Dump station tips, tricks and mishaps.

[PBallie1602]

Originally Posted by herk7769

I use my "Blue Boy" all the time when I camp in Florida.
I got one big enough to not only hold all my black water, but some gray water to flush out the hose before I disconnect.

Get one with a side valve so you don't need to lift anything and a hitch loop on the handle so you can move the full tank with the truck.

I saw how others who use tiny tanks fair at the campground (not well even for seasoned users).

A valve at the END of your dump mast will allow you to immediately stop the flow at the end of the mast so you are only dealing with 10 inches or so of hose (you DID make a special hose up for your dump tank right?)

PS it is the same one that Road-King has...

OK weel remember I am brand new, as in we bought the TT last week and have yet to take it out. So when you say "you did make a special hose up for your dump tank right?" what do you mean? Also how are you guys moving it w/ the truck? I guess hooking some sort of rope and slowly pulling it behind the truck? Don't laugh! This is all brand new to me and I am a girl, so not that mechanically inclined, but more so than my hubs.

[PBallie1602]

OK I studied the pics well (should have done that 1st DUH!) I get the side dump valve and the hitch hook up bar, INGENIOUS! But what is the special hose you speak of??

[Road-King]

My tank came with a stinky slinky to hook it up to the TT, different than one you would use for normal dumping. It has on both ends of the hose female connections or the hooks that go around the nubbs on the male ends.

Also I use an old green garden hose to rinse everything with. I only use it for sewer stuff...

[PBallie1602]

Ok got it! Well I already made notes to buy a Barker brand tank you both speak so well of (so it will come w/ the correct hose, I can't MAKE nuffin'!)and since I have a 48 galon BW tank I don't think I can buy one big enough to hold ALL that w/ room to dump some GW, BUT I can watch my monitor panel and dump between the half way and 3/4's mark. Thanks guys! I think I'd be in quite a pickle w/o your help!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by PBallie1602

This is all brand new to me and I am a girl, so not that mechanically inclined, but more so than my hubs.

Why would it be different because you are female?
I spotted two 70 year old "matrons" driving a huge Class A last year.
Both widowed and living the lifestyle. (One was a co-driver for a tractor trailer couple before her husband passed away).

The end of the dump mast and the end of my Blue Boy are both male fittings.
I made a short (about 12 inch long) hose and added two female fittings so there is not a great big snake to deal with at the camper when dumping. It also comes in useful at the dump site to hook up to the side discharge and an elbow fitting to get all the junk into the drain.

The end of the handle has a large ring on it that goes over the ball of your hitch. Drive slow and it should not come off, but I always warp a bungee cord around the handle and hook it to my safety chain connections.

A full 42 gallon "honey wagon" weighs over 300 pounds, so while not impossible to pull by hand (I have when the trip is short), but towing it is much easier.

[PBallie1602]

Well because often times males are more mechanically inclined, not always, but more than not. But as I have already stated I am more so inclined than my hubs, so yes I know plenty of women can do the job... AND mechanically inclined has nothing to do w/ smarts, we all know women are smarter than men . It just means good at figuring how to fix stuff, cars, RV's, poop hoses etc. Please don't always take me literally, I seldom am 100% serious in anything I say or do, life is too boring that way!! Thanks again for your time & help!

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by FamilyTruckster

These stories are hilarious.

We don't have the benefit of a sewer hook up at our park. I purchased a 20 gallon transfer tank. I'm not gonna move the TT every time I need to dump my tanks. I did a dry run with grey water the first time. All went well.

I finally had to dump it two weeks ago. My wife joined me. I had dumped black water before but never into a transfer tank. I connected the hose and removed the air vent cap. Then I released the valve while she held the end of the hose to the tank. Needles to say, we were both suprised at the speed in which the fluid filled it.

Within seconds the vile liquid was spraying out of the tank's air vent. I rushed to shut the valve but it continued to pour out. We were both afraid to remove the hose because it was chaulked full. I grabbed it and somehow managed to spill very little by holding it up. My wife capped the tank trapping the remaining overflow that would have spilled onto the ground.

I'm a big guy and I had a hard time lifting the tank. I attached it to the truck, jumped on the tailgate and she drove down the hill to the dumping station. The entire time I was shouting for her to keep the speed down while the dog chased us down the road.

At the dumping station, I knew we were gonna have trouble. The tank was ballooning under the pressure. As soon as I disconnected the cap, about a litre gushed out and soaked my sneakers. I'll probably never wear them again.

Back at the camper I still had to deal with the full hose and the remaining fluid in the tank. I managed to get the hose into the tank easy enough and emptied the tank wihout any issues. As my wife attached the cap, she says, "Wow, it's way chunkier this time." My stomach churned, I could have easily puked.

I cleaned up the site and myself and learned how not to dump my tank. I could still smell the stink that night after I showered. It was stuck in my nose. My wife is a nurse and she nearly barfed a few times during the process.

I'm sorry you had to experience this, but thank you for the laugh. People around me at the restaurant probably think I'm nuts, and yes, I'm having lunch while reading this. I have a cast iron stomach; not much bothers me.

[FamilyTruckster]

Well, I had no issues this past weekend other than the smell but if I breathe through my mouth I don't notice the smell so much.

The most important thing to remember is to unscrew the air vent and be careful not to overflow it.

My buddy just purchased the 32 gallon to avoid overflow.

