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Old 10-24-2016, 07:52 PM   #1
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Black, gray and fresh water tanks

I plan on spending as much time as i can boondocking as possible. My skoolie will be completely self contained but my question is. What are the sizes of these tanks that are best for this? Im hoping there is no equation for poo, gray water to fresh water.

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Old 10-24-2016, 07:52 PM   #2
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And what are stickies?

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Old 10-24-2016, 08:19 PM   #3
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I plan on spending as much time as i can boondocking as possible. My skoolie will be completely self contained but my question is. What are the sizes of these tanks that are best for this? Im hoping there is no equation for poo, gray water to fresh water.
One thing about boondocking on forest service land, unless it's changed recently your allowed to bury your waste as long as your away from a water source, I believe it used to be 150 ft but don't quote me on that number I'll have to go back and research to be certain but I'm certain about the burying .
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Old 10-24-2016, 08:48 PM   #4
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Are you talking dumping my black tank and burying it, or digging a cat hole make a deposit then backfill it?

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Old 10-24-2016, 08:59 PM   #5
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I plan on spending as much time as i can boondocking as possible. My skoolie will be completely self contained but my question is. What are the sizes of these tanks that are best for this? Im hoping there is no equation for poo, gray water to fresh water.
How long are you going to be boondocking at a time? And how many will be using the plumbing system? This will determine how much water capacity you need to build in. The grey and black tanks combined need to be at least as large as your fresh water supply. A good ratio would be 3:1 grey to black, equaling or exceeding fresh water.

As an example, with 100 gallons of fresh water capacity, your grey tank would need to be 75 gallons and your black tank 25 gallons.

This is not a hard and fast rule, of course; only you can decide what will work best for you and your situation. But that seems to work well most of the time, thus it will make a good starting point.
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Old 10-24-2016, 09:18 PM   #6
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I just climbed under the bus with a partial 55 gallon barrel. More room than I thought. Storage underneath or liquid tanks? Its a toss up for which is better.

https://youtu.be/a_GSnr1dBvE
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Old 10-24-2016, 09:23 PM   #7
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Still working on this photo video stuff.
Here is the video

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Old 10-24-2016, 09:32 PM   #8
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Are you talking dumping my black tank and burying it, or digging a cat hole make a deposit then backfill it?

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I normally don't take cats on vacation with me there a **** ton of work to keep happy.
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:06 PM   #9
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Ummmm..a cat hole..military term..

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Old 10-24-2016, 10:10 PM   #10
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How long are you going to be boondocking at a time? And how many will be using the plumbing system? This will determine how much water capacity you need to build in. The grey and black tanks combined need to be at least as large as your fresh water supply. A good ratio would be 3:1 grey to black, equaling or exceeding fresh water.

As an example, with 100 gallons of fresh water capacity, your grey tank would need to be 75 gallons and your black tank 25 gallons.

This is not a hard and fast rule, of course; only you can decide what will work best for you and your situation. But that seems to work well most of the time, thus it will make a good starting point.
I want to go as long as possible. I knew there had to be someway to figure it out. There will be only 2 of us out there. I fiure on being out as long as possible. Thanks for the help!

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Old 10-24-2016, 10:16 PM   #11
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I just climbed under the bus with a partial 55 gallon barrel. More room than I thought. Storage underneath or liquid tanks? Its a toss up for which is better.

https://youtu.be/a_GSnr1dBvE
I would be concerned about the barrel being punctured. You would have to make custom guards to keep them un-punctured

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Old 10-24-2016, 10:39 PM   #12
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I think I have this figured out in my note book now. only thing I'm not sure is if all these tanks are vented? My boat has a vent to the roof for the toilet system?

2 qty 55 gallon fresh tanks on each side for a combined 220 gallons.
All of the fresh water tied together. A drain ball valve at the bottom of the fresh water system to winterize or just to drop weight for bugging out.
A single shur-flow pump with a built in adjustable water pressure.

2 qty 55 gallon grey tanks on one side for a combined 110 gallons. grey water plumbed together. I think I'll go with what ever size those barrels have for the bung holes and use a threaded male fittings and coupling between them so I can separate them and remove for what ever reason and be able to put it all back together. I'll ad a fresh water flush hose connection to these tanks to spray them out with a garden hose while they drain. screw on a garden hose open ball valve and start dumping. then the sewage hose is washed out as well when your done. no dragging a hose inside.

1 qty 55 gallon black tank. I have some experience using these plastic tanks to plastic weld on and dis-form fro projects. Ill take a heat gun and large flat plate of steel and lay the barrel on its side. then place the plate of steel on the barrel. I'll heat the plate until the barrel is flat in that area so I can bolt on a flange for the toilet pipe. This way it will have a straight drop as I don't think pipes will work in this application. Then out what would normally be the bottom of the black tank I will bolt the drain pipe and valve to the flat surface of what use to be the bottom of the tank. I expect it will be just like the ones you buy. My Rv has flush valve or ball valve plumbed into the top of the of the black tank to aid in flushing it out and really I think for washing it out so there is less smell. I'll add this to my black tank its easy and just makes sense.
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:48 PM   #13
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With two of you.... if you conserve water, you should get around a week out of 100 gallons. You might get two if you can stretch it to the utmost but don't quote me on that. After all you know how much water you use better than I do.
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Old 10-25-2016, 12:03 AM   #14
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I was hoping for a couple weeks for just myself so where ever you get that calculation I was thinking that as well.
You can abuse a water tank even when your not trying if you don't plan.

