Dumping for Dummies

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Gordon Groff

Gordon Groff

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Posts
471
Location
Lancaster, PA
Yep, I did it.  Something so dumb I thought would never happen to me.  Set up my hose from the macerator to the house, made sure it was all laid out nice and proper, opened the black slide gate and SPLOOSH!  Ugh... Gag.... :-[

I had forgotten to hook the 4" end up!

In my (lame) defense, I have a permenantly installed macerator that had been hooked up all the time since I got this coach.  This fall, I had to replace it due to leakage from the slide gate that ruined the motor. I had decided to leave it disconnected so I'd see any future leaks or drips.

So - first rule of dumping for dummies - Make sure there's something hooked up to the 4" outlet under the slide gate before you open it! 

Gordon
 
Gordon,

There's a saying among pilot's who fly retractable gear aircraft - "there are two kinds of pilots who fly retracts, those who have landed with the gear up, and those who will"...

I think you can adapt that to RV'ers - "there are two kinds of RV'ers, those who have had a black tank spill, and those who will"...

As a pilot, I have never had that gear up experience; I cannot say the same for my blank tank, and not once, but twice....

ahhh, the things campfire stories are made of...  8)

Kim
 
Ugh. I'm not real squeemish about anything... except for this. I don't mind dead animals or blood. The thought of liquid poo on the ground has me dry heaving as I type this. I have yet to dump my first black tank - but I can say that I'm not looking forward to it. The fact that these hoses are corrugated (deeply!) honestly has me a little freaked out. I don't plan on being OCD about rinsing - but I don't hold much hope that the hose won't stink for a long time, once I start using it. Probably my inexperience showing.

Related topic - how important are threaded ends on the other side of the hose? The one that came with my (old) RV doesn't have 'em. Maybe I should just plunk down for one of these? : http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/rhinoflex-swivel-rv-sewer-kit/44151


Mylo

 
The better hoses are corrugated on the outside but smooth on the inside so rinsing is easy.  Threaded fittings are desirable but not all camp sites will have a threaded connection.  For those you use a rubber doughnut to create the seal.

Dumping need not be a traumatic experience.  Take your time, double check your connections at both ends, and relax :)

Many of us have used the Rhino hose products for years and wouldn't use any other.  Each generation of Rhino hose is better than the last one.  We currently have the one you linked to and it's been fine.
 
What has worked well for me:
Our unit came with a 90 degree, with ball valve on the dump end. We have a pair of heavy socks 3/4 filled with large gravel & the tops tied together, to use for a weight to hold the 90 degree dump end, into the sewer outlet. I carry 3 pcs of 3" PVC split in half, 4', 6', & 8' long which I put one piece under the sewer hose to hold a grade.

I leave the hose connected all time in my water bay. After dumping, I slide the hose back up the split PVC pipe until it is completely compressed (15' hose is now maybe 4' long), then close the ball valve (vacuum in hose will not let it expand). Now you can remove the PVC & store the 4' of sewer pipe without it expanding, leaking & practically no smell.

If you want to dump the shower fast, it helps to lay another piece of the split PVC on top of the hose to keep the sudden water burst from making the hose jump out of its trough.

Note: it is almost impossible to compress the sewer hose if not laying in the PVC pipe trough but very easy in the trough.
When hooking up, I pull the hose out of water bay, open the ball valve, so the hose can expand to where the drain connection is.
 
I bought the Rhino hose and agree that it is a excellent quality hose. My problem was that it did not fit the dump connection along with a clear elbow that I like to use due to its location in a tight spot. I switched to the "Dominator" hose which is of, IMO, equal or better quality. I also purchased their adapter and caps so the hose sections are sealed after rinsing. Just mentioning this so you have an alternative if needed.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/the-dominator-sewer-hose/7031
 
To Mylo -

Do not fear the dump!  Sorry if my story hit your gag reflex.  As long as you're not an idiot like me  ;), it is no fuss, no muss and virtually no smell or mess.  As long as you chase the black with the grey, you should have little or no odor left in your hose. 

I really like my macerator installation.  I needed it to pump out at home into a downstairs toilet, but use it everywhere I dump.  My 4" hoses are still "virgin".  Downside is that it is noisy and takes longer, but I can see whatever is flowing through the 1" smooth hose and have never even gotten my hands wet or had any kind of mess or smell.  This was the first time I had a need for rubber gloves. 

Now that I've been baptised into "the club", I hope I can remain a member in good standing without any future incidents!

Gordon
 
I think it would be interesting to find out how many people on this site have had problems with their macerators? From what I have read, there are quite a few, and if that option is worth the money.
 
