A couple questions after first trip

[SJMaye]

For our first trip we went for 2 days in a local campground to test everything out. Everything worked as it should.

1- Talked to someone at the dump station. He suggested I put 1/2 or 1 cup (cannot remember) of vegetable oil in the black tank at the beginning of each trip. He said over time the black tank valve can become difficult to move. Since using the oil he has never had a problem again. Is this OK to do?

2- Although we had no problem with the Schwintek slide it made me wonder what I could do to close the slide manually if it failed. When we bought the trailer the person performing the walk-through stated there was no manual override. Is this true?

3- We were there only two days. When getting ready to leave I checked the black and gray tanks. They were all at 1/3 full. The same RVer from #1 above suggested not dumping if we planned to go camping again in the next month. We still performed the dump, but wanted to know if we should have waited.

[DougW9876]

The vegetable oil is Ok to do, others report good results with it.

The Schwintek can be operated manually, there are instructions available about to do it, it involves removing all power from the motor controller and pushing the slide by hand then reconnecting the power so the motors will lock the slide in place.

I don’t leave dirty water in my tanks, i will drain and flush them no matter how little may be in there before I put it away even if for just a couple of weeks, no need to to have stuff in there fermenting when it is not necessary for it to be there.

[Richter]

If my tanks aren’t at least half full, I add water, either through the sinks or using the black tank flush. You’ll want a good water flow, in order to ensure nothing is left on the bottom of the tanks. Once all of the water is out, if anything is still left on the bottom, due to insufficient flow, it will dry out and harden, which isn’t a good thing over the long run. I’ll often hold off on emptying the tanks until I’ve gone to my next stop, if on a multiple stop trip. I think that moving down the road helps to mix and loosen everything up and gets it ready for a smooth dump.

There has been some discussion lately, over adding vegetable oil to the tanks. I think that the general consensus is that oil floats on top of water, so only a minimal amount would actually reach the valves, and that would probably be on the way out. You might get some gain if you added the oil to a totally empty tank, but you won’t have that situation very often. Usually, there is some water left in the tanks, and the oil will probably end up floating on it.

I think that Thetford (and others) makes a valve lubricant. It’s probably designed to be heavier than water, and probably settles at the low points, which would be where the valves are located.

Just some things to consider.

[SJMaye]

OK. I think I understand. It sounds like the safe way would be to empty everytime and add water to the tanks manually to make sure there is plenty to flush all debris out. In this case I was running the black tank flush while emptying the tank. No one was waiting to use the dump station, so I let it run a really long time.

[Houndbb]

OK. I think I understand. It sounds like the safe way would be to empty everytime and add water to the tanks manually to make sure there is plenty to flush all debris out. In this case I was running the black tank flush while emptying the tank. No one was waiting to use the dump station, so I let it run a really long time.

There’s a YouTube video (actually a series of them by the same man) that’s worth a look. Search for black tank dump tests in the clear tank. He conducts experiments using a clear tank and several of the rinse out gizmos that you can buy/install to get the job done. We, too, always dump our tanks after using and drive off with 5-10 gallons of water in the black tank with WATER softener, detergent, and Thetford drain lube added. (Search “Geo Method”- which does not include the drain lube- to get the exact measurements).
N

[el Rojo]

If you think you are getting a build up in the black tank put a bag of ice in it before you drive to your next location. It helps break up the solids. We will add a 20 oz bottle of baby oil to the black tank occasionally. You always get "the look" at the register when buying that big of bottle. Pam turns red...I smile!

Red

[SJMaye]

There’s a YouTube video (actually a series of them by the same man) that’s worth a look. Search for black tank dump tests in the clear tank. He conducts experiments using a clear tank and several of the rinse out gizmos that you can buy/install to get the job done. We, too, always dump our tanks after using and drive off with 5-10 gallons of water in the black tank with WATER softener, detergent, and Thetford drain lube added. (Search “Geo Method”- which does not include the drain lube- to get the exact measurements).
N

I have seen those videos. Regarding having 5-10 gallons in your black tank with water softener. I am thinking I should do that now.

[Richter]

OK. I think I understand. It sounds like the safe way would be to empty everytime and add water to the tanks manually to make sure there is plenty to flush all debris out. In this case I was running the black tank flush while emptying the tank. No one was waiting to use the dump station, so I let it run a really long time.

You may not need to empty every time, depending on what your next plans are. If it is less than 1/3 or so, there is no harm waiting, and probably you will benefit from emptying a fuller tank. That’s why I add water if I’m planning on dumping and it’s low to start with. The more is in the tank, the more pressure coming through the lower tank and hose, thus more cleaning.

I also add water, water softener and Dawn dish soap to a tank that I have just emptied. I don’t want to have a “dry” tank, but keep the bottom wet so that things don’t dry out and stick. I use the black flush connection to add water to the tank, either just after I empty it or in preparation to dumping less than 1/2 of a tank.

[JColeman]

Oils float so not much use there. I always keep 10 gals in my black tank and 5 in my grey. If I don't dump for a while it just lets the chemicals reduce the solids.

When full or convenient I fill the tank to at least 2/3 and dump. Then refill and repeat. Let the back flush hose run for 10-15 mins after that and good to go. A cap full of water softener does seem to help. We have an On the Go portable water softener so all the water in the trailer has been treated. We drink bottled water but soften for preventative maintenance on the plumbing.

We keep some water in the grey tanks to avoid it drying out and smelling. A little chemical support in the grey tank does no harm either. The fresh water tank is always kept with remaining water in it and dumped/refreshed right before the next trip. Every once in a while I sanitize the fresh water tank with bleach because I think I should.

[Skiddy]

Using a clear elbow in the sewer line helps to see what the tank contents look like. After dumping the black, I’ve run the tank sprayer and watched as a fair amount of solid (paper mostly) continued to empty. Once it runs relatively clear, i add a gallon or so in all the tanks to slosh around while on the road. Once home I do use a macerator to ensure the tanks are empty. i stick with commercial tank treatments, usually Thetford.