Towing waste water tote

[jstorta]

I am looking to get a 25 gallon waste water tote.  My tanks are 23 gallons each so that will allow me to dump them completely.  The down side is that while I could life my old 10 gallon tank into the trunk, the new tank will have to get towed to the dump station.

My question is for others that tow their tanks to the dump station.  How fast do you drive when towing?  How far have you had to tow it? 

The official documents for the tote say do not exceed walking speed.  That is about 4mph.  Our favorite campground is a large state park.  The dump station is 1 mile away.  Paved campground road (not a public street).  Do you keep it under 4mph?  Do you go to any dump stations that are 1 mile away?

For reference, the tote we are looking at is the Tote-N-Stor 25 gallon tank.

Thanks

 

[Rene T]

How fast would you like to go towing a tank full of crap?

 

[Joezeppy]

It's not like the wheels are going to fly off but most campgrounds I've been in have a posted speed of something like 5 MPH anyway. Some have paved roads where the tote would do just fine at 5 MPH - some with gravel would not be so smooth and at 5 MPH it would be bouncing all over.

 

[John From Detroit]

My tank was set up so I could tow it even though by design that was not possible.. I got a towing adapter which was actually for a larger tank, and modified the adapter.. Which of course scared my wife (I had to heat the metal rod red hot to bend it properly.. But then I've done that before (in class) so I knew how to do it safely)

Page 2: To answer your question::  All Ahead FULL IDLE.. as slow as I could go when towing,, 5MPH or less.

With the larger tanks I might double that.

 

[jstorta]

The speed limit between the camping loop and the dump station is 25mph.  I was not planning to go that fast, but I was just curious what the real-world upper limit was.  5mph it is.


Thanks

 

[malexander]

After you dump it, you can just throw it in the car and "speed" back to the camper to make up the difference. lol.

 

[Corky]

Speed has a direct relationship to the amount of cleanup time, adjust according to your own taste.

 

[kdbgoat]

I don't think I would want to tow mine a mile with the factory wheels/tires. Maybe do a pneumatic tire upgrade to ease things up a bit. Then start saving up for a pump to pump it up into the back of the truck. No more towing.

 

[tvman44]

Better yet, get a portable macerator pump & put the tank in the back of the truck, pump the poo into the tank and drive the speed limit.  That is what I do.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I've towed one maybe a mile like that, on a paved road. Don't think gravel would do so well, nor a rutted dirt toad. I don't think I would chance more than 5 mph and would probably stay under that. IMO, those totes really aren't made adequately for anything more than 3-4 mph.

The 4-wheel versions might be a bit more capable, but they are pricey!
http://www.adventurerv.net/thetford-smart-tote-portable-waste-tank-gal-camper-p-1354.html

 

[Evil Santa]

Depending on the brand they say 5mph tops. I found out on a long pull of over a mile i exceeded that speed and the rubber on the plastic front wheels started to disintegrate. By the time I got to the dump the plastic rims were wearing down. Is see that Thetford changed the design of their front wheels on newer models..

 

[robertusa123]

When you get it home. Change out the plastic wheels. For air filled steel hub wheels.    Makes a huge difference

 

[Evil Santa]

When you get it home. Change out the plastic wheels. For air filled steel hub wheels.    Makes a huge difference

I already figured a fix It is a very poor design . Limited space for other than 5" wheels. It is a caster type swivel setup with dual wheels in the center front. The handle is stationary so the swivel underneath is how it turns. It's 35 gallons so the weight is an issue on smaller diameter wheels. I found some 6" steel rim hard rubber wheels. Had to sleeve them for the axle and modify the swivel a bit but it is better than it was. Still gonna keep it around 5 mph.
Was just making the point that this design is limited to the 5 MPH because of the wheels. I had used it for 2 years before pushing it past that speed limit...