Empty black tank after overnight trip?

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KenCarol

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I am new to RVing and came up with a question that I can't find in the search or library.
We are planning several quick overnight local trips to get used to the RV before we go on a longer adventure. About one trip a month for the next several months.
We probably will not accumulate much in the holding tanks with just the two of us overnight. Should I plan on putting enough water into the blank tank while I have the dump station available at the campsite? Or wait until a couple of trips and dump it after it accumulates?
 
KenCarol said:
I am new to RVing and came up with a question that I can't find in the search or library.
We are planning several quick overnight local trips to get used to the RV before we go on a longer adventure. About one trip a month for the next several months.
We probably will not accumulate much in the holding tanks with just the two of us overnight. Should I plan on putting enough water into the blank tank while I have the dump station available at the campsite? Or wait until a couple of trips and dump it after it accumulates?
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I would dump at the dump station. No need to be hauling all that extra weight around. Once you're done dumping, add 5 gallons of water in the black tank to break up anything left behind after dumping and you'll be all ready for the next time you head out.
 
My thoughts are different than Rene's - with just two of you  and a single short overnight, I wouldn't dump. It will probably take 3-4 such overnights before the tank registers 1/4-1/2. At that point I'd fill it past 3/4 with water and dump. I would however be sure and dump prior to the longer trip.
 
Either way is fine. Just try to make sure there is a decent volume in the black tank when you dump it. If the extra water weight is a concern for whatever reason, add some fresh water and dump when leaving. If not, you can wait til it needs dumping.

Despite the hyperbole here and elsewhere, it's not a life and death matter. Just "best practice" vs your convenience.
 
If you have a black water flush connection to send flush water to the tank to flush out the solids, then dump every time you go out.  If you don't then fill the black tank to 1/4 to 1/3 full before leaving for a 2-4 day trip and dump before you get home.

For 12 years now, we dump when we have the chance to dump.  If that is when the tank is 1/3 full, no problem, we dump and flush.  Just make sure you have a decent amount of water in the tank to dilute the solids.  Don't forget that urine and a quick flush of the toilet adds quite a bit of liquid to the tank.

Additionally, if you don't add some water back to the black tank when you dump you are asking for problems.  How much depends on the size of the tank.  Probably 1/16 to 1/8 of the tank of added water is good. 

I don't like the idea of leaving solids sitting in a tank for a month or four before dumping.
 
I would say it depends on details like tank size, cargo carrying capacity, etc.  In my motorhome I have 80 gallons of fresh water tank capacity, 40 black and 40 gray, when traveling solo, I typically don't hook up water or dump until my fresh water tanks get below the 50% point, typically this means dumping and filling tanks every 4 or 5 days with no major water conservation effort, usually this also means my gray tank is far more full than my black tank.
 
I always dump. There's no need to be carrying waste around with you, and there might not be a dump station available at your next destination.

It's a simple matter of adding more water to the waste tanks before dumping.
 
I keep water in my freshwater tank at home and stay plugged into shore power,but I don't have a convenient drain at home.? We use the bathroom occasionally, and don't worry about it. When we get ready for a trip, I will add water to the black tank, then either head to the state park 5 miles away and dump, (we camphosted there for 3 years, so they let us dump for free), or I head into the next town down the road to a free dump the town provides.
 
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