Hitch and Dumping for Newbie Help

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Davidmtz1981

Thank you so much. I have an E2 Hitch, do you think greasing it would help reduce this noise?

The E-2 is an Equalizer hitch, the same as mine. Yes, the creaking is normal, it's the anti-sway working with friction.
Yes, greasing certain parts is good, but never the "L" pads where the bars slide on the trailer.

Grease the ball, and the swivel where the bars meet the head.


You may also look into adding the pads that slip on the "L" brackets like brake shoes.


As far as dumping, I wait until I have more than 50% full tanks.
There's always a good reason to postpone dumping!

[AnnaBelle33]

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/new-owners-portal

Both Equalizer part numbers are on that link. I bought both and it made a huge difference. Amazon is the fastest & cheapest way to get them.

[PatLee]

Consider discarding your TP in a tin can with a pop-lid versus tossing it into your toilet. It eliminates so many problems down the road. Plus you can then use any damn toilet paper you want without worrying that it will gum up the works.
Every time you poop, consider filling the toilet bowl a couple of times and then releasing the water into the tank to chase down/dispense the poop.
When you flush/clean your black tank at the site or wherever, pour a gallon of water mixed with a couple of tablespoons of Happy Camper into the toilet. Maybe a second gallon of water if you have time. It's good to have water sloshing and sliding around that black tank when you travel.
After a while, you'll start tracking your grey/black tank readings with an eye to timing your dumps. When the black tank starts getting above 50%, look to your grey tank to fill to 80-90% so that by the time you dump black tank, you've got a lot of grey water to cleanse with. The intuition comes with time and experience.

[Adam Geuss]

Originally Posted by n2916s

1. Depends on the hitch type/brand. My Reese dual-cam is noisy when maneuvering at slow speed. My previous trailer had a Reese but with a friction anti-sway which was always noisy at slow speed as well.

2. The black tank gunk is pretty normal. It is a wide, long shallow tank with plenty of places for stuff to hide. If you are going back out camping within a week or three, don’t worry about it. If you are parking it for awhile, several fill and dump cycles should get it sparkly clean...

I always apply some lubrication to my hitch ball whether or not I’m using an anti sway hitch, which I almost always do. As others have said, it’s normal.

I don’t think anyone washes out their black tank after each “dumping” at least at the camping site. Generally one simply lets the black tank drain followed by the grey tank and back to the site you go or wherever. Once you have several trips on the rig or feel you have used it’s plumbing systems a lot you can clean more thoroughly. I do after each week camping or there about. I admit that I use campground facilities when available and my camper systems may require lass attention.

[Vagabonds_2]

Originally Posted by AldeanFan

An hour to dump tanks is too long.
If there were 3 rigs ahead of you would you be ok waiting 3 hours?

I find that the fuller my tanks are the faster they dump, more liquid makes it even better.
On a weekend trip we only fill the tanks about 1/2 way so I give the toilet an extra good flush every time.
Also we try to use the trailer only for #1 business as much as possible.

Make sure to start with some water in the black tank before first toilet use. If you start with dry tanks stuff will stick to the bottom.

Before I head to the dump station I drive a few laps around the park to slosh things around and aid in a quick dump.

During the camping season I don’t worry too much about getting the tanks squeaky clean and totally empty at the shared dump station.
At the end of the summer we always stay in a full hookups site and before pulling out I can spend as much time as I want flushing the tanks.

>>The old timers say to put a couple of bags of ice down the toilet and drive around before dumping>>

[delrossa]

The company told me not to lubricate the WD arms where they rest on the cam. By lubricating this area it decreases the sway inhibitor.

[etojeo]

Ditto on the L Jackets sold by Equalizer - these two simple jackets silenced my Equalizer hitch.
Lots of good recommendations on the black tank flush, specifically:

1. Let it almost fill all the way up before flushing
2. If you can drive a bit with at least half a tank before final flush (pre-storage)
3. Close the dump valve for 30 - 60 seconds while using the black tank flush but ensure you have adequate margin to accommodate the water input to it or it will be a really bad day
4. Finally, I have learned to simply use more water when flushing the toilet. Its natural to try and limit the water input into a tank you are going to have to eventually dump, but your black tank will work better with more water in it!

Good luck!

[Davidmtz1981]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

Faster way
If you want to add a couple of gallons of fresh water into your toilet/black tank, it is much faster to have a bucket with you. Fill up the bucket from the water spigot, walk the water into the bathroom, and dump into the toilet. We find that while 1 person is putting away the dump hoses, the other person can do this.

If you are planning to spend more than about 10 minutes at a campground dump station people will hate you, and rightly so. Especially working people who have to get back home on Sunday to get ready for the work week.

If you need to spend more time than this, either use a full hook up site, or dump during non-busy times of the day.

Now-this being said, if you have a build up already there that needs to be remedied, then spend the time to get things blasted out of there, and then read up on best practices for tank usage to avoid this in the future.

What kinds of TP to use. How to avoid a poo volcano. How lots of water is important to create a slurry. How using a small trash can for #1 TP makes sense. What to do if you don't want to have #2 in the tank at all. When to dump. How to use full hookup sites so you don't create problems. There is a lot of information needed around this topic. If you aren't sure on any of this, people her are very friendly and love to help. So ask away!

Just making sure, but i thought full hook up sites are just for dumping gray water tank correct? You mentioned to use this opportunity to do a proper black tank flush but I’m pretty sure i mis understood.

