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  1. #11
    Fireside Member
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    I knew it when it backed up the toilet pipe,looked like the pipe was plugged below the toilet valve.Piece of 3/4 inch dowel smashed it down to allow water in.Then put formaldehyde liquid in the tank before filling it 3/4 full. Drove home with the tank like that 3 hours broke most of it down.There was still solids coming out after I repeated this twice.Older 5th wheel small black tank but there was no elbow on the toilet so it dropped straight into the tank.Could see some with a flashlight even at the end of the year before winterising. RD
    Retired Pilot 2021 Grand Design 30 g 2018 Ram 3500,2015 Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide

  2. #12
    Site Sponsor
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    Hi GMIM,

    Do yourself a favor and let your tank fill to 3/4 or just when the indicator turns to Full then dump it. Always use a sufficient amount of water to help the microbes work to decompose the waste. This will keep the waste gate and plumbing from plugging up when you move to your next location. That "pyramid" folks mention is a real thing and when it decides to move in transit is can plug up the outlet and you are on a world of deep __.

    True story: When I was a 19 year old I "borrowed" my parents travel trailer to live in and left the valve open. I got in some hot water a few weeks into it when I was paid a visit from mom and dad. It took a professional and a steam cleaner to clean up the mess I made. That was in 1975 and I was not allowed to borrow the trailer ever again.
    ;-)
    Ernie & Pauline
    Milwaukie, Oregon
    2021 Momentum 376THS
    Pulled by a 2022 Ram 3500 Limited - 6.7 Cummins

  3. #13
    Seasoned Camper MachWun's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobWNY View Post
    We have two dump valves on our 311BHS. On extended stays, we leave the gray tank valves open and the black tank closed. We also create a P trap in the hose just before the sewer connection to prevent sewer odors. After dumping the black tanks, we do a good tank flush/cleaning each time which also cleans the hoses.
    Not sure how you do a good tank flush/cleaning? Please tell me you are not one of those people who hook up your black tank garden host to the blank tank flush valve to the site's potable water!
    2020 Sierra 2500HD Denali
    Equalizer hitch (used Blue Ox before)
    Reflections 312bhts

  4. #14
    Will Not Be Dictated To
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    What I do to Check my Black Tank Cleanliness

    Quote Originally Posted by Grand Master IceMan View Post
    Well, I hate to have to ask this question: But, "how do you know when you have the "poop pyramid"?
    ...smell won't go away? ...use a flashlight to look down the toilet? ...nothing is draining looking through the clear part of the hose?

    And what's the solution? Filling the toilet with lots of water won't do it? Flushing through the external inlet wont do it?
    Well, if you must. Drain the black tank until nothing drains out. Turn off your water supply and relieve pressure by opening a faucet. Open the toilet to tank valve, with the foot lever, and yes, look directly down into the tank with your flashlight (do not drop it). You should see a shiny black plastic tank bottom, well all of mine have always been black. If you cannot see the tank bottom, you have a problem!
    Last edited by The_Lovells; 06-26-2021 at 03:09 PM.
    I left the Forum due to dictatorial administration

  5. #15
    Seasoned Camper MachWun's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grand Master IceMan View Post
    Well, I hate to have to ask this question: But, "how do you know when you have the "poop pyramid"?
    ...smell won't go away? ...use a flashlight to look down the toilet? ...nothing is draining looking through the clear part of the hose?

    And what's the solution? Filling the toilet with lots of water won't do it? Flushing through the external inlet wont do it?
    Sometimes you can see it by opening the toilet flange and looking in with a flashlight. The pain I used to experience was the sensors getting gunked up. Solved it with the following. I used to use the Geo but switched to the 2nd one. Works great and I do this in place of those packets. They help with smell but I still had dirty sensors.

    GEO method: Calgon water softener (and not Borax), for sure, but also the addition of Dawn. I was told to switch to Pine-Sol disinfectant/cleaner. It doesn’t break down oils as much as the Dawn detergent does, has a stronger, more pleasant smell (you can use any scent), and has a disinfectant property.

