Sewer Hose and Fittings and Carts

[silverta16]

Newbie here, my 165 has a sewer hose storage compartment with a hose in it, doesn't have any fitting just a straight hose. Do I need to buy at least one 45 degree hose fitting? What length of sewer hose do I need? Also will I need one of the blue carts? How do you guys use them, do you hook them up and let your gray water drain directly into them by leaving your valves open, or are they just used to empty your holding tanks? Do people haul black water in these also? I guess these are just used at campsites without full hookups, for extended stays? I'll just be weekending it for awhile so I doubt I'll need one for a while, but may keep my eyes peeled for one on craigslist. Thanks in advance.

[Brownie]

I trust you checked both ends of the slinky for a fitting.? Mine came with a standard straight fitting on one end that connects to the lugs on the sewer drain connection. If yours doesn't, you can pick the connector up at Walmart or Camping World, and attach it using a screw-type pipe clamp. I bought a clear plastic 45-degree elbow (at Walmart), so I could see when the tank was empty, rinse water clear, etc. They also make them with a hose connection for flushing the tanks - if your trailer doesn't have a blank tank flusher.

When it's time to dump, you'll want to dump your black tank first. Once that's empty (and flushed) dump your grey tank(s). That will clean out your drain hose. I always like to rinse it with the campground rinse hose (for non-potable water) before I return it to bumper. I've found that if I turn the elbow at just the right angle, it will fit back into the bumper without having to disconnect it from the hose.

As for the blue tote: yes, it can be used for either/both black and grey water. If you don't plan on staying at one campsite for longer than 2-3 days, then you can probably get by without one. I did for 10 years with my old trailer. And let's face it, disconnecting to run to the dump station is not the end of the world. I've done it a few times. If you stay at campgrounds with sewer hook-ups, then you probably don't need one at all.

You'll want to leave the black water valve closed @ full hook-up sites. Keeping liquid in the black tank helps the solids & paper break down, and enables you to get a better tank dump when the time comes to do that. In fact, many campers will dump a few gallons of water or a bag of ice into the toilet before dumping to "stir things up" . Whether you keep the gray tank valve open is up to you - some do, some don't. Your sink drains have "J-Traps" (just like your house) to keep sewer gasses from entering your trailer. If you elect to keep it open, the consensus is, you'll want to close it several hours before you pack up (ie. over night), so you can accumulate enough grey water for a thorough rinse.

That's just my 2 cents worth. You'll find that most folks here on The Forum are more than willing to offer advice and opinions, but also advise others to experiment with several options and pic the one that's right for you.

Good luck experimenting, and Happy Camping!

[silverta16]

I've not pulled my used hose out and checked it yet but will before my first outing.

If I dump the black tank first how do I flush the hose before dumping the grey water tank? I assumed the grey water would wash the hose of black water but is there some special trick or part I need? Also do most people water gloves or? What's the etiquette? Thanks in advance.

[Jmooney]

Typically , the hose connects to only one drain point, and you open and close the knife valves for each tank.

Drain the black, then close the valve And open the grey. The grey will give you a first really good rinse of the hose.

[Jmooney]

Disposable gloves are a great idea. Hand sanitizer is also a good choice. My new 5er came with a dispenser in the basement next to the knife valve handles

[silverta16]

Do I need to use camper toilet paper or can I use regular? If my black tank is empty do I just add the blue water stuff or need to add some water to it? How much? My little camper only has a 30 gallon black water tank I think.

[Jmooney]

Much debate about TP, but you should use one that is septic tank friendly ( grocery store sells it ) as it breaks down faster .

Once you have drained black tanks ( and grey tanks ) close knife valves, put away hose, then put a gallon or two in the black tank and throw in your chems.

Some folks put their left over ice in the tank, claiming that as you drive it helps break up any remaining solids. It melts and becomes the gallon of water mentioned above.

At the end of the season, you will want to empty all ' water ' from tanks, and use RV antifreeze, but this is a topic well covered in the JOF threads.

[Jmooney]

If your campsite has sewer connection, leave the tanks CLoSEd until they are close to full, then drain. Then close again. The extra liquid volume helps it all flow down the hose, otherwise the solid materials going into the blank tank tend to build up, without a lot of liquid to help break it down or move them down the hose .

[Jmooney]

Tanks can fill quickly, especially if you take a shower, so watch the levels, or grey water will back up into sinks or shower pan

[silverta16]

So after my tanks are drained, I unhook it from my camper leaving the end in he dump port in the ground and then use the dump station hose to further rinse it while it's still in the ground ? I wish my camper had the 4 inch bumper to store the hose, it has the flat style. I'll learn though, thanks for the pointers, my GF tells me it's going to be like that RV movie which I've only seen clips of.

[Jmooney]

Exactly.

If you are handy, you can make your own hose storage tube out of PVC pipe, strapped to bumper or under belly. You will find some threads on JOF where folks have done this along with pics

[silverta16]

Ok checked my hose it's only about 5 foot long extended and has a fitting on only one side. I'll be buying a longer one for sure, do I need fittings on both ends? My camper has a hose storage tube compartment and one with 2 fittings wont fit. Unless I use a blue dump cart is there any reason I need 2 fittings? Aren't the sewer dumps at campsites just a hole without fittings? Thanks

[Brownie]

Silverta16,
5' will probably be long enough for most campgrounds with a "dump station". And yes, you only need a fitting on the trailer end of the hose. Where you may need a longer hose is at a "full service" campground, where there is a sewer inlet on your campsite. That inlet may be several feet from your drain, so you may want/need to purchase a longer hose as an "extension". If you use an extension, you'll need a "splice" fitting to connect the two hoses together. Most campgrounds with "full service" sites require a sewer adapter fitting at the other end, so the sewer outlet isn't left open while you're connected. I might suggest you also pick up a 45-degree or 90-degree clear connector. it's not essential, but it's very handy to have. It will allow you to monitor your sewage output. While that's not nearly as entertaining as your T.V., it does tell you when your tanks have emptied, if your t.p. is breaking down like it should, when your black tank rinse has sufficiently done its job, etc.

Hope that helps.

[micron]

If you are going to purchase a new hose I'd suggest you look at the small kits. They'll generally have the hose and most of the commonly used fittings. Walmart has a few of them that aren't too expensive. A quick storage solution is a small plastic tote with a secure lid. Just make sure to mark the tote so nobody uses it for something else while the sewer hose is connected to the camper.

[mike449]

most cg require a 90 deg fitting at the sewer hole to cut down on spills