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11-26-2006, 06:00 PM
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#41
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Retired.
Currently Looking...
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, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
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Ken, the easy solution to filling the blue tote is to stand it up on end, loosen the small cap, install the regular-sized sewer hose to the large hole in the blue tote, and open the dump valve. You will get about 10-12 gallons in it doing this.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
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11-27-2006, 10:00 AM
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#42
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Patriotic
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston
, Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
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Quote:
Originally Posted by silverback
Chuck, can you explain the workings of the "gravity pumps"?
Thanks,
Ken
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the explanation: it was a smart-@$$'d comment. a joke. it really isn't hard to get water to flow downhill. all that "gravity pump" is, is a washing machine hose. a 5/8 hose with 2 female ends.
what you do is get a sewer cap for your trailer that has a 5/8ths male garden hose fitting built into it. connect one end of the hose to it. Your blue-boy should also have a 5/8ths male fitting with a cap on it. connect the other end of the hose to that. then, take off the big 3" cap on the blue boy. open the dump valve on the trailer. If the top of the blue boy is lower than the bottom of your gray tank, it'll fill all the way, and you can easily watch the progress through the big 3" opening.
from your description, it sounds like you connected a standard slinky, and didn't open the little 5/8ths fitting to vent the tank. If air can't get out of the blue-boy, it won't fill.
I would be wary of using the 3" slinky, just because the flow could be so high, you might spill and make a mess. using the washer hose will be a little easier to control. But either one should work just fine, as long as the tank is vented.
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
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11-27-2006, 12:28 PM
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#43
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3 Rivet Member
2005 25' Safari
Roseville
, California
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 237
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Ten gallon is my limit because of weight and for storage space in the back of the truck. You can not tow the 10-gallon behind a truck, as you can with some of the larger ones (the wheels are too flimsy).
Rarely do you exhaust the black tank, so reserve the blue for gray water. It is is not enough and the dump station is too far away, follow other suggestions on this forum for moving dishwater (etc.) from the sink to the toilet to make use of extra black tank capacity.
You can buy an optional how-full indicator for the blue tank but I found it of no value.
__________________
Cam
2005 25' Safari SS
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbodiesel
WBCCI #3580 - Region 12 NorCal
AIR #8752
Roseville, CA
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11-27-2006, 01:04 PM
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#44
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Rivet Master
Elgin
, Texas
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 800
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I have one of the two wheel 25 gallon BB's, but upgraded the axle and fitted a pair of pneumatic tires (which is nice when it's a long haul to the dump station - quiet, too). Also use a 3" expanding test plug in transit so no chance of leakage. Sorta got to thinking about adding a small 12-volt inline pump that I can power from the trailer umbilical which would allow me to leave the BB up near the front of the trailer by the truck. This would allow me to empty the gray water on a slope if need be, as opposed to having to "find the low spot", or wind my way through trees and whatnot, lugging the full beast all the way. I can just hook the empty tank to the truck, hit the switch, and off she goes.
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03-07-2011, 07:47 AM
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#45
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4 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
1986 34.5' Airstream 345
Longview
, Washington
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 259
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clancy_boy
Really - all this discussions on blue boys has me wondering again which size I need. I am looking 4 wheel but all the sizes have very flimsy "axles" and wheel combinations - how long do they last?
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Wow...
Next, we'll have to start a "Frame-off blue-boy restoration thread", where we can share tips and tricks about axle replacement, and the best paint to use.
Just a thought...
Cheers!
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03-07-2011, 08:03 AM
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#46
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Rivet Master
1999 28' Excella
Frederick
, Maryland
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 739
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FWIW: I have the 32 Gal. Barker. I did upgrade the rear wheels to Pneumatics from Harbor Freight. I simply removed the old wheels (wiggled off the cap that held them on) and the new wheels fit right on the axle. I think tapped the caps back on and they have been fine ever since (of course a washer and cotter pin would be better and it's on my too do list, although the caps have stayed tight). It tows much more nicely without the solid wheels on the back and is not nearly as noisy rolling through campgrounds. I have not upgraded the front wheels at this time. I do use common sense towing it (low speeds and watch out for bumps and potholes). Some places I have to tow it a mile or so each way. BTW I have dumped both grey and (a few times) black tanks (only when absolutely necessary :-0 ). When dumping the black tank I pour some clorox in the tank with a bit of water and leave it in there to swish around. That has seemed to eliminate any odor problems that might occur and it really doesn't seem to be a big deal.
__________________
1999 28' Safari
2012 F150 Platinum Max Tow 7650 GVWR 3.73 Elec. Locking Diff.(Prev 2003 Dmax).
Honda EU2000i, Equalizer Hitch
AM Solar Panels 150W - 2 Trojan T 105 6V Batteries
KC3MAP
On internet forums, please research and separate the wheat from the chaff (including mine!)
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05-25-2011, 09:39 PM
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#47
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4 Rivet Member
1976 31' Sovereign
2000 33' Land Yacht
Ball Ground
, Georgia
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 311
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I am in the market for a tote and have never used one. I will not use it for black water. The only reason my wife will camp with me is she loves the shower and won't use the bath house unless necessary. Generally how many gallons of grey will you use with a fair shower. Will I have to empty after each shower with less then a 25 gallon size. I try to stay at sites with sewage but it's not always possible.
