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Old 01-12-2013, 11:04 AM   #1
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Re: Holding tanks

Hey BK1..... What are your plans for the bus? part-time, some-time full-time?
If you're just going to use it every now and them for short periods of time then no....... you will not need the big tanks........

but for the price it's a good deal..... you don't have use it to it's full capacity....... but nice to have if you need it...

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Old 01-12-2013, 12:12 PM   #2
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Re: Holding tanks

Well . to answer the question ......... yes you can ..... BUT!!!

While most recommend that you keep you grey tanks open during use to let it continually drain........ the Black tank is just the opposite..... It should remain closed during use and only drain it before travel or whenever required...... Reason being is the liquids will keep the other stuff from hardening and sticking to the inside of the tank. commonly called the "cone of death" or mountain of ? well you get the ideal. After draining the black tank be sure to add some water, dawn dish washing liquid, and Calgon water softener if possible. This will clean the tank as you drive and you can drain as needed whenever you setup again..... You can do the Grey tank also during travel to keep the odors down and food partials from sticking to the inside of the tank.
Also be sure to vent the tanks to the outside preferably thru the roof.... keeps odors away.........
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Old 01-12-2013, 08:25 PM   #3
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Re: Holding tanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Booger1k
I ran up on an RV getting parted out and I now have access to the holding tanks. They are:

78 gal FUEL
80 gal FRESH
50 gal GREY &
55 gal BLACK

Now we don't know the dimensions yet & before we go off & ask them to measure we were looking for input on the capacity. I was thinking we could use the 80 gal fresh & maybe combine the 50 or 55 for grey & black... They are only asking $50.00 dollars each, removed & delivered. Any inputs before I get back to them on these?
We fulltime and live in an RV park. This is what we have...
Our Black tank is 25(?) gallons and we dump every three days (and before any bouts of really cold weather or incoming storms... don't want to have to dump in nasty weather). The vanity sink also drains into the black tank. More water is better. We do not use any chems in our black tank. We also avoid anti bacterial soaps since they have wrecked havoc on our black tank in the past. Our grey tank is currently 42 gallons. I want to bump that up to 72 by adding another 30 gallon tank. We leave the grey tank open... let me be clearer... Because we are on full hookups and traditionally the grey tank valve is left open under those conditions, we plumbed the grey drains to completely bypass the grey tank unless we close a valve to divert the grey water into the tank. Now our fresh water is a bit different. We filter every drop of water that enters the holding tank. I have both a permanent sediment filter (no filter to replace because it is just a screen) and a Whirlpool Whole House filter housing. I run the equivalent of a Whirlpool DB-2 filter (0.5 micron). My thing is cysts must be removed. This knocks our water pressure down to a dribble. We put a stock tank float valve (valvehad same size fitting as the 1/2 inch PEX plumbing) in the 30 gallon fresh tank (Valterra ABS Rocket tank). Later this summer we will add another 30 gallon tank to give us 60 gallons. We run a ShurFlo 2088 Classic 12vDC multi-fixture water pump. This gives us good water pressure no matter what the park pressure is. We will be adding a dishwasher and a washing machine to the bus at some point. This means we will need the larger tank capacity. Due to the filters it takes a while to fill the fresh tank if it's empty. With the float valve, the tank is always full or filling and we don't have to mess with it.

We are a tad paranoid about water safety. We have been in a campground with bad water (horrible place but only $7 per week... we were desperate at the time) and we didn't drink the water (except what I boiled for 5 minutes) but the dog & cat did. Both got sick and the vintage cat never completely recovered. Based on the furkids symptoms, they were infected with Giardia Cysts. Also we have spent a great deal of time in an area where the drinking water tended to smell/taste like the pesticides/fertilizers they used on the local crops. Are my filters overkill for city water? Probably. Will I stop using them? No! Since 2009, we have been in areas that have issued "boil water" warnings 6 times. So 6 times we were subjected to questionable water (heard about the boil warnings always too late).

Rule of thumb is that you grey tank equals or slightly exceeds your fresh tank.
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Old 01-12-2013, 09:15 PM   #4
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Re: Holding tanks

Lorna, could you elaborate on the tank float valve you used? Thanks Jack
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Old 01-13-2013, 12:09 AM   #5
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Re: Holding tanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by ol trunt
Lorna, could you elaborate on the tank float valve you used? Thanks Jack


It's a float assembly for a livestock water tank. We bought ours from Roswell Livestock & Feed. It was cheap ($6.99) and a "thru the wall" fitting.

