Water storage sizes for solaire 317 trailer

[allisonanddave]

Is it possible to change the size of the holding tanks. My trailer has 32 or so gallons for all tanks. They seem small. I'm brand new with all of this trailer stuff so I'm totally in the dark in this. It just seems like it would be okay to increase the sizes of them. At least the grey water tank. When we go camping and have full hookups, do we still need to empty the black and grey tanks or are they connected to hookups. We've never been camping. Our trailer is just getting ready for us to pick up.

[allisonanddave]

Nobody is out there. Come on. Write something to me. Whats up.

[firedaniel]

I looked into it with my old wildwood. It was much cheaper and easier to get a portable tank to drain into. Try a barker tank it worked for us

[allisonanddave]

Thank you. That is a good idea. I'll look into that. You just buy the portable containers and bring them dry and use once you get to site. Then you empty the same way you would normally?

[firedaniel]

Yeah there are different sizes. You can get one with a hook that you put over the ball on your tow vehicle and pull to the dump station. It's pretty slick.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ERBDK4JQHS8VE7

[allisonanddave]

Originally Posted by firedaniel

Yeah there are different sizes. You can get one with a hook that you put over the ball on your tow vehicle and pull to the dump station. It's pretty slick.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ERBDK4JQHS8VE7

This is great info. Thank you so much. We are newbies to this so pardon my stupid questions. I appreciate the help.

[Jerry01]

Originally Posted by allisonanddave

When we go camping and have full hookups, do we still need to empty the black and grey tanks or are they connected to hookups. We've never been camping. Our trailer is just getting ready for us to pick up.

Welcome to the forum. When you have full hookups, you connect the sewer hose to the trailer and then to the sewer outlet in the ground. Keep the grey valve open, but NEVER keep the black valve open. Keeping the black closed allows the chemical that you put into the toilet to break down the solids and TP. When the black tank gets full, then dump. Jerry.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Jerry01

Welcome to the forum. When you have full hookups, you connect the sewer hose to the trailer and then to the sewer outlet in the ground. Keep the grey valve open, but NEVER keep the black valve open. Keeping the black closed allows the chemical that you put into the toilet to break down the solids and TP. When the black tank gets full, then dump. Jerry.

Keeping the grey valve open is venting the entire campground sewer system thru your camper and it is really not designed to handle it.

Keep all holding tanks closed until 2/3 to F.

[Ashley]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Keeping the grey valve open is venting the entire campground sewer system thru your camper and it is really not designed to handle it.

Keep all holding tanks closed until 2/3 to F.

Listen to OC on this one! I have a friend whose Dad was camping for several weeks at a campground with full hookups. He left his drain valves open the whole time. After about a week he started feeling really bad and thought he was coming down with the Flu or something. After basically laying around in the camper for another week and getting worse and worse they hauled him to the hospital in an ambulance.

Come to find out he had "Gas" poisoning from the level of toxic gas in his camper which was backing up from the campground waste system. There ended up being over a dozen other people in the campground that had been staying more than just a few days who had to be treated as well due to the toxic levels of "Gas", I assume Methane, in their blood.

Bottom line, I keep mine closed and drain when needed. It isn't too big an inconvenience to walk around to the other side of the unit and pull a couple handles when needed.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Keeping the grey valve open is venting the entire campground sewer system thru your camper and it is really not designed to handle it.

Keep all holding tanks closed until 2/3 to F.

How is this possible unless p traps are empty?

[KMP44]

Originally Posted by TURBS

How is this possible unless p traps are empty?

Our kitchen sink has a vent inside the island. I would think it could vent sewer gas into the trailer so on rare occasions we have sewer, I have been leaving the GW valve shut except to drain it as needed.

[heavyodie]

Originally Posted by TURBS

How is this possible unless p traps are empty?

I agree with Turbs. Really no different than your S&B.

[geotex1]

Originally Posted by TURBS

How is this possible unless p traps are empty?

Holding tank vents are not large enough and the constituent gases that make up "sewer gases" can fill volumes and creep. Your black tank has no trap and it'll come up the toilet no problem for those who unwisely leave it open. However, all holding tanks are not exactly the tightest systems in the world, and you can have gases creep out and into holes in the floor - say where that shower trap is and anyone seen grommet bungs for their grey tank? Used to be common. Finally, roof vents on the camper aren't elevated beyond the level that can be drawn right into your standard sky vent.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by geotex1

Holding tank vents are not large enough and the constituent gases that make up "sewer gases" can fill volumes and creep. Your black tank has no trap and it'll come up the toilet no problem for those who unwisely leave it open. However, all holding tanks are not exactly the tightest systems in the world, and you can have gases creep out and into holes in the floor - say where that shower trap is and anyone seen grommet bungs for their grey tank? Used to be common. Finally, roof vents on the camper aren't elevated beyond the level that can be drawn right into your standard sky vent.

Good explanation and besides, the 1-1/4" & 1-1/2" P traps in your trailer are not designed to hold the suction of a 4" or 6" campground sewer system. A good gush flow down a cg sewer will suck the camper P traps dry. With all that being said, you folks will do whatever you want regardless.

[geotex1]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Good explanation and besides, the 1-1/4" & 1-1/2" P traps in your trailer are not designed to hold the suction of a 4" or 6" campground sewer system. A good gush flow down a cg sewer will suck the camper P traps dry. With all that being said, you folks will do whatever you want regardless.

Sounds like you remember fluid dynamics well too! Maybe we should put our slide rules to good use and do some calcs for the folks!

For the OP, it's generally not worth the investment to supplement or expand black and grey water tanks when you have the availability of totes as many have led you to. However, if you will dry camp or boon-dock often increasing the FW capacity isn't a bad idea. I had a new, larger tank roto-cast for our prior camper, a hybrid, as I had the real estate for its installation and the know-how to install and modify the cabinetry. New camper has the tank under the belly, yours may too (I don't know the model) and extra capacity can be had for $$$. Otherwise, 5 gallon water cooler jugs full are a cheap alternative.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by geotex1

Sounds like you remember fluid dynamics well too! Maybe we should put our slide rules to good use and do some calcs for the folks! ...

Some folks just won't listen or can't be teached.

[TURBS]

So your sayin if I take a shower the "down rush" of my "navy" shower thru my tank and trickle down the slinky will suck the water out of my p traps?
I could see this happening when you dump a whole load of water but not a trickle from my shower.
I don't believe it. Sorry.

By the way it's darn near impossible to leave the toilet valve open unless "you" hold it open.

Btw I don't disagree with leaving tanks to almost full before dumping as I do the same.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by KMP44

Our kitchen sink has a vent inside the island. I would think it could vent sewer gas into the trailer so on rare occasions we have sewer, I have been leaving the GW valve shut except to drain it as needed.

So wouldn't that do the same regardless if your tank valve is open or closed?

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

....

Keep all holding tanks closed until 2/3 to F.

This is also my process. Using this method allows you to have sufficient gray water to wash out your sewer hose after you have dumped your black tank.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by TURBS

So your sayin if I take a shower the "down rush" of my "navy" shower thru my tank and trickle down the slinky will suck the water out of my p traps?
I could see this happening when you dump a whole load of water but not a trickle from my shower.
I don't believe it. Sorry.

By the way it's darn near impossible to leave the toilet valve open unless "you" hold it open.

Btw I don't disagree with leaving tanks to almost full before dumping as I do the same.

Not saying that at all, just saying with the tank valves open a sudden gush in the cg sewer system will suck the P traps dry. Normal usage IN the camper will have no adverse effect on the P traps.