Gray Tank Install

[mingle51]

Making slow progress on my 1973 Land yacht now i"m getting ready to install a gray tank that my land yacht doesn't have. I"m wonder how do you keep any of the gray water from coming up into the shower when the trailer is in tow? Does it need a check valve?

[Chuck]

The cheap method is to just put a stopper in the drain. But this will work, too:
HepvO Self Sealing Waterless Waste Valve

[TG Twinkie]

The should be a P trap of sorts for the shower. Unless the tank is full to the point of overflowing the grey water won't come up in the shower.


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[mingle51]

Thanks tg that's how house systems works wasn't sure it applied to a airstream.

[batman]

Originally Posted by mingle51

Making slow progress on my 1973 Land yacht now i"m getting ready to install a gray tank that my land yacht doesn't have. I"m wonder how do you keep any of the gray water from coming up into the shower when the trailer is in tow? Does it need a check valve?

Ist, if you are adding a gray tank. I can highly recommend the HepvO. Much better for a restricted space application and can be mounted horizontal or vertical. I put one on my tub and both kitchen and bathroom sinks. Amazing!
2nd, I empty my black and gray tank before travel, unless we are booney camping, then I hit the first dump station. If we stop and use a little water during are journey, it has never been a problem with the HepvO in line.

-Dennis

[CaCraig]

Can you share details on how you're plumbing the gray water tank and where and how you're mounting it? I want to do add one on my '71.

I thought the best would be to have the gray flow to the black to help flush it and then exit the same opening at the back.

Thanks.

[Jim Foster]

We use a stopper. Works great.


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[batman]

Originally Posted by CraigCA

Can you share details on how you're plumbing the gray water tank and where and how you're mounting it? I want to do add one on my '71.

I thought the best would be to have the gray flow to the black to help flush it and then exit the same opening at the back.

Thanks.

Craig, it is good to open the black tank first then flush the hose clean with the gray water. However I do not think it would be a good idea to connect the two tanks. If gray can flow into black. The reverse can happen.
You want a way to drain each separately with no danger of cross contamination from black to gray.
Sometimes when we are off grid booney camping on our own property, we would like to drain just the gray. It is just a little (Bio-degradable) soapy water. That gives us a little more room for an extra shower before heading out.
My black is beneath the sub-floor directly under the toilet in the rear of our 64. Some trailer have a black tank above the floor.
I added a gray tank just behind the axle. The drains from the sinks, tub and vent all connect above the floor, the vent goes up though the roof and drain pipe drops though the floor into the gray tank. It would be hard to drain a tub/shower into a gray tank unless it was under the floor.
If you are under there plumbing anyway it's not hard to put in a Valterra dual valve. I think I used a Valterra T-81, their a lots to chose from.
My .02

-Dennis

[CaCraig]

I was thinking of a valve between the black and gray tanks so after the black is emptied, open the gray valve and let it flow through.

I was planning on adding a gray tank just behind the axles. I'm not sure where I should put the valve. I've seen where it exits through a 1.5" pipe through the belly to a 90 degree and valve just behind the street side wheels so I could do that but I don't think it looks very nice. I'd prefer to utilize the 3" exit through the rear for both if possible.

I have yet to read anywhere on here how the 1974+ models had their gray tanks plumbed because I'd probably just copy that configuration.

[TG Twinkie]

I have a '74 Argosy which has the original grey water tank. It connects to the sewer dump outlet down stream from the black water valve.
I installed a 21 gallon tank under the curb side bed above the floor and axles. The dump side of the new tank is connected to the grey water DWV system upstream of the original grey water tank. There is a ball valve in the new tank discharge line. It stays closed until the new tank is full.
When the original tank is full (12 gallons) I connect a pump to the sewer outlet then open the grey water dump valve. The pump transfers the grey water to the new tank. When both tanks are full I open the grey water dump valve and drain the old tank. I then open the ball valve on the new tank it drains thru the old tank and out. I have a total of 33 gallons of grey water capacity now.
It is a lot easier than using a tote to carry off the grey water every time the 12 gallon tank gets full.

[CaCraig]

Getting gray water into the tank isn't really my concern because that seems easy enough. I'm trying to figure out where to put the valve to empty the gray tank.

I'd like to have it exit through the back with the black water valve but because the black tank fits completely between the frame, I don't think that can happen. I'd have to make the black tank a bit narrower so a pipe can pass next to it.

The next way would be to have the gray tank exit through the belly to a 90 degree turn, to a valve and over to just behind the street side wheels.