Portable waste water tank recommendation?

CedarCreekWoody · 08-10-2016, 05:16 PM

For my peace of mind in case the grey or black water tanks fill before my departure I'm thinking of getting a portable tank. Any suggestion? 2 wheel? 4 wheel? I hear of handles breaking, wheels coming off, etc. 30 gallon tanks on TT: wouldn't 32 gal portable be better choice than 27 gal? Extra weight a problem to tow? Your ideas/experiences are appreciated!

**bikendan** · 08-10-2016, 05:54 PM

Barker blue tote tank

Toddupton · 08-10-2016, 06:09 PM

One gallon milk jugs work well...

capman1212 · 08-10-2016, 06:35 PM

I would recommend getting a 4 wheeled tank with air filled tires only !
I had one with plastic wheels and theyc broke the first time i tried to tow it behind my truck.
Also get a portable tank bigger than your waste tank. That way when you dump your holding
tank you will not have to be worried about overflowing the portability one.

Kenny kustom · 08-10-2016, 06:39 PM

I picked up a barker tote.
Wheels look cheap, handle cheaper..
I didn't care, because i can pump up into the bed of my truck with the macerator. The tote will ride there.

2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

The_Rhino · 08-10-2016, 06:50 PM

I have the 42 gallon Barker because I know it will handle our 30 gallon gray tank plus some extra water in the bathtub/pipes without overflowing. Empty I can pick it up with one hand. I store it in the bathtub while traveling & then chain it under the TT when we arrive. It has the better air filled tires & can be hitched to our TV for a ride to the dumpsite.

I also have a 48 gallon freshwater bladder that I fill on the return trip. I place it on top of our Ram's fiberglass cap & then gravity feed through our exterior filter into our 48 gallon FW tank. When not in use it folds into about 1 cu ft. space. This combo allows us to camp at state parks without taking military showers.

Brewhedd · 08-10-2016, 07:04 PM

Barker 42 gallon, pneumatic tires, steel handle, wheel bearing grease fittings. Need I say more? Found one online for around $200.

CedarCreekWoody · 08-10-2016, 07:14 PM

Thanks guys! That Barker with pneumatic tires looks good.
I think I will pass on emptying the black water tank with the one gallon milk jugs!!

ChateauV10 · 08-11-2016, 12:37 PM

I have camped twice this summer for a week each time with electric only sites. The first time I used an 18 gallon 2 wheel tote from out tent camper days. it worked fine, but I had to tow it when I needed to dump. I found a 1st generation Thetford 4 wheel, 35 gallon tank on Craigslist for half price and picked that up for our second week at a state park. It, too, worked well and allowed me to pull it like a wagon (by hand) to the dump station. I even used it for the good stuff (black water) half way through the week as an experiment that thankfully worked out equally well.
In these adventures, I learned a couple of things. A 35 gallon tank is BIG! Travelling, I stored it in the back of our van, but it takes up a LOT of space and while it's not that heavy when empty, it is bulky and a bit awkward.
A 35 gallon tank is HEAVY when full, over 280 pounds. I could pull it fine on the road, but in the dirt near the rig, it was a handful. I am 6'2" and a smaller person might need to think carefully about how they will move a full tank. As one poster suggested, they use a macerator pump to fill the tank in the bed of their pickup, so that is one way. if you know in advance you will always tow the tank, a 2 wheel tank is lighter and less expensive, but you need to think in advance how you will move it to the back of your TV, just as with a 4 wheel tank.
Emptying the tank: The Barkers are attractive because they have that side valve for emptying. You do have to carry & attach a hose, Etc. and store it somewhere-doable, but you have to think about it. The Thetford has the integral hose and it worked well for my use. I did not have to think about carry anything while walking from the trailer to the dump station.
Wheels: Depends on the ground surface you'll be on. I like the solid tires on the Thetford and they worked well for me. The pneumatic tires on the Barker are attractive, it just depends on what you think will work for you.

Good Luck!

ccsvolsfan · 08-11-2016, 01:09 PM

I use 42 gal Barker. Leave it in back of truck and use flojet pump to fill. Empty at dumping station with regular hose. You could use a cheaper tank doing it this way. I had Barker before macerator.

