Bigger Grey Holding Tank?

[rscribner]

I have a 2018 32DS FR3. I also have a total of 6 people in my family (me being the only male). While we are dry camping, our grey tank gets almost full if we all take a shower. We follow water conservation practices (not to use a lot of our fresh water but to save space in our grey tank). I have installed an upgraded shower head with shut off valve so the water does not continuously run.

That being said, has anyone installed a bigger or an additional grey holding tank on their coach?

Thanks for the input.

[SeaDog]

I believe the solution to your situation is to purchase one of those totes, I think it would be far cheaper then installing (if you could) a bigger gray tank. with that said the tote may in itself pose a problem with dumping sorry this didn't answer your question as you wanted.

[blackfly]

Some folks will also pull a bucket or two of grey water and dump it in the black tank.

[repsolgamma]

The super duper militant boondocker hacker secret is to add a switchable T junction to the shower drain so you can cough snort wheeze chortle sneeze “divert” shower water into a 5 gallon bucket under the RV.

Dump the bucket into your black tank, a pit toilet, water a tree, dug a hole under your drain line and let it percolate into the soil.

Let your conscious be your guide, young Jedi.

[RMWSierra]

Originally Posted by rscribner

I have a 2018 32DS FR3. I also have a total of 6 people in my family (me being the only male). While we are dry camping, our grey tank gets almost full if we all take a shower. We follow water conservation practices (not to use a lot of our fresh water but to save space in our grey tank). I have installed an upgraded shower head with shut off valve so the water does not continuously run.

That being said, has anyone installed a bigger or an additional grey holding tank on their coach?

Thanks for the input.

Do not remember name but a device can be installed in shower that diverts water to fresh water tank while waiting for water to get warm. It can be used later. Inventor was at Goshen rally. Might help?

[McCormickJim]

x2 on what SeaDog said.

Here is an Amazon link for totes: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rv+tote+t...f=nb_sb_noss_1

Whichever one you get, I strongly recommend getting one that has a trailer-ball hook, so you can pull it to the dump station with your vehicle. Some totes have the hook built in. Some use an add-on. Mine used the add-on and was great.

On the same Amazon link you can purchase the add-on and an adaptor to carry the tote on you trailer's ladder.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by McCormickJim

x2 on what SeaDog said.

Here is an Amazon link for totes: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rv+tote+t...f=nb_sb_noss_1

Whichever one you get, I strongly recommend getting one that has a trailer-ball hook, so you can pull it to the dump station with your vehicle. Some totes have the hook built in. Some use an add-on. Mine used the add-on and was great.

He said he was dry-camping. A tote works if you are dry camping at a campground. Not so good if you are out in the woods. I don't think the plastic wheels on a tote would survive towing a fully loaded tote a few miles, even if it did connect to a trailer ball.

Confession:
I have a pintle hook on the back of the golf cart and tow a 25-gallon (200 lbs) tote a few tenths of a mile regularly at less than 5 mph.

[jjcar]

Has any one used a 12 volt water transfer pump to pump into drum in the back of a pick up truck?

[Chrisc40]

Ever consider getting a composting toilet so you can combine the black and gray tanks together. It will double your gray tank capacity with a lot less work.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Chrisc40

Ever consider getting a composting toilet so you can combine the black and gray tanks together. It will double your gray tank capacity with a lot less work.

You can do that without a composting toilet. Just put the cap on the outlet and open both valves. Water will flow from the gray tank into the black tank until both are at the same level. Close the valves when you no longer hear water flow. As the gray tank fills further, repeat the process.

There will be a quart or two of water behind the cap, even when both valves are closed. When you are ready to drain the tanks, hold your hose below the outlet, opening facing up, as you remove the cap, to catch that water. Then drain the black tank followed by the gray tank, as usual.

[Lee Pedrick]

I think I'd buy three of them their own trailer!! LOL!! Don't know your grey water capacity, but if you get a tote at or larger than your tank capacity, you doubled your capacity. Regardless,, you have to dump "SOMEWHERE" If you blend your grey with your black you just cut your options down to nothing. If its not pee,, save a tree!!

[Lee Pedrick]

I do all camping cooking outside. I use the outside shower to wash and rinse all my dishes. (hot and cold water) then I usually dump the dish pan in the fire pit or at the base of a tree stump. This is not shower water so this method saves alot of grey tank capacity not being used up.

