Recommendations (2): 1) Blue Boy - Capacity? 2) Chocks

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.

Badgerone5

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2022
Posts
5
Location
Wisconsin
Purchased a 2015 KZ Vision 23RLS. We plan to keep it for a few weeks on a lot with a septic tank we can access, so wondering what capacity Blue Boy we should look for? Our gray tank and black tank capacities are 31 gal. each.

Also, does it matter what type of chocks we purchase, or do they all pretty much accomplish the same thing?
 
Anything can be used to chock tires. A rock, a log of wood, a concrete block. Pick something simple, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

About sewer totes?

1. Get the biggest one you can stow away when empty.
2. Get the biggest one you can afford.
3. Get one that is bigger than your holding tank.
4. Get one that has 4 wheels.

1. Why? When not in use, you have to store them somewhere. That is something to consider. When traveling they have to fit somewhere, either on-or-in the camper, or in the tow vehicle somewhere. Where you travel with it is up to you. But it has to be put somewhere. The bigger they are, the more space they take, which means less space for something else.

2. Why? Don't cheap on on price for a knock off brand. A well made tote will last for years and years. Mine is a Barker 32 gallon -- 4 wheels. We've had it for over 20 years and it's rolled (literally) hundreds of miles and is still in good shape.

3. Why? Because bigger than your holding tank? So you never run the risk of over filling and spilling anything on the ground. If your holding tank is 31 gallons, get at LEAST a Barker 32 gallon tank. If you get a 15 or 20, .... first you run the risk of overspilling, and second you'll have to make multiple trips to the dump station (wherever or whatever that may be.)

4. Why? If you get one that has only 2 wheels, you are having to lift one end to move it and some models.... to dump it. They are heavy when full.

3. Why? Because bigger than your holding tank? So you never run the risk of over filling and spilling anything on the ground. If your holding tank is 31 gallons, get at LEAST a Barker 32 gallon tank. If you get a 15 or 20, .... first you run the risk of overspilling, and second you'll have to make multiple trips to the dump station (wherever or whatever that may be.)
 
How far are you from the septic tank? A macerator pump will grind up and pump waste up to 250 ft. through a 3/4" hose. Rolling and unrolling a hose is easier than filling, transporting and emptying a blue boy tank.

Another consideration is you shouldn't just dump stuff into a septic tank through the access cover. It destroys the stratification inside the tank that's essential for proper functioning. There's an active scum layer on top that digests the waste, a sludge layer on the bottom and clear water in between that goes out to the leach field. Dumping stuff in through the access cover mixes these layers and can send stuff other than clear water out to the leach field, damaging it. You should introduce stuff into the tank via the inlet pipe so it can use the internal baffling to keep the layers intact. A macerator hose will fit into a cleanout port along the entry line - it's harder to dump a blue boy into one.
 
If your waste tanks are 31 Gallon i'd go with 35-40 Gallon totes (Only one of those sizes will likely be found) big enough you do NOT have to worry about running out of tank.
 
Thanks for the info. If using a macerator pump, do you still remove the septic cover, but instead of just letting the hose go anywhere inside, I should locate and place the hose into the inlet pipe? In other words, the inlet pipe should be visible/accessible once the cover is lifted? I know where the septic tank is located on the property--a short distance from a cottage. There isn't a basement--except for a small area that contains the water pump and water heater.
 
If your rig is a trailer with tandem axles like I’m guessing, get some BAL X-chocks. They screw between the tires and dampen vibration better than anything else we ever used. You should also get an inexpensive plastic chock to put behind the wheel whenever you are releasing from the hitch, just as a double safety factor.
 
Thanks for the info. If using a macerator pump, do you still remove the septic cover, but instead of just letting the hose go anywhere inside, I should locate and place the hose into the inlet pipe? In other words, the inlet pipe should be visible/accessible once the cover is lifted? I know where the septic tank is located on the property--a short distance from a cottage. There isn't a basement--except for a small area that contains the water pump and water heater.
You probably won't see the inlet pipe when you uncover the top of the tank. It comes in at one end rather than on top, then turns down 90 degrees inside the tank so that it discharges below the waterline (under the scum level). If there is no visible clean-out access in the line coming to the tank, dig between the tank and the waste line exit from the house and add one. It's usually not a big deal to do so.

