First time use- Black tank

[Whiskeydiesel]

Getting back into camping and have a question on the black tank. We have a 2022 Sabre 36BHQ. We're doing a long weekend in a few weeks and not sure when we'll use it again. My question is on the black tank. Should I fill it with some water first before I start sending goodies down there? There won't be much in there by the end of our trip and I want to make sure I get most of it out when we go to dump. Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[nvs4602]

It won't hurt to put 5 gallons of water in it. Some people do that plus put dawn dish soap in to help clean the tank.

I just add water and use happy camper powder in ours

 

[Reverse_snowbird]

Should I fill it with some water first before I start sending goodies down there?

Yes. Most blank tank treatments will tell you how much water to add before adding water and 'goodies.'
Before you dump, add water to reach at least 2/3 tank. You need a lot of water which together with blank tank treatment will 'liquify' the goodies and make it easier to dump.

 

[Whiskeydiesel]

Thanks for the replies! Appreciate it.

 

[tomkatb]

Have the dish washer to place a Rubbermaid pan in the sink. Collect the wash water and rinse water the first day or two. Put that down the black tank thru the toilet!

We use the Geo?, method. About half a cup of dawn and half a cup of water softener. Calgon. 20 mule team stuff.

Get your 3-5 gallons that way.

Then fill over half way up before dumping.

Wear rubber gloves! Assume there will be dribbles in the outlet. So put a bucket under the drain before hooking the drain up. Always complete the connections to the park first. Disasters happen. If it does you can hook up the drain quickly.

 

[Cabinfever97]

When it comes to dumping, I use a 5 gallon bucket for a big rush of water to help clear the tank. I usually send two down the black and one bucket down the gray. My theory, especially the black tank where the water is getting directly to the holding tank, the water "pressure" more likely to move solids out.

 

[Chuck_S]

Odorlos (tm) holding tank treatment and an enzyme treatment will solve all these issues. No need to dump after a weekend if you can't conveniently as these will digest all the waste in a couple of weeks. Driving home will slosh the tank interior. Just dump the next time you camp. No need to rinse the tank as the digestion of waste doesn't stop.

Doubters?: Boats with toilets only pump their "heads" a couple times a season in places like the Great Lakes where waste can't be pumped overboard. This technique is no muss no fuss no stink.

(Lots of enzyme treatments. Just ensure they have no poisons (e.g. - formaldehyde).

-- Chuck

 

[RhumbleFish]

Getting back into camping and have a question on the black tank. We have a 2022 Sabre 36BHQ. We're doing a long weekend in a few weeks and not sure when we'll use it again. My question is on the black tank. Should I fill it with some water first before I start sending goodies down there? There won't be much in there by the end of our trip and I want to make sure I get most of it out when we go to dump. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Water is your friend, and more is (generally) better, so long as you're not eroding your capacity by filling. A nice base of water will help when you send solids down that way, as will using plenty of water to flush the aforementioned treats. Remember that tanks are generally flat, so 5 gal doesn't go as far (in that it's very shallow over a rather wide area) but it will help. A short weekend doesn't tax tanks very much, so you have the opportunity to be pretty generous with your water use for going #2.

Note that if you've got a black tank flush in that Sabre, you've got an easy way to give it another good flush at the end of your trip. Just be courteous/don't take up time in the dump station line whilst "rinsing" and making people wait behind you. If you've got extra/leftover fresh water when breaking camp, you can always send a big slug of that down the drain to start the process. More water will make for better tank draining, too, as all those 'treats' will have more liquid to (1) dissolve and (2) carry them-and-all-their-bowl-brethren to their ultimate resting place.

As far as tank treatments go, there's plenty in the market. I'm a Bio-Geo man myself, and pre-treat the tank with dish soap and Boraxo according to TR Bowlin. My tanks are incredibly sweet, with clear water and nary an untoward scent. Same method can be used for your gray tank, only replace the dish soap with degreaser.

Hope this helps, enjoy the trip!

 

[comfun1]

I started camping in the eighties and have had class A's, class C's, 5th wheel, toy haulers and bumper pulls and have never done anything but use them and dump them. No chemicals and have never had a problem.

 

[5picker]

Getting back into camping and have a question on the black tank. We have a 2022 Sabre 36BHQ. We're doing a long weekend in a few weeks and not sure when we'll use it again. My question is on the black tank. Should I fill it with some water first before I start sending goodies down there? There won't be much in there by the end of our trip and I want to make sure I get most of it out when we go to dump. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Yes! Always start with some water in the tank. Most start with about 5 gallons. You never want to put solids in a dry tank. In every aspect of black tank 101, water is your friend. Use some to begin with, use lots when flushing the toilet and use lots to empty the tank. (many will add water if the tank isn't 2/3 full before dumping)

As for what chemicals/process to use... this is one of the most debated/opinionated topics on RV internet forums just as there are as many chemicals on every R/V supply place and Wally World.

