Adding water to black tank. (Dumb question?)

[timdsmith72]

Be gentle if this is a dumb question, my search-foo is apparently weak today.

How do you guys add the 3 - 5 gallons of water to your black tank before using it? Connect a hose to the black tank rinse? Hold down the toilet flush a really long time? Stick a hose down the toilet?
Thanks for suggestions!

[Roberte52]

I partially fill a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket from an outside faucet and pour directly into the toilet. Do so after draining the black tank when leaving a campsite so water can slosh around while driving.

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by timdsmith72

Be gentle if this is a dumb question, my search-foo is apparently weak today.

How do you guys add the 3 - 5 gallons of water to your black tank before using it? Connect a hose to the black tank rinse? Hold down the toilet flush a really long time? Stick a hose down the toilet?
Thanks for suggestions!

I use the toilet and a bucket. Kind of hard to tell how much is going down when using a hose IMO (not that it really matters)

[BehindBars]

I hold the toilet valve half way so the bowl can be filled without the gate open. I fill the Dometic 310 bowl all the way to the top and flush, twice. I guess if I measure the volume of the toilet bowl, I'd know exactly how much water that amounts to.

[BrandonSmith]

I don't have a built-in tank flush, so I use a tank flush adapter with a slide gate. Once I've flushed the black tank a time or two, I start putting water back in there again and shut the black tank valve when I think there is enough in there.

[tomkatb]

We use the toilet as is. Generous water on major events.

The first day the DW uses the sink for dishes she uses a rubbermaid pan in the sink to catch the soapy water. And as much rinse water as possible.

That and a half cup of dawn and Borax goes down the toilet. My job.

That way 3-4 gallons goes to the black tank instead of the gray.

Since we try to go 5 or more days on the black tank. Forget the level indicator, that seems to be the right amount for us.

[timdsmith72]

Now, why I didn't think about using a bucket, I'll never know.
That actually makes perfect sense if I really want to know how much is going in.

Thanks everyone for the responses!!

Tim

[Lee Pedrick]

Take a one gallon jug full jug of water, dump it to your toilet, {dont flush it} See what level it is in the bowl,, refill it to the same level and flush again,,,theres 2gal in. Do as many as you want, you only fill the jug once,,the rest ,you use your pedal to the same fill line.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by tomkatb

... That and a half cup of dawn and Borax goes down the toilet. ...

We use 1/2 capful of the cheapest BOGO high-efficiency liquid laundry detergent we can find.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

I hold the toilet valve half way so the bowl can be filled without the gate open. I fill the Dometic 310 bowl all the way to the top and flush, twice. I guess if I measure the volume of the toilet bowl, I'd know exactly how much water that amounts to.

X2; I fill my 310 bowl three times to just below the holes on the rim twice, the bowl holds just under 2 gallons.

[JACA]

If I'm not going into storage, after every time I empty the black tank, I add a few gallons of water by any method - hold flush down, bucket, whatever.

More importantly, I also add a few squirts of Dawn dishwashing liquid and any leftover ice from the cooler, if I have any.

That combination of water, soap, and ice keeps my black tank very clean. How do I know? Because I use a lighted inspection scope to look in there every now and then!

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

… the bowl holds just under 2 gallons.

Good to know. Thanks.

[retdocj]

I keep about 1-1/2 gallons of water with a good dollop of "Awesome" brand dollar store laundry detergent (which is really quite good) in my black tank at all times between trips. It works well as my black tank capacity is only 6 gallons.

[robo44]

No such thing as a dumb question- I carry a few 5 gallon buckets on my rig, I will use one of those to dump water down my toilet when I feel the need

[SailorSam20500]

I either just fill thru the toilet holding the flush lever or if I have the black tank flush hooked up, I'll run that for about a minute.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

X2; I fill my 310 bowl three times to just below the holes on the rim twice, the bowl holds just under 2 gallons.

Originally Posted by chriscowles

Good to know. Thanks.

What I said in my previous post was just a wild guess on my part. After posting I got curious as to how accurate my guess was. So with my TT sitting in my front yard, I went out with 2 one gallon milk jugs filled with water and the bowl on the 310 toilet holds 1-1/2 gallons at 1/4 inch below the rim holes. As I always filled the bowl three times when I did a quick dump without using the black tank flush I was putting 4-1/2 gallons back in the tank.

When I did use the black tank flush I did the same as SailorSam.

[REL]

At the dump station after dumping I put 2 buckets (4 gallons) down the toilet along with a sani pack.

[SUNCAT37]

Typically I just let the toilet flow until I get what I think is enough. Now I see many good options for betting more exact.... One point I want to make is prior to dumping I fill my black tank to the top with water This increase the flow of the flush when you dump, helping clean the tank better before rinsing or using your BT Flush.
After flushing I add water and some Dawn for the trip home to help keep the tank clean....
Good luck with your camping, and may all your flushes be successful!!!

[Adrian Gordon]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

X2; I fill my 310 bowl three times to just below the holes on the rim twice, the bowl holds just under 2 gallons.

X2 what they said! Why on earth would anyone fill a bucket outside and carry the full bucket into the RV to dump it down the toilet when you have a water source right at the toilet?

[flyflotrtim]

Originally Posted by Roberte52

I partially fill a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket from an outside faucet and pour directly into the toilet. Do so after draining the black tank when leaving a campsite so water can slosh around while driving.

That is what I do also, easy. Add some dish soup and let er slosh.