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mwilliamsmd · 06-12-2015, 07:49 PM

What does one do when attempting to use black water flush inlet and the hose has no threads. Just came back from quick trip up north. Went to flush my black tank at dump station. Hose had nothing on hose end. What do you folks do in this situation?

AWCHIEF · 06-12-2015, 07:52 PM

Wait till you get home or where you can use your hose.

FishinHatteras · 06-12-2015, 08:04 PM

I ran into this situation so many times. I had reached my wits end.

I went & bought the cheapest 20ft hose I could find @ Wallyworld, wrapped both ends with red tape to mark it as non-potable, and I am done fooling with this issue. Just store it seperately from your drinking hose to avoid contamination.

Like the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared!

Gavin

mwilliamsmd · 06-13-2015, 05:32 AM

Appreciate both replies but....

Don't want to wait to get home, would like to dump black tanks at site. Also, I have a "black water hose" I carry but if you are at a State Campground or other campground that does not have water and sewer at the individual sites your are relegated to whatever is available at the dump station.

SteveSueMac · 06-13-2015, 05:40 AM

Is the flush something you do every time? I haven't found that necessary. Someone taught me a great trick in the forums - when you're emptying your black tank (which you've filled with water to 100% full before flushing) you let it drain completely (don't close the drain) then lift the "slinky" above the drain pipe and open the grey tank (also full to 100%) for say 5 seconds and close the grey. That just pushed a few gallons of water back through your blank tank and when you drop the slinky you'll get an extra good flush/rinse. Then complete the grey process as usual.

I also make sure that after draining the tanks, I put some water (couple gallons or so) in the toilet with a Chem pack (some people don't like that) and some water and grey tank sanitizer in each of the kitchen, bath and shower drains. Controls things very well. Has made the backflush far less important.

Good luck!!

xrvr · 06-13-2015, 05:45 AM

Flushing the tank should not be necessary if you are using enough water. Pull the valve and then put a gallon or two in the toilet and pull the valve again. When done and valve is closed put some water back into the black tank. Jim

SilverEagle6 · 06-13-2015, 07:38 AM

There is a gizmo from Camco called the water thief or hose thief. Cost about $4. It slips over the end of the cut off hose. You may have to hold it on depending on pressure. It works great and we use it quite often.

Hiho Silver · 06-13-2015, 07:49 AM

Or use a hose clamp so you don't have to hold the water thief on.

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hhendrix · 06-13-2015, 09:09 AM

I have a little plastic bag of different size male hose ends with with a simple screw clamp and a small screw driver. It only takes a minute to put one on.

remphoto · 06-13-2015, 09:13 AM

I carry a slip joint wrench and just take off the dumpstation hose and put on my own. Of course I replace the original hose when done.

paiceman · 06-13-2015, 09:53 AM

We carry a flexi hose in the rear bumper with one section of sewar hose. When I run into this I detach the dump station hose, attach my flex hose and proceed to clear her out. Then reverse. That said I usually try to end any trip at a full service campsite and do all that at the site the last morning. Works well for us, can't use the toilet on our last leg home, but no big deal.

gecko · 06-13-2015, 11:32 AM

Not necessary to use the spray after every outing--just good to do so on a regular basis. As suggested, if you are traveling every day for several days, invest in a a full service site so you can hook up that second, sewer use only hose that you always with you!

TBRich · 06-13-2015, 11:54 AM

We add our dishwater to the black tank through the toilet the last day before we leave a campground (if there's room in the tank...making sure the dish water doesn't have a spoon or fork hiding in it) to add water volume to the black tank. We don't use the rinse system every time either...usually at our last stop of a trip, and if there's no line to dump...and, of course, if there's a threaded hose at the dump station (and many times there is not).

JimGolden · 06-13-2015, 12:33 PM

Another old trick (my 87 has no hose rinse provision for the black tank) is to put a bag of ice cubes down the toilet after emptying the tank at the campground. The solid cubes will scour the inside of the tank and get the junk that's stuck broken free. Then the cubes melt and it's all liquid happiness that you can dump at the next stop six hours later.

Jacob D · 06-13-2015, 12:37 PM

Our 67 Overlander has no grey tank and no flush system. I usually estimate 3/4 full on the black tank, fill rest of way with water and dump. Then leave valve open, fill toilet with water and flush 3 times to ensure nothing is caught in the valve slide. If at a dump station, I open the rear window and do the above using the hose with no end.

merchantmm · 06-13-2015, 03:19 PM

Wow. Great tricks everyone. Thanks.

AWCHIEF · 06-13-2015, 04:52 PM

The Geo Method, currently giving this a try. Too early to tell how effective it is.

https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/

**jcanavera** · 06-13-2015, 05:06 PM

If you dump your tank full, as others have noted, there is no overriding need to use the rinse. I tend to wait till I'm at a full hookup site and prior to departure on my last trip of the season I hook up the tank rinse. I did without such a valve for 14 years with my SOB and never had any issue regarding the tank. I typically add a gallon or so of water into the tank after dumping and put in some of the holding tank chemical (I use the environmentally friendly stuff).

I almost believe that Airstream added the rinse as a "nicety" signifying a premium trailer. If you follow the fill the full tank dump procedure, you'd probably never would miss not having the rinse attachment.

I wonder how many folks have failed to blow out this valve when winterizing. I know the first 3 years I owned my Classic, I never did, nor do I know if any of the plumbing serving this valve holds any water after the hose is disconnected.

Jack

idroba · 06-13-2015, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimGolden

Another old trick (my 87 has no hose rinse provision for the black tank) is to put a bag of ice cubes down the toilet after emptying the tank at the campground. The solid cubes will scour the inside of the tank and get the junk that's stuck broken free. Then the cubes melt and it's all liquid happiness that you can dump at the next stop six hours later.

There is a great Youtube video by a guy who tests RV things and ideas on the subject. Bottom line, it does not work. Sounds good, but his plexiglass tank shows the poor to non existent results.

Someone here posted the URL a few weeks ago. I am not a youtube search expert and have no idea how to find it again.

**jcanavera** · 06-16-2015, 07:14 AM

Thefitrv.com. Is the site. Pretty good. He does one whole segment on ice cubes. The take away is that ice cubes don't work. It's the water and soaking that do the trick. He does another segment trying 4 different tank cleaning devices. Bottom line the built in sprayer does the best job. He's going to be doing a segment looking at the effectiveness of holding tank chemicals.

Go to you tube and search for Thefitrv. You will see a list of his videos.

Jack