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  1. #1
    Setting Up Camp
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    Fresh water hose contamination via black flush?

    As I prepare for our first year with our second trailer (21bhe), I re-visit my contention that the chance of contaminating my freshwater hose from my own black tank when hooking it to the black tank flush is nearly zero. As they say, $hit rolls down hill and the flush is uphill of everything. I never used it at the dump station on my old trailer because it was opposite the side from which you dump. Now that it is same side, I may actually use it at the dump. But then I realize the hose is now down hill of any fecal matter that may be left on the hose bib and spout at the dump. Anyone mod the quick connect hose in the utility cabinet to be able to pull from the fresh tank, while at the dump and flush using your leftover fresh tank and TT pump?
    -Rob M

    2021 Imagine XLS 21BHE "Wanda Travelmor"
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  2. #2
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    I just carry a spare hose that gets used to flush out the black tank or to do any outside hose operations like spray mud off the truck or camper. I don't want to be disconnecting my fresh water hose to do any of those other tasks (especially rinse out the black tank). I like having an extra hose to spray off the mud while camping.

    Another consideration is that often only Non-Potable water is available at the dump site and I don't want to contaminate my hose with untreated water (remember that water may sit in the hose for months during storage).
    David and Peggy
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  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper Cannon07's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SolarPoweredRV View Post
    I just carry a spare hose that gets used to flush out the black tank or to do any outside hose operations like spray mud off the truck or camper. I don't want to be disconnecting my fresh water hose to do any of those other tasks (especially rinse out the black tank). I like having an extra hose to spray off the mud while camping.

    Another consideration is that often only Non-Potable water is available at the dump site and I don't want to contaminate my hose with untreated water (remember that water may sit in the hose for months during storage).
    I do the same. I always need another hose for something and why take a chance.
    2021 351MR
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  4. #4
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
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    Black tank flushes have vacuum breakers installed to act as backflow preventers, per RIVA standards. You'll know when it goes bad, due to the sewer smell inside! (And even then, nothing can back up)
    Build standards for RV's are pretty minimal, but this is one area they do it right. If yours has a RIVA sticker, no worries.

    I use a separate hose anyway, but there's no danger of back contamination. If there was, the entire campground water supply would be at risk. Health Departments take a pretty dim view of that being even a remote possibility.
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
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  5. #5
    Setting Up Camp
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    For me, TT ownership is a juggling act between simplicity and complexity. Another hose is certainly the established standard, but I scrutinize everything before it ends up on my TT and if an item can serve multiple purposes, then I will use it as such. Going to take a closer look when out of storage. Thanks for feedback.
    -Rob M

    2021 Imagine XLS 21BHE "Wanda Travelmor"
    Everything we wanted in a trailer, nothing we didn't.

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor NB Canada's Avatar
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    I do have a separate hose but not because of the chance of “cross contamination “

    I always have two hoses going at the campsite. One of course for the trailer and the other for cleaning stuff up while camping

    I don’t understand the hysteria about “contamination”

    The little “contamination” that could take place would never harm anyone

    But I also always empty my tanks and clean stuff up with my bare hands
    Yeah I know ,a rebel, I laugh at the people I see packing up and basically putting on a hazmat suit


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  7. #7
    Big Traveler Grandesigner's Avatar
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    I use another back flow preventer at the input to the black tank flush along with my one fresh water hose, so I figure nothing dirty can get into it.
    Dan and Rita
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  8. #8
    Rolling Along OurNewEra's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmaly76 View Post
    Anyone mod the quick connect hose in the utility cabinet to be able to pull from the fresh tank, while at the dump and flush using your leftover fresh tank and TT pump?
    To answer your question, I have not used the pray port for back flushing the black tank. But it should be pretty easy, all you would need to do is connect a regular hose to the end of the coiled spray port hose that came with the trailer. Then connect that hose to your backflush. Turn on your water pump and open the cold water on the spray port. The only downside I can see is that I usually put a good amount of water through the system when flushing using the flush port. I would not want to put that much work on my water pump when I have a water source right there at the dump or the campsite if we have full hookups.

    I normally have about 10-15 gallons of water in the freshwater tank when we travel, for rest stops, so I don't really have any 'leftover' freshwater that I need to get rid of.
    Mike & Lisa
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  9. #9
    Rolling Along
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    If
    Quote Originally Posted by OurNewEra View Post
    To answer your question, I have not used the pray port for back flushing the black tank. But it should be pretty easy, all you would need to do is connect a regular hose to the end of the coiled spray port hose that came with the trailer. Then connect that hose to your backflush. Turn on your water pump and open the cold water on the spray port. The only downside I can see is that I usually put a good amount of water through the system when flushing using the flush port. I would not want to put that much work on my water pump when I have a water source right there at the dump or the campsite if we have full hookups.

    I normally have about 10-15 gallons of water in the freshwater tank when we travel, for rest stops, so I don't really have any 'leftover' freshwater that I need to get rid of.
    Our local sewage treatment plant has a free dump station mostly for commercial use but I have used it a few times because I am cheap! The only problem is that there is no water supply available so I use the onboard fw. In my case the backflush port is close enough to the wet bay so I can just use the coiled hose.

  10. #10
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmaly76 View Post
    As I prepare for our first year with our second trailer (21bhe), I re-visit my contention that the chance of contaminating my freshwater hose from my own black tank when hooking it to the black tank flush is nearly zero. As they say, $hit rolls down hill and the flush is uphill of everything. I never used it at the dump station on my old trailer because it was opposite the side from which you dump. Now that it is same side, I may actually use it at the dump. But then I realize the hose is now down hill of any fecal matter that may be left on the hose bib and spout at the dump. Anyone mod the quick connect hose in the utility cabinet to be able to pull from the fresh tank, while at the dump and flush using your leftover fresh tank and TT pump?
    I haven't done the mod you propose. @Bungy described above an easy way to do it, though there's little doubt that the already-not-great black flusher would be even less effective running off pump pressure than it would off most higher-pressure park water supplies.

    I agree with your concern about contamination from using your fresh hose at the dump station. I use ours all the time for black flush when dumping at our own site, because the black flush system is protected against back-flowing of bacteria-laden water and because I've carefully disinfected water connections at the site before using them. However flopping that fresh water hose around at a busy dump station and carelessly connecting it to the water supply there is not smart, and you are smart to consider alternatives. Like others here I have a separate hose for that.

    @NB Canada's assertion above that "The little contamination that could take place would never harm anyone" is patently false. While the risk of someone getting really sick via incautiously handling their own sewage is low, there is a chance of getting ill enough to detract from a camping experience. The risk of illness is much higher via incautious exposure to other peoples' sewage, and the risk of serious illness is there. "Risk" doesn't equal "you will get sick", but there is a solid scientific chance that you might and saying otherwise is just foolish and/or ignorant bravado. Make a note to never shake hands with NB Canada.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

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