on many more to come)

[noreen&sal]

Originally Posted by wworx

Reply: It's not that I love the AS more, it's just that it needs work to stay beautiful, unlike you.[ (married 17 years - planning on many more to come)]

You will have many more to come as long as you can come up with the right answers like that. Sal.