Additional Gray Water Tank

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
K

Km0060

Member
Joined
May 23, 2013
Posts
5
Location
Georgia
My wife and I just bought our first Class A, a 2013 Sightseer 36V and love it?  Can I add an additional Gray water holding tank to it?
 
We plan to do a lot of boondocking, so there would not be a practical way to use one of those blue tanks. 
 
You probably already have an extra tank the shower, that is where it will back up to when the grey tank is full, don't ask how I know that, but it will!!

If you are determined and have the space next to your present tank I imagine if you can find one that fits the space it would be a fairly easy install and plumbing job....the grey tank is pretty easy to find a place to dump....I was following a Class C Rental today and his cap was off and he was streaming something as he was headed down the road, although not a good idea....

They sell all different shapes and sizes of tanks...I know I was going to build an RV and researched it, Google is your friend.

Good Luck....

Jim

 
I made a little pump setup where I can pump gray water to the black tank via the black tank flush fitting, I don't use it very often though. We have boondocked where it was okay to dump the gray on the ground, so that could be a possibility for you.
 
John Canfield said:
I made a little pump setup where I can pump gray water to the black tank via the black tank flush fitting
Click to expand...

John, this is on my mod list. Could you post a sentence or two of where/how you tapped into the grey tank?
 
We can go 10 days while boondocking before dumping grey water. You have to learn conservation methods. Keep the water that you draw when turning on hot water before it gets hot by collecting in a container and using in toilet. Also reuse dishwashing rinse water for washing dishes the next time and then use the dirty dishwater to flush toilet. As John mentioned in a lot of boondocking areas it allowed to dump grey water on the ground.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Burning-Man-Skills-2007/step8/Greywater-Evaporator-Pond/

You can also use disposable body wipes, paper plates and bowls that can be burned.

You could also fabricate a carrier to mount the blue tote to the vehicle to carry on way out to a dump station. a simple carrier can be built to fit in the receiver hitch.
 
The easiest way is to use a Valterra Twist On Waste Valve

http://www.dyersonline.com/valterra-twist-on-waste-valve.html#

Put it on the waste T outlet. When the grey tank fills, make sure the Twist On Valve is closed, open the black tank valve, then open the grey water valve and the two tanks will equalize. This probably will give you up to 20 gallons more grey tank use.

You can also use a pump as John has done. You can use a 3" to garden hose adapter on the waste dump T outlet, garden hose to pump, garden hose to black water flush inlet.

USI-RV has a water recirculating system to conserve grey water and tank fittings to tap into tanks.

http://www.usi-rv.com/
 
Quillback 424 said:
John, this is on my mod list. Could you post a sentence or two of where/how you tapped into the gray tank?
Click to expand...
It's a simple setup - I used a 3" sewer outlet cap with a 3/4" hose fitting similar to this one.  Put the cap on the outlet, hook up the pump/hoses, pull the gray valve and turn on the pump.
 
Just came across this old post as I ponder what to do with that full grey tank; regarding the equalization of the tanks, is there any concern with contaminating the grey water tank with contents from the black tank? I like adding the connector - looks like a simple solution but wondering about side-effects (esp. if things start to back-up).
 
MikeworX said:
Just came across this old post as I ponder what to do with that full grey tank; regarding the equalization of the tanks, is there any concern with contaminating the grey water tank with contents from the black tank? I like adding the connector - looks like a simple solution but wondering about side-effects (esp. if things start to back-up).
Click to expand...

I do it and it's never been a problem There is more water in the gray tank so the water will flow continuously into the black tank until it equalizes. And even if it did somehow back up into the gray tank, it won't hurt anything that I can see. You have traps at your sinks to stop any smell.

John and John,
I like the idea o[p pumping it through the flushing connection. The only question I have is does the outlet on the end of the flushing hose have small holes so it gives a high pressure washing of the tank? If it does, aren't you concerned that they may plug up with food particles from the gray tank? If they did plug up, how would you ever clear them?

 
Rene T said:
John and John,
I like the idea o[p pumping it through the flushing connection. The only question I have is does the outlet on the end of the flushing hose have small holes so it gives a high pressure washing of the tank? If it does, aren't you concerned that they may plug up with food particles from the gray tank? If they did plug up, how would you ever clear them?
Click to expand...
That is a valid concern but dear wife is very careful about what goes in the gray tank.  The galley sink has strainers for anything that might get loose.  There is an anti-siphon device/check valve assembly under our galley sink which is between the black flush inlet and the sprayer inside the tank, if a large food particle got past the sink strainer, the check valve would probably catch it.

Of course an easy solution would be to plumb in a strainer like you have on the input side of the 12V fresh water pump - problem solved.
 
would it be feasible and beneficial to draw from the grey tank to flush the toilet or simply to transfer from grey to black tank? via those existing connections.
 
Another solution is to get several 5 gallon water totes, then use the 3/4" garden hose adapter John mentioned and a short length of cut-off garden hose to fill them from the grey tank.

Just set the container on the ground next to the outlet, insert the hose into it and open the grey valve.  Close the valve when the container is full, then transfer the hose to the next container and repeat until the grey tank is empty.

Next time you run into town, stack them in your car trunk or truck bed and empty them at a dump station.

If you have another set of clean containers, fill them at the potable water faucet and bring them back to refill your fresh tank.

Doing this can extend your boondocking time indefinitely, or at least until it's time to dump the black tank.

One tip - if the grey tank isn't empty by the time you get to the last tote, shut the grey valve before the container is completely full.  With the hose still in the container, slightly loosen it's connection to the RV's drain cap.  You'll hear it start to gurgle as air is drawn inside and the pipe full of water trapped between the grey valve and the cap drains into the tote.
 
Sam! said:
would it be feasible and beneficial to draw from the grey tank to flush the toilet or simply to transfer from grey to black tank? via those existing connections.
Click to expand...
Exactly what we do when the need arises, that's what I've discussing.
 
I have contemplated doing what the OP had asked here a long time ago.... since my grey tank is our limitation
My grey tank is on the curb side, so the drain pipe crosses the coach, and there's plenty of space around it, so it would be physically doable.
The snag comes in venting the tank.  There's no easy location i can see in mine that would allow a roof vent, so I'm not sure what I would do....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,254 (members: 20, guests: 1,234)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,968
Posts
1,388,410
Members
137,721
Latest member
Dmac3003
Back
Top Bottom