Here is an Amazon link. Parts For 88SW And 88ESW Stock Waterers - NEW FLOAT ASSEMBLY COMPLETE

I would think that you should be able to find the same or similar at a local farm supply store... and save the ridiculous shipping fee.
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Old 01-13-2013, 10:24 AM   #6
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Re: Holding tanks

Lorna, thanks for the info and the link. I like the very compact size Jack
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Old 01-14-2013, 06:35 PM   #7
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Re: Holding tanks

I would rather have more tank than I need than not enough... But, great tank info everyone...
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Old 01-14-2013, 10:13 PM   #8
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Re: Holding tanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtygoat
I would rather have more tank than I need than not enough....
Kinda hard to make a tank bigger when you need a bigger one because your grey tank is backing up into the shower because someone forgot the tanks needed to be dumped. Or you run out of fresh water with a head full of shampoo and it's snowing outside! Not that that has ever happened to me. Definitely not fun.
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Old 01-15-2013, 04:58 AM   #9
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Re: Holding tanks

in my situation, i put in almost 150 fresh water tanks, so i could go at least 2 weeks for 2 people. Normally i can go longer than that, as i also have a water cooler in my bus, and several 5 gallon jugs..and i also have a water filter system for bad water, which my wife prefers that over the cooler for some reason.
I have something like 100 gallons for grey water and 30 for black. I have never had my black tank fill up, but whilst traveling have never let it go more than about 3 weeks.
Currently at our place in alabama, i just have both sewage lines open to the septic, and rinse the toilet occasionally. Have never had any black tank blockage for 20 yrs, but that is one reason i added a flexible hose sprayer in line to the toilet feed, after the first bus i built had some blockage...

Also, if one gets the holding tanks with the sensors, one can wire them up to a panel which will show the levels... just saying...
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Old 01-15-2013, 09:31 PM   #10
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Re: Holding tanks

I grabbed the panel with the level info lights out of the RV I got my tanks from... Haven't hooked then up yet, but will some day...

I also have other tanks I'll add later for more storage of fresh water... I want one for an outside water source, I have an extra pump as well... When it runs out, oh well... You're cut off... No soup for you...

I have a buddy that has an outdoor shower that pulls from his only fresh tank and other people around camp can drain him dry really quick... He plans on doing the same small tank for the outdoor as me...
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Old 01-15-2013, 11:35 PM   #11
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Re: Holding tanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtygoat
I grabbed the panel with the level info lights out of the RV I got my tanks from... Haven't hooked then up yet, but will some day...
Don't fall in love with the idea of the tank level lights working for long. Apparently they are notorious for crapping out.... particularly for the black & grey tanks. But fresh tanks aren't too far behind them. It's a small part of the reason we put a tank float valve in our fresh tank. We are fulltime and don't want to have to keep filling the fresh tank either.

BTW, the campground had to shut the water off today to make some repairs. It was off for a couple of hours with very little warning. We were NOT inconvenienced! So far the longest the water has been off here has been about 4 or 5 hours. We have lost water due to burst city pipes in other places for as long as 12 hours. We WILL be adding that second fresh tank this summer.
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Old 06-01-2018, 12:27 PM   #12
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Can anyone point me to a website where I can purchase fresh water tank and gray water tanks I'm looking on Amazon but don't have a clue what works or doesn't. I'm getting ready to start conversion to our crown bus and wanted to start looking at prices for holding tanks and if they come with hardware to mount or if this is custom made?
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Old 06-01-2018, 01:14 PM   #13
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Can anyone point me to a website where I can purchase fresh water tank and gray water tanks I'm looking on Amazon but don't have a clue what works or doesn't. I'm getting ready to start conversion to our crown bus and wanted to start looking at prices for holding tanks and if they come with hardware to mount or if this is custom made?
Hardware will be custom for the application.
Here's a place on Ebay I have saved for tanks. I may see about modifying 55g plastic drum as they are only $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/42-Gallon-F...19.m1438.l2649
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Old 06-01-2018, 03:57 PM   #14
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Mid-engine Crowns and tanks - now that's not going to be easy! You have A) not much space for tanks anywhere except in the trunk, and that's not the best location for the gray and black, and B) the spaces you do have are weird-shaped and not suitable for most easily-available stock sizes. Forget about using round barrels - they're wasteful of space at the best of times, and in a middie Crown they would be almost useless. You're going to need to bite the bullet and talk to a local rotomolder who makes marine and RV tanks in all shapes and sizes. I used Ronco Plastics in Tustin CA, but that won't help you if you're a long way away because freight costs are exorbitant to ship tanks across country. Ronco made my four tanks from stock designs, and 400 gallons' worth cost me $1000, i.e. $2.50 per gallon. That includes them spin-welding in umpteen fittings on each tank - one tank had seven of them! Find a local rotomolder and see what they do.

