Macerator pros (and cons)

[raytwntrvlr]

What TitanMike said.
Been doing the exact same thing for seven years now and mine still operates just fine.

[johndjmix]

Most of the time i really would prefer just the old big hose method, but keep in mind with the maserator you can still do this! There is a "sewer" fitting on the maserator to connect the old school hose. Never used it but believe its pre-maserator, which is good if your leaving the unit at hookups for a while.


The maserator does come in handy though....I can dump the tanks anywhere, at home, at my shop, no problem. Just attach a garden hose to the end cap on the fitting and send it! I find the garden hose might not let air in if its colapsed, so you may have to crack the hose at the cap to bleed a bit, then sloch the water around to the maserator in the maserator hose to get it to prime....once it does its good.


Oh yea, get a weird colored garden hose dedicated to this purpose and label it clearly! Wouldn't want anyone grabbing it for fresh water and taking a drink out of it! Unless they want "honey"!



--John

[vlamgat]

Originally Posted by dmctlc

Which btw I love but when it had an issue on a recent trip I was so happy to have the good old reliable gravity feed one, also. In fact I don't think I'd buy a MH with only an electric one because when its down, unless u have another one like I do, you're in trouble until its fixed and they're not as easy as just replacing it like the gravity feed ones. I looked adding a motorhome macerator to make it easier to dump at home if I had to, until this happened. I'm sure if its built in or added on to fix it will be messy. Of course that's just IMHO...

So this an issue. I have had 2 macerator pumps fail. One had the bolts shear that hold the macerator cutter assembly together. The bolt had rusted. The other was really a plumbing fail in the dump valve which once removed was impossible to replace without removing the rest of the plumbing that had to be replaced sequentially. Repairing this was a real lesson. Service shops were "delighted" to do the work some day, maybe, if we get a break. They hate working on this and its their lowest priority unless you are going buy something big from them. So I did it myself and got covered in tank detritus which is hard to avoid even with major flushing before hand. Point is, you need to understand what flows where and how; or effectively assume that if it breaks you are going home.

[dmctlc]

Originally Posted by vlamgat

So this an issue. I have had 2 macerator pumps fail. One had the bolts shear that hold the macerator cutter assembly together. The bolt had rusted. The other was really a plumbing fail in the dump valve which once removed was impossible to replace without removing the rest of the plumbing that had to be replaced sequentially. Repairing this was a real lesson. Service shops were "delighted" to do the work some day, maybe, if we get a break. They hate working on this and its their lowest priority unless you are going buy something big from them. So I did it myself and got covered in tank detritus which is hard to avoid even with major flushing before hand. Point is, you need to understand what flows where and how; or effectively assume that if it breaks you are going home.

Sorry to hear about your experience but thats exactly my point! This is a great example of my concerns, nothing I'd want to have to do especially with a full tank and it would have to be desperate times at an RV service dept to want to work on at anytime, I'm sure. Its why I wouldn't install a whole coach macerator even if I do like them because of the fear of it happening. Though I'm not sure I would cut a trip short especially if I'm hundreds of miles away since you could use the campground bathrooms, though that's not to appealing with this covid in full swing and its a huge inconvenience in the middle of the night.

[Captain Gene]

Loved to hate marine macerator toilets and pumps on boats 🚣. BUT necessary!!

We used “Sewer Solution “ to eliminate the stinky slinky.

Pro
Clean & easy to use
Water jet breaks down waste and pumps stuff
Pumps far & fast
Sprays water back to clean tank & plumbing

Con
Needs pressure water source sometimes not at dump stations

Hint. Buy basic kit with 10’ hose, buy more hose at hardware store.

