Portable dump tank

[NJKris]

Strange! We used the bathhouse to shower. Grey tank filled up just washing dishes and hands. I think maybe I need to run the water less when washing, I think I'm rinsing too much before I begin actually washing. Need to use the Shockley method!

[Mrs.Shockley]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Strange! We used the bathhouse to shower. Grey tank filled up just washing dishes and hands. I think maybe I need to run the water less when washing, I think I'm rinsing too much before I begin actually washing. Need to use the Shockley method!

Maybe we're just too full of...well, you know.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Strange! We used the bathhouse to shower. Grey tank filled up just washing dishes and hands. I think maybe I need to run the water less when washing, I think I'm rinsing too much before I begin actually washing. Need to use the Shockley method!

When we are conserving water, we'll fill a clean container of water that sits in the sink; we use that for rinsing the dishes.

We then put about 1 1/2 inches of water in the sink that is made soapy. We use that for washing and pre-rinsing the dishes before they go into the clean rinse water.

All told, we don't use much water at all for dishes.

Hands-washing, we turn off the water between steps.

It all adds up to a decent savings. Showers are our biggest killer. I don't mind sending the kids and might even go myself, but Momma showers at home. Of course, with water hookups- we'll run laundry too.

[NJKris]

Run laundry, lol. That means beating my clothes with rocks in the creek! I forgot ependydad lives in the Taj Majal of trailers. My kitchen sink is about half the size of a salad crisper drawer in a real fridge. I need to use one of the small wash tubs I have in conjunction with this to get a wash bath and rinse bath going.

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

Maybe we're just too full of...well, you know.

Hahaha! We use the bathhouse for that if we don't have full hookups. If I'm not sure I can use the black tank flush (which requires a hose hook up), I say use the bathhouse for #2. Pee is easy. TP for her goes in trash. Makes dumping the black a piece of cake.

[swamp1]

Question about the portable waste tanks...Would you recommend one portable tank for black and an additional tank for the gray water? Or use a larger portable tank for both black and gray? We will be primarily boondocking. Have the epro 15TB with 12 gallon black and 12 gallon gray tanks. Appreciate recommendations.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by swamp1

Question about the portable waste tanks...Would you recommend one portable tank for black and an additional tank for the gray water? Or use a larger portable tank for both black and gray? We will be primarily boondocking. Have the epro 15TB with 12 gallon black and 12 gallon gray tanks. Appreciate recommendations.

We've got a 15 gallon tote tank and NEVER have needed it for black water, only gray water.
Unless you're staying in one place for more than a week, filling a 15 gallon black tank would be hard, unless you got a bunch of people using it. We had a 25 gallon black tank and we could go 2-3 weeks without dumping it.

[NJKris]

Swamp, I'd go with one tank that can empty your black tank. If you have to repeat the trip for the gray, so be it. You have a smaller trailer, and I imagine want to travel light. One cart. Besides, these carts are not cheap.

[CincyGus]

Generally I've used the tank for black first and topped with gray water. Then once dumped, go back get remaining gray water (if there is any left) which gets sloshed around and acts as a little bit of a soapy rinse when I empty it. Then a hose to refill with clean water at the dump station and a final dump.
Tanks empty and tank clean of remnants.

As NJKris says, those tanks are expensive and besides that bulky.

I have one of the original Thetford Smart tanks which are bullet proof and has held up well for over 10 years. Their newer versions are not getting good reviews as far as quality build.

Rhino tote tanks look interesting if I was in the market today to buy one. Barker tanks also have had good reviews over the years and seem popular. With your size tanks, I'd be looking at something in the 18-24 gallon size. Your going to fill the gray water tank first so if you empty your black, then top with your gray each time the gray fills up, you should be good with that size.

[NJKris]

I have the 28g Rhino. It's huge. Not a big deal, because it's designed to hang off the TT rear ladder. If I wasn't able to do that, it would take a ton of space up in the pickup bed. Build quality seems great though.

[cavie]

I use a 4 wheel Barker 42 gal. love it. I'm in a seasonal site but if I traveled I would have a bumper holder. Nothing tied to the ladder.

[swamp1]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Swamp, I'd go with one tank that can empty your black tank. If you have to repeat the trip for the gray, so be it. You have a smaller trailer, and I imagine want to travel light. One cart. Besides, these carts are not cheap.

Thank you all for the information. We plan to boondock for almost all of our camping. 2 adults likely using TT toilet daily, military showers every other day and conservative cleaning dishes as well. Thinking the 15 gallon portable tote may not be enough for our needs. What about 1 tote for black and 1 for gray. Any objections to using 1 tote for both??

Also looking for lightweight because of our tow vehicle.

[RELHUB]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

My black tank outlet is 10 inches high. I can't find a portable dump that is lower than 11 1/2 inches.

What do I do?

