Do I have to use the Black Tank?

[Jim Sease]

I have gotten an old 71 overlander. We have a site with sewer hook up that we want to put the Airstream. We don't plan on moving it much. I would like to just be able to bypast the black tank and have the wast flush directly into a sewer disposal hookup. When we test the sink water it seems to flow freely through the wast drain hose. When we put water in our toilet and flush it does not come thrugh the drain hose. What do I need to know to do this?

[overlander63]

Your sink and shower water will go right out the drain, as your coach has no grey water tank. The black tank can't be bypassed without major surgery, so probably the best thing is to leave the drain for the black tank closed, and open the drain every couple of days to get rid of the contents.

[lewster]

Jim,

Unless you plan to remove the toilet and replace it with a domestic flush toilet, your plan is a recipe for disaster. An RV toilet will never flush a sufficient amount of water thru the black tank to totally dispose of all of the solids, which will build up over time. When that happens, you have to drop the now full black tank and replace it. Believe me, this operation is NO FUN !

Any standard sewer drain for household use is a 4" pipe that will drain and empty completely when a toilet is flushed. RV's are not designed this way. Unless you plan to add the domestic toilet and 4" drain line connected right to it, I wouldn't do it!

[dwightdi]

You can install a 4 inch Y in your dump line to always have the sink water dump directly and then every 4 or five days ( or whenever you build up enough in your black tank) manually outside open the black water release valve.. This will give you enough flow to prevent major build up in the black tank. Every 6 months or so of sitting still, I would also flush the black tank when you are doing this procedure. I made up a 3 foot copper pipe with a hose fitting and a on off valve on one end and a squashed down 90 degree elbow on the other to allow insertion in thru the john and gives a 90 degree jet spray.

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

You can install a 4 inch Y in your dump line to always have the sink water dump directly and then every 4 or five days ( or whenever you build up enough in your black tank) manually outside open the black water release valve.

there's no need to add anything to accomplish this result; that's just the way it works, as configured from the factory. Grey water just flows freely out the sewer pipe, down the slinky, and into the sewer. Let the black tank fill up, then dump manually so that the tank gets flushed.

[azflycaster]

I met a couple with a newer (1989) airstream while camping this weekend. They had parked for some time at a trailer park with full hookups and left both the grey and black valves open. They are now faced with the removal of the "Black Hills".

[sfixx]

Nobody mentioned another reason that it's a bad idea to leave your dump valve open: Then the entire sewer is vented through your tank and out your vent stack. And you don't want that backdraft when you flush the toilet

Best of luck,

Steve

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by sfixx

Nobody mentioned another reason that it's a bad idea to leave your dump valve open: Then the entire sewer is vented through your tank and out your vent stack. And you don't want that backdraft when you flush the toilet

Best of luck,

Steve

Steve, you said a nose full!

[bsharpe]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

I met a couple with a newer (1989) airstream while camping this weekend. They had parked for some time at a trailer park with full hookups and left both the grey and black valves open. They are now faced with the removal of the "Black Hills".

Note to self...black hills...bad.