Geo Method thoughts

[zlaninomma]

I read about this method and know some people who are using it. Is it effective? Do any of you are using this system? Any smell issues? I read in the manual that you should not put caustic chemicals (which some Laundy detergentr are) in your black tank. Whats the best product our there for maintanance of the black tank? Any suggestion?

[s1njin]

A lot of veteran campers I converse with use this method.

Its either GEO or Happy Camper for most of them:
http://www.5starhappycamper.com/index.html

As my trailer will be brand new, I'm thinking of using a hybrid approach: Calgon to make the tank walls nice and slick and HC to work on everything/keep the smell down.

[edatlanta]

After 3 1/2 years full timing I have probably tried all options. I have settled on using nothing during the bulk of the year except lots of water when on full hookups and still nothing when boondocking just a little less water. During the heat of the summer when I'm on my host site I have to dump my black tank about every two weeks and in August I will start to get a small bit of order between dumps. When this happens I add just a little of the dark blue stuff. Brand doesn't matter, what ever is cheapest at the time.

Basically I don't use anything on a regular basis, just when in really hot weather and only then when I have a bit of odor.

[norty1]

Nothing I have ever tried keeps the black tank accurate so I don't use anything.

One less thing to worry about.

[gpmilliken]

We've been in our Jayco 26RLS Since Dec 20, 2013 working our way from Montana over to the west coast and eventually to Tucson. Currently we're in San Diego. I used the RV sanitizer powder for the first 3 weeks then switched to powdered soap. Bought a real cheap box and keep it near the toilet. We put two scoops in when we flush the tank and a little here and there. Zero odor. It's been quite warm although not above 80 so far.

Calgon is hard to find but I intend to order a water softner for the unit from Camping World soon so all our water will be soft.

So far I really like using this method and the powdered soap is about $8 for a giant box.

[s1njin]

Adding the Calgon directly to the black tank isn't really to soften the water to the degree a whole RV water softener will provide for. Its to give it a super blast of softener to make the black tank walls/side slippery or slimy. This is to help discourage solids from sticking to the tank walls (and your sensors) and to help facilitate full evacuation when dumping.

[RVhiker]

Usually there's no noticeable odor except occasionally when it is very hot, in which case I'll use some Odorlos. Usually I don't put any chemical into the black tank. However, I do make sure that we dump only when the tank is almost full. After we dump, we'll put 4 bowls full of water into the tank so that there's enough water to slosh a lot when driving.

We don't often stay at the same location for more than a week; folks who stay at one spot for a long time may have issues I don't know about.