A shower can be 2 gallons or 5 gallons or 10 gallons? BUt off grid thats in two weeks 28 gal or 70 gal or 140 gal. throw in some clothes washing, flush a toilet. The ice maker. wash some pots and pans ( i refuse to do anything on this trip but use disposable dishes except pans) But I can see how with to poeple two hundred gallons is barely enough for the desert for sure.

I have a small gas powered HF water pump or transfer pump i bought for a hot tub camping project. This will come in handy if i get out to a stream or lake I can always bleach out my tanks and clean them if i use them only for washing and toilets. I think at 200 gallons I have a great match at water size and food quantity for fresh stuff. I only have one closet to fill with cases of beer and bullets so I cant stay for to long before traveling to my beloved wally world.
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Old 10-25-2016, 12:10 AM   #15
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I would be concerned about the barrel being punctured. You would have to make custom guards to keep them un-punctured

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These barrels are pretty strong. You could build a cover. At some point i think you just have to say there tanks and there out there. look how many tanks set behind rear ends and scrape in and out of parking lots. the barrel does not need to actually be under the steel frame like the pictures we saw. It could be slightly higher. that would let the steel mount slide across a curb? But if were worried about puncturing on the high way from debris that is just maintenance like chipped window. if it happens you just fix it. Id be more worried about actually be in and accident and seeing how much damage is done to the whole build.
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Old 10-25-2016, 12:28 AM   #16
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I have a small gas powered HF water pump or transfer pump i bought for a hot tub camping project. This will come in handy if i get out to a stream or lake I can always bleach out my tanks and clean them if i use them only for washing and toilets.
Just carry iodine tablets with you and then you can drink it too. Won't have to worry about cleaning the tanks afterwards either.
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Old 10-25-2016, 01:09 AM   #17
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I think I have this figured out in my note book now. only thing I'm not sure is if all these tanks are vented? My boat has a vent to the roof for the toilet system?

2 qty 55 gallon fresh tanks on each side for a combined 220 gallons.
All of the fresh water tied together.

*trimmed to save space*

2 qty 55 gallon grey tanks on one side for a combined 110 gallons. grey water plumbed together.

*trimmed to save space*

1 qty 55 gallon black tank.
Remember the formula I quoted earlier.... 3:1 grey to black, equal if not larger than your fresh water capacity. You'll need to add another grey tank to make it balance out.... otherwise you're gonna overflow your grey tank and quite possibly have a big mess to clean up.

If you connect all the grey tanks (as you said you were gonna do) and have them vented then you will only need to drain into one, the ventilation will allow the levels in the three tanks to eventually equalize as air escapes from each tank.
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Old 10-25-2016, 02:23 AM   #18
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Yes one more grey tank. I carry those pills in my bug out bag and a Berkey filter sports bottle. I plan on running the drinking water through a filter any how. But tablets or bleach still need to be added for shower water because it could get in your mouth or other places. I'm glad you mentioned that I had only been planning on filtering my drinking water at the faucet.
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Old 10-25-2016, 07:16 AM   #19
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With two of you.... if you conserve water, you should get around a week out of 100 gallons. You might get two if you can stretch it to the utmost but don't quote me on that. After all you know how much water you use better than I do.
I can go about 4 days without a shower, its my gf im concerned about. Lol. I should put some kind of 30 second valve on the shower. I've seen a bus in Europe that has a 10 second and a 30 second button in the shower.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geo Jeff View Post
I was hoping for a couple weeks for just myself so where ever you get that calculation I was thinking that as well.
You can abuse a water tank even when your not trying if you don't plan.

A shower can be 2 gallons or 5 gallons or 10 gallons? BUt off grid thats in two weeks 28 gal or 70 gal or 140 gal. throw in some clothes washing, flush a toilet. The ice maker. wash some pots and pans ( i refuse to do anything on this trip but use disposable dishes except pans) But I can see how with to poeple two hundred gallons is barely enough for the desert for sure.

I have a small gas powered HF water pump or transfer pump i bought for a hot tub camping project. This will come in handy if i get out to a stream or lake I can always bleach out my tanks and clean them if i use them only for washing and toilets. I think at 200 gallons I have a great match at water size and food quantity for fresh stuff. I only have one closet to fill with cases of beer and bullets so I cant stay for to long before traveling to my beloved wally world.

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Old 10-25-2016, 10:33 AM   #20
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Are you talking dumping my black tank and burying it, or digging a cat hole make a deposit then backfill it?

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your allowed to stay in one place 14 days on federal land then required to move at least 25 miles before setting up again,, what I'm getting at is you can go a smaller blacktank then dig a hole fairly deep dump then bury. if your camped in what looks like a regularly used area polite thing would be bury it away from camp. Also black tank doesn't fill up near as fast as your grey. I've got around a 33 gal tank. I believe that can last 2 of us 2 weeks easily enough,
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