Happy 😊 Camping

Gene

[sfbrabbitry]

Had one standard in my HR Scepter diesel pusher. I now have a 2021 Rockwood and bought a portable one. Have not used it yet as where I am I have to have a septic company come out to pump. BUT I do love having it.
No huge sewer hose to pull in and out (I do carry one just in case), much cleaner, some noise may be a little slower to dump but not much and if the sewer connection is a distance or uphill grade the macerator makes it so much easier. This is the one I bought. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[fella10]

Originally Posted by Captain Gene

Loved to hate marine macerator toilets and pumps on boats 🚣. BUT necessary!!

We used “Sewer Solution “ to eliminate the stinky slinky.

Pro
Clean & easy to use
Water jet breaks down waste and pumps stuff
Pumps far & fast
Sprays water back to clean tank & plumbing

Con
Needs pressure water source sometimes not at dump stations

Hint. Buy basic kit with 10’ hose, buy more hose at hardware store.

Happy 😊 Camping

Gene

Sewer Solution for sure, ...

A few more pros of the Sewer Solution, ... no noise, ... no electricity, ... no gears to jam or heat up, ... MUCH less expensive than the conventional macerator pump, ... durability, still using my original from May/2013, have never used a slinky at any camp site,

[halla]

Originally Posted by fella10

Sewer Solution for sure, ...

A few more pros of the Sewer Solution, ... no noise, ... no electricity, ... no gears to jam or heat up, ... MUCH less expensive than the conventional macerator pump, ... durability, still using my original from May/2013, have never used a slinky at any camp site,

I had a sewer solution I used on our Thor and our first Dynamax Force. It was great. But since the macerator was built into our newest Force HD, no use using anything else. It is convenient and clean.

[RGrimm]

Originally Posted by Invisibleman

I see the Force, DX3 and XL all come standard with black tank macerator. It was my understanding the main purpose of macerators was to be able to push the result further, in a small hose, for those occasions you may need to. I also am lead to understand that the dumping via macerator is significantly slower than standard dump, and the motor has a noise factor. So far I've never come across a camp ground with full service that there was any distance to dump connection issue, nor at any of the service centers facilities, and sometimes people are waiting behind you at the service center ones, often somewhat impatiently. Is there some other inherent benefit to having the macerator that warrants its use on a regular basis? Thanks for your input. Just getting ready for when my Force HD comes off the line.

I started RVing in 2012 and have had a 39' TT, 36' 5th Wheel and up until late 2019 a 35' Class A DP. I have always used a Macerator (Sanicon) on all 3 RVs. They were all permanently mounted. The big advantage for me was the ease of use and setup. The 10 foot 1" hose (would stretch to 25') was always attached to the coach. I just pulled the hose out of the bin (or storage container on the TT and 5th wheel) screwed off a small cap and put the end in the campground sewer connection. When done, removed the end from the campground sewer, screwed on the little cap and put the hose back in the bin. I never had to use a 'bridge' to get pitch or worry about uphill campground sewer connections as it pumps the contents to the sewer ..... don't need gravity. Yes it takes a little longer to dump ..... but I'm seldom in a hurry, retirement is great..

A Macerator is not for everyone, but I liked the 'clean' convenience of setup and disconnect. It would take me 2 minutes to connect and 2 minutes to disconnect

I sold my Class A in Oct 2019 and downsized to my Vibe 21BH and since 2020 was such a great travel year -Not - I just haven't looked at a new Sanicon yet, but have not ruled it out.

So that is my 'why' I have used macerators.

[vlamgat]

Those pictures illustrate an ideal set up inasmuch as you can attach a regular hose to the macerator in the event of failure. It will be messy as the valves tend to leak and the attachment bayonets are prone to be imprecise enough to leak too. But at least either option can be used and if you want you can put a Y fitting on the end where the valves dump. Leave the macerator connected to one end and just plug the other with a cap until you need/want to use a slinky hose. Only the As' seem to have room to do this.

