T@b 400 Dump hose storage

Skygazer32

Looking for mod ideas to store my dump hose.  I have 4" black pvc that I mounted to tongue but it is too short. So, I store my fishing rods in there ( see pic). I think the best way is to attached a 4" pvc pipe alond the width of the camper in back, but I do not know how to attach it. Any ideas on attaching or other ideas for storage?

Verna

If you have a T@B 400, there is a built-in tube for your sewer hose, located on the driver’s side near the rear of the T@B.  It has a large round opening that you un-screw to remove the lid and screw it in to close the lid. My 15’ Rhino hose plus the tapered end will fit into the tube. 

Skygazer32

Verna..  I tried that first and was disappointed when it didn't fit. Not even close. Tbe tube only goes half length of the camper.

NorthIsUp

Agree with @Verna . The 400 should easily hold a 15' hose. If not, something is already in there. Uh-oh. 

Verna

I agree with @NorthIsUp. Something is already in your storage tube. 

Skygazer32

Nope. Nothing in there.. I promise. I have a much longer tube that the dealer supplied when I bought it.  If you guys are saying a 15ft Rhino house will work I may just go and get one.  Will I ever need longer than 15 ft? Newbie here.

falcon1970

@Skygazer32
I had the same problem.  I solved it by removing the original tube and replacing it with a longer tube that extends the width of the TAB.  NuCamp used 5 1/2" gray electrical conduit for the tube.  You can buy that, in 10' lengths, at any electrical supply store--the ones that sell to the electrical trade, not necessarily Lowe's or Home Depot.  10' equates to 120" but 10" of that is a "bell" used to join two pieces together.  When you cut the bell off you are left with 110."  The factory original tube is 55" and you can see why--they got two tubes from one length of conduit.  The fitting on the outside is screwed into the sidewall as well as glued with a silicon glue.  If you (carefully and gently) run a thin putty knife around the glue line the entire thing--outside fitting and tube--will slide right out.  The really tricky part is that the fitting is glued to the tube and there is no way to release that glue and save the fitting.  Fortunately, that outside fitting is called a "Deck Plate" in the boating world and is available online.  Search this forum.  Someone found one on Amazon and posted here.  The other tricky part is that the conduit will need to have a rabbet cut into the inside dimension in order for the deck plate to fit.  I stood the conduit on end, fabricated a jig for my router, and slowly snuck up on the dimension I needed.  Set the router on a slow speed or the bit will melt the plastic of the conduit.  I then used "Amazing Goop" to glue the Deck Plate into the conduit and slid the whole thing back in place.

Now having gone through all that, I think it might be possible that your sewer hose would fit the original tube if you put the cap on one end, compress the hose to its minimal length, and the put the other end cap on.  Although there may not be room to store any other fittings you might use with the hose.

One final caveat:  My solution worked on my 2019 TAB400 but I don't know if there is room on the 2020's since the batteries might be in the way as they apparently sit behind the AC. 

N7SHG_Ham

I have the 15' Rino and it fits, but I learned you have to collapse it with the caps off, trying to compress that tube full of air won't work

Skygazer32

I have 15' thetford tube but it will not compress to the 55" needed to store in the provided storage. I went to get the Rhino tube but they have changed their design and now integrate the elbow which is non removable on the 15' hose. It only compresses to 56" so too big. 

My solution was to get a 20' and I store half in the supplied tube and tbe other half in the tube I mounted on the tongue.

COHiker06

I learned last week that only the end cap going in can be on for the hose to fit. If you capped both ends and tried to insert the hose, the accordian affect meant you were compressing the air in the hose and it doesn't all fit. Put the hose in, put the other end cap on after you've stored the hose, close the access.  N7SHG  nailed it. Science man, science.

Skygazer32

Seriously folks... I'm not that daft.... the Thetford 15' hose will NOT compress enough. I bought a Rhino and it is no problem 

Sharon_is_SAM

I think removing the cap to compress the sewer hose is one of those, duh, head slap moments!  That Thetford must be more robust to not compress.  I think the Rhino has become the TaB RV gold standard.