3" Sewer Hose Problem in UK

[Mick & Pat]

Hi Guy's, some of you may recall our 2 years stay / touring the USA & Canada between 2007 & 20 09?

Well not once during that time did we suffer from our 3" sewer hose becoming punctured or split between the coils.

As you may or not know UK camp sites are  NOT designed for American RV's with fully serviced pitches like in the USA, no one has to either to take the RV to a dumping point, or use a macerator or portable black tank such as a Smart Tote 

We are still full timing in our RV and moving every 28 days ( club rules ) from site to site. We are currently on our favourite site and pitch which is approx 60 - 70 feet from the toilet dumping point. One problem we've been getting is the 3" hose getting punctured or split between the coils and I thought it was the small sharp grit used to make a pitch that was responsible, that was until this morning.

Several weeks ago I purchased from a UK RV accessories dealer a 2x Valterra Viper 10' Extension Hoses, claimed

the toughest drain hose on the market

I had only used these hoses once attached to 50ft of 'normal' hose.

This morning I decided to use this hose along with 60 ft of brand new heavy duty hose but I was shocked to numerous holes and splits in both Viper hoses.

Neither of these hoses have been dragged in the gravel and my only theory is that because they had been left outside under the RV they have been attacked by rats, mice or other wild life ( No Gators in UK  ) but we do have a lot of pheasants.

I've asked if members on a UK RV forum have had similar occur so I also thought I'd ask our RVing cousins across the pond??

Mick in the UK 

 

[Tom]

Mick,

I haven't seen/heard reports of that, but it doesn't totally surprise me.

Are you able to get the Rhino sewer hose in the UK? It comes in different lengths and in kits - see here. It's virtually bullet proof, and compresses to make storage easier. A few folks recently reported leaks at the joints/connections, although ours is still going strong after a number of years. I even ran over the Rhino with our Suburban (large/8,000lbs/4,000Kg SUV); It changed shape from round to oval, but didn't spring a leak.

 

[Mick & Pat]

Tom, yes I can get the Rhino pipes but the Valterra  Viper 10' Extension Hose cost ?36.10 ($57.40 ) another UK RV accessory supplier charges ?109.49 ($174.10 ) and advertisements with BOTH dealers claim,

10' EZ Flush Viper Extension Hose The Viper is the toughest drain hose on the market. Step on it and it bounces back, drag it and it will not leak, poke it and it shows you how difficult it is to puncture, expose it to UV without problem. It is virtually indestructible.

As I stated following my last and as yet unused 3x 20ft lengths of heavy duty hoses I swore never to drag them through gravel and uncouple each section and store away in bags in a RV locker.

Mick

 

[John From Detroit]

First, there is a product GOOP which will stick to and seal those holes, it does have drawbacks however (that coil won't compress properly when you stow it)

Second, at 50',  You might want to go with a macerator, I have a flo-jet portable, many use the RV-Sanicon either the installed or the portable (Which is nearly identical to mine) along with 50 feet of BLACK rubber hose (Hoses around here are color coded, care to guess what the GRAY hose hooks too? (Hint I have two gray tanks one has it's own dump connection).

In fact, in your case a macerator would be my first suggestion.

 

[Tom]

I have no experience with the Valterra Viper hose, and I don't think I've even seen it. OTOH it's been a long time since I went shopping for sewer hose.

I too wondered why you hadn't considered the macerator solution that John mentioned; It's my first choice if we're a long way away from the sewer.

 

[Mick & Pat]

Thanks John & Tom for your replies.  During our 2 years in the States I purchased not only a Flojet macerator and 2x 10' or 20' lengths of 1" plastic piping but also an 18 gallon Thetford Smart Tote portable waste tank.

At the moment whilst Pat is receiving treatments were are moving back and forth every 28 days between two Caravan club CL's, these I have explained before are locations at a house or farm that has a spare  minimum of 1 acre on which 5 motor homes or caravans ( travel trailers to you guys) can stay for max of 28 days.

All that the owner has to provide is fresh water and toilet dumping, but the dump stations tend to be suited for the UK / Euro motor homes and caravans that are fitted with a toilet that has a 17 litre detachable cassette which you carry to empty,  electric hook up are extra.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Mick. Understand the sewer dump facility is suitable for cassette type toilets. What confused me, and probably John, is the discussion of a 3" sewer hose to reach the dump facility 60-70 feet away. Maybe I'm just more confused than normal, or maybe that's just my new 'normal'  ???

 

[Mick & Pat]

Thanks Mick. Understand the sewer dump facility is suitable for cassette type toilets. What confused me, and probably John, is the discussion of a 3" sewer hose to reach the dump facility 60-70 feet away. Maybe I'm just more confused than normal, or maybe that's just my new 'normal'  ???

Tom, You have been away from the UK and her camp sites far to long. Only recently and very few are sites starting to build fully serviced pitches.

Normally a 5 vehicle site has just one point at which you walk to and empty your toilet cassette, UK & Euro caravans & motor homes also have a portable waste tank 38ltrs that collects grey waste water which you also take to a drain by the toilet dump. Now most site toilet dumps consist of a 'normal' ceramic toilet bowel without a seat so can you imagine trying to lift a full 18 gallon Smart Tote or similar portable tank 

Most Caravan Club sites have house sized bricks around a grey water drain to keep leafs out, even they are a pain to get the Smart Totes 3" pipe over.

mick

 

[Tom]

Aye, way too long Mick. The old Caravan Club used to rent part of a field from a farmer for rallies. Part of the deal was that the farmer had to provide a large hole in the corner of the field. So, he'd bring out his JCB (aka backhoe) and dig the hole. At the end of the rally, everyone would dump their porta potties and, after they`d left, he`d fill in the hole.

 

[Mick & Pat]

Following an email I sent the other day to the RV accessory dealer who supplied the two Viper hoses I today received a phone call from him in which he asks if I could send a part or whole of the effected hoses to him for his examination.

Ideally I would love for him to return BOTH hoses to the manufacturer Valterra for them to examine and test but I bet the high cost shipping charges will prevent that.

I am seriously thinking of emailing Valterra together with the history of the two Viper hoses I purchased along with photographs.

Mick