Grey water to Black tank

stevewise · 06-10-2015, 02:24 PM

Does anyone know if this is normal on a Forest Rive 5er to have the grey water from the bathroom sink go into the black water tank. My shower drain goes to the grey water tank.

This is my first Forest River.

oxcamper · 06-10-2015, 02:28 PM

Not ever heard of that before. Why do you believe your sink goes to the black tank?

TURBS · 06-10-2015, 02:38 PM

Normally the shower and sink are connected and then both drain to grey.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

stevewise · 06-10-2015, 02:39 PM

Because I can see the water disturbance below the toilet and the tank level going up if I leave the water in the sink running.

TURBS · 06-10-2015, 02:40 PM

Well then it's possible.
But even so is this a problem?
The more liquid in your black tank the better!

My last two campers I couldn't see the water in the tank below.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

Indymule · 06-10-2015, 02:57 PM

I have seen other post on this. Some models do have the sink drain into the black tank.
I'm with Turbs on this one. There should not be that much water from the sink and extra water in the black tank is not a bad thing.

stevewise · 06-11-2015, 07:35 AM

The only problem is I camp at State parks and although they have hook ups they do not have sewer, the black tank is only 32 gallons so it fills up quite quickly.

TURBS · 06-11-2015, 07:43 AM

We use our bathroom since pretty much to brush our teeth not much more so I'm just trying to grasp the severity of the issue.
I would think shower and sink would be much more of a problem unless grey tank is bigger then black?
I think I'd prefer sink going to black.
Thoughts?

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

ResQfrog · 06-11-2015, 07:52 AM

On our Coachmen Pursuit Motorhome the Bathroom sink drains into the black tank. This was because of the black tank being right under the bathroom floor area and the gray tank being more to the other side of the frame. The kitchen and shower drain into the gray tank.

Just have to watch when people use the bathroom sink not to stand there running water. People and friends that camp under stand this. Others think they are at home with the water at full blast and 5 minutes to wash the hands.

TURBS · 06-11-2015, 07:54 AM

Just have to watch when people use the bathroom sink not to stand there running water. People and friends that camp under stand this. Others think they are at home with the water at full blast and 5 minutes to wash the hands.

I agree.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

Taranwanderer · 06-11-2015, 08:12 AM

On my XLR, the shower goes to the black tank (which I found odd at first, but then, as Turbs said, more water in the black is more betterer. I think that's how he worded it.)

But my bathroom and kitchen sinks go to the gray tank. Gray fills up fast, only 32 gals, so I'd say yours is set up betterer (again, Turbs' words.)

TURBS · 06-11-2015, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taranwanderer

On my XLR, the shower goes to the black tank (which I found odd at first, but then, as Turbs said, more water in the black is more betterer. I think that's how he worded it.)

But my bathroom and kitchen sinks go to the gray tank. Gray fills up fast, only 32 gals, so I'd say yours is set up betterer (again, Turbs' words.)

Go ahead pick on the fat kid!

[emoji109] [emoji12]

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

scootingranny · 06-11-2015, 12:42 PM

Took our 360IBL on a first outing last week and although we had full hook ups, I decided to put a big bottle of Purell in a pump container on the bathroom sink along with the regular soap in a pump bottle. I know there's a lot of discussion about the fact that the cleaners like Purell are helping form a whole battery of resistant bugs but figured it wouldn't be all that bad in this limited circumstance and if somebody wanted to do that instead of using water. We have also been in a drought the past 5 years (not anymore tho!!) so using less water in any circumstance is something I think about. And during this trip, our son showed us how we had two grey tanks--one for the shower and bathroom sink and a separate one for the kitchen sink.

conceptumator · 06-11-2015, 12:52 PM

Our last RV had the bath sink plumbed to the black tank. Shower and kitchen went to gray. Never knew why, but it was shown that way in the actual fab drawings I got from the manufacturer. Could be because you're spitting into the lav when brushing teeth or just because it was easier to plumb - who knows. Brushed our teeth and shaved like a navy shower and it never really bothered us.

Boso · 06-11-2015, 01:15 PM

More water in your black tank is not good it's awful if you are dry camping black water tanks will last usually in 1 -2 weeks but not with your gray going into them also even if you are conservative at least it has been that way for me and I have owned quiet few rv's

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

j free · 06-11-2015, 01:39 PM

the problem is the industry to make rv's lighter they keep shrinking the tank sizes. My 1st 5er had a 90 black, 90 grey for shower and sink and a 60grey for the kitchen. It also had a 250 gal water tank. Now the largest tanks you can find are 60 gal maybe on a toy hauler a 80 but that's it. So they have to find ways to allow rv'er to still be ably to dry camp for 4 or 5 days so now they share black tanks with sinks.

TURBS · 06-11-2015, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boso

More water in your black tank is not good it's awful if you are dry camping black water tanks will last usually in 1 -2 weeks but not with your gray going into them also even if you are conservative at least it has been that way for me and I have owned quiet few rv's

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

I completely and respectively disagree "especially" when dry camping "because then your trying to conserve water" more water in the black is better.
Way to many people don't use enough water in the black tank and therfore have black tank issues.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

bend302 · 06-11-2015, 01:49 PM

My '05 Georgetown has bathroom sink to black tank. I appreciate the extra water and run it for a few minutes before and during the draining of the black tank just to get extra water in there.

Bill

BamaBob · 06-11-2015, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TURBS

I completely and respectively disagree "especially" when dry camping, more water in the black is better.
Way to many people don't use enough water in the black tank and therfore have black tank issues. "

With due respect, I too disagree. Turbs is spot on.

Think about it: using the toilet puts solids and a small amount of liquid in your black tank (unless you flush for 10 min

)

Washing your hands (camper style) you are lucky to put a quart of water per use - but that is a quart of fluid that is in your black tank happily helping everything liquefy.

If this was not happening, Over the course of a week, without proper liquefaction all those solids would start to dry out and adhere to your black tank.

THIS is where the black tank horror stories start.

Personally, I hope plumbing the Sink (shower not so much) to the black tank becomes a industry-wide standard. It has the potential to save new campers from themselves and their lack of knowledge how RV holding tanks work.

captnrick3 · 06-11-2015, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TURBS

I completely and respectively disagree "especially" when dry camping "because then your trying to conserve water" more water in the black is better.
Way to many people don't use enough water in the black tank and therfore have black tank issues.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

I am loving this thread. We dry camp frequently at bluegrass festivals and have for many years with several different rigs. You are spot on with your comments.

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