Coachman Dave
Beautiful Eastern Iowa
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I would like to know how you all keep your black water tank as clean as possible. I have seen guys pour chemical into their toilets after dumping and others tell me I should always pour two to three gallons of water in the tank after dumping. They tell me this helps "scrub" the tank while traveling down the road. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Coachman Dave
2001 Ford F150 Supercrew (4 X 4) 5.4 liter 3.55 gear
2007 Coachmen Ultralite 281 RBS
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SKnight
Georgia
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Joined: 07/11/2008
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They're right. You need at three gallons or so to fill up the drain pipe and keep liquid in the tank. A couple of gallons there is enough to splash around on the walls and top of the tank.
I have it as full as possible before I dump even if it means letting the fresh tank pump into the black. You get a better flush, no pun intended.
I did read a suggestion on here I'm going to try. Tank 1/4-1/2 full, put a few bags of ice down the toilet and drive it around. The ice will scrub against the walls and whatnot then melt away harmlessly and be no issue to dump.
One of those spray wands every now and then seems to help too.
I don't get lost, I investigate alternative destinations.
See a guy in the campground with a telescope, that may be me.
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JoeGood988
S.Dakota
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Joined: 03/04/2005
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If you have a 50 gallon black tank, do you think 2-3 gallons of water will do much? You need at least a 1/4 of tank of water to start out. Then every time you use the toilet, run at least 3-4 bowls of water into the tank. When the tank is almost full, you should have 2/3 water & 1/3 waste. When you open the valve, the force and swirl of the water will suck out and wash the waste right out the drain. When you have hardly any water in the tank it just piles up right below the toilet....YUCK. Water, water, water..it flushes almost everything out and when it's all burried under water, less smells too. The ice cubes work well driving home to break up any deposits stuck to the tank. When you hook up again for another weekend of fun, drop another bag of ice down the stool, and when you arrive at campground, it's all loose, add more water, use it all weekend, dump and repeat process.
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CampSight
USA
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Joined: 09/08/2004
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Coachman Dave wrote:I would like to know how you all keep your black water tank as clean as possible. I use a bleachless version of the Geo Method to deal with odors and help with content removal. But quite honestly, I'm not the least bit concerned with having a clean black tank or wasting gallons upon gallons of water attempting to achieve the same.
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old guy
Oregon (pronounced Or e gun)
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Joined: 03/15/2006
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I use a quickie flush, it washes every thing off the walls and out the drain.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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"others tell me I should always pour two to three gallons of water in the tank after dumping. They tell me this helps "scrub" the tank while traveling down the road. Any suggestions?"
you already have your answer. get a spray nozzle that mounts on the side of the tank opposite the drain.
bumpy
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NCHornet1
Mt. Airy, NC.
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Joined: 05/17/2003
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JoeGood988 wrote:If you have a 50 gallon black tank, do you think 2-3 gallons of water will do much? You need at least a 1/4 of tank of water to start out. Then every time you use the toilet, run at least 3-4 bowls of water into the tank. When the tank is almost full, you should have 2/3 water & 1/3 waste. When you open the valve, the force and swirl of the water will suck out and wash the waste right out the drain. When you have hardly any water in the tank it just piles up right below the toilet....YUCK. Water, water, water..it flushes almost everything out and when it's all burried under water, less smells too. The ice cubes work well driving home to break up any deposits stuck to the tank. When you hook up again for another weekend of fun, drop another bag of ice down the stool, and when you arrive at campground, it's all loose, add more water, use it all weekend, dump and repeat process.
I have been RVing for a long time and this is a first for me. Really, fill the bowl 3-4 times everytime I use the commode? I reckon you like dumping your sewer tanks often while on vacation!! Now it is true you want enough liquid for the solids in the tank, to much solids and you will get a blockage, but the rule of thumb I have always used and taught my family was count to 3 Mississippi everytime you flush, this is a heck of a lot less water than filling the bowl 3-4 times.
Yes the ice trick has been around for awhile and it does help, I have found using the Flush King to back fill the tanks along with the Geo Method works good for me. I also agree it takes more than 3 gallons to do any good, 1/4 tank and 1/2 gal of bleach is what I have in there for the drive home and then I dump again when I get home. My gauges still work and are accurate.
NCH
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robbie69
wauconda, il usa
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CampSight wrote:I use a bleachless version of the Geo Method to deal with odors and help with content removal. But quite honestly, I'm not the least bit concerned with having a clean black tank or wasting gallons upon gallons of water attempting to achieve the same.
use the same but also have a tornado installed and dump alot at home(macerator) will use the CG if dump station empty-i'll hook up tornado and let it go for a while like i do at home.
also have the wand from the days b4 the tornado and every once in a while i use that. as long as there's no odor, DW is happy and i really don't worry about it. it's a waste holding tank and i worry about it like i do my septic--as long as it's doing what it's suppose to do i'm happy. careful what you put down there and lately i've gone back to RV type TP, it seems to break down better/faster and is easier on my pump than the septic safe stuff does. does cost a little more, but lets be real-how much of it do you really use in a season? has to be cheaper that repairing/replaceing my pump and better than having to clean TP out of the impeller on the pump.
2004 silverado 2500HD crew cab 4x4 long bed 8.1L gas hog
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tvman44
Southwest Louisiana
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I too use the Quickie Flush. But I like to put back abut 3 gallons of water in the tank after to keep anything left in the tank from drying and getting hard.
old guy wrote:I use a quickie flush, it washes every thing off the walls and out the drain.
Papa Bob
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pete42
Ohio
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I too carry 3 gallons in the tank sitting here at home.
I add another 5 when heading out.
I carry water with me so I can flush after using toilet I like to take naps when traveling and going in trailer is often called for after nap. (I'm old)
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