dump tote protocol

[CHICKDOE]

we have always stayed at either full hook up sites or if the site has only water and electricity (no sewer) we have only been stayed at the site for no more than 3 days. we can make it for that long using our onboard waster tanks.

but we have recently looked at some sites that do not have sewer that we would like to stay at longer. that means we have to earn about waste totes and the protocol for using them. i can carry the tote in the bed of the tow truck.

i know they come in many sizes but our tanks have more capacity that the totes. does that mean that you empty your tank and watch the tote to see how full it is getting and close you tank valve before the tote gets full? can you easily see the level building in the tote?

once you have your tote full you take it to the dump station. 30 gallons of water is over 240 lbs so the tote is heavy. my understanding is that you hook it up to your truck (we have a 5th wheel) and tow it to the dump station. obviously you tow carefully. how do you hook the tote to the truck? i see handles on the totes but no real mechanism to attach to a tow truck.

is there enough leverage and is the tote handle robust enough to allow you to tilt the tote of at the dump station. is it best to have a short hose (perhaps 5 feet) to attach between the tote and the dump pipe oor do you take your normal dump hose with you to the dump station?

i have read some comments about not using a tote for black waste. i would think that you would be ok if you dumped the black tank first and then the grey. but what are your recommendations?

any recommendations of tote brands you like or dislike?

thanks

[Jmkjr72]

9 out of 10 times i just drag my 4 wheel tote by hand while parked at our seasonal site. hen i do drag it with the truck it fits around the hitch ball. i have a thetford 1 like it except for the fact there is no valve on the drain.it comes with a hose to fill it and it drains out the same hose. we use it primarily for black water as we have a dry well we can drain our gray into

[CNYCamper]

We have a 26 gallon Thetford 2 wheel with discharge hose permanently attached. This one doesn't have a handle to hook up to the hitch. Instead they sell a device that hooks around the tote handle. As alternative you could hook up some stout rope to attach to the hitch.
Bought the Thetford because that is what the local Camping World carried and our local Walmart doesn't carry any.
Many seem to prefer the Barker brand although I can't tell you why. I do like the looks of the tote Rhino has come out with.
We're often on a site for more than a week and almost never have sewer hook-up. My plan is always to leave the park for the dump station with nearly full tanks so I can get a good clean-out.
This means I don't need to fill the tote to the brim, just enough to give me room in my tanks for the final dump trip. We do sometimes need to empty the black tank into the tote as neither one of us is wild about public restrooms - particularly during this pandemic. What we'll do is dump black water in the tote, close the valve and then dump gray water so the tote's built in hose is clean.
Then up to the dump station, dump and give the tote a good rise and re-dump and I'm done. Not saying this is fun, but is manageable. Haul our tote in the bed of our truck, nestles between the kayaks. Try to keep my park speed to 5mph and if I have room to pull over for someone in a hurry I will.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by CNYCamper

Many seem to prefer the Barker brand although I can't tell you why.

I can. I had the Thetford with the built in hose. After the hose developed a second leak and I discovered there's no way to replace it I went and bought the 42 gallon barker. It's night and day difference.

The Barker tote fills from the top instead of the bottom. It has a valve that let's you control when you start dumping instead of tying to mess with the buit-in hose. You can attach any length dump hose to it. It has much quieter pneumatic wheels and the handle is metal instead of plastic.

Plus, I love the fact that the tote is bigger that my tanks, so no worries about overflowing. Which I had happen a few times with the smaller tote.

[CincyGus]

I have an older version of the Thetford Tote similar to this one:
https://smile.amazon.com/Thetford-40...%2C135&sr=8-12

Seems it was about half that price when I bought it. <$150 for sure.

Glove up, drag it over towards the dump valves on the side of the camper, hook up the included hose. Open the valve and fill it. Listening tells you when your getting close just like if your filling up a jug of water at the sink or the sound your gas can makes if your filling the last bit slowly. Shut the valve, pull over to put the handle on the hit ball on the trailer. Drive at a crawl to the dump station, glove up, hook up. Dump, Rinse, dump again.

I do use a different hitch than my standard hitch for my trailer. Bought a 8" drop hitch so the balls not so high and handle isn't at a 45 degree angle which tends to make it want to pop off the hitch ball. Last thing I want is 18 gallons of crap and water rolling past my truck at 10 mphs as it picks up speed into someones campsite or tent. Still think that was a scene cut from the movie "RV" with Robin Williams.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

we have always stayed at either full hook up sites or if the site has only water and electricity (no sewer) we have only been stayed at the site for no more than 3 days. we can make it for that long using our onboard waster tanks.

but we have recently looked at some sites that do not have sewer that we would like to stay at longer. that means we have to earn about waste totes and the protocol for using them. i can carry the tote in the bed of the tow truck.

i know they come in many sizes but our tanks have more capacity that the totes. does that mean that you empty your tank and watch the tote to see how full it is getting and close you tank valve before the tote gets full? can you easily see the level building in the tote?

Yes you have to watch it and it depends on which one you have go say how easy it is to see in. You also have to remember how much you have in the hose itself between the trailer and the tote.

