Black tank usage best practices?

Photomom

What are the best practices for black tank usage in an S model? I assume you would dump it before traveling? Do you need to limit how full it gets in between dumpings? What else? RV toilets are new to us?

Ratkity

1. Keep a little clean water in the bowl to prevent gases from seeping upwards.

2. Always use 1 ply potty paper. Spend extra $$ on "RV" paper if you want or just get Scotts one-ply. Both work. I put paper in a disposable bag to prevent any residual hanging around inside the tank, but that's sorta over-kill.

3. USE disposable gloves and have hand sanitizer or cloths around for "The dump procedure".

4. Don't wait until it's full to dump. When you can, always dump it, even if you only used it once. Tinkle is sterile, but it ferments quickly - especially in hot climates.

5. Use sewer hose attachments that have non-drinking water hose connects (keep separate that short hose from water hose) that will back spray into the black tank to clean. Make sure the lid and potty are closed inside when you do this!!  Six gallons is visually about a half a fish tank, it's not large! Doing a backspray clean with lid and potty open will finely spray the inside of your shower area. Dump again (when I say dump again, I mean let the fluid go through the sewer hose to the dump station hole).

Side note: Speaking of dump station holes - many differ in size. An adaptor is a must. Some states (VA) require "the donut" which is a fairly large rubber piece that will go on the 90 degree adaptor. It seals the hose and also prevents it from popping out and drenching your shoes (mind your shoes while you are doing "The Procedure").

6. After the outside backflush and re-dumping, go inside and pour a few gallons clean water down the potty, dump again. Now do the same for the gray water tank.

7. Ignore the impatient people behind you at the dump station. This is your investment. You can detach your hoses and close the gate clamp and then put on the cover now - put all away in their special place. You can take off your gloves off - pull them off so they turn inside out. You'll never have to touch the contaminated glove part. 

8. Add a pint or so of water to the bottom of the black tank and put potty enzymatic deodorizer in. I use the little pods (only for black water, not for gray tank - you are done with that tank). I don't care if the pods are for 20 gal or 40 gal tanks. The ones I use don't smell and work just fine for the little tank. You can get the bottle of stuff and measure out a couple ounces. I find just tossing in a pod a lot easier, even though it costs a bit more and they are for bigger tanks.

9. Again, remember to keep a little bit of clean water in the bowl and close the lid after you've finished. Lock the shower door as you exit 

If you still think your tank needs more cleaning, many people have done the above and instead of adding water and deodorizer, they put in a bag of ice and let is slosh around while they drive. It can get residual paper and dried things out of the tank that backspraying might not get. If you get an odor from your gray tank, the ice trick works for that one too and adding deodorizer with a little water to the gray tank will help with that.

If you still have questions, jkjenn has a T@B blog where she talks about "The Procedure" (on page 4 thereabouts. She has LOTS of great things and advice. I highly recommend her blog.

Ratkity

Caveat: The above procedure is my own. Everyone has a few variations and I may have left out something crucial that my fried brain forgot to put down. Oh, and despite the laws, sometimes that stupid rubber donut doesn't fit state park dump stations, hence the need for a 90 degree tapered adaptor.

Photomom

@Ratkity that is awesome, just what I was looking for.  What is this "donut"? Is that something separate from the Rhinoflex hose everyone recommends?

Ratkity

Let me find a link for you: 

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-39313-Sewer-Hose-Seal/dp/B000BQQWKA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459779766&sr=8-1&keywords=sewer+RV+donut

That's what mine looks like. They aren't expensive. If you find one that is, it might be for a proprietary system.

Edited to add: Oh, yes it is separate and I only know about VA law because the campground hosts at a state park and I were chatting about best practices and tips. They were warning me that despite the law, it was too big for that particular park's dump station hole and my regular adaptor would work fine.

One more edit: Look at the dump station hole. The majority of them have a metal wobbly lid that has a tab sticking up on it. Use your FOOT to open the lid. Mind the shoes (again).

Photomom

...just when I think I have everything I need on my Amazon wish list...

Verna

I just use the orange tapered end that goes into the dump "hole". It has worked for me at all of the dump sites for the past 3 months on my snow bird trip. I've not seen one the donuts. 

jkjenn

Verna said:

I just use the orange tapered end that goes into the dump "hole". It has worked for me at all of the dump sites for the past 3 months on my snow bird trip. I've not seen one the donuts. 

Yes - the tapered donut is perfect. It has always worked for me, too.

Ratkity

I would say 90% of the time, the tapered end has been all I needed. It would just be my luck to have encountered a hole (whole - bad pun) bunch of larger dump station inlets that needed the donut or some park ranger would fine me for not having the donut. Murphy was an optimist!

Nerdy1

Thanks guys!  I am new to RVs, and I must confess in the three small trips that we have taken with our new T@B, I still haven't been brave enough to use the bathroom - which is stupid.  But this discussion has helped to take the mystery out if the black tank.  We are going out again, so maybe I'll get brave!  Thanks for the clear instructions!