Today I finished unplugging my clogged black tank. This is the 1st. time in 43 years of having units with holding tanks that I had this problem. My new traveling companion uses those wipey things that weren't biodegradable. Tried plumbing snakes with no success. Got an adaptor the mounts on the exit pipe and uses a garden hose. It cleared the blockage after several attempts. Didn't even get poopy fingers. Luv the life.  Eddie Elk.
 
billwild said:
I think it would be interesting to find out how many people on this site have had problems with their macerators? From what I have read, there are quite a few, and if that option is worth the money.
Click to expand...

No doubt, its' another device that can fail, and Lord knows we've all got enough of them in our rigs!  It's one of those things that if you need it, you really need it.  I keep my rig behind the house and have 50A and water run underground for it, but could not do sewer.  I pump it into a downstairs toilet through a 70' 1" hose.  Slightly uphill.  I do 90% of my dumping at home since we're not on the road with it for extended periods very often (yet!). 

It has been remarkably durable - even after trying to grind up plywood chunks left in the tanks from the original build, it ran fine.  I did have to replace mine ($190 for the pump unit!) this year after a seal leak ruined the stator.  I'm also very up front anal about any toilet users not putting anyting but TP and body waste down the toilet.  I've got almost 3 years experience with it so far, and would recommend it for anyone who needs to pump out to a remote sump.  If you're doing all your dumping at dump stations, I certainly agree it's a gizmo you don't need to add!

Gordon
 
I have to say that one of my greatest fears is having a spill like this at the end of a long three-day holiday weekend when a long line of RV's are behind me waiting to use the only dump station in the campground.  I normally try to think through situations like this in my mind to prepare for the worst... but in this case, I'm stuck.  How to recover without leaving a toxic waste site behind?  What does one do?
 
Greg, I agree with you, the embarrassment would be bad, however, if it has to happen this would probably be the best time.  If you pulled up to the dump right hopefully you are close to the sloped hole that most of it would head in the right direction.  Most dump stations have water to clean it up and a spot for it all to go, any you'd probably have plenty of help from the non squeamish folks that were sharing your worst nightmare.  It wouldn't be my 1st choice but I'd have to help someone that had this happen in front of me, I'd at the very least operate the hose for ya!  Gordon's is worse, the dump hole is 70' away, inside your house, now what am I gonna do, I feel for you Gordon!

Praying I'm in a good spot when it happens to me.
 
Thanks, Chuck!  Luckily most of my "effluent" was contained in the well of the compartment.  Even more luck that my neighbors were not outside at the time.  That could stress a relationship.  A couple trips with a bucket to the woods and a hose-down and it's like it never happened!

I think it would be worst to happen at a campsite with full hookups and no place to wash down to.  Ughh.

Gordon
 
Re eddieelk's reply,  I can guarantee you that you will continue to have problems with your black water tank if your new traveling companion continues to flush non biodegradable wipes down your black water tank.  I unfortunately have had a lot of experience with black water tank blockages, and so I speak from experience. 
 
I'll jump in with a comment that you need to keep your cool when things go wrong while dumping.

Only a few people know this so don't tell anyone. About 3 years ago when getting ready to leave the next morning from Fort Wilderness at Disney, I pulled the black slide handle and -there she blows! My fairly new 4" drain pipe was spraying a nice 6 foot stream into the air (kinda like the movie RV but not as spectacular), guess it got pinched or something. As I ran back to the MH my eyes were fixed on the spraying end of the hose and...kabang!! I ran right into the corner of my bedroom slide! After I woke up on the ground my wife was standing there telling me to stop swearing-kids were in the neighborhood! Huh? Where am I?

The bump went down over night but as I left the campground I saw 2 identical, side by side cube trucks coming at me when I switched over to my sunglasses. Concussion. Had a CAT scan after getting back home and proved the wife was right-empty! Now I try to stay calm and not swear when kids are around. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
Gene
 
Gene- that's the best dumping story I've heard!  Concussion?  Yikes!  When I was visualizing "losing it" at a campsite, Ft Wilderness was in my mind.  It was the last place I've dumped at a campsite and as nice as the place and the rigs are there, it would be THE most embarrasing place I can imagine to have an OOPS!

Gordon
 
As you know Gordon, there is considerable space and greenery between the campsites so people probaly heard me "speaking french" but I'm sure they didn't know why.  Best I can figure is that the valve on the end of the tube needs to be open to work! :-[ That hole in the new Rhno didn't help either.

Gene
 
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