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

once you have your tote full you take it to the dump station. 30 gallons of water is over 240 lbs so the tote is heavy. my understanding is that you hook it up to your truck (we have a 5th wheel) and tow it to the dump station. obviously you tow carefully. how do you hook the tote to the truck? i see handles on the totes but no real mechanism to attach to a tow truck.

Most will go over a regular hitch ball but rope or bungee cords work too.

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

is there enough leverage and is the tote handle robust enough to allow you to tilt the tote of at the dump station. is it best to have a short hose (perhaps 5 feet) to attach between the tote and the dump pipe oor do you take your normal dump hose with you to the dump station?

They are robust enough to tip over and you'll definitely have to do that to get the last little bit out. Definitely bring a dump hose with you.

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

i have read some comments about not using a tote for black waste. i would think that you would be ok if you dumped the black tank first and then the grey. but what are your recommendations?

I dump my black into mine with no issues. Just rinse it out well when you're done.

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

any recommendations of tote brands you like or dislike?

thanks

As mentioned before, Barker is a good brand. I'd stay away from the Thetford with the built-in hose. A lot of people like the rhino brand too but I have no experience with them.

[Funengineer]

Four wheel Barker with tow bar. Tow bar fits over ball hitch. Top fill with valve drain on the side. Operates as mentioned above. Either dump black tank before it’s full or use valve in trailer to control flow into the tank and make an extra trip to the dump station.

[bikendan]

I have a 15 gallon Barker tote tank. I bought the smaller one because I can lift it and put it in the truck bed.
Sure i may have to dump it more often but were rarely stay more than 4 or 5 days in one place. And since we are experienced dry campers, we don't fill the gray tank that fast.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

we have always stayed at either full hook up sites or if the site has only water and electricity (no sewer) we have only been stayed at the site for no more than 3 days. we can make it for that long using our onboard waster tanks.

but we have recently looked at some sites that do not have sewer that we would like to stay at longer. that means we have to earn about waste totes and the protocol for using them. i can carry the tote in the bed of the tow truck.

i know they come in many sizes but our tanks have more capacity that the totes. does that mean that you empty your tank and watch the tote to see how full it is getting and close you tank valve before the tote gets full? can you easily see the level building in the tote?

once you have your tote full you take it to the dump station. 30 gallons of water is over 240 lbs so the tote is heavy. my understanding is that you hook it up to your truck (we have a 5th wheel) and tow it to the dump station. obviously you tow carefully. how do you hook the tote to the truck? i see handles on the totes but no real mechanism to attach to a tow truck.

is there enough leverage and is the tote handle robust enough to allow you to tilt the tote of at the dump station. is it best to have a short hose (perhaps 5 feet) to attach between the tote and the dump pipe oor do you take your normal dump hose with you to the dump station?

i have read some comments about not using a tote for black waste. i would think that you would be ok if you dumped the black tank first and then the grey. but what are your recommendations?

any recommendations of tote brands you like or dislike?

thanks

Every year I add another birthday and with that is a decrease in desire and ability to deal with "heavy". Because of this I purchased a new Rhino 28 gallon tote (to replace my 25 year old "blue-boy") and a Flojet macerator pump.

No more lifting or towing a full tote. I put mine in the back of my pickup, pump the contents of my tanks to the "tote", and when at the dump station just use the bottom dump valve with a regular dump hose attached. My TT's dump hose has sealing caps on both ends so I just cap and bring it along.

The Rhino tank has a top fill connection for the 3/4" fill hose from the pump and also a hookup for regular water hose to flush the tank with the internal "sprinkler head".

Only thing I have to lift is the empty tank when I want it out of the truck bed and then I can hang it on the rear ladder on the built in "ladder hook".

FWIW, the key is the pump and as long as the tote has a bottom dump valve, brand name is up to one's personal choice. I mainly boondock and towing a "Fecal Frieght Wagon" the distances I have to travel to a legit dump station was not in the cards.

As a bonus, I can now dump my tanks at home by just pumping to the nearest cleanout.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by CNYCamper

Many seem to prefer the Barker brand although I can't tell you why.

I believe Barker is the first to manufacture the tote. They have been in the business since 1953. I have a Barker 4 wheel I bought for $25 on a yard sale after the owner passed. It's either 25 gal or 32 gal, can't remember, as I've used it twice to dump the tanks in 12 years. It's hauled more face cords of firewood from the front to the back of our site when we buy a load.

[cboss]

We have a 42 gal Barker Blue Tote. We have been using it for 4 years. We normally stay at CGs that only have elec and water, rarely are we in a FHU Site.
The tote has served us well. I've sometimes towed it 1.5 miles to the dump station (Edisto Beach State Park, for example), with no problems. I have had to replace the two small front wheels, but got the hard rubber 6" ones from Tractor Supply. The back tires are pneumatic. There is no lifting involved, only some short "hauling" to get the tote from the camper dump valves to our truck hitch. We carry any extra hitch just for the tote so I don't have to hook up the Equalizer.
We do not do #2 in our camper except for emergencies...LOL. We can usually get two weeks of camping with two trips to the dump station. That means we dump again at the dump station on the way out.