[JohnandPandra]

We stayed at a water/electric site for 9 days & used our barker 42 gallon tote that I've made the mods to pull easier to move around. I dumped the gray & black tanks once every 3 days, and had no problems. I only used the regular rhino sewer hose to dump from the trailer to tote, then tote to dump station. Chose the Barker brand and am really satified with it. I have the pnuematic tires on the back with the hard rubber wheels in front from Graingers.

[Mark and Linda]

How emptying the tanks do not bother me in a few words: At my prior job we had these self contained restroom facilities on a multi million dollar aircraft. When they needed emptying we called contract people from the airport. He brought the cart over and we would help him back-up, and hook up. We had a pressurized cap on the outside, then he would remove a thing that we called a donut, which was the plug. Well, the cart backs up, I open the pressured cap....and then...it was everywhere. Someone did not put the donut in on the last service. And then we preceded to another aircraft that was in the hanger...I opened the pressure cap..and then....another mess. You sort of get used to it after this. One night working alert duties, Secretary of State Albright arrives with her party on a plane, I call contract to empty the restroom facilities, they arrive, hook up, pull the lever and then....it was on the ground. Someone forgot to put their drain plug back in on the last drain. I have sort of become immune to a mess.

[Road-King]

Originally Posted by JohnandPandra

I have the pnuematic tires on the back with the hard rubber wheels in front from Graingers.

I was thinking about this mod my self. Does the tank roll better in gravel? I had even thought about buying one of those heavy garden wagons to haul it on. Some CG's I've stayed at have speed humps between me and the dump station...

[JohnandPandra]

Yes, as a matter of fact where the tote was located was on ground that had been rained on a couple of days(on gravel & dirt). The pnuematic tires I purchased from Harbor Freight, and the front tires from Graingers (a 300 lb. rating) rolled along easily to my pickups' hitch.

[Broadway Joe]

Many years ago, we had a B-747 upper deck lavatory that would not dump. after a few days the aroma was getting to everyone, and the Captain refused to fly the aircraft until the lav was fixed. During the next hour several attempts were made to open the clog without success. Finally as a last resort it was decided to pressurize the aircraft with the dump valves open.
A large dumpster was positioned under the open valve and the pressurizing was started. If anyone has been to the zoo and watched the elephants for a while, you can picture what happened next. Only a portion of the effluent actually made the dumpster. This became a major cleanup effort (pre epa) and was a sight I will never forget.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by JohnandPandra

Yes, as a matter of fact where the tote was located was on ground that had been rained on a couple of days(on gravel & dirt). The pneumatic tires I purchased from Harbor Freight, and the front tires from Graingers (a 300 lb. rating) rolled along easily to my pickups' hitch.

Do you still have the receipts?
I am sure others (like me) with the same tank would love to know which tires to buy and any mods you needed to do to the axles.

[Labzy]

Idk about you all, but me and my DH watch the people at the dump station in front of us and have bets on if they are going to wash their hands or not.
I always bet 'no' and usually win because the majority of people we have seen finish dumping, then get right back in the truck and drive away..... :-0

[Road-King]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Do you still have the receipts?
I am sure others (like me) with the same tank would love to know which tires to buy and any mods you needed to do to the axles.

PM sent...

[Road-King]

Originally Posted by Labzy

Idk about you all, but me and my DH watch the people at the dump station in front of us and have bets on if they are going to wash their hands or not.
I always bet 'no' and usually win because the majority of people we have seen finish dumping, then get right back in the truck and drive away..... :-0

I use surgical gloves and keep a bottle of that hand sanitizing stuff in my truck. I was working on a septic system at a house I use to live in and got a staff infection on my arm. Not pleasant. I don't take chances with that stuff.

[Helmsey]

It finally happened to me.... I pulled up to the dump station this weekend to leave and there was a fella backed up close, dumping with no hose. His wife was standing close by with the water hose "helping" things down the concrete to the hole in the ground.
DW and I both just shook our heads. I got out and asked him if he needed a hose to borrow, that I would gladly let him use mine and he informed me no hoses were needed with this type of dump station. I politely pointed to the sign next to the dump site and showed him the step 1 and 2 on the instructions on how to use the station.
1. connect sewer hose to RV securely
2. place end of hose in waste receptacle before opening valves.

We decided not to empty the trailer there, didn't want to walk around in his freshly dumped stuff. Ours will just have to sit in our tanks another couple weeks until we get out again.

[wagon52]

Originally Posted by helmsey

it finally happened to me.... I pulled up to the dump station this weekend to leave and there was a fella backed up close, dumping with no hose. His wife was standing close by with the water hose "helping" things down the concrete to the hole in the ground.
Dw and i both just shook our heads. I got out and asked him if he needed a hose to borrow, that i would gladly let him use mine and he informed me no hoses were needed with this type of dump station. I politely pointed to the sign next to the dump site and showed him the step 1 and 2 on the instructions on how to use the station.
1. Connect sewer hose to rv securely
2. Place end of hose in waste receptacle before opening valves.

We decided not to empty the trailer there, didn't want to walk around in his freshly dumped stuff. Ours will just have to sit in our tanks another couple weeks until we get out again.

w-o-w!

[jar3316]

Originally Posted by Helmsey

We decided not to empty the trailer there, didn't want to walk around in his freshly dumped stuff. Ours will just have to sit in our tanks another couple weeks until we get out again.

Thats why I made a 4" clean out just out side our house by the driveway in the main sewer line now I can dump when I get home

I still dump at a dump station before leaving but I "clean" the tanks at home.