Black Tank Etiquette Question when Full Hook-Ups

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi All,

Laura and I used our new to us Casita for the first time last weekend. We used it for two nights of drive way camping (hooked up to our electric and water and using the gray/black tanks); we then used it for one night at the local KOA.

When we got ready to leave the KOA, I put some extra water in the gray and black tanks since they were only 1/3 full. Since we had sewer on-site, I drained the black tank, then drained the gray tank.

I then proceeded to do a black tank rinse by using a wand connected to my "green" water hose (not my freshwater hose). After filling the black tank again by doing the rinse, I then drained the black tank. After draining it, I disconnected the Rhino hose from the Casita and used my green water hose to rinse the Rhino hose. When finished, I rolled up everything and left.

Two questions:

1. Doing the black water rinse at my site meant disconnecting my white hose and connecting my green hose to the water faucet at my site. This means the next person connecting at this faucet would be connecting his/her white hose to the faucet after I had had my green hose connected. Is this proper procedure on my part to do a black water rinse at my site? We are new to camping and we want to be sensitive to RV park protocol and etiquette. If it is improper to do a black tank rinse at my site, then does that mean that I was supposed to have gone to the central dump for the black tank rinse, which kind of defeat the purpose of having sewer on-site?

2. Any suggestions regarding the procedures that I outlined above for dumping my tanks?

Thanks,

Dean

[mary and bob]

Use one of these to hook your hoses to. And how about having a water filter and pressure regulator. I also use an elbow connector on the trailer to run the hose down instead of straight out.

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi Mary and Bob,

Yup, when the white hose was connected to the faucet, I used the pressure regulator and water filter. I also have a flex hose adapter as well as an elbow.

I wanted to find out if connecting the green hose to the water faucet in order for me to do a black tank rinse was impolite since there would be a theoretical possibility of cross-contamination? Good possibility I am overthinking this, but I wanted to see if my actions were appropriate.

Thanks!

Dean

[Carol H]

I use the water splinter that Bob has pictured when needing to use separate hoses.

Your procedure sounds fine but if you want to save yourself some trouble leave the water connected to the trailer while dumping and once you have emptied the black tank fill it again with water by holding down the flush and dump again (n needed for the wand) then move the dump hose over to the grey tank for dumping. Once you have dumped the grey tank run some water down the sink with the value open - that will clean out your dump hose.

[Radar1]

We rarely have full hookups where we camp, but when we do, we simply drain the black tank, refill it using the flush valve while still tapped into the city water, dump it again, and then follow up with a grey water tank rinse. This usually suffices until the next time we get to a dump station and can use their hose rinse.
I have seen people pull their slinky directly under the water faucet and rinse it that way....disgusting!
That is a good reason that it's always a good idea to sanitize the city water outlet before ever hooking your water hose up to it. You never know how the previous camper used it.

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi,

Bob, I can see some advantages and convenience of having the Y adapter in the picture above. I will pick one up.

Carol, thanks for your comment. It makes sense to keep my freshwater connected until I am completely finished dumping my tanks. Coo!

Thanks,

Dean

[DeanCHS1980]

John,

Got it. Pick up some type of sanitizer to clean the water faucet before hooking up my freshwater hose. I will pick some up when I get a Y hose adapter!

Thanks,

Dean

[Darwin Maring]

Just flush your toilet to add water to your black tank.
Turn on the sink faucets to add water to the grey tank.

Flush the black tank first and forget about the wand. Do that on your last camping day of the season if you worry about such things.

Then flush your grey tank and that will clean your drain hose.

Disconnect the white hose and dump hoses and leave.

We also put a sewer chemical in the black tank.

[DeanCHS1980]

Darwin,

Topping off and/or refilling the black tank provides ample opportunity to clean the black tanks when dumping, so a black tank "rinse" using a green hose and wand is not necessary?

Thanks,

Dean

[floyd]

Fill and rinse the tank before recharging it using Odorlos tank treatment.
Leave the wand at home on a shelf somewhere to collect dust.

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi Floyd,

LOL! It will not be the first thing to gather dust in my garage! Thanks for the picture and recommendation above.

Take care,

Dean

[mary and bob]

I actually use a metal "Y" fitting. When I disconnect from campground water, the pressure regulator and filter stay connected to it. That way I can close the valves on the Y and put a cap on the filter outlet and pack it away with no water leaking out of the filter

[Darral T.]

Dean....keep in mind that at places like LBL (Piney), you dont have a permanent water hookup and must run off your onboard water tank. So you'll want to keep some water in that tank so when you pull around to the dumping station, you can use it to help flush your black tank....and I run more water in my grey tank as well.
*******************************
Topping off and/or refilling the black tank provides ample opportunity to clean the black tanks when dumping, so a black tank "rinse" using a green hose and wand is not necessary?

Thanks,

Dean[/QUOTE]