Newbie popup questions - septic & electric

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dkke

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We're getting ready to take our new-to-us Fleetwood Sequoia on a first family outing - just one overnighter, to try things out for size - and we've got some newbie questions about the best way to handle things.

  • We've got a toilet in the trailer but don't know the best way to flush the holding tank since we'd be on our rural property and not on a campground.  Do we need to use something pressurized like a hose connected to municipal water or would just dumping a 15-gal water container into the toilet do the trick.  This isn't something we'd want to screw up at any time but especially not during high summer!  :p
  • We already have a portable generator but it has a 120v output.  Everything in the trailer's user manual refers to 110v.  The last thing I want is to fry the electrical system just to power the microwave that we probably won't even use.  Is it just that the genny can output more if it's drawn by the appliances plugged into it?  Or is this an unsafe setup to use without an adapter of some sort?

Thanks very much in advance for any tips.  Excluding the above worries, this is gonna be fun...!
 
Congratulations on your new camper!

AC power in the US ranges anywhere from 110 to 125 volts.  Your trailer will be fine plugged into the generator - 110 volts and 120 volts are interchangeable terms for the same power.  If your trailer has a 30 amp plug you'll need an adapter to plug it into the standard duplex socket on the generator.

Here's an example of a 30 amp RV plug and a 30 amp to 20 amp adapter to let it plug into your generator.  The adapter is also available as a 18" pigtail if that's more convenient.

What size is your generator?  You'll need at least 2000 watts to run the microwave.

What kind of toilet do you have in the camper?  Does it have a permanent holding tank under the floor with a 3" dump valve and sewer hose connection or is it a cassette style toilet where the waste tank lifts out so you can carry it to the disposal site or flush the contents down a permanent toilet?
 
Another related question, What kind of generator is is?? Some microwave ovens can be damaged by the modified sine wave (MSW) output of some "contractor style" generators. There are other appliances, for example, the fancy coffee makers with timer circuits, heat blanket controls, that can also be damaged. Lights etc will not be affected.

The answer is of course to unplug the microwave until you can be sure, or make coffee the old fashioned way, over the stove....
 
...modified sine wave (MSW) output of some "contractor style" generators.
Click to expand...

Lest we scare dkke too much, perhaps you could identify what brand generator has modified sine output?  I don't think I've ever heard of one, since themechanical generaotrs are always pure sine (nature of the way they work) and low end "contractor" generators usually are not inverter-generators.
 
Wow - thanks for all the replies so far!  The toilet is not a cassette - we have a tank and dump valve.  As for where we, uh, "dump", we're used to backcountry camping and have a designated "outhouse rock" on our property.  The plan was to let the (this topic is gross, no matter what the verbiage) liquids settle and pack out the solids as needed.  For perspective, the property is 40 acres overall and about 90 minutes' drive from the nearest permanent settlement - we don't give much thought to polluting ground water or anything for one or two nights.

The generator is a Champion 3.5Kw.  It's been handy for power tools, recharging/running laptops, et cetera.  I do NOT know, however, about the sine wave and don't see any reference in the manual.
 
It's not difficult to make your own septic system for a limited use like that. All it takes is a 55 gallon barrel buried in the ground and about 20 feet of septic drainage pipe spliced into the side of the barrel a bit more than 1/2 way up from the bottom. That will handle about 25 gallons of waste dumped at a single time, or much larger amounts if spread over time.  For improved drainage in clay soils, lay the drain pipe in some crushed stone before covering.
 
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