    Then I switched to this and my tank stays clean, no cruddy sensors.
    Purchase or find a clean, one-gallon (128-ounce) bottle
    Pour in 40 ounces of Pine-Sol (generic or alternative pine-based cleaners can also be used)
    Pour in 4 ounces of Calgon (I use the bath beads)
    SLOWLY pour in water to fill the one-gallon bottle (it will foam like crazy)
    Gently shake

    For most holding tanks (both black AND gray; 30-50 gallons in capacity), pour in four ounces (1/2 cup) EVERY time you empty your holding tanks. A one-gallon bottle of this solution will give you about 50 tank treatments, all for a cost of roughly ten dollars.
    2020 Sierra 2500HD Denali
    Equalizer hitch (used Blue Ox before)
    Reflections 312bhts

  6. #16
    Left The Driveway
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    We do not leave the "stinky slinky" out to bother the neighbors. They are an eyesore and nosesore. I generally connect in the early AM or late night, drain gray and put hose away.
    Wayne and Becky Carlson
    2017 F350 Lariat Crew Cab FX4, Powerstroke, Short bed, Heavy Duty Tow Package
    2018 Reflection 303RLS, upgraded to 6000# axles, Progressive PT50X
    Aurora, Nederlandse Kooikerhondje

  7. #17
    Rolling Along
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    Knowing that leaving the black tank open is really a bad thing to do, when we started going to Florida for the winters with full hook-up, we needed a plan for tank dumping.

    About the only day I could mostly count on being home from work, Sunday, seemed like a good time to deal with the holding tanks. So, after church on Sunday and before my wife has dinner ready, I do the deed. I rationalized that scheduling the same time of the same day every week would make it easier.

    Make yourself a plan.
    Frank and Char + Maya, Newport, Michigan. 2016 Solitude 379FL/2006 F250 6.0 diesel w/dually conversion. 4th rain-sense roof vent, two ceiling fans, Kodiak disc brakes, Carlisle G 14-ply tires, Water Miser x2, final dump valve, water header tank, fridge cond fan switch, outside range exhaust, elec hot water anode, filtered drinking water, triple battery box,

  8. #18
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by MachWun View Post
    Not sure how you do a good tank flush/cleaning? Please tell me you are not one of those people who hook up your black tank garden host to the blank tank flush valve to the site's potable water!
    You're full of assumptions. Why didn't you ask me how I get a good tank flush and cleaning instead of assuming I would do something unsanitary at a campsite or a dump station. Did it even dawn on you that the full cleaning takes place back at my home with a macerator and dedicated hose that goes into my sewer pipe? No, you didn't.

  9. #19
    Paid my dues 😁 FT4NOW's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MachWun View Post
    Not sure how you do a good tank flush/cleaning? Please tell me you are not one of those people who hook up your black tank garden host to the blank tank flush valve to the site's potable water!
    This is a pretty ignorant statement. Besides making assumptions, it also shows you dont fully understand how the flush system works. There is absolutely nothing wrong with hooking your hose up to the water spigot at a camp site and flushing your tank while you're on full hookups. It's when you leave it connected and dont give the vacuum breaker a chance to run back out is when you have the potential to cause contamination issues.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    2023 Momentum 398M-R
    2023 Ford F-450

    SOLD - 2021 Reflection 311BHS
    SOLD - 2017 Momentum 399TH

  10. #20
    Fireside Member
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    It's not a choice to keep the black tank shut, at least not after the first pyramid.

    The best information on managing the tanks comes from the RV Geeks on YouTube:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFyfsy4ptw

    I am parked most of the time and keep gray tank open and black tank closed. When the black monitor show that I will need to dump tomorrow I close the gray for the kitchen sink. [I have 3 gray tanks, the other 2 stay open all the time.] When it's time to drain the black, it the gray is not full, I add water. I then go through pretty much what the RVGeeks do except I haven't installed the clear elbow. Just use a flashlight [with a wrist strap] to look directly down the toilet valve to determine if the black tank is clean. If it's not, then fill and dump again until it is.



    Quote Originally Posted by Grand Master IceMan View Post
    OK thanks for all the feedback, everyone!

    The overwhelming choice seems to be to keep the Blank tank CLOSED, even though it smells much better to leave it open and have it drain as you go.
    And yes, of course I use those Deodorizer pods and liquids, but my experience is that that only works "ok".
    It sounds to me that what I need to do is FLUSH out the system more often from the external intake!

    As for whether to leave the GRAY Tank open or closed, there seems to be mixed feelings on that.
    I get that having them CLOSED will provide the volume of water I might need to rinse the hose.
    But I feel like all the times I use the sink and shower, it's already doing that continuously.
    So maybe the answer is leave them OPEN, until I'm a day or two away from draining the Black Tank; then CLOSE them to build up some water volume for a power rinse.

    ...Have I got it all wrong, or am I on the right path now?
    Thanks!
    Jerry and Jack (Standard Schnauzer)

    Currently in Benson, AZ

    2018 Reflection 315RLTS

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