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Old 11-29-2021, 01:40 PM   #1
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Help in Picking Best Size for Portable Black Tank

I'm due to pickup our new NoBo 19.6 by (hopefully) the second week of December and based on the weather and temperature it looks like I'm going to take it on her maiden voyage to Fort Pickens Camp Grounds near Pensacola, Fl which I found out last night only has partial hookups meaning water and electricity but no onsite sewage hookups although it did state that they have two dump stations.

I've been searching Amazon and it appears there is a full range of brands, of sizes based on gallons and two choices of tanks with two wheels and other with four wheels. On the 19.6 it comes with 30 gallon black and grey tanks so what is the general consensus, do most people purchase one to match their onboard black tank size or even go greater which seems like it would be a problem toting it to and from the dump station based on the weight or go with something much smaller and manageable weight wise. The other option concerns tanks with two vs four wheels with the two wheel ones being considerably lower in price. And then to the question of do I leave the valve open and hook up the portable tank when I first arrive at the CG and look for a tank with a float inside that would alert me as to when I need to unhook and head to the dump station or is it better to collect the waste in in the onboard tank and then transfer a portion at a time to the portable and on to the dump station, the only problem I can think of is how I've read the onboard tank sensors can be notorious for not reading correctly.

Ok I think I've covered my basic questions so if I get enough experienced RVers that regularly use their portable tank to respond I should be able to make an informed purchase in the next day or so and feel comfortable on my first trip using a portable tank and have this portion of my checklist accounted for....
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Old 11-29-2021, 04:52 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Stingingfork View Post
I'm due to pickup our new NoBo 19.6 by (hopefully) the second week of December and based on the weather and temperature it looks like I'm going to take it on her maiden voyage to Fort Pickens Camp Grounds near Pensacola, Fl which I found out last night only has partial hookups meaning water and electricity but no onsite sewage hookups although it did state that they have two dump stations.

I've been searching Amazon and it appears there is a full range of brands, of sizes based on gallons and two choices of tanks with two wheels and other with four wheels. On the 19.6 it comes with 30 gallon black and grey tanks so what is the general consensus, do most people purchase one to match their onboard black tank size or even go greater which seems like it would be a problem toting it to and from the dump station based on the weight or go with something much smaller and manageable weight wise. The other option concerns tanks with two vs four wheels with the two wheel ones being considerably lower in price. And then to the question of do I leave the valve open and hook up the portable tank when I first arrive at the CG and look for a tank with a float inside that would alert me as to when I need to unhook and head to the dump station or is it better to collect the waste in in the onboard tank and then transfer a portion at a time to the portable and on to the dump station, the only problem I can think of is how I've read the onboard tank sensors can be notorious for not reading correctly.

Ok I think I've covered my basic questions so if I get enough experienced RVers that regularly use their portable tank to respond I should be able to make an informed purchase in the next day or so and feel comfortable on my first trip using a portable tank and have this portion of my checklist accounted for....
Everyone will have their own preferences.

I went with the Rhino 28 gallon tote.

It fits under the tonneau in my truck bed.

Matches up with my 30 gallon holding tanks well.

Has side valve that lets me pump waste from holding tanks using a Flojet macerator pump and dump at dump station without lifting, towing, or tipping.

Comes with an adapter so I could hook it up to a trailer hitch but where I usually camp towing is not an option. Dump stations can be MILES away.

I particularly like the fact I don't have to do any lifting other than putting the empty tank in my truck bed. Rest of the time it travels on the built in hook that holds it on the ladder on back of my TT.
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Old 11-29-2021, 06:31 PM   #3
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Everyone will have their own preferences.

I went with the Rhino 28 gallon tote.

It fits under the tonneau in my truck bed.

Matches up with my 30 gallon holding tanks well.

Has side valve that lets me pump waste from holding tanks using a Flojet macerator pump and dump at dump station without lifting, towing, or tipping.

Comes with an adapter so I could hook it up to a trailer hitch but where I usually camp towing is not an option. Dump stations can be MILES away.

