Building a sewer bladder

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Mtelkman

I think it is an interesting idea worth pursuing.
Funny though, the first thing I thought of was one of those black plastic bag contraptions you hang from a tree (or ?) full of water and it gets hot and you use it to shower. i recall having one when backpacking long ago and they got very hot. Hot enough to hurt. I wonder if when black sewage water gets hot if gas would be generated and the big black bag in the back of your truck would build pressure. Could prove to be interesting (and amusing to others) when you popped the cap to connect the sewer line.

Good luck and keep us updated.

edit to add I remembered the name of the gadget. A solar shower. Still sold on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-20000...s=solar+shower

Good thoughts. I hope to not have the bag full for that long AND I have a rolltop cover that I can keep it out of direct sun once it's filled.

Moreso- I'm pretty positive that I'm going to have a Valterra end of line valve on the output side- give me something I can easily open and close when dumping. That should avoid gaseous surprises.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by fella10

ependydad,...... I love thinking "outside the box", and certainly hopes this works as good/even better than you think it will. ....... That being said, I suppose the tank is to empty by gravity flow, if that's so, won't it need a vent to allow it to "breath", to allow the contents to flow out? Once a vent of any type is opened, if a "burp" were to accidentally happen, you won't just have bad smelling air coming out like a fart, you will have reached the "I struck mud" stage immediately. ..... I do wish you the best and hope your results are completely satisfactory.

I wondered about the same thing. My friend assures me he hasn't had issues with venting.

But, if I need a vent- I'll have the water hose connection on the top that I can open.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I wondered about the same thing. My friend assures me he hasn't had issues with venting.

But, if I need a vent- I'll have the water hose connection on the top that I can open.

Water beds don't have vents. I think you'll be OK.

Not trying to talk you out of it, but it looks like you're going to be into this for at least twice what a hard sided tank would cost you. And I suspect once you've folded it up or whatever you're going to do to store it, it isn't going to much smaller in volume.

Only positive I'm seeing may be slightly easier draining.

[Dwilcox]

It's a bag, it will expand while filling, you know, water bed, walk away while filling bad things can happen. But since it is being filled from a known quantity, Grey or black tank, that should not be an issue. As to emptying, it will collapse as it emptys, if you can keep air from getting in it should pull most of the liquid out. The mud, probably not. I could see doing this for grey water, as a plumber, not so much for black.

[Paul GA]

I find it funny when someone tries a new way to do something everyone starts hollering "you do this and you're two seconds from instant death/biohazard/etc"

My only two cents is I'd put valves on both the in and out ports, but maybe you already are, I didn't read the parts list.

[John48]

I love the idea of building stuff but I hauled gasoline for a long time and it would run uphill just to spill. I imagine black water has the same characteristics !!

[nowait]

You realize that's 800lbs of poo that is splashing back and forth when you drive....


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[frozen]

The word GEYSER comes to mind.

[Ford Idaho]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...80969746109108

[MillerTime]

Doug....wake board guys use "fat sac" ballast all the time in their boats. Most wake board boats have them built in but there are add-on ones available. I've seen alot of them on board at the lake, and they dont move around when boats corner and such.
They are designed to handle lake water, so gray water would be doable.

Heres one example

[tomrob1161]

Just guessing, if it is 60" wide, 26" deep and let's SWAG ( Scientific Wild Ass Guess) that it's 12" tall, you can probably put 86.667 gallons of waste in that bladder. This mean you would have about 693 lbs. of s.... in your truck bed. I hope you don't get rear ended. You are better off using the sewer tote.

[Paul GA]

I'm with the OP... pull the trigger on that sucker!

[Wobbles]

dad, you have clearly gone the the next level with the idea. I like the concept to handle your requirements.

I do have a thought to float, when the bladder is empty, is it sanitary and what effort is it to move inside the truck and if need be outside?

[amblt]

Originally Posted by extxn

You, sir, are very courageous. If you don't think that stink bladder will roll around, just play with a water balloon for a little while or even fill a couple of 5 gal. buckets (with lids) with water and slide them in your truck bed for a trip around the neighbor hood. Tying down the outside will not stop the sloshing inside. Why do you think they ended up adding the fibrous insides to water bed bladders and calling them motionless or controlled motion? Also, have you ever heard of an environmental bio-waste hazard? Yep, that's the proper name for the stuff out of our black water tanks. No, I'm not calling you any names or doubting your abilities by any means, just in question as to why try it? Doesn't clean fresh water weigh around 10 lbs. or so per gallon? What will that bag weigh if filled with all the extra's? Have fun, let us know how things work out.

Yes, water is 10 lb/Imp gal. or 8.3/US gal. With the impurities, probably a little more. I would suggest the use of a solid container in the truck to reduce the risk of puncture, and sloshing, and use a standard outlet with gate valve to empty at the dump site? I'm sure one could get a new tank and customize the fittings for less than the cost of a wheelie tank.
Good Luck.

[DreiHunde]

Thinking outside the box! I like it! Great idea!

[uhduh camping]

One more thought to add. My freshwater blatter has to be picked up at one end to get it to drain completely. It gets heavy after a few minutes but it is draining through a 3\4" opening verses 3". That might speed things up for you. Pumping it out can be problematic as well, do to the bag being sucked over the opening choking off flow.
Having to park nose down to dump site will bring more issues.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Water beds don't have vents. I think you'll be OK.



Not trying to talk you out of it, but it looks like you're going to be into this for at least twice what a hard sided tank would cost you. And I suspect once you've folded it up or whatever you're going to do to store it, it isn't going to much smaller in volume.



Only positive I'm seeing may be slightly easier draining.

Cost-wise, the bladder is at $60 in parts, $50 heat gun, and $X for the material. The material is the big wildcard.

Amazon has the 42g Barker tote for $250. I should have double the capacity for about the same price (depending on cost of the fabric).

Where I lose is in the cost of the macerator pump and water hose for that. That's another $250 alone.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Dwilcox

It's a bag, it will expand while filling, you know, water bed, walk away while filling bad things can happen. But since it is being filled from a known quantity, Grey or black tank, that should not be an issue. As to emptying, it will collapse as it emptys, if you can keep air from getting in it should pull most of the liquid out. The mud, probably not. I could see doing this for grey water, as a plumber, not so much for black.

Thanks for the thoughts and vote of confidence. I'm curious about the black and wonder if I'll be able to use the hose at dump station into the hose connection to churn up the mud.

Though- black water isn't its primary purpose. We can typically make a week on that. I could always pay for a pumpout when that needs done.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Paul GA

I find it funny when someone tries a new way to do something everyone starts hollering "you do this and you're two seconds from instant death/biohazard/etc"

My only two cents is I'd put valves on both the in and out ports, but maybe you already are, I didn't read the parts list.

It wasn't in the parts list. It was something I considered for the outlet, but I hadn't thought of the inlet.

And the anti-thoughts- I welcome them; it helps me to think of sides I might not have before.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by John48

I love the idea of building stuff but I hauled gasoline for a long time and it would run uphill just to spill. I imagine black water has the same characteristics !!

This made me laugh. And then it made me sad. Any ideas on risk prevention?