Should I Install a Gray Water Tank?

[coairstream]

I have a 1972 Trade Wind and it only has a fresh water tank and a black water. I had a leak from a hose I couldn't see or get to so I dropped the belly pan and removed the tank. What a pain!!! I figure while I'm underneath Ill redo the plumbing hoses etc. as it looks needed.

I look at it like this:

I'm already underneath so why not do a gray water tank except it will cost me $300.00-$400.00 when its all said and done. On the other hand I can do one of the portable totes and save the $ and not have to go through the trouble because I have enough to do as it is. I'm not that familiar with dump stations etc. I know when I'm at a full hookup park I don't need the gray water tank, but in national forest and similar type parks are dump stations usually close by to dump the portable tote? What do you guys think? I appreciate the opinions.

Thank you,

Cody

[igor]

Depends upon your intended usage of your Trade Wind. Retrofitting a grey water tank is still a couple of slots down the list for me. I almost exclusivly boondock and it would be extreamly nice to have a grey water tank. So, probably this winter I will drop the belly aft of the tires and install a grey tank.

[mello mike]

I'm in the same boat as you. I elected to just wait and do this mod in the future when I have the cash and time. I already have a blue tote so I'm good to go.

[Lumatic]

I use a blue boy with my 71, which also has the advantage of being able to transport the blue boy to the dump station, either for grey or balck water and not have to move the trailer.

If I had the belly pan off anyway though I would also be seriously considering adding a grey water tank.

[purman]

We do a lot more dry camping so I put in a 30 gal grey tank right behind my axles. I not sure what the total coast was as I'm redoing the trailer anyway. The tank was $250 plus the dump valve. It wasn't hard to reroute the plumbing.

The front and back sink came in on the curb side and I pulled the shower in on the road side. The dump valve comes right out the side of the tank.

I sure is nice having it. My blue tote was only 15 gal and was a pain to go and dump all the time.. Much bigger and they get really heavy...

[coairstream]

Thanks for the quick responses. I'll be looking at it more today.

[tlsmit1]

Originally Posted by purman

We do a lot more dry camping so I put in a 30 gal grey tank right behind my axles. I not sure what the total coast was as I'm redoing the trailer anyway. The tank was $250 plus the dump valve. It wasn't hard to reroute the plumbing.

The front and back sink came in on the curb side and I pulled the shower in on the road side. The dump valve comes right out the side of the tank.

I sure is nice having it. My blue tote was only 15 gal and was a pain to go and dump all the time.. Much bigger and they get really heavy...

Did you connect both the kitchen sink and the shower to this new grey water tank? Did you keep the black water tank isolated, or does the new grey water tank dump into the black tank (ie wash it out, the way some modern RVs do it)? Could you draw a crude diagram of your waste plumbing system?

Thanks!

[Airstreamdmb]

I have heard it said that adding the gray water tank was a signficant contributing factor resulting in rear sagging and separation. This has caused me to question adding this to my plans for my own AS. Don't know if there is any truth to this theory.

[easyride]

When I put the new floor in my GT,I installed a 34 gal black behind the axle,and a 34 gal gray in front of the axle,hoping that will give me some balance.

[shipoke]

Hello Everybody
We have a 73, 31' Excella and the service manual only shows a black tank, however ours has a gray tank sitting next to the black and each tank has its own seperate dump valve, so I'm assuming a prior owner added the gray tank. The Black tank only receives waste from the toliet, which cuts way down on the tote trips. It does appear our trailer has some butt droop though.
Shipoke

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by shipoke

Hello Everybody
We have a 73, 31' Excella and the service manual only shows a black tank, however ours has a gray tank sitting next to the black and each tank has its own seperate dump valve, so I'm assuming a prior owner added the gray tank. The Black tank only receives waste from the toliet, which cuts way down on the tote trips. It does appear our trailer has some butt droop though.
Shipoke

The Excella models, were what Airstream would build, the following years. A 73 Excella was the only model that year, that "DID HAVE" a factory installed gray tank.

You might say that the Excella's were the expermental model for the following years production.

Andy