I particularly like the fact I don't have to do any lifting other than putting the empty tank in my truck bed. Rest of the time it travels on the built in hook that holds it on the ladder on back of my TT.

Thanks TitanMike for the advice but I've got a couple of questions, first do you hook up the portable tank with the valve to your onboard black water tank left opened during the your initial campsite setup or do you use the onboard tank for holding and then let it drain later to the portable tank and how do you tell when its' about full? I've seen where some tanks have a floating bobber of sorts. And is your 28 gallon tank the one with 4 wheels or 2 and would the 4 wheels be worth the additional $70 in your opinion?
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Old 11-29-2021, 06:53 PM   #4
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Thanks TitanMike for the advice but I've got a couple of questions, first do you hook up the portable tank with the valve to your onboard black water tank left opened during the your initial campsite setup or do you use the onboard tank for holding and then let it drain later to the portable tank and how do you tell when its' about full? I've seen where some tanks have a floating bobber of sorts. And is your 28 gallon tank the one with 4 wheels or 2 and would the 4 wheels be worth the additional $70 in your opinion?
Stingingfork, just a side comment, but you typically would not want to ever have your onboard black water tank left open. If you do, as the liquids continually drain off, the solids could get built up and hard to remove ("poo pyramid" is the technical term I've heard tossed around). You need to keep the tank closed so that all the waste stays reasonably liquid. It's best to let the tank get at least half full, then open the valve and let 'er dump all at once, doing a better job of clearing the solids.

So, you would drain your black tank all at once into portable tank, just as if you were emptying into the sewer connection at a full hookup site.
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Old 12-01-2021, 01:25 PM   #5
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The four-wheel units are FAR easier on your back. They usually have a handle with a "loop" in it to slip over a ball receiver on your tow vehicle. Then you just drive it slowly over to the dump station. Lift the handle off the hitch and pull it over to the dump area.

I have a four-wheel Barker 42 gallon tote with pneumatic tires. Due to the tires I can maneuver it from the back of the motorhome over grass and dirt to the street to hook it to the car. It's definitely an effort when it's full but it's not so bad that I worry about hurting myself. When full, including the weight of the tote, it's very close to 400 pounds to drag around.

A two-wheel unit is, as you'd imagine, a whole lot harder to maneuver around. While they can have a "loop" handle, you need to lift the front part off the ground, tug it over to the tow vehicle, and then set the loop over the ball hitch. Then you do the same thing to get it off the ball hitch and over to the dump.

If you're like us, your gray tank will fill a lot faster than the black tank, maybe twice as fast if you take showers inside the RV and do a lot of dishwashing.

If you fill a tank and your "turd tote" is smaller than the tank, you need to be very careful dumping the tank into the tote. If you overfill the tote, the remainder backs up into the hose leading to the RV and then you have a real mess when you disconnect the hose.

As my new favorite saying goes "Buy once, cry once".

HTH,

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Old 12-01-2021, 01:28 PM   #6
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Tote tank

I have the 32 gal.4 wheel Blue-"blue boy". I prefer it due to the longer handle and phuematic tires w/ steel wheels. When you are trying to maneuver 300 lb. on gravel from TT to hitch ball on TV. It is worth the extra expense for the 4 wheel versions. Also get one that you do not have to lift up to empty. The only complaint I have about mine is there is no good "Grab" point to lift into truck and it is heavy and awkward, even empty. I use a strap wrapped around tank to hold handle in place. We have used our's over 3 years w/o problem. Remember you can not fill to the top-28 gallons in a 32 gallon tank. Also, the Camco hose kit for the tank is a big improvement over the factory junk.
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Old 12-01-2021, 01:30 PM   #7
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Tank

I also have the Barker-NXR said it all.
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Old 12-01-2021, 01:49 PM   #8
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Watch the weight

We have a 22-gallon two-wheel Barker unit. I pull it about 25 feet through pea gravel (a tough drag) to hook it to the golf cart. A four-wheeler would involve less lifting, but be harder to drag. We have 40-gallon black and gray tanks, but we shower at the campground facilities--they have showers everywhere--so they both fill at similar rates.