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05-26-2011, 05:28 AM
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#48
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one of those
2011 27 FB International
'03 F250 PSD
, Airstream summers, Catalac winters
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,091
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I have been trying to polish the classic blue boy I found on ebay. But the compound keeps rubbing holes in the plastic.
Am I on the wrong thread?
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05-26-2011, 08:22 AM
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#49
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"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 20,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS
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Me needer...just a mess waiting to happen.
__________________
I’m done with ‘adulting’…Let’s go find Bigfoot.
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05-26-2011, 08:31 AM
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#50
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Wise Elder
2010 30' Classic
Vintage Kin Owner
South of the river
, Minnesota
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GAT
I am in the market for a tote and have never used one. I will not use it for black water. The only reason my wife will camp with me is she loves the shower and won't use the bath house unless necessary. Generally how many gallons of grey will you use with a fair shower. Will I have to empty after each shower with less then a 25 gallon size. I try to stay at sites with sewage but it's not always possible.
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Figure 2-3 gallons per minute for the shower. Typically 10 gallons for a conservation-minded shower for us although it's possible to get by with much less especially for those with short hair.
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05-26-2011, 09:32 AM
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#51
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Rivet Master
2005 30' Classic
Burlington
, Ontario
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,743
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Maybe a bit off topic, and in any case, may not be of any use to you, but here is what I have done.
We very seldom camp without full hookups and so I didn't want to be carrying a blue boy all the time for the few times we would ever need it.
I do find that when we have had to camp without sewer hookup, we only seem to be able to go a couple of days before the gray water backs up into the shower. The black water tank lasts much longer.
So what I did is to get two plastic dish basins that are a perfect fit into our sinks.
When we wash dishes, we can dump the dishwater into to toilet, thus getting much better use out of our two tanks.
In the event that we stiil wind up filling the gray water tank, I bought a sewer outlet cap that has a standard hose connector built in, a short length of hose, and one of those collapsible 5 gallon water containers.
That way, if we were close to filling the gray water tank, i could just dump 5 gallons at a time and easily take it to the dump each trip we make out of the campground. (no, I won't use the five gallon container for drinking water!)
The sewer cap with the hose attached would also allow me to surreptitiously and slowly dump a little a little gray water somewhere under the trailer - but of course, I wouldn't do that!
We tried out the sink basins just last weekend - worked perfectly. We haven't had to use the five gallon container yet
Brian.
__________________
Brian & Connie Mitchell
2005 Classic 30'
Hensley Arrow / Centramatics
2008 GMC Sierra SLT 2500HD,4x4,Crew Cab, Diesel, Leer cap.
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05-26-2011, 05:03 PM
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#52
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Rivet Master
2003 22' International CCD
Kiln
, Mississippi
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,779
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wingeezer
The sewer cap with the hose attached would also allow me to surreptitiously and slowly dump a little a little gray water somewhere under the trailer - but of course, I wouldn't do that!
Brian.
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There are some locations that allow you - and want you to for drought reasons - to dump grey water on the ground.
Mike
__________________
Michael & Tina with Layla and Preston BZ The family has grown. 2003 22' INTERNATIONAL CCD
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05-26-2011, 05:24 PM
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#53
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Rivet Master
2005 30' Classic
Burlington
, Ontario
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,743
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clancy_boy
There are some locations that allow you - and want you to for drought reasons - to dump grey water on the ground.
Mike
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Just not where I seem to camp I think!
I did meet a guy in Florida with a large motorhome who had installed a small 1/4 line and valve from his sewer outlet pipe near the cap and that lead back to an open end somewhere near his axle at the centre line of his motor home. If he had no sewer hookup and gray water was getting full, he said he would just open the little valve at night time - naughty fellow!
Brian.
__________________
Brian & Connie Mitchell
2005 Classic 30'
Hensley Arrow / Centramatics
2008 GMC Sierra SLT 2500HD,4x4,Crew Cab, Diesel, Leer cap.
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05-27-2011, 04:50 AM
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#54
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one of those
2011 27 FB International
'03 F250 PSD
, Airstream summers, Catalac winters
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,091
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Well,I think the phosphates in soaps were good for plant life, too, so dribbling gray water on the ground isn't all that bad a plan as long as it doesn't make a mess and degrade someone else's enjoyment.
Of course, a lot of states recently took phospate based detergents off the shelves.
(Any of you noticed that your home dishwashing machine doesn't seem to clean the plates and pans as good as it did last year? If you're still using Cascade, it's not the same stuff anymore. No more phosphates. Lousy cleaning.)
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05-28-2011, 10:31 AM
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#55
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"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 20,000
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__________________
I’m done with ‘adulting’…Let’s go find Bigfoot.
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05-28-2011, 11:04 AM
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#56
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Rivet Master
2020 30' Classic
Derwood
, Maryland
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,515
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When on my property - I will use a long 50 foot hose and dump the grey via one of those "hoses with holes" used for watering - I use Burt Bee's soap products on myself and an organic liquid dish wash so my grey water I feel is safe for the environment - black goes to the public dump site at SteamBoat Lake...
__________________
John "JFScheck" Scheck
2020 30’ Airstream Classic
**I Love U.S.A.**
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