hooking up RV sewer lines to sis's sewer system

[queenb64]

Hey ya'll I need to hook up the campers sewer to my sis sewerage so we dont have to trek out at all hours to use the restroom. Can I bypass the water tanks? I dont how to check the tanks to make sure of their conditions, this is an old Blue bird wanderlodge. I need to know what  i need to run a line hoses clamps etc, and is there a way to bypass the tanks for this? Please help.

[beemaster]

Hi QB64:

I'm good at RV stuff, but need a bit more info.

Do you have a BLACK TANK (sewage storage tank) aboard the camper or is it a portapotty type? Of course, most systems which have sewage tanks also have Freshwater, and Gray tanks (which are for shower water, sink water, washer/dryer water, etc.) the black and gray valve is usually a single gate valve that leads to the two different tanks - basically a "Y" connector leading to a single 3 inch outlet.

Black/gray tanks usually have a 3 inch drain pipe with a slide type gate to release the sewage from the black tank system. If you have a gate walve type set up then you are well on your way to hooking up a more permanent system.

If you are really lucky, your sister has a cleanout plug in her sewage line (used for snaking any clogs) either at or near ground level in which you can run a flex hose to for dumping the sewage.

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What I have is a 20 foot heavy duty 3 inch hose which looks like a giant slinky - It has a standard female connector on one end which hooks to the camper's black/gray outlet (you just align it and twist 1/4 turn) This screws into the slinky hose on a threaded end - hose clamps are a good idea, but usually not necessary.

Important point: you can leave the gate valve for the gray tank open all the time if you wish, but DON'T leave the black tank valve open: you need to build up HEIGHT in the sewage tank so that when you dump it, it will flow out of the tank properly. If you leave the tank valve open, you just create a dry stinky pile at the bottom of the tank which is almost impossible to clean.

the other end has a 90 degree fitting, one end screws into the hose, the other goes directly down into the ground level cleanout plug - which is nothing more than a pipe which leads to the sewer line that feeds out to the main town sewer system.

Installing a cleanout plug (what we would call a DUMP STATION) isn't hard if you know WHERE the existing sewerline is - of course, she may have a cesspool and I'm not familiar with the connectors for those.

If you know where a sewerline is, you dig down to it, cut out a section and slide a no-hub street tee (a 4 inch t-shaped fitting which has an angled tapered end to help the sewage flow toward the street. The no-hub has rubber bushings on one end to make up for the cut you made to slide the fitting in.

The easiest way to get this all done is to ask at Home Depot, Lowes or a local plumbing supply place - explain your project and they can show you the material I'm talking about.

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I ran water, sewer and electric to my motorhome - it is ALWAYS functional during the warm months.

[Jerrymac]

I have a septic tank for the house here. There is a clean out poking just above the ground and the septic tank itself has two places on top of it that one could hook up to, as I plan on doing soon. Other than that I can't add any thing more to what John said.

[Jay]

I will add only one thing. I lived in a 30 foot travel trailer while I was in boatbuilding school up in Maine for a couple of years. What John typed in bold, was for a reason. Keep the valve for the septic (toilet) tank closed untill you fill that tank. When it is full, then go out and open the valve and it will all go down the hose into the sewer in one cleansing whoosh! Then don't forget to close the valve again! When it fills up again, go out and empty it again. I have told you nothing new here, only emphasized what John has already said. I have emphasized it because it is very important! If you leave that gate valve open all the time, all the liquids will run out and down, but all the solids will sit in the bottom of the tank because they need the liquids to carry them down the chute, if you know what I mean!?! Good luck!

[queenb64]

wow, alot of info to absorb. Glad you told me about  leaving the black water tank closed until emptying, I was just going to leave them both open, makes since what you said. I looked underneath yesterday, at the rear of the  camper there is a big aluminum tank, with the 90 degree turn downwards, and a valve, that must be the black water tank, the other tank is on the other side of the camper, you can get to the top of it under the bed on that side, didnt look yet for a valve there. I was thinking of running the flex hose to sis sewerage, figure i would probably have to add a piece of pvc to run her sewerage and mine to the same line, correct? One thing I need to find out is , what do I need to look for  to check and make sure the tanks are in good shape? From the outside there is no rust, is there plastis inside the aluminum? My sis and her father in law own the camper together and he's unsure of the condition of the tanks, but If I know what Im doing and can show him I may be able to convince him that they are ok, and then he'll let me hook it all up.

[Jerrymac]

Usually the nasty stuff is in a tank right under the toilet. Then the gray water would be right there close. How old is this camper? I have an old rundown travel trailer and a motorhome. The only aluminum take I have seen is the travel trailer and it is the fresh water storage tank.  I think the water heaters in both are aluminum also. I will have to check on that. So far I never touched them so I really don't know. BUT all the sewerage tanks are plastic.

[beemaster]

I never took any photos of my water/sewer station on the bus - but here is the RV for you RVing buffs www.beemaster.com/bus.html

The ideal procedure for tank flushing according to my boo, and it is what I do in my rig when traveling:

Build up the level of the Black Tank to build up as much HEAD PRESSURE (for cyclonic action) as possible and also get your gray tank pretty full.

Dump the black tank as much as possible, close the black gate valve and open the gray tank gate valve - this flushes the hose with the soapy water from the gray tank. Secure the gray tank, add 2 gallons of fresh water to the toilet and about 8-12 ounces of toilet chemical treatment. This is a must: spend the money and get a good chemical treatment, it breaks up all the solids and turns the whole mess into a tolerable yet contained sanitation system.

I also have a black tank rinse system which allows me to hookup a water hose (not the same hose used to supply fresh water - they are special WHITE COLORED hoses that DON'T allow "Hose taste and smell" to get to the fresh water tank) but you hook a garden hose directly to a fitting on the outside of the black tank which has a rotating sprinkler rod inside the black tank which greatly helps breakup the stuff that gets left behind.

The most important product in this whole process though is the black-tank odor control chemical - I do not like the Environmentally Safe stuff, sorry but it does not work nearly as good or as long as formaldahyde based chemicals.

I put about 12 ounces in my toilet with about 2 gallons of water after fully cleaning the black tank and I'm set until the black tank is full again (60 gallons later).