Need to set the DW's mind at ease

Shawn.O · 07-31-2018, 03:37 PM

We just finished up a long weekend of camping with no black water hookup, our tank was about 3/4 full and on our way out I decided not to wait in line for the dump station since we will be heading out again in just over a week to camp at a site with full hookups. The DW is very concerned and is convinced that we (and by "we" I mean "I")should have dumped before we left the last place, I saw no issue with waiting and was curious if anyone else would have done the same thing or would you have waited and dumped before leaving?

Kimber45 · 07-31-2018, 03:44 PM

as long as you have treatment in the tank I don't think a week is a big deal. Everyone prob has there own thoughts.

**Bama Rambler** · 07-31-2018, 03:46 PM

I may have dumped, but I may not have either. If there was a pretty good line, and I knew that I could easily dump on the way in next time, I'd probably do as you did and wait. There's no harm in the tank sitting with stuff in it for several weeks.

alsdas88 · 07-31-2018, 03:47 PM

Smell build up from sitting in a warm holding tank will be the biggest downfall. Every treatment brand I have used only last about a week before that treatment starts to not be effective. Be prepared for a smelly inside when you go back on the road.

cavie · 07-31-2018, 03:50 PM

Just throw some extra treatment into the tank and empty on the way in to your new site.

Shawn.O · 07-31-2018, 03:50 PM

I treated as soon as we got home and I was planning on treating again in a day or so to keep the smell down, I regularly check on things within the camper anyway and so far it's not an issue

SailorSam20500 · 07-31-2018, 04:00 PM

I doubt you will have a problem and wouldn't worry about "treatments". From what you said, the first thing you are going to do after setting up is dump the tank. No "stuff", no smell.
FWIW, I dump based on travel plans unless actually full. I'm guessing folks who complain about the fragrance haven't spent much time near or on a farm or a camps where the facilities are outhouses.

IsleDog · 07-31-2018, 04:02 PM

I ran into this already this year as well. we just treated the tank a little bit more, left it for about 2 weeks, dumped when we arrived at the campground, a little extra flushing when leaving and all was good. there should be NO smell in the camper while leaving it sit. it has a tank vent. just keep some water in the toilet bowl and you will be just fine. my wife didnt think that this would work, but she is a believer now.

Shawn.O · 07-31-2018, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

I doubt you will have a problem and wouldn't worry about "treatments". From what you said, the first thing you are going to do after setting up is dump the tank. No "stuff", no smell.
FWIW, I dump based on travel plans unless actually full. I'm guessing folks who complain about the fragrance haven't spent much time near or on a farm or a camps where the facilities are outhouses.

I live in a small town with several dairy farms... the wife and kids complain when we drive by but I just keep telling them that it smells like good country livin...!!

Kaadk · 07-31-2018, 04:07 PM

I've done it that way once before. Camped for a weekend at a place with no sewer hookup, and didn't bother dumping until the following weekend at the next place where I did have hookups. No problems. (Though, I did limit the onboard to only #1 on that trip, knowing in advance that I would be doing this).

The campground I was at there wasn't a lineup to dump, but the dump station was on a dead-end road that had become all seasonals. The only way to dump would be to pull your rig down the road to the station (not far, like maybe 100'?) but then you'd have to back you rig up back down that 100' until you could turn it around to get out the exit of the camp. Other than that little quirk, it was a great campground with their transient sites right on the beach.

BandJCarm · 07-31-2018, 04:13 PM

I don't dump black tank till it's pretty full........and it's not pretty full many times until 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 campgrounds down the road.... Some campgrounds are one night, some are a few. Depends on the pizza quality, mostly.

Thurman · 07-31-2018, 04:27 PM

This may not sound pretty and it isn't. I have by-passed the lines at the dump stations before as I have a way to dump my black/grey tanks at home into my septic system. There have been times that I get to doing something else for few days and forget to dump/clean out the tanks. I use a clear elbow attached to my black/grey drain and onto this I have a macerator pump used to pump to my septic tank. A few times when I start to pump out the tanks I find a large, no huge, amount of maggots coming from the black tank waste. Yes, I do add treatment to the tanks when set up camping and add an extra to the black tank when we start to break down. It bothers me that somehow a fly(s) can get into the black tank to lay eggs and create the maggots. I had one of the regular tank vents on top of the TT and I added one of the 360 siphon type and still had the problem. So there's a thought as to what may be getting into your black tank.

SailorSam20500 · 07-31-2018, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

Some campgrounds are one night, some are a few. Depends on the pizza quality, mostly.

036.6turbo · 08-01-2018, 06:29 AM

I guess I am the exception. I would have waiting in line and dumped.

What's the big hurry?

Heaven forbid I have a traffic accident while driving home from the campsite, but that accident would be several times worse if the contents of my black tank get loose.

aceinspp · 08-01-2018, 06:45 AM

X 2 dump every time and never travel with waste or gray. Hopefully you don't have a tank drop also as we have read here on the forum. Later RJD

grumpy0374 · 08-01-2018, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 036.6turbo

I guess I am the exception. I would have waiting in line and dumped.

What's the big hurry?

Heaven forbid I have a traffic accident while driving home from the campsite, but that accident would be several times worse if the contents of my black tank get loose.

Same here...would have waited.
What happens if your next trip gets delayed? Something happens and your rig has to sit for weeks or months.
We've all had something happen to delay a trip, weather, illness, accident, whatever.
Dump it and forget it.
Grumpy

**ependydad** · 08-01-2018, 01:24 PM

No idea if I would have dumped or not- but the one thing that comes to mind is if the extra X lbs. of Y gallons of black water would put you over your trailer's weight rating. I know with my rig and the number of black and gray tanks that I have, that I can carry up to a couple of thousand points of black + gray water (not that I ever have, but it still adds up).

llr · 08-01-2018, 01:35 PM

I wouldn't worry about it unless it could be a weight distribution issue.
I had a 24' TT with front water tank and rear bath and did this 1 time, it got a little interesting on a fly over ramp.

**bikendan** · 08-01-2018, 02:08 PM

I've often waited till the next trip to dump. But since we never camp in the Summer, weekends or holidays, we rarely have to deal with dump lines.
Plus there's just the two of us so our black tank doesn't ever get close to full.

NMWildcat · 08-01-2018, 02:36 PM

We have not dumped black for up to three weeks when boondocking. No biggy. No smell. Odorlos.

But on travel day there are so many places to pay a small fee and dump. And most houses (like ours) have a sewer cleanout in front that you can use if you have enough hose.

Lots of options to do whatever you want when it comes to dumping.

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