Portable Black Tanks

[djw2112]

The water company wrote me back and said yes they can turn off my sewer and lock it up and i can just have water... That saves me $70 per month.  I called the local marina and they dont have a separate dump station, they just use an empty RV slot and charge $5.00.  I forgot to ask them if that was for each container or the day. 

So i may invest in getting a portable black tank that i can hook up to the tow ball of my truck on the rear bumper.  Its about a mile to the marina and so ill have to travel about 55 mph at least so i hope that little tank can handle it. 

Its a investment up front and i have not found one yet that is over 25 gals (i think thats the largest one yet), but i cant pick up a larger one by myself anyway.  There are a few challenges here. 

First if it is per dump then my tank is 79 gal  and so ill have to make 3 trips to get it almost empty which is $15 per week which is $60 per month, and i might as well pay for sewer then.  If its $5 to dump it all then that is $20 per month and im saving $50 so its worth it. 

So at $50 per month savings a $200 portable tank will pay for itself in 4 months.    I also called the local sewer pump truck and no way they can do it for me any less than the water company, it would be about $120 a week for them to do it. 

So i guess first i need to find out if that is $5 for all or just for one.  I have to talk to the owner in the morning as he is out now.  I would assume its for all of it, because if i came there in my RV i would dump it all, just because im having to use a portable unit should not make any difference.,

 

[Rene T]

That tank may hold up for maybe 1/2 mile. The wheels are plastic and the axle is steel. You'll end up heating up the axle because of the friction generated then the wheels will just melt. They're only made to tow slowly to the nearest dump station without leaving the campground. That's the way mine was built years ago  now maybe they've changed but I doubt it.

 

[chindog]

You aren't supposed to tow portable waste water tanks any faster than a brisk walking pace.  It won't hold up to 55mph.  But, I've towed mine for about a mile to the nearest dump station.  It took a while.

 

[NY_Dutch]

My Thetford 27 gallon tank had four plastic wheels rated for 5 MPH max, but when I cracked a wheel in a pothole I upgraded to steel wheels with ball bearings that are rated for 10 MPH max.

 

[djw2112]

good info thanks... ill have to try to pull it up into the bed of the truck then i guess... mmmmmm

 

[NY_Dutch]

good info thanks... ill have to try to pull it up into the bed of the truck then i guess... mmmmmm

You might be better served to invest in a macerator pump so you can fill the tote tank with it already in the truck bed.

 

[garyb1st]

Depending on what the RV park says, it may make sense to invest in a 50-55 gallon drum, mount it on your truck and then rig a water pump to fill and empty the waste.  Even if the park charges you a bit more, it might be a better deal.  At quartzite, I've seen RVers with tanks mounted on small trailers at the dump station.  If you can't mount one on your truck, maybe a small utility trailer.  Tractor Supply sells one for $699.99

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/carry-on-trailer-4-ft-x-7-ft-open-mesh-floor-utility-trailer?cm_vc=-10005

 

[grashley]

Dutch nailed it!

Get a truck bed tank and the macerator pump to transfer the waste.  If you dump the truck tank every time you transfer, the weight of 79 gal should be no problem.

 

[djw2112]

Thanks but a trailer, pump and tank is gonna be expensive, ill have to work up to that.


I looked at portable water tanks but the outlet is too small at 3/4 inch.    So then i found a RV 35gal black tank for $160 bucks which would work for now.  I can come up with some kind of loading system or ramp for getting the tank on the truck.  I have not ordered it yet, ill wait till i have more facts.  If i order it ill have to cut a hole in it and cover the hole with clear plastic so i can tell when it is getting full.

I am also going to write the utilities commission to find out why they approved such a high rate from the water company.  Ill bet if i got a trailer and a big tank i could dump for others as well and make alittle money at it, and drive the water company out of here or make they lower their rates.  Maybe even get someone less expensive to take over.

I need to go over my community association docs also and be sure it says nothing about forcing people to have sewer.

 

[John From Detroit]

How big is your black and gray tanks?????

A 55 Gallon drum with a dump valve (2" shoudl fit the big hole) and then fill it with a Flo-Jet macerator off the RV.. Put it in the bed of the truck and you don't run the wheels off the portable tank at 55MPH.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Sounds like a lot of hassle to save $50 or less a month.  That's less than $2 a day.  Especially if you factor in the value of your time and the fuel, wear and tear on your truck.

 

[ChasA]

I agree with Lou. There many things I'd do before hauling crap.

 

[djw2112]

Sounds like a lot of hassle to save $50 or less a month.  That's less than $2 a day.  Especially if you factor in the value of your time and the fuel, wear and tear on your truck.

Yes i wish i had more expendable income, but i dont.  I only make $1300 amonth and to do this move i am also giving up my dish TV, and internet (atleast one of them, i have two, im just waiting to finish the 2 year contracts). 

When $10 a month means i either get medicine or not, or eat or not, or gas for the truck to get a loaf of bread, or go to the doctor for $35 bucks a pop, then $50 is alot of money to me per month. 

And what is the hassle, i hook the hose up, drain the first part of the black tank, put it in the truck and go .5 tenths of a mile and dump it for $5, then do it one more time and im done.  Its about an hour a week to do it, i just hate giving multi state companies money they dont earn just because they convinced the utility commnission that they need that rate.  I have spoke to at least 50 people so far in my daily activity, and every one has told me that $70 for sewer is outragous and a rip off.  So im not paying it.

