Combining Gray & Black Tanks

[Bster13]

Hello,

I'd like to extend my boondocking abilities out West as best I can. I have not purchased a FGRV yet, but for the 16/17ft Scamp/Casitas, would this modification work?

Crazy Easy Way To Combine RV Black and Grey Tank

I've never seen a FBRV in person so I don't know, but the ease of this mod is appealing and I'd convert the black tank to a composting toilet. Thx.

[Steve L.]

This wouldn't work well in most Casitas. The black tank is just under the seat and is above the floor. Water, for the most part, would have to drain "up" to get into the black tank.

Although I'm said to be full of... , I rarely put much of dent in the black water storage. I've been known to pour sink water (I drop a plastic tub into the sink to wash dishes) into the the toilet. The tub allows me to dump it in the bushes. (For those who allow themselves to do this.)

I don't use much soapy water to wash dishes and I rinse things with a 1 quart spray bottle filled with rinse water. This keeps water and tank usage down.

I'm not clear what soapy water does to the effectiveness of tank chemicals but this probably isn't a problem with boondocking.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Bster13

Hello,

I'd like to extend my boondocking abilities out West as best I can. I have not purchased a FGRV yet, but for the 16/17ft Scamp/Casitas, would this modification work?

Crazy Easy Way To Combine RV Black and Grey Tank

I've never seen a FBRV in person so I don't know, but the ease of this mod is appealing and I'd convert the black tank to a composting toilet. Thx.

As always, I suggest that newbies first get their FGRV and use it for an entire season to find out what does and doesn't work for them before planning drastic & expensive modifications.

For example, I have seen dozens of peeps interested in the composting toilet, but only 1 or 2 that actually installed one. In short, all that glitters is still poop.

[Steve L.]

Composting human waste doesn't occur over night. It takes weeks and weeks (at best). Why would someone want to travel carrying along all that weight waiting for it to compost? I think a composting toilet might be good for a home or cottage but after reading through posts on RVs and composting, this "technology" doesn't appeal to me in the least. But of course it doesn't have to appeal to me; To each his own.

[Bster13]

The problems with obtaining a FBRV and using it for a year before mods for me are:

- I plan to go full time and retire in this TT. I'd like to have, at least my theory of how things can work for me, figured out before I get going.
- I live in a small apartment with limited parking in a good sized city.
- I am touring a 17ft Casita next week, but that TT is over 2.5 hrs for me. I just haven't found a lot of FBRVs in the NE for me to tour.

I would move to a composting toilet because I find them lower maintenance, and it's something I have some experience with in cabins and whatnot. This website helps explain the benefits as I see it:
Composting Toilet: What is it and Why you need one

I'm sure I'll have a lot better idea of the possibilities and the look & feel of a FBRV when I get the tour next wknd, but until then I'm left to watch some pretty basic tours on Youtube and read up/ask questions at places like this.

[Bob Miller]

Hmmmm... Practical experience trumps theory by about 100:1
We have all seen the video by the Wynns and discussed it to pieces, yet there has been almost zero movement towards composting toilets.
BTW: It's FGRV's
Best of Luck

[Bster13]

But thanks for the comment about the differing height of the black and gray water tank in most Casitas. That wouldn't really work then, you'd have to reroute your gray water entry into the black water tank first and I'm sure that'd be a bunch of trouble.

[Bster13]

FGRV it is, thx. And the water the gray and black water tanks have different heights in the Casita, I can now see how this mod doesn't get you much.

If you can't increase your gray water capacity with the mod, then you still have to dump just a often, and then you're out the cost of a composting toilet.

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Hmmmm... Practical experience trumps theory by about 100:1
We have all seen the video by the Wynns and discussed it to pieces, yet there has been almost zero movement towards composting toilets.
BTW: It's FGRV's
Best of Luck

[Bob Miller]

Out what cost????
We use a Dometic Sea/Land and dump the 5 gallon holding tank in any toilet or outhouse. I even have a 2nd 5 gallon holding tank I can take along if I sense the need. 10 gallons is more than enough for two peeps for a week of boondocking, just remember where the bears pee....LOL

[Steve L.]

Sounds like an excuse for a spread sheet in terms of long term camping:

Use the on-board toilet, buy a wheeled “honey wagon” and dump as required. In my opinion this needs a high lift axle in order to get the outlet up high enough where it’s downhill to the wagon inlet. Some expense for the chemical and some amount of labor. Some capital expense for the tote. This is my approach. I spiffed up the wheels to get an easier, quieter pulling experience. (What I call the MOAT, Mother of All Totes, elsewhere on the forum.http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...t-21545-3.html)

Long term camp at areas with a mobile honey wagon service and dump every couple of weeks. I expect the cost is all over the map for this service. Also some expense for chemical. This seems to be a private campground service.

Use a porta-potty. Dump in the toilet or at the dump station. Still potentially some expense for chemical depending no doubt on the combination of personal tolerance and size of the tank. Some amount of labor. Presumably some capital expense for the porta-potty depending on present situation.

[Roger C H]

Washington State has many waysides that have free dumps, courtesy of Good Sam Clubs.

Some people, when camping at a site with sewer, hook up the stinky slinky and then let the black debris drain into the sewer. Not a good idea. The liquids drain and the solids stay. Keep your drain closed and dump when needed so that there is sufficient liquid to flush the tank as well as helping the solids to soften.

We use public toilets for #1 and #2 during the day and our porta-potty for #1 at night. I them empty the PP every morning in the nearest convenient sewer or toilet. I left it once, thinking I could do this every other day and the smell, even with chemical treatment, was such that I went back to everyday.
(The things we talk about on this forum!)

I would think that perhaps the black and gray tanks have different ways of draining into. A P-trap which is used in homes may, perhaps, slosh so that the water no longer prevents the sewer gases from entering the living area.

[janallanp]

Hi Bryce. Where are you in CT? Right now we're in western MA and we have a 17' Burro. We've been full-timing for 14+ years and there is no huge need to worry about dumping. There are plenty of places and ways to dump. Just go to Quartzite in the winter.

[Bster13]

Hi Janallanp,

I'm in Stamford, CT...an hour north of NYC on the coast. I'm visiting another FGRV owner in Chatham, NY on the 2nd a I return from a MINI Cooper rally w/ my GF in the Catskills....very close to Western, NY. PM your phone # and perhaps we could link up on the 2nd? Many thanks!

[Fallon]

http://www.casitaforum.com/invboard/...81#entry131781 describes installing a hepvo valve in a Casita. It replaces the standard trap with a superior one that can't dry or slosh out. I installed that on mine & would highly recommend it.

Also check out casitaforum. Similar caliber to this site, but only focused on Casitas, generally more recent ones.

On a side note, you might have other issues if the toilet & standard chemicals can't keep the smell under control. Make sure you turn off fans before flushing, or they will suck the odors out of the tank into the bathroom & living space. The grey tank can also end up spelling as bad as the black.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[Bster13]

I was thinking that if joining the black and gray tanks is not an option, I could still install a composting toilet, but leave a partial opening to the black tank open and use it to dump gray water from the sink or shower, then once it is filled, cap it off and use the gray tank. Not as seamless, but I could still use both tanks for gray.