I haven't had a problem lifting and dragging the tote when it's full. It starts out as a 100-lb. lift, but as you get the handle off the ground, more and more weight is transferred to the wheels.
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Old 12-01-2021, 04:19 PM   #9
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I prefer a small tank (10 gallons) that I can lift into the back of my truck when it's filled. I refuse to tow one behind the truck. I use it for gray and galley water only, and for just two of us, don't need to use it very often.
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Old 12-01-2021, 07:25 PM   #10
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When you get your camper to the dump station at the end of your stay, you want the black tank to be nearly full for a good flush. There is no reason to try to completely empty the tank into the tote if you're leaving in a couple of days. IMO a large tote is more for minimizing trips to dump gray water.
Our stays are generally 2 weeks at a site and we do need to partially dump some black water (I check this by shining a flashlight down into the tank), making sure to also dump some gray water to clean the hose. When using the tote (28G Rhino) I'll lift up on the tote end so I can maintain a sense of the weight going into it (28G is not manageable for my almost 72 yr. old body).
I've owned 2 Thetfords and the Rhino. No experience with Barkers, but they get excellent reviews.
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Old 12-02-2021, 07:05 AM   #11
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Think long and hard about the dimensions

I bought a 32 gallon for my thirty gallon tanks and it is quite large and takes up quite a bit of room in the bed of the truck. So much so that I added a shelf over the back half so that I could still load things, light stuff, on top and get it out without unloading everything. I probably would have added the shelf anyway, it's pretty convenient, just didn't know I needed it until I got the wagon.
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Old 12-02-2021, 09:23 AM   #12
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Thanks for all of the great suggestions in selecting the right portable tank for my new NoBo. Your experiences have enlightened me to where I can feel comfortable about purchasing and using one on my maiden voyage without making any major mistakes. I really appreciate all of the knowledge I've had passed to me by this NoBo forum about all of my concerns while getting ready to use my new camper...
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Old 12-02-2021, 10:57 AM   #13
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Rhino 28g works great for my 30g tanks.
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Old 12-02-2021, 10:59 AM   #14
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Thanks TitanMike for the advice but I've got a couple of questions, first do you hook up the portable tank with the valve to your onboard black water tank left opened during the your initial campsite setup or do you use the onboard tank for holding and then let it drain later to the portable tank and how do you tell when its' about full? I've seen where some tanks have a floating bobber of sorts. And is your 28 gallon tank the one with 4 wheels or 2 and would the 4 wheels be worth the additional $70 in your opinion?
I don't leave mine hooked up. When either tank on the TT starts to reach full I then pump to the portable sitting in the truck bed.

As for telling when tank is full, no problem. I've seen the floating gauges but I just open the top fill port and can see the level of waste in the tank. Just pausing the pumping process and checking is all it takes.

If I wasn't using a pump I would still not connect to tank dump until needing to haul to dump. I definitely would NOT leave valves open.

As for 2 or 4 wheel, the way I use the tank a "No Wheel" option would work.
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Old 12-02-2021, 01:16 PM   #15
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Picking Best Size for Portable Black Tank

I have never used my 32 gallon Baker for anything but gray water. I have never come close to filling up my black tank. 30 gallons of #1 & #2 is a lot!!!
When leaving the campground I empty at the dump site. The black tank first using the black tank flush until all I see is clear water and then flush the hose out with the gray water and rinse with water.
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Old 12-02-2021, 01:24 PM   #16
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I got the 21 gal Rhino.
Haven't used it yet but sized based on available cargo space in the TV.
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Old 12-02-2021, 01:35 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Stingingfork View Post
I'm due to pickup our new NoBo 19.6 by (hopefully) the second week of December and based on the weather and temperature it looks like I'm going to take it on her maiden voyage to Fort Pickens Camp Grounds near Pensacola, Fl which I found out last night only has partial hookups meaning water and electricity but no onsite sewage hookups although it did state that they have two dump stations.
How long is your maiden voyage for? How many people camping?

