Emptying Black Waste Tank

[helluva]

Hey guys. Really need some help with this one, can't seem to find the right info from my local rv shops.

So I recently just started renovating my airsteam, and just assumed the black waste tank was emptied as the previous owner stated it was "winterized", maybe that was a poor assumption.

I remove the toilet to find a full to brim waste tank, yay for me. I call around to see if I can find an off site rv pump service, wasn't able to find anything in my area for around $120. Seems really high, but don't have another choice besides towing the airstream to a local dump station.

Anyways, the pump service asked me a few questions to make sure I had the hose and valve for the tank working, to which I wasn't sure on. So I go to check out the hose and release valve, which I'm now trying to figure out with the help of you guys.

So here's my view. The only way I see to empty the tank is by twisting the cap, but i'm very very scared to do that. Please let me know if I'm missing something, I've tried searching online and in my manual, don't see any levers or valves that have a handle to pull.

top view:


left side:


right side:

[Glenritas]

If your 27' is anything like my '69 25' these pictures should help ...

Here is what your see from outside looking in the rear hatch .

On the street side of the compartment you see the pressure regulator .

Behind the regulator hidden from view is the handle for the black tank next to the water line drain valve.

Now from the inside of the bathroom you see the toilet in the street side corner.

Now the same area stripped out.

And finally a better view of the black tank dump handle. Pulled up to dump.

[Lumatic]

There has to be a valve somewhere, otherwise you would not have a full tank. I would be cautious about testing the valve because the tank will want to empty forcefully and you may not be able to close it.

You could get a pump that attaches to an electric drill. Harbor Freight has them cheap. Pump the stuff into 5 gallon buckets and dump them in any toilet.

[Shacksman]

Dig a hole - pull the valve - fill the hole!

[kscherzi]

I second the portable pump /toilet plan until you get the drain tested. I don't support digging a hole especially if you have a fresh water well nearby.

[TomKirk]

On my '77 Sovereign (center bath), both dump valves (grey and black) are mid-ship, under the belly pan.

There is only one way to find out if your black tank will drain - and that would be to take the cap off. Be sure to keep your mouth shut when you do.

You may hafta back flush with a hose to loosen things up. Be sure to close the grey valve when you back-flush because grey and black plumbing is connected under the belly pan.

FYI - Some guys (myself included) tend to do their thinking with their mouth open. This is no LOL matter at a time like this.

Tom

[CRH]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

Dig a hole - pull the valve - fill the hole!

Yep, I would use a gas auger to make a hole or two.

[Gdickison]

Hey! Like, you, and so many other knuckleheads, I quite assumed my 1969 Sovereign trailer had an empty tank... I mean who doesn't dump when they've left the campsite??? Dumb question apparently. I found out the hard way, by seeing what would happen when I removed the cap, while wearing sandals. I've never felt so violated. Later, when I emotionally recovered and properly showered, I was ready to empty the tank properly, I grabbed an old bucket and closed the valve (leaving only about an inch) and dumped the contents gradually into the old bucket. I then opened all the windows and doors in my home and brought the almost full bucket into the nearest toilet and dumped again. This took about 7 or 8 trips and the house smelled foul for a scary hour. The solution however, worked and I was able to remove the old tank afterwards with very little incident. Best of luck!

[rvb]

There may be some options for dumping at home if you can buy or borrow a portable tank (blue bomber). I'm lucky, my house sewer line has a clean out I can fit my RV sewer hose into so I can dump my bomber there.

My second option is the city sewer manhole is next to the street on the back corner of my lot and RVers in the neighborhood have been pulling the cover and dumping into the sewer there for years. If you do that, make sure it is a sanitary sewer line not a storm water line and bring help because the lids are very heavy cast iron. Your city may or may not approve.

I have also considered replacing my RV sewer hose with a Macerator pump that fits on the RV drain and uses a garden hose to pump directly from the Trailer to the sewer clean out which is about 50' away.

[helluva]

Originally Posted by Glenritas

If your 27' is anything like my '69 25' these pictures should help

.......

And finally a better view of the black tank dump handle. Pulled up to dump.

Exactly how mine is, thank you very much for sharing these photos, if it was a snake it would've bit me..... now onto getting these damn snakes out from under my subfloor.

Thanks for all the input guys. Now that I've located my dump valve handle thinger majig, I'll probably just take it to a local dump station... just have to figure out what I can plug the top of the tank with till it's empty... maybe one of these bad boys will do the trick:

[GammaDog]

I'm assuming the service you found is a septic tank service (or porta John company). why cant they pump out through the toilet flange rather than the dump valve? The do that with porta johns. If you do that, consider refilling with fresh water and having them pump it a couple of times to flush the tank as clean as possible.

[Sunnysideup]

OK gang. I read all these posts and laughed my head off. Then I showed it to Harry. He had "been there and done that". He laughed till he cried. He said, "It would not be so funny except that I have tried to put the black water cap back on and the gray water was open too." Anyway, thanks for the great laughs tonight. I have not seen Harry laugh that hard in years. (We finally found a campground with full hook-ups so our days of pulling a blueboy with the car are over)

[helluva]

Originally Posted by GammaDog

I'm assuming the service you found is a septic tank service (or porta John company). why cant they pump out through the toilet flange rather than the dump valve? The do that with porta johns. If you do that, consider refilling with fresh water and having them pump it a couple of times to flush the tank as clean as possible.

Yes, septic tank company. They could have, but was much more expensive. I even had a guy offer to pump it out with a wet vac. gulp. Will definitely do a nice rinse of it at my local rv dealer which has full hookups.

Originally Posted by Sunnysideup

OK gang. I read all these posts and laughed my head off. Then I showed it to Harry. He had "been there and done that". He laughed till he cried. He said, "It would not be so funny except that I have tried to put the black water cap back on and the gray water was open too." Anyway, thanks for the great laughs tonight. I have not seen Harry laugh that hard in years. (We finally found a campground with full hook-ups so our days of pulling a blueboy with the car are over)

Haha, be sure to follow me for many topics of the sort, glad we got Harry laughing again.

[traileritus]

Thank you very much, Glenn & Rita for the excellent pictures! I've a '69 Sovereign that I was trying to find the black tank valve on. After looking at your photos I was able to go right out to the trailer and there it was!