They gave me a copy of the tarrif for all the local cities and counties around here.  Not a single one do they charge that much and some of them are right next door to me.  So what makes their sewage cheaper to haul than mine, nothing!! They are just raping us...

I dont mind paying when there is a lagitement reason for their rates, but this company is just raking in the dough here without any concern for how it effects the common person.  I told them to lock up the sewer pump and i even offered to remove the pump wireing from my main breaker box. 

That means that ill have to stay here another month or two to save up for a black tank but thats ok, my lease is paid till august.

Again i wish i had more expendable income but some of us just dont get that lucky in life. 

 

[IBTripping]

FYI - If I was you, I'd give up the satellite TV and keep the Internet. You can get lots of free TV by streaming it from the Internet.  There are lots of free TV streaming services, no charge.

Best wishes.

 

[Warboar]

I've used those little tow behind dump tanks and they are a hassle to say the least.  We had our trailer at the lake and would have to use one of those buggy's to take it to the dump site that was near the entrance to the park less than half a mile from where our lot was.  Very seldom were you able to dump it without wearing a little. 

If I were on a fixed income I would look at working a few hours a week somewhere to offset the cost of the sewer and other needed things.  This is what my father is having to do now due to a health set back. 

I also agree with streaming movies and shows over the internet rather than paying for dish service.  We were paying almost $80 a month on Directv and once we got the Amazon fire tv and loaded it with what we wanted my wife finally agreed to give up Directv.  I bought a HD antenna so we can get local channels for news and other programs but movies and other shows are on the fire tv.  Best thing i've done in awhile. 

 

[rvhometown]

VINGLI product we purchased to empty our travel trailer's grey tank when we are not near "hookups". The quality of the construction is excellent, with giant wheels for easy movement, and the price is less than half of other brands we looked at. It is easy to unhook from our sink and roll outside to empty. We pour a little bleach in each time we empty to keep cleaner

 

[DutchmenSport]

4-Wheel

Barker's 25, 32 and 42 Gallon 4-Wheel Pneumatic Tote-Along's are designed to be a quiet, smooth rolling tote tank. And these tank capacities will accommodate virtually all sizes of RVs. Each...

www.barkermfg.com

Barker makes a 42 gallon Blue Tote. See the link above. And they can be purchased from almost any RV dealership, Wall Mart, and Camping World. (On line Amazon too, probably, a little cheaper).

We've had a 32 gallon Barker Tote for 25 years. The same one. It's traveled in campgrounds, probably 2 thousand miles, and I'm not exaggerating. However, I never tow it faster than I can walk. Yes. I creep them to the dump station. The longest I've towed it one way from the campsite to the dump station was probably about 2 miless.

When at the same campsite for longer than a week end, I'll dump my black tank (and shower/bathroom grey tank) every other day, so I'll never over fill my 32 gallon tote and spill anything on the ground. Kitchen grey water, about once ever 5 days.

It use to jump off the ball hitch when towing, so I purchased one of these D-type connecters and I've never lost the tote again.

We use ours all the time as our tanks are smaller, and breaking camp to run the camper to the dump station is something we simply do not do. And we camp 99% of the time in State Parks that do not have full hook-up.

At home, we dump into our Septic Tank. I built the ramp so the tank is higher than the opening of the tank.

 

[Rene T]

4-Wheel

Barker's 25, 32 and 42 Gallon 4-Wheel Pneumatic Tote-Along's are designed to be a quiet, smooth rolling tote tank. And these tank capacities will accommodate virtually all sizes of RVs. Each...

www.barkermfg.com

Barker makes a 42 gallon Blue Tote. See the link above. And they can be purchased from almost any RV dealership, Wall Mart, and Camping World. (On line Amazon too, probably, a little cheaper).

We've had a 32 gallon Barker Tote for 25 years. The same one. It's traveled in campgrounds, probably 2 thousand miles, and I'm not exaggerating. However, I never tow it faster than I can walk. Yes. I creep them to the dump station. The longest I've towed it one way from the campsite to the dump station was probably about 2 miless.

When at the same campsite for longer than a week end, I'll dump my black tank (and shower/bathroom grey tank) every other day, so I'll never over fill my 32 gallon tote and spill anything on the ground. Kitchen grey water, about once ever 5 days.

It use to jump off the ball hitch when towing, so I purchased one of these D-type connecters and I've never lost the tote again.

We use ours all the time as our tanks are smaller, and breaking camp to run the camper to the dump station is something we simply do not do. And we camp 99% of the time in State Parks that do not have full hook-up.

At home, we dump into our Septic Tank. I built the ramp so the tank is higher than the opening of the tank.

The D type connector is actually called a shackle if you go to a hardware store and ask for one. Good idea.

I’ve got just one question, where do you store the John Deere when traveling?

 

[Oldgator73]

FYI - If I was you, I'd give up the satellite TV and keep the Internet. You can get lots of free TV by streaming it from the Internet. There are lots of free TV streaming services, no charge.

Best wishes.

Yep. Get high speed Internet and a smart TV. No need for cable or dish. You can get Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO Max, Apple TV, pretty anything you can think of. There are plenty of free channels too. Our cable, Internet and phone are costing us about $180 month. Too much!

 

[Oldgator73]

The dump fee will most likely be for each trip. I’ve never seen one that indicated per day. And it should be $5 for ever how much you are dumping.