[dmctlc]

Originally Posted by RGrimm

I started RVing in 2012 and have had a 39' TT, 36' 5th Wheel and up until late 2019 a 35' Class A DP. I have always used a Macerator (Sanicon) on all 3 RVs. They were all permanently mounted. The big advantage for me was the ease of use and setup. The 10 foot 1" hose (would stretch to 25') was always attached to the coach. I just pulled the hose out of the bin (or storage container on the TT and 5th wheel) screwed off a small cap and put the end in the campground sewer connection. When done, removed the end from the campground sewer, screwed on the little cap and put the hose back in the bin. I never had to use a 'bridge' to get pitch or worry about uphill campground sewer connections as it pumps the contents to the sewer ..... don't need gravity. Yes it takes a little longer to dump ..... but I'm seldom in a hurry, retirement is great..

A Macerator is not for everyone, but I liked the 'clean' convenience of setup and disconnect. It would take me 2 minutes to connect and 2 minutes to disconnect

I sold my Class A in Oct 2019 and downsized to my Vibe 21BH and since 2020 was such a great travel year -Not - I just haven't looked at a new Sanicon yet, but have not ruled it out.

So that is my 'why' I have used macerators.

I'd be curious to know if what "vlamgat" stated with leakage, etc. was what you truly experienced after some usage? Did you set that up yourself? I like you setup along with his idea of putting a wye there might help if there's a failure on the macerator. Was the pic you posted after original installation, since it looks brand spanking new? Do you have follow-up pictures after some usage or perhaps before you moved onto your vibe? thanks

[RGrimm]

Originally Posted by dmctlc

I'd be curious to know if what "vlamgat" stated with leakage, etc. was what you truly experienced after some usage? Did you set that up yourself? I like you setup along with his idea of putting a wye there might help if there's a failure on the macerator. Was the pic you posted after original installation, since it looks brand spanking new? Do you have follow-up pictures after some usage or perhaps before you moved onto your vibe? thanks

I never experience any leaking. Keep in mind once the sewer hose was twisted on at the bayonet it wasn't disconnected so there was minimal wear on the O-Ring seal.

And yes those photos were taken after I installed the Sanicon on my 2006 Journey in 2014. There was one occasion when my daughter-in-law flushed a number of baby wipes down the toilet (she forgot she wasn't at home ) and I didn't want to take the chance to run those through the macerator as they are much stronger than toilet paper. So I simply disconnected the short macerator feed hose from the bayonet and connected a normal 3" sewer hose and dumped that way.

As I said, macerators are not for everyone, but I used them from 2012 to 2019 on 3 different RVs. I will admit the Journey had an ideal 'sewer bay' for this setup. I will have to look through my photos to see if I have any that show that bay after it had been used for a few years and if I find any I'll post them. I usually didn't take photos of my 'bays' unless it involved a project ... like a macerator installation.

[Galleher]

I don’t think anyone can deny, storing your stinky slinky and dumping your tanks the traditional way is one of the most unpleasant parts of RVing. The better macerator pumps are very fast and reliable. They eliminate all of the hassles associated with hooking up, unhooking, cleaning, and storing the stinky slinky and fittings. I installed a Sani-Con Turbo 600s on my Isata5 and I would have to say it is the single BEST modification I have ever done to any of my RVs.

[KRedburn]

with a macerator you won't need a hose stretcher to extend the sewer dump line!

[johndjmix]

When the maserator hose springs pinhole leaks when your dumping the tanks at the flying J.....and the hose is pressurized and you get squirted with the contents of the black tank....not fun. Don't ask me how i know this.


Make sure your hose is good!


--John

[RGrimm]

Originally Posted by johndjmix

When the maserator hose springs pinhole leaks when your dumping the tanks at the flying J.....and the hose is pressurized and you get squirted with the contents of the black tank....not fun. Don't ask me how i know this.


Make sure your hose is good!


--John

Good point John, but that is not a situation I ever had with my setup. I used the original Sanicon hose for 5 1/2 years (4/2014 to 10/2019) on my last RV and never had a pinhole leak or any leak. But I suppose different macerator systems may come with a hose what could be susceptible to getting pinholes and that could be a problem. The sanicon hose was quite heavy duty.