Some tanks will have an inspection port and it might be placed such that you can see and access the inlet pipe, but none of the ones I had ever included that handy feature.
 

Attachments

  • septic_tank-600x443.jpg
    septic_tank-600x443.jpg
    77.8 KB · Views: 5
I my region a lot of septic tanks will have a circa 3-4 inch PVC pump out riser pipe extending up above ground level. Also nearly all septic tanks installed in the last 20+ years are mechanical septic tanks
 
Thanks for the info. If using a macerator pump, do you still remove the septic cover, but instead of just letting the hose go anywhere inside, I should locate and place the hose into the inlet pipe? In other words, the inlet pipe should be visible/accessible once the cover is lifted? I know where the septic tank is located on the property--a short distance from a cottage. There isn't a basement--except for a small area that contains the water pump and water heater.
There should be a cleanout access port somewhere between the house and the tank - it's what a plumber uses if he ever has to use a Roto-Rooter to clear a clogged line.

The video above used the tank access port the wrong way. The output stream from the Macerator hose will splash through and disrupt the scum layer. Plus the port is usually in the middle of the tank to facilitate pumping it out so using it introduces raw sewage midway across the tank instead of at the edge like the inlet port. This means the macerator effluent will spend less time breaking down in the first tank before migrating to the second tank and on to the leach field.
 
There are multiple varieties, but most residential ones that I have seen have an aeration pump, that pumps air into one of the compartments much like a big version of a fish tank air pump. Some of the ones used in commercial applications have a motorized stir system, these systems allow for much smaller drain fields than traditional septic systems.
 
We had to install a mechanical system when we built our two bedroom house near Port Townsend, WA. A conventional two chamber septic tank with an aeration pump followed by a small chamber that let the effluent pass by an ultraviolet light on it's way into the final chamber which collected the effluent and pumped it out to the leach field twice a day. This was installed right outside the kitchen window and I asked to have it moved further away from the house but we were told if we ever smelled anything the system was malfunctioning and had to be repaired immediately.

The leach field was slightly uphill from the tank so it needed to be pumped to get there. The pump was a standard submersible sump pump inside a baffle made from half of a plastic trash can to keep any sediment away from the pump. There was a control panel on the side of the house that controlled the pumps and sounded a loud klaxon if it detected a problem. We had to have a professional company design the system and they came out twice a year to inspect it and certify it was working properly. We also had to certify and set aside a second area on the property as a backup leach field location in case the first developed any problems.

We were able to find a couple of areas on our 5 acre property that would perk sufficiently for the leach field. Other test holes retained water indefinitely without draining. Some of our neighbors had to install above ground sand mounds that looked like small bunkers to accommodate their leach fields.
 
If you have direct access to the top of the septic tank and an inlet clean out is not available, when using a macerator pump you can avoid disturbing the top scum layer by simply shoving the end of the hose far enough down to get below it. That's what the inlet baffle does.
 
I have had both a 2 wheeled (tip up on end to dump) and a 4 wheeled with RUBBER wheels (side discharge). Both were about the same size (a tad over 30gl) for my Class C with 25 gallon waste tanks (better to have a slighter bigger tote than your waste tanks.... you will never be fast enough to stop in time). Get the kind with rubber tires or buy them extra. They make a huge difference in quietness and maneuverability. Get one with a handle that you can hook to the receiver ball on the back of a vehicle. I actually tow mine on a tow hook that I mounted to a hitchaul cargo carrier. Get a cover for the tank. They aren't cheap and the sun isn't kind to plastic. I used a cover made for a grill. I would store it under the RV. Now it sits in a storage unit because I haven't needed to use it in several years. I also bought mine thru Amazon and got one that was discounted because the box was damaged. I saved a fair amount of money because of a damaged box.
 
Back
Top Bottom