The loo should be on the driver's side so the poo dump valve can be there, assuming a direct drop from crapper to tank (which is always best). The shower and sinks can initially drain into small tanks that in turn are pumped to the gray tank elsewhere, but that's just more complication. Fresh water can go pretty much anywhere. Just bear in mind your W&B as your tanks empty and fill. And remember that the gray and poo tanks need proper through-flow ventilation to keep the aerobic bacteria happy and to get rid of methane, but the fresh still needs a small vent as well.

Aren't conversions fun?

John
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Old 06-02-2018, 11:58 AM   #15
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Mid-engine Crowns and tanks - now that's not going to be easy! You have A) not much space for tanks anywhere except in the trunk, and that's not the best location for the gray and black, and B) the spaces you do have are weird-shaped and not suitable for most easily-available stock sizes. Forget about using round barrels - they're wasteful of space at the best of times, and in a middie Crown they would be almost useless. You're going to need to bite the bullet and talk to a local rotomolder who makes marine and RV tanks in all shapes and sizes. I used Ronco Plastics in Tustin CA, but that won't help you if you're a long way away because freight costs are exorbitant to ship tanks across country. Ronco made my four tanks from stock designs, and 400 gallons' worth cost me $1000, i.e. $2.50 per gallon. That includes them spin-welding in umpteen fittings on each tank - one tank had seven of them! Find a local rotomolder and see what they do.

The loo should be on the driver's side so the poo dump valve can be there, assuming a direct drop from crapper to tank (which is always best). The shower and sinks can initially drain into small tanks that in turn are pumped to the gray tank elsewhere, but that's just more complication. Fresh water can go pretty much anywhere. Just bear in mind your W&B as your tanks empty and fill. And remember that the gray and poo tanks need proper through-flow ventilation to keep the aerobic bacteria happy and to get rid of methane, but the fresh still needs a small vent as well.

Aren't conversions fun?

John
Haha I'm finding out I'm sort of cursed having the crown pancake engine. But I'm happy with how she's driving and how well constructed everything is. We aren't thinking of doing full time living on her, what do you think is a good size? We don't want to do black water and are thinking of doing compost toilet. Would 20-40 gallon tanks be good for grey water? I was thinking of putting grey tank in the trunk or the spare tire compartment.
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Old 06-02-2018, 11:59 AM   #16
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Hardware will be custom for the application.
Here's a place on Ebay I have saved for tanks. I may see about modifying 55g plastic drum as they are only $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/42-Gallon-F...19.m1438.l2649
That looks like a good price, would have to see if it fits :/
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Old 06-21-2019, 06:08 AM   #17
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What are the Pro's and con's of using one tank for both grey and black water. As most of the camping I plan on doing will be at camp grounds with full hookups? Thanks in advance for the insight.
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Old 06-21-2019, 09:24 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Hardware will be custom for the application.
Here's a place on Ebay I have saved for tanks. I may see about modifying 55g plastic drum as they are only $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/42-Gallon-F...19.m1438.l2649
I have 3 55 gal drums. I can't figure out a good way to hang them securely under the bus to save my life. I've had them for months. If you come up with a clever way to do it please keep me posted. I've mocked up 10 different hangers and they all move around which is no good for plumbing. Trying to securely attach a heavy round drum to a rusty square bus seems to be quite challenging. I almost broke down and bought square tanks a few times so far just to make mounting a breeze.
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Old 06-21-2019, 10:05 AM   #19
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What are the Pro's and con's of using one tank for both grey and black water. As most of the camping I plan on doing will be at camp grounds with full hookups? Thanks in advance for the insight.
Hi Barry, this is a subject that often goes astray and I'm probably to blame for that.

The short answer for the style of use you have mentioned is that there is very little value in having two tanks. Some will argue that the possibility of black tank "bad things" making their way up into your kitchen sink (for example) is reason enough to keep them separate. I'm not a subscriber so I have one very large tank.

There is a long discussion that occasionally occurs about dumping out in the wilderness. Some definitions help that discussion. Most NFS/BLM folks will tell you that true grey water is shower and bathroom sink ONLY. Kitchen sink and toilet are black. Most RV's have the kitchen sink plumbed into the grey tank which means that it really isn't grey. This portion of the discussion often spirals out of control so I'll just stop right here.

One benefit of a single large combo tank is that there is usually plenty of liquid to flush out the solids (which can be a problem with a dedicated black tank). Of course, less plumbing/valves/etc. is also a plus.

Given the style of use you mentioned, you might consider an electric, remote operated valve (https://amzn.to/2XZEMVW). That can be very handy when you are hooked up and need to dump (and in the middle of a shower, it is raining, etc...).
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Old 06-22-2019, 08:42 AM   #20
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Haven't hooked then up yet, but will some day...
I’ve heard/said this story before 🤒
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