JustB_Rad · 08-11-2016, 01:16 PM

I got a used (unused) 35 gallon Thetford Smart Tote for $100 on craigslist. We haven't had to use it yet, but we will over Labor Day as we're camping without sewer. We're only using it for gray water. I'm converting the cheap plastic wheels to some pneumatic wheels I just bought off amazon. I hope everything fits properly.....

CNYCamper · 08-11-2016, 01:44 PM

We started off with a 12 G Thetford in 2008 that has had frequent use and the wheels have yet to fall off. Only problem is the small capacity so this year we upgraded to a 27 G Thetford when it went on sale at the local Camping World (Thetford is the only brand they sell so I can't compare to Barker).

Our new Thetford so far has survived about 10 towed trips to dumping stations along typical rough campground roads with no mishaps. I bought the cheaper 2 wheel model with built in hose. If I had to do it over again I would have gone with a 4 wheel model, but not for the 2 extra wheels (actually casters).
The 4 wheeler has a built in handle that attaches to the hitch ball. I had to purchase a strap to attach (I could have just attached a rope to the handle).
Mine has a large coupler to ease attachment to the waste outlet. However, this coupler is too large to enter the hole at the dump station so I had to add a section. I don't think this is a problem with the more expensive model.
There is a shut-off so you won't overfill, but 27 G is a lot of weight and at the limit I want to mess with (at age 66 why take a chance on a back problem?).
I carry 2 10' kayaks that fit in the back of my truck. The tote is the last thing loaded and strapped down and nests between/over the kayaks.

CedarCreekWoody · 08-11-2016, 03:43 PM

Thanks to all of you. Lots of great ideas and suggestions to consider.

itat · 08-11-2016, 05:00 PM

This is what I have. Works great.

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Tote-...-p/88-1147.htm

bareftn · 08-14-2016, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rhino

I have the 42 gallon Barker because I know it will handle our 30 gallon gray tank plus some extra water in the bathtub/pipes without overflowing. Empty I can pick it up with one hand. I store it in the bathtub while traveling & then chain it under the TT when we arrive. It has the better air filled tires & can be hitched to our TV for a ride to the dumpsite.

I also have a 48 gallon freshwater bladder that I fill on the return trip. I place it on top of our Ram's fiberglass cap & then gravity feed through our exterior filter into our 48 gallon FW tank. When not in use it folds into about 1 cu ft. space. This combo allows us to camp at state parks without taking military showers.

Would love to see a pic of how you hang it under your tt

Barstorm · 08-14-2016, 09:02 AM

I have a 42 gal Barker that I plan on using for the first time in a couple of weeks. I am interested in knowing exactly how to leave it in the back of my truck and filling it with a pump. Could someone explain what is involved with doing it this way. It would make it a lot easier to travel to the dump station. Thanks in advance for the instructions.

ccsvolsfan · 08-14-2016, 10:42 AM

I use a 12v Flojet macerator pump. You can use a garden hose to run to your tank in the truck bed. You will need to use stinky slinky to dump the Barker. As a side not I found two sections of 1" hose and an adapter made for waste. The hose is clear/ spiral wound so it is easy to see . I pump black then gray as normal.

fella10 · 08-14-2016, 11:41 AM

with 30 gal. black and 30gal. gray tanks, I chose the 42 gal. Barker, because I wanted one large enough I wouldn't have to monitor while filling it, thus not run the chance of spilling black waste,... I can hookup, open the valve and let it empty into the Barker w/out worry,.... with Barkers 32 gal., it is so close to the same size, that just a slight out of level that the Barker might be, could be enough to spill the the black goodies,...... 42gal. is a large tank, but I'd rather have it than a smaller one,..... now the inter-tube tires is another story,... they do roll better, but are a pain to keep them aired up,.......

Brewhedd · 08-17-2016, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barstorm

I have a 42 gal Barker that I plan on using for the first time in a couple of weeks. I am interested in knowing exactly how to leave it in the back of my truck and filling it with a pump. Could someone explain what is involved with doing it this way. It would make it a lot easier to travel to the dump station. Thanks in advance for the instructions.

I use the flojet with 3/4 garden hose, so far it works well and empties my black tank in no time. I use a clear adapter on the connection between it and the black water valve on my TT. I ran wiring from my fuse panel coming into my rear storage bin right next to the black water outlet. That was a bit of a pain as I had to pull the underbelly covering.

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