Really it does not matter the height on the portable tank.
You will connect the flex hose and empty your tank.
It will flow fast be ready to shut off as it will fill FAST

[formerFR]

the height of the portable tank's inlet, and your RV's outlet, can be of concern, and while it might be a little easier, using your slinky hose will work the same regardless, but you have to make a note of a couple of things:

A) your tank may not, or will probably not, hold near what your RV's tank may be holding, so you may have to empty more than once, if you 'really' want to fully empty the RV's tanks.**
B) so, you connect your slinky hose, the shorter hose the better
C) you carefully monitor the output of the RV's tanks in order not the let the portable tank 'overfill' - matter-of-fact, you make sure to STOP the draining well before then, as the slinky hose will most likely have a lot also still left in it
D) after closing the RV's tanks, massage the slinky hose so that all 'left over' gets into the portable tank. Don't be alarmed, though, if a little gets left in the hose, no matter how much you try - it's just part of the scenario of being 'lower' when you are draining the tanks.
E) when you've removed the slinky then from both ends, cap the portable tank and get ready to take it to be dumped. Make sure you also remember to cap the 'air outlet' if the portable tank has one - this gives the tank a place for the air to escape as you are filling it, but also a hint to how 'full' the tank is getting as you do. It also provides the ability for the air to come back 'in' when you are draining the portable tank.
F) most tanks have the ability to be towed to the dump station, with wheels, at least at the rear, and a special handle that can attach over the ball on the rear of your vehicle, or a similar connection. While you can physically pick it up and put it into the rear of a vehicle or the bed of a truck, that's not an easy job - it's HEAVY! I would only pull it by hand, if close enough, or by your vehicle.
G) at the dump station, or sewer outlet, attach the slinky hose again to the portable tank and the other end to the dump station(some you just shove the end down into the opening) or sewer outlet(you'll need a sewer outlet connector). With gravity's help, you then open the air outlet, and slowly tilt the portable tank until it starts draining.
F) when finished, I've found that you can use the dump station's water hose to fill the slinky hose and thru to the portable tank from the outlet end of the hose, cleaning both at the same time - when the portable is somewhat full of water, remove the water hose and dump the portable tank again, thru the slinky hose, giving them a clean bill of health.


**since the 'black water' is typically of most concern, you might just empty the black tank, and see if you then have 'room' for any of the gray water. If not, some consider allowing gray water to seep out from the gray tank instead of having to empty them is allowable, in certain off-grid situations and locations, especially when far removed from others, in heavily wooded areas, or even at campgrounds where it is actually allowed and provided for.
I've seen several campgrounds and rv parks that have 'gray pits', which may be located between several RVs, or in a common area, where you empty your gray water, leaving only the black water to be 'dumped' at a dump station.
If you think about it, gray water is simply bath and kitchen water, with the possibility of soap, shampoo residues and foods/liquids and waters being what's draining out onto the open ground, just like most any TENTERS do each and every day - with no concern of having to 'dump' their gray tank, since they don't have one!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by formerFR

F) most tanks have the ability to be towed to the dump station, with wheels, at least at the rear, and a special handle that can attach over the ball on the rear of your vehicle, or a similar connection. While you can physically pick it up and put it into the rear of a vehicle or the bed of a truck, that's not an easy job - it's HEAVY! I would only pull it by hand, if close enough, or by your vehicle.
G) at the dump station, or sewer outlet, attach the slinky hose again to the portable tank and the other end to the dump station(some you just shove the end down into the opening) or sewer outlet(you'll need a sewer outlet connector). With gravity's help, you then open the air outlet, and slowly tilt the portable tank until it starts draining.

The two best things I bought myself for last Christmas, a Rhino 27 gallon tote and a Flojet Macerator pump.

I now just put the empty tank in the back of my truck, pump tank contents (either one) into the tank, and drive to the dump station. No need to lift tank to dump either as the Rhino has a side dump valve just like on the TT.

No lifting, tugging, worrying about a "full hose". Makes the process of emptying the Black tank an non-event.

If I need room in the truck I can just hang the Rhino tote on the back ladder.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

My black tank outlet is 10 inches high. I can't find a portable dump that is lower than 11 1/2 inches.

What do I do?

The bottom of my Mini Lite's outlet is 9" from the ground. I have Thetford SmartTote 2 and have had no problems filling it.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

The bottom of my Mini Lite's outlet is 9" from the ground. I have Thetford SmartTote 2 and have had no problems filling it.

I had that one for a couple of seasons and hated the fact that the fill hose is on the bottom.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I had that one for a couple of seasons and hated the fact that the fill hose is on the bottom.

Being on the bottom is good for a low outlet. But yeah, not ideal when dumping. I've thought of building a small ramp to run it up on when dumping. But I don't use it much (DW likes full hookkups), so it hasn't been a deal breaker - yet.

[Theo]

When using a macerator pump for a 25' run to a truck bed, is it advantageous to use a 3/4" ID hose rather than a 5/8" ID hose?

[SantaFe big sky]

Originally Posted by swamp1

Question about the portable waste tanks...Would you recommend one portable tank for black and an additional tank for the gray water? Or use a larger portable tank for both black and gray? We will be primarily boondocking. Have the epro 15TB with 12 gallon black and 12 gallon gray tanks. Appreciate recommendations.

I find the portable tank is heavy to tilt up and can be messy if you are not careful. Mine is 15 gallon and it’s hard to lift and hook onto the trailer hitch. I don’t think you need two tanks to keep grey and black separate but you might want 2 to spread the weight.

Home Depot 5 gallon bucket works in a pinch as well.

I had a sailboat that had a macerator pimp on it. The state outlawed them on lakes. At first they had to be disconnected but then removed because folks wouldn’t quit reconnecting them. Not sure who believes dumping raw sewage into the lake you swim, boat and fish in is ok but there are those people out there. Anyway, I kept the macerator, added an adapter and a twist on connector as well as a flush hose connect. Mostly I just used it to pump out at home into the house septic system. But no more wrestling the thetford.