[Walholler]

If I was boondocking, I would just dump the grey water tank onto the ground. Water from kitchen sink and bath water is not going to ruin the environment.

[Adrian Gordon]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

You can do that without a composting toilet. Just put the cap on the outlet and open both valves. Water will flow from the gray tank into the black tank until both are at the same level. Close the valves when you no longer hear water flow. As the gray tank fills further, repeat the process.

There will be a quart or two of water behind the cap, even when both valves are closed. When you are ready to drain the tanks, hold your hose below the outlet, opening facing up, as you remove the cap, to catch that water. Then drain the black tank followed by the gray tank, as usual.

An interesting approach that raises a question. Are both the gray and the black tanks at the same elevation in the RV and the same size and shape? Can easily picture a scenario where this "fix" could actually reduce the total capacity of the system. And then of course there is the problem of having contaminated black water in both tanks and the amount that will be sitting in the drain line that you're going to have splashing around as you open the cap.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by repsolgamma

The super duper militant boondocker hacker secret is to add a switchable T junction to the shower drain so you can cough snort wheeze chortle sneeze “divert” shower water into a 5 gallon bucket under the RV.

Dump the bucket into your black tank, a pit toilet, water a tree, dug a hole under your drain line and let it percolate into the soil.

Let your conscious be your guide, young Jedi.

X2
With this addition... when BOONDOCKING
In dry areas, grey water is irrigation water. My 12 gallon grey tank fills quickly, and a 5 gallon Homer bucket is all i need to haul grey water to a vault toilet, or water a tree.

True grey water is not potable, but it is not toxic. It's far purer than grey water used in agricultural irrigation...as in untreated river water or reservoir water. The waste products in grey water went in as food grade, and they have a bit of dish soap and shower soaps mixed in. If you'd shower outside and let the water run on the ground, there is no difference.

All those purist tent campers dump grey water from their dishpans onto the perimeter of their sites.

Your challenge is deciding how to transport the grey water to its ultimate destination. Two buckets, 3/4 full, will carry about 8 gallons of water to a tree 100 feet from your site.

Caveats: Don't do this in areas with high water tables or poor drainage. Don't do this next to someone who will shoot you. And if you're in a campground, you're NOT boondocking, so haul the grey water to the vault toilet or bathroom and flush it.

Two trips a day with two buckets will haul away and dispose of about 16 gallons of grey water. Unless you're hooked to city water, you can't afford to use much more fresh water than that, or you'll run dry. If you have a city water hookup, haul it to the bathroom...when you need to pee.

[Chrisc40]

Originally Posted by Adrian Gordon

An interesting approach that raises a question. Are both the gray and the black tanks at the same elevation in the RV and the same size and shape? Can easily picture a scenario where this "fix" could actually reduce the total capacity of the system. And then of course there is the problem of having contaminated black water in both tanks and the amount that will be sitting in the drain line that you're going to have splashing around as you open the cap.

Agree and I don't like the idea of just putting a cap on and leaving both valves open.

To answer the other guy's question why a composting toilet is needed. Installing a composting toilet eliminates the need for a black tank so the existing black tank can be used ONLY FOR GRAY WATER.

Once that is done the black tank can be cleaned out thoroughly and used to increase the gray capacity. Combining the 2 tanks is normally easy to do and takes 2 minutes to do the job. There is an extension with a valve that can be twisted on the outlet. The 2 tanks can be left open and the extension valve closed except when emptying the tanks. There are several videos explaining the whole thing on YouTube.

[Kimber45]

The water saving plan in my unit is, If you are not making the payment you walk to the shower house.

[NMWildcat]

It's called a Shower Miser. https://www.trailerlife.com/rv-gear/...y-showermiser/

We installed one and love it! They also make one for sinks. We save about 30 gallons a week of fresh water between the two of us, which also saves you gray tank space.
But, with that many folks using one RV, your gray tank is going to fill quickly regardless. So unless you are boondocking in an area where you can release gray water in an appropriate area, well...... Good luck!!

Originally Posted by rmwmiata

Do not remember name but a device can be installed in shower that diverts water to fresh water tank while waiting for water to get warm. It can be used later. Inventor was at Goshen rally. Might help?

[spicercars]

I use a portable tote and carry a 21v pump with me so if I cant tow the tote somewhere close I can set it in the back of the truck and pump the water into it. Super simple.