Every company seems to make a treatment and everyone seems to have "their" way of treating. You'll soon find a method that works for "you."

Think about it... as these threads go... each poster says, "I use (insert treatment process here) and have been doing so for (insert number of years) and I've never had an issue." So... if that's the case, logic would say use whatever you want because they all work.

My point... black tank management isn't rocket science. It is a holding tank and not a septic tank. Certainly if you don't use your R/V much and don't intend to dump your black tank for months, then you likely will need a treatment to help control that process for months.

If you use the R/V regularly and dump frequently, you can pretty much use anything (or nothing) and dump away. Chemicals used for a couple days out and then dump don't do anything for digesting, they simply help mask odor.

Just my 2¢... ymmv.

 

[FiveAndDime]

Your 36BHQ most definitely has a Black Tank Flush at your water panel. This is hugely helpful for rinsing your black tank after dumping it to make sure that you're getting most everything out of the tank. Once you've emptied, you can close your black tank valve and let the tank fill up with clean water a bit before opening the black valve again to empty it. As mentioned, be courteous if you have people in line to dump behind you. After clean, I always run the water in the black flush for 30 seconds to add some water back to the tank and then add Unique RV Digest-It to help break down anything left behind and prevent odors and build-up.

Lastly, I suggest keeping a separate water hose for your black tank flush use so that you're not using your city water hose for that task. There is a check valve in place, but better to be safe.

 

[Tonylmiller]

Your 36BHQ most definitely has a Black Tank Flush at your water panel. This is hugely helpful for rinsing your black tank after dumping it to make sure that you're getting most everything out of the tank. Once you've emptied, you can close your black tank valve and let the tank fill up with clean water a bit before opening the black valve again to empty it. As mentioned, be courteous if you have people in line to dump behind you. After clean, I always run the water in the black flush for 30 seconds to add some water back to the tank and then add Unique RV Digest-It to help break down anything left behind and prevent odors and build-up.

Lastly, I suggest keeping a separate water hose for your black tank flush use so that you're not using your city water hose for that task. There is a check valve in place, but better to be safe.

Yes, this is exactly what I do.

And this is why I like to have a sewer connection at my site. I can take my time and rinse everything out. If people are in line, I just dump and go, with very little rinsing. But we do not put "solids" into our black tank. We generally go to the bath house for that.

 

[GolfingDave]

never done anything but use them and dump them. No chemicals and have never had a problem.

Only one year in myself and that is all I do for the most part.

I do not understand putting 5 gallons in either?? To me that just means a couple less days of use between dumps. I rotate sites every 14-16 days and dump then. Do your duty and flush even if it is the initial use after a tank dump. Maybe fill up the toilet 1/4 or the way for #2's. Quick flush on #1's.

It is in an enclosed tank except for the vent, it is not going to dry out. Enough #1's thru out the day fills up the tank in a couple of weeks.

I've shined a light down the toilet and no pyramid has started. I do have a black tank flush and run that for about a minute.
Camped eight months that way last year and into several already this year, no bathhouse here.
Over the winter I did use campground bath houses a majority of the time for solids and showers.
Has worked for me but may not for others. Single camper.

 

[GravelRider]

Have the dish washer to place a Rubbermaid pan in the sink. Collect the wash water and rinse water the first day or two. Put that down the black tank thru the toilet!

We use the Geo?, method. About half a cup of dawn and half a cup of water softener. Calgon. 20 mule team stuff.

Get your 3-5 gallons that way.

Then fill over half way up before dumping.

Wear rubber gloves! Assume there will be dribbles in the outlet. So put a bucket under the drain before hooking the drain up. Always complete the connections to the park first. Disasters happen. If it does you can hook up the drain quickly.

Last year we went camping in Vermont with a friend at a state park without hookups. At the end of the long weekend, we went to empty the tanks. I went first. Once we finished, we pulled forward, and got out and were chatting as our friend dumped his tanks (5 people in his camper for four days). It was a new camper for him, and he never closed his gate valves! When he removed the drain caps, he got sprayed with the black tank contents. It went EVERYWHERE. He was so soaked and shocked by it all, that he completely lost his bearings, and drained nearly his entire black tank before closing the gate valves. That was a MESS! It looked like he went swimming he was so wet, and the smell. Oh god, the smell. As bad as I felt for him, I also never laughed so hard in my life.

 

[Aussieguy]

I do not understand putting 5 gallons in either??

people often leave some water in there to wash around while driving
helps remove crud off walls/ sensors etc


stop and starting in traffic is a marvelous way to agitate the tank and break down solids....



a lot of people would wait till they get to a dump station after a trip to empty. So some of the parks I go to have adopted a fee if you arrive at the park and then go straight to the dump ...

they use the excuse saying the waste was not produced at their facilities so yo gotta pay


leaving around 5 gallons will give you the cleaning agitation but you won't have to dump as soon as you arrive
You'll probably need to empty the gray much sooner than the black and you can do both when the gray is due.