I ask because the 19.6 has 30 gallon gray and black tanks, which while not massively big they are big enough for a couple people to camp for a couple days easily. (Your gray would fill the fastest if you took daily “long” showers and washing dishes) Your black tank… won’t even come close to filling it up while camping for a few days.

If you camped before you bought the portable tank then you will have a better idea of how big of one you need/want, and how long you can camp without one. Plus it’s something that you can buy with an informed decision then (where are you going to store it while traveling, while in storage, etc) and you then can get a better understanding of the actual dimensions of the portable tank and where you will/can store it.
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Old 12-02-2021, 01:44 PM   #18
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I have a GeoPro 15TB on order and it only has a 12 gal gray (or is it grey?) tank and a 12 gal black. I'm considering only a 15 gal Rhino as it would be easier to lift into my truck. I expect it will be large enough as I'm the only one using the facilities. The dog is old school and refuses to flush so I make him go outside.
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Old 12-02-2021, 06:01 PM   #19
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I don't leave mine hooked up. When either tank on the TT starts to reach full I then pump to the portable sitting in the truck bed.

As for telling when tank is full, no problem. I've seen the floating gauges but I just open the top fill port and can see the level of waste in the tank. Just pausing the pumping process and checking is all it takes.

If I wasn't using a pump I would still not connect to tank dump until needing to haul to dump. I definitely would NOT leave valves open.

As for 2 or 4 wheel, the way I use the tank a "No Wheel" option would work.

Thanks TitanMike, just exactly what is the max. distance your pump will carry the liquid to the portable tank? Also while using it do you use the grey water to flush out your pump and hose that carries the waste to your tank, thus cleaning the pump and the hose I assume and do you leave the tank in the back of the truck and somehow provide power to the pump to send the waste to the dump station inlet without having to unload the tank? I suppose since your tank would be higher than the dump inlet you could just use a regular dump hose without the pump being involved. I've never spoke with anyone that uses one of these macerator pumps so it sounds interesting and a lot less tugging and pulling involved...
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Old 12-02-2021, 06:34 PM   #20
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Thanks TitanMike, just exactly what is the max. distance your pump will carry the liquid to the portable tank? Also while using it do you use the grey water to flush out your pump and hose that carries the waste to your tank, thus cleaning the pump and the hose I assume and do you leave the tank in the back of the truck and somehow provide power to the pump to send the waste to the dump station inlet without having to unload the tank? I suppose since your tank would be higher than the dump inlet you could just use a regular dump hose without the pump being involved. I've never spoke with anyone that uses one of these macerator pumps so it sounds interesting and a lot less tugging and pulling involved...
The Flowjet macerator pump can pump quite a distance with a regular garden hose for discharge as long as not too much elevation gain. If necessary, at my house, I could pump from my trailer's pad to a first floor toilet about 100 or so away. The pump is a rubber impeller positive displacement pump so it can "Lift" to pretty much any height one would NORMALLY require.

As for dumping from my truck, there is a 3" valve on the side of the Rhino tank that allows me to dump the same way I would dump directly from the trailer at the dump station. Connect hose, place discharge end in dump station opening, pull valve, let tank empty. Rhino tank has both a flush hookup and a top port. If the dump station has a connector on the hose I connect to the flush, run water and flush a few minutes, then cap and stow hose in truck for return the the trailer.

If no connector on the hose I just remove the top 3" cover cap (same as on side) and use the flush hose to flush tank through the opening.

I use same hose for dumping Rhino tank at dump station as I use for the trailer. Just have to take it along on a "dump run".

Remember, I have a Travel Trailer and Truck. It's easy for me to keep the tank in the truck and use it to haul waste wherever need. If one has a Motorhome they probably need something easy to tug along by hand. My choice in that case would be four of the largest wheels that totes come with so they travel over gravel (especially pea gravel) with relative ease. Also, a 4-wheel cart is easier for two people tow than a 2-wheel cart.

On flushing, I always follow Black Water with Gray water as much as possible. The Macerator pump has a port where a fresh water hose can be connected and the pump/hose can be flushed if City Water is available.

Most times gray water does the job just fine.
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