[rmkrum]

Full hookup sites normally allow dumping both gray and black tanks. I typically stop at a full hookup campground as our last stop on a long trip so I can thoroughly flush tanks and leave them very clean.

All else fails, I can dump into our home sewer system with our SewerSolution system whilst parked in the driveway. I just unscrew the clean out in the garage floor and make darn sure the hose is properly secured to prevent a serious mess. I set a heavy weight on the hose end to keep it from moving while flushing the tanks.

[Piggy Bank]

Full hook up sites will have electrical, fresh water, and a sewer drain hookup that you can use. Kind of like a personal dump station at each site.

Some campgrounds like fancy RV parks are full hookups at every site. Some / many RV parks have a mix. Some sites full hook up, some only water and electric.

Many parks like state and national parks won't have the option for full hookups. So at these you will have to go to a shared dumpstation with everyone else who camps there.

If you are staying at a full hookup site, you are paying for the full hookups, including black tank.

It is important to know the right way to do this so you don't create even more problems. Never keep the black tank "open" because the liquid will all drain out, and all the solids will build up in the tank and you will be very sorry. Many people do leave their gray tanks open in this scenario. But we do not. We will keep the dump hose out and connected but we don't keep our gray tank valve open. Because we will want to run the gray tank to wash out our hose after we drain the black. And because we have heard horror stories of heavy rains causing septic field backups, and who wants to worry about that?

Travel Tip-If your campground has a mix of full hookup sites but your site is not full hookups, you can sometimes avoid a long line at the dumpstation by pulling into a vacated full hookup site to dump before you leave.

[dpanek]

Take the clear plastic piece off your dump hose and stop looking when you dump!

[Atwebs]

To keep your black tank flowing increase the amount of water you are using in it. We dump dishwater in and encourage a healthy long flush to make sure stuff gets washed down. Don't dump everyday, wait until it is full. (And on the same note, don't leave the sewer connection open if you do leave it hooked up. You don't get as much action as it just trickles out and you WILL get extra sewer fumes!). If you are traveling and you know the next spot will have sewer, leave the tank to dump later and let it slosh around while you travel. Chemicals (We like Happy Camper) and septic toilet paper will help, but lots of water in the system is the best bet!

We used minimal water and dumped all the time in our last trailer (at least an old hand pointed out not to leave the sewer connection open all the time or we would have done that as well) and it never seemed to work properly and we always had issues with the sensors. Lesson learned the hard way!

[Native143]

#1. Loosen your anti sway bar and it will eliminate creaking at slow speeds/turns/ entering leaving campgrounds. Lithium grease on hitch ball.



#2. Only human waste in toilet, NO TP saves a lot of space/waste problems. But if you have to, then Charmin Ultra Soft dissolves very well. We use Dr. Drain septic system powder in our toilet. Just a tablespoon at the beginning of a "fill" and it takes care of bacteria and manages the system well.

[SUP'n Woman]

Originally Posted by Rokitman

All the above. Good advice. Would only like to add that when I dump, the only TP in the flush is from that morning. Yes, we use the orange juice you can pick up in an 8 pack at any Walmart. I believe it helps break down the dirties.

But, we also look for TP that the label says "septic safe" or "rv safe" or "marine safe" or some such. They usually aren't the best for their intended use, but they breakdown much better. And with a little shopping, we're usually able to find something cheaper than the overpriced "made specifically for rv toilets" paper.

Finally, do a YouTube search for "best RV toilet paper"... plenty of them, and some demonstrate a method for doing your own testing.

My too sense.

Not to sound totally ignorant, bit what’s the purpose of the “orange juice” you mentioned? Thanks!!

[geo]

I found that using toilet paper that was labeled only as “septic safe” tends to gunk up the black tanks. Choose a product specifically labeled, “For RV and marine sanitation systems”. Thetford is one of the best brands I’ve tried. Another good one is Caboo bamboo toilet paper.

The enzyme based septic tank treatments help a lot in reducing odor and residue as well.

[Dan and Liz]

Charmin Ultra Soft dissolves easily (better than a lot of the “RV safe” products) and has never given us a problem. Digest-IT (available online) sitting a few days in a full black tank once or twice a year will clean residue. Always dump a full black tank, followed by a full grey tank to rinse the sewer hose, then a shot from the non-potable tap if available. You also might want to search online for “The Geo Method.”

[geo]

Originally Posted by Dan and Liz

You also might want to search online for “The Geo Method.”

Be careful using the “GEO Method”. Do not use chlorine bleach to clean your black tank. Dumping chlorine bleach into your black tank is counterproductive. It kills the bacteria and defeats the enzymes that are part of the natural process of breaking down waste, and is harmful for septic systems and the environment.

Also avoid using any products containing formaldehyde, which is also toxic to septic systems.

[gypsydad]

We have used the Geo method for many years; many folks endorse this method if you look on line for RV recommendations...works great; no issues if you carry all the ingredients. We now try to use Happy Camper, which also works very well; just sometimes hard to find. The TP we use is Costco brand and it breaks down very well also, and is cheaper than Charmin. We also try to minimize TP use in the black tank, using the trash for excess TP. We flush the black tank when dumping when possible. Our bathroom sink also drains into the black tank so enough water when camping. We add 2-3 gallons of water to the black tank when done along with our additive mentioned above so it sloshes to help clean sides. 4 AS's now, 14 years...works for us.