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Old 04-19-2016, 01:15 PM   #21
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Less space taken up by tanks, but not necessarily less problems. As noted above, the most common black/gray dump procedure is to dump the black then use the gray water to rinse out the black tank. When combining the two into one tank, you will still need some method of rinsing the black/gray combination. If you are using a conventional RV flushing toilet, invest in a rinse wand that can be hooked to a hose and poked down the toilet to clear any leftover nasty stuff from the tank. It almost never all leaves of it's own accord.
Reason #32 to consider a composting toilet IMHO.

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Old 04-19-2016, 01:47 PM   #22
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i used a single tank on my bus.
from previous campers, i've never dumped my grey tank into anything other than a sanitary dump, so i didn't see the purpose of two tanks.

traveling, i tend to just use the toilet. no dishes, no showers. with one tank, i have had the problem of clearing solids. but only when i have used very little grey water.

now, on the way to the dump station,i'll turn on the faucets and try and drain the fresh water tank into the holding tank to help clear out the log jam.

seems ok by me.

if my system were to back up, it would back into the shower. But, i used hepvo valves on both the shower and sink. they are one way valves that i doubt would fail that easily. So, i suspect if it backed up, it would back up all the way to the vent before anywhere else.

also a good idea for the dump tank to be a bit bigger than your total water carrying capacity..... lots less chance for messes.
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Old 04-19-2016, 02:26 PM   #23
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Turf, my thoughts exactly. The only advantage to two tanks is the ability to rinse the black tank with a rush of grey water. If your tank is designed with a sloaping floor toward the drain it should clean out pretty good anyway.
I used to flush a black tank, then put in a couple inches of clean water so it sloshes around and cleans itself up while traveling. Besides, after draining your black tank you probably shouldn't let it dry out from lack of use while there are remaining solids.
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Old 04-19-2016, 04:35 PM   #24
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Another trick for cleaning the solids out of a black tank is to put a couple of bags of ice down the toilet and then drive to your next campground....The ice with the motion of sloshing around in there will loosen the hard stuff.....Dump as soon as you get to your next dump station.
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Old 04-19-2016, 05:11 PM   #25
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On my first ship, USS Will Rogers, every quarter, the A-gangers would suit up and mask up and actually dive the sanitary tanks to clean out the Klingons with a fire hose that were not normally eliminated due to the utmost stealth reasons.

Mind, the sanitary tanks on submarines are CONSIDERABLY larger than that found on RVs. That, and 250 men are a bit more in number than those who use an RV. But there will ALWAYS be Klingons who have evaded the Federation by one means or another.

Unless you plan on installing a wash-down system within the tanks, keep black and grey separate.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:34 PM   #26
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I have black and grey tanks, i'm not really sure I would want just a black tank, I have had my grey tank fill up more then once when having a shower where the water would flow around my feet, don't need the black tank running between my toes.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:41 PM   #27
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That is an excellent point gbstewart.

Here's a dumb question. Is there actually some special place where people dump grey tanks separately from black tanks? Is it inappropriate to dump both when you're at a RV dumping station? I must have been doing it wrong in the past.
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Old 04-19-2016, 07:59 PM   #28
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That is an excellent point gbstewart.

Here's a dumb question. Is there actually some special place where people dump grey tanks separately from black tanks? Is it inappropriate to dump both when you're at a RV dumping station? I must have been doing it wrong in the past.
Nothing wrong with dumping both at a dump station...The point that was being made was that there are places you are allowed to dump grey water, but black water MUST go into a dump station
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:00 PM   #29
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no, no, they both get dumped in same place at the rv parks. the grey could be "illegally" dumped just about anywhere because its just water and lil soap.
i carry 92 gallons fresh h2o and will have 100 gallon tank with alarms i will install, so for boondocking theres not enough h2o onboard to overfill the tank = win. when in rv park, i will only let tank get half full ~ 2/3 full before i dump it, same as you would with grey and black tanks ran separately.
on side note, any one ever sprayed inside of tank with Never Wet or some one of these super hydrophobic sprays we've got now? ive seen cement slide free of a shovel coated with it, leaving the shovel clean.
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:03 PM   #30
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That is an excellent point gbstewart.

Here's a dumb question. Is there actually some special place where people dump grey tanks separately from black tanks? Is it inappropriate to dump both when you're at a RV dumping station? I must have been doing it wrong in the past.
it all goes into the same hole, when you pull up to dump your tanks, you put your 3inch stinky slinky hose it the hole, dump black first, close the valve, dump grey tank, this flushes the hose out , eazy peezy done it 100 times or so. when boon docking I have dumped some grey water into a pale and used it to water the bushes , giving me some extra time , black tank takes a while to fill .
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:46 PM   #31
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That sounds very appealing to have a black tank but I bought a medium bus and didn't want to permanently dedicate the floor space to a toilet after devoting the back of the bus to a small garage. I don't want to put a toilet by my bed or in the kitchen so I outsource for that necessity. There are usually enough bathrooms around most of the time, and on that rare occasion you know what bears do in the woods.
I store my fresh water tank inside to prevent it from freezing in the winter. It doesn't break the tank when it freezes but I do get awful thirsty. Grey water tanks not in the cabin area would freeze during cold weather too. I haven't found my sink yet, but I plan to cut the top of a plastic 55 gallon drum so the sink fits into the top of the drum. It should hold at least 35 gallons even at reduced capacity, and it's basically for washing dishes. I had a dishwasher but she divorced me.
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:21 AM   #32
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Alternative.

Me myself, I'm planning to get a good composting toilet and eliminate the black water tank all together. Figure it will pay for itself over time not having to pay dump fees and all the hassles that come with a black tank. Sure they can be pricey but in my opinion would be well worth the consideration.
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:29 AM   #33
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we have lived off grid with composting toilets for years. make sure to consider the vent install and the need for a urine overflow to go somewhere. peat moss will sometimes clog the overflow and back it up. big soupy pee lake in bottom of tank. then when you clear the line watch out! because the lake empties fast! on board bouncing. ill stick to the tank. but understand the allure
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Old 04-20-2016, 10:54 AM   #34
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Personally I like the composting toilet simplicity, but then I live alone so that would probably be simple and the most economical. However I don't plan on paying $1k for a composting throne.
Many years ago they were called composting outhouses, and worked very well at eliminating odors compared to a normal outhouse. It's interesting to see this used on a smaller scale in composting toilets, but my fascination doesn't go anywhere near the commercial price the composting portapotty's are selling for.
I'd say the commercial price is a good incentive to explore how to make this type of toilet. Yeah dumping could be kind of ugly, but so is a black tank for the unlucky person that gets that chore.
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