I posted this review/report today on the
Escape Camper forum. I'd like to share it here, too:
had some fun emptying the blackwater tank on the
Escape 19 for the first time so I thought I would share my thoughts.
I'm nowhere particularly near a dump station so I was looking at getting a macerator system for convenience so I could use my own sewer system for dumping. They're about $200 on the 'net for the Shurflo brand and require that you have access to high pressure water and a 12VDC source. I happened to be at Camping World after reading some reviews on the
Sewer Solution and I bought one last week. It's a simpler system that utilizes just hose power to force water through a jet into a coupler attached to the sewer hose connection. Under the force of the water, the sewage, TP and crud is broken up and ejected through a 3/4" flexible hose that can be output directly to the sewer with the attached adapters, if you're 10' away. Alternatively for longer runs, you can buy more 10' hose, utilize press fit 1" PVC connections, or do what I did and pick up some cheap 25' sump hose. The jet chamber is made of clear polycarbonate so you can watch the process, and it has a quick disconnect for the garden hose with a vacuum breaker to prevent reverse siphons. It also has a two position setup where you can go from the jet operation to a simple backflush. The garden hose connection was a pretty tight squeeze due to the proximity with the
escape tires, so a short extender might be a good idea some installations.
You start by connecting the sewer solution to the dump valve connection and the 10' hose to your sewer cleanout using the included adapters. I had to run a total of about 35 feet so I spent another $12 on a 25' black corrugated 1-1/4" hose which connected right up to the 1" PVC Sewer Solution output fitting using a hose clamp. I snaked the hose across the lawn and into the sewer cleanout in front of our chimney. I ran it in there about a foot and put the cover (a small round concrete manhole) to hold it in place.
You get the hose running first and make sure there are no
leaks, then open the gate valve on the black tank. Watching through the window you can monitor the process. It took about 2 minutes to empty the black tank. Things do slow down as the tank nears empty. I switched the jet over to backfill and filled and emptied the tank a few times. It takes about 3 to four minutes to fill the tank and about 2 minutes to empty it. I think the bottom surface of the tank has some corrugation on it, a reinforcement or something to give it more strength, and that makes it harder to empty.. It's physically located inside the Escape 19 trailer between the shower liner and the floor, so it's hard to see clearly. I had purchased a separate cleanout wand that is designed to be lowered through the bowl and into the tank, but honestly it's such a short shot that the sprayback makes using that thing a problem. With rigid wands you have to hold the toilet trap open, too, to avoid damaging the edges. I would probably go with the soft wand next time because you can just put it in there and not worry about the trap getting damaged.
I think if I had a decent wand it would have flushed out clean in 3 refills but with what I was working with it was not quite clean after four. The tank had not been emptied in a few months probably. The PO also used a multi-ply toilet paper that did not break down much. However, the sewer solution never clogged.
I would rate it four out of five stars for convenience and performance. If I had not had the issue with trying to get the hose on so close to the driver side front tire tread it would have gone much more smoothly. You do need copious water so I don't think this would be a practical solution operating off the internal water tank and pump.
You can buy the Sewer Solution through Camping World, or direct from the manufacturer. I think you'll find it costs around $125 retail. I did get an email today (d12/6/2010) from Camping World after I already bought the thing offering Employee Pricing on 24 items, one of which was the Sewer Solution at around $82. A little late to take advantage of!
SewerSolution
Regards,
Matt
Shellby
"Homelet" Trillium 1300
"The Eggstacy"
Boomerang
1992 Scamp Side bath
2009 EggCamper 
2010 Scamp 5th Wheel
"OSOKOZY"
Escape Hatch II
Our Escape Hatch
one would hope "second" doesn't mean someone already "wents"
first, eh?
Linear Mode