Verna

Nerdy1 said:

Thanks guys!  I am new to RVs, and I must confess in the three small trips that we have taken with our new T@B, I still haven't been brave enough to use the bathroom - which is stupid.  But this discussion has helped to take the mystery out if the black tank.  We are going out again, so maybe I'll get brave!  Thanks for the clear instructions!

I bought my T@B because I wanted an inside bathroom. I took it slow last summer on using it. First two weeks, I used Double Doodie bags, while I used the shower and kitchen sink. I got good at draining the gray tank and decided it was time to use the toilet. The black tank drains very similar to the gray tank. You'll do just fine if you want to have the convenience of the inside tfacilities. 

Nerdy1

Thanks Verna (again, twice in one night!).

jkjenn

I watched a number of YouTube videos on the topic while I was waiting for my T@b to arrive. They key is to make sure you put plenty of water into the black tank to avoid "pyramiding" of solid waste.

kybob

Several people recommend emptying the black first. Then the gray helps flush the sewer hose. We just use the black tank for #1. 

Ratkity

See? All very good pointers. I especially like the suggestion of just using the gray tank and practicing dumping that if the black tank is intimidating. However, I think you will do just fine with everything given all the pointers here.

Prior to my T@B, I only had experience emptying a "marine" portable potty (tinkle only and no paper). The black tank thing was new to me too. When it came to my first time, I had confidence and it actually looked like I knew what I was doing just because of encouragement and information here.

Photomom

Ratkity said:

The black tank thing was new to me too. When it came to my first time, I had confidence and it actually looked like I knew what I was doing just because of encouragement and information here.

Believe me, there is no way we'd have bought a T@B without this resource. 

larrygon

I use a cleaning wand when I dump my black tank. It looks like this

http://www.amazon.com/LASER-Holding-Tank-Cleaning-Wand/dp/B00XARVEMS/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1459916200&sr=1-4&keywords=holding+tank+wand

They can be found at Wally World too.

Keeps it smell free!

jkjenn

I use a Flush king, which serves a similar purpose as emptying the black tank first.

Mr_Mrs_Gnome

@larrygon, I take it you put the wand down the commode and rotate it around to rinse the tank? Does that mean pulling a hose through the camper?

larrygon

Mr_Mrs_Gnome said: @larrygon, I take it you put the wand down the commode and rotate it around to rinse the tank? Does that mean pulling a hose through the camper?

Yes, that is how it works. The hose can come through the window or door. I have a separate hose for that and drinking water. I also have a hand sprayer that I rinse the grey and black water valves with after a dump. There is a valve on the stick so you can control the water while inside.

KyBawpaw

I got a free sample of one of these sent to me. My wife says, "No way!" Makes the black tank obsolete. http://www.amazon.com/TravelJohn-Solid-Waste-Collection-Kit/dp/B000NV9YS0/ref=sr_1_23?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1460083818&sr=1-23&keywords=disposable+toilet+bags

jkjenn

I use the TravelJohns for winter camping, and extended boondocking. I like them, but not cheap.

jkjenn

Like most things, you get a better price when buying bulk, I believe. That is something i plan on looking into and welcome some personal recommendations. I will save these for longer term boondocking.

Verna

Two 13 gallon kitchen trash bags, one inside the other, with a scoop of kitty litter, tucked around the toilet, tucked inside the toilet making sure there's room for waste to hit the bottom of the bag. Add more kitty litter as needed. Dispose of both bags each day or sooner if needed. Simple, cheap...  But don't use the cheapest trash bags...don't want any leaks. 

Less expensive than Double Doodie bags or the other brands. Walmart has "bags" now for Luggable Loos or whatever. They're about the same price as the Double Doodie name brand bags. 

Don't allow any kitty litter to go down into the black waste tank. 

Photomom

Clumping litter in the black tank would be very bad. You would literally never get it out. That stuff is like epoxy glue.

Verna

Photomom said:

Clumping litter in the black tank would be very bad. You would literally never get it out. That stuff is like epoxy glue.

Yes, be very careful. 

Ratkity

I used TravelJons when I had the reverse TD. Pricy (better in bulk), but when it's 33F or less outside and you are toasty warm inside with two snoring golden retrievers, you'd pay $2 not to go out and hike to the park's potties. lol. When I showed the TravelJons to my ground-dwelling-tenting sister and gave her one, she scoffed.... until the next morning when she sheepishly said she would have paid more not to go outside her warm tent and bed (it also snowed a bit that night). LOL. I still keep some in case of emergency. Of all the products I've tried, this one has been the most odorless and compact of them all. 

jkjenn

Thanks, all. Yeah, no odors with TravelJohns. I keep a couple of their urinals in the car for emergency use.

Sharon_is_SAM

Verna,  Clay litter or scoopable?

Photomom

Instead of a double plastic bag, what about one of these things? (also solves the problem of where to put the litter box when you take your cat T@Bbing.)

http://www.amazon.com/CitiKitty-Cat-Toilet-Training-Kit/dp/B000F1OS20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460140051&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+box+toilet

Ron

Has anyone actually done the ice thing.  Sounds ilke putting ice in when you hit the road should work well to clean to inside and liquefy any solids that might be left inside after dumping.  Just asking, first land yacht.