Dual Dump Setup: Macerator & Gravity Dump - Page 2

peteco · 01-13-2015, 02:50 PM

My bad. The fitting Avanti showed and what I used are different. The Roadtrek fitting does not have the bayonet nubs, but is smooth for attaching a hose; a large rubber hose in Roadtrek's case that leads to the macerator.

Pete
2006 Roadtrek 210P

avanti · 01-13-2015, 03:45 PM

Thanks for the clarification, Pete. Confirms my understanding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

I wouldn't be surprised that Valterra or someone else will come out with a fitting that has two outlets, one for macerator, and one for gravity with a valve on it. From what I am learning as I build our setup, and all the interest that backup systems are getting, it makes sense that the parts will become available. Hopefully for new and old systems.

I think that is exactly what the fitting I showed is intended for. The Bayonet side is for gravity dump; the 2" side is for plumbing into a macerator; the other two are for the black and gray valves, respectively. In a typical installation, the handles of the valves point in the same direction as the bayonet connector (with a cap on the connector of course), and mounted in an accessible place. To use the macerator, you simply open the valves as usual. The do a gravity dump, you take off the cap and replace it with the slinky. At least that is what I am going to do.

There are a lot of strange fittings around--sometimes hard to ferret out, though.

booster · 01-13-2015, 04:06 PM

I think that may be what a some of the manufacturers are doing, but I haven't seen any pictures of them. I know Davydd mentioned that on the ARV double dump, you disconnect the macerator and install the hose instead, so theirs must be somewhat different. Not a huge deal, but the first time you use the gravity dump, you will have the fitting and plumbing to that point full of "stuff", so you would need to catch that in a bucket. After that first time you would be fine.

It would be nice (for the folks that have room on the backside like Avanti must have) if that fitting were made with a 3" hub instead of the 2", so you could use one of the offset 3" to 1.5" adapters to get the outlet to the low point, regardless of which way you used the fitting.

Are you going to have that fitting with the bayonet in a location where you will be able to reach it to connect the hose without crawling underneath?

avanti · 01-13-2015, 04:45 PM

This is what Great West did on our van:

I assume this is similar to ARV. I don't like the hose dipping down that low, and a lot of stuff would drain out of it if I opened it up. So, I am going to rework it with the 3-way fitting. Hopefully, if I remember to dump black then gray, any remaining "stuff" would be gray stuff.

booster · 01-13-2015, 04:51 PM

Great pic, thanks. Does yours have a macerator also?

Just looked again. Do they have a macerator on the end of the big connected hose?

Davydd · 01-13-2015, 05:41 PM

Here is a photo of an older Great West Van Legend before they redesigned their fiberglass skirting showing a more generous hose after the macerator. The connection between the traditional gravity dump and the macerator is more level.

I thought I had photos of an Advanced RV but I don't. I believe they have a similar setup. I'm getting an entirely new nerf type bar skirt so don't even know how mine will be set up. It hadn't been one of the primary concerns on my part as long as I have both options for dumping. Even though I am not getting a 4x4 Sprinter I opted for the EcoRanger 4x4 look they are developing.

peteco · 01-13-2015, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davydd

Here is a photo of an older Great West Van Legend before they redesigned their fiberglass skirting showing a more generous hose after the macerator. The connection between the traditional gravity dump and the macerator is more level.

I thought I had photos of an Advanced RV but I don't. I believe they have a similar setup. I'm getting an entirely new nerf type bar skirt so don't even know how mine will be set up. It hadn't been one of the primary concerns on my part as long as I have both options for dumping. Even though I am not getting a 4x4 Sprinter I opted for the EcoRanger 4x4 look they are developing.

When you get your van please share the plumbing setup. Even though these systems are fairly simple, maybe they have thought of something we haven't.

booster · 01-13-2015, 07:59 PM

So it must be that Avanti's setup has the macerator at the end of the big flex hose. I would surely agree with his dislike of the dip in it, as the pump may not flow enough to pull "sinkers" out of that big a hose. I do wonder why they used the big hose, though, as you can feed the pump through a 1.5" pipe or tube without issue. It would make the whole thing a lot easier with a the smaller hose, adapted at the main fitting to the big hose connection.

It would also explain why he is dealing with a different issue than those of us with Roadtreks. His setup is basically a macerator put onto a full diameter gravity dump setup, so he is just looking to improve the macerator hookup, while we are sitting with a macerator only setup and trying to get a decent gravity dump with only a limited access 2" connection available. As long as there is inboard space for the new fitting and pump connection, he is looking at much less hassle than going the other way with a Roadtrek.

avanti · 01-13-2015, 08:24 PM

Yes, the big hose gets reduced down and goes into the macerator. The dip is clearly sub-optimal, although I have no evidence it does any great harm. The grey flush is likely to address any residue issues. The macerator is pretty energetic. I suspect they use such a big hose simply as an easy way to interface with the slinky-sized bayonet fixture.

My new setup (my first project when the warm weather comes) will have the macerator plumbed directly to the 2" pipe to the rear. It is a little tight back there, but I think I will figure it out.

Below is the other compartment of our system. It contains the always-connected macerator outlet hose, and also the never-been-used slinky.

booster · 01-16-2015, 11:13 PM

Most of my parts showed up today, and a trip to Menards got the rest, so I got some shop time in. While I was getting parts, I got some test parts for trying a hookup to the "cleanout" side of the valve fitting like Peteco has. Since I put in a new fitting in valves while I had it apart, my fitting doesn't have the threaded bushing in the cleanout which makes any dump setup very difficult.

I just picked up a couple of elbows and a chunk of 2" pipe. I already had a threaded bushing and plug.

Here are pics of what appeared to work the best, IMO. Elbow, elbow, threaded bushing, plug--to emergency dump you would just have an adapter like Peteco made with the bayonet mount on one end and a 2" thread on the other. Remove the plug, screw the adapter in, hook up a slinky.

You don't lose any ground clearance and it is pretty easy to get at. Downside is that it probably would trap some stuff and need cleaning out once in a while or when you went to use it.

avanti · 05-24-2015, 02:25 AM

I finished my rework of the Great West quasi-dual-dump setup:

Before:
Fitting 2 (1).jpg

After:
IMG_5789.jpg
IMG_5794.jpg
IMG_5791.jpg

Not quite dual-dump certified, but given that I have never had a macerator failure in a decade of B-van ownership, I am not too worried.

booster · 05-24-2015, 02:00 PM

Very nicely done! Makes the original look like it was done by rookies.

I think (hope?) we will see all kinds of different designs of dumping setups (both certified and not

) being put together now that folks are starting to look at it closer. Once a bunch of different manufacturers get into it, it would be pretty hard for a company to explain why they don't provide a system that can save your trip, when others do.

There was just another macerator failure posted on the Roadtrek Yahoo board. Of course, as we all have been, he was looking for an "easy" way to emergency dump and continue a trip. His Roadtrek was older so it didn't even have the cleanout port. We sent him over here to read up on all the options the everyone has come up with.

gerrym51 · 05-24-2015, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

Very nicely done! Makes the original look like it was done by rookies.

I think (hope?) we will see all kinds of different designs of dumping setups (both certified and not

) being put together now that folks are starting to look at it closer. Once a bunch of different manufacturers get into it, it would be pretty hard for a company to explain why they don't provide a system that can save your trip, when others do.

There was just another macerator failure posted on the Roadtrek Yahoo board. Of course, as we all have been, he was looking for an "easy" way to emergency dump and continue a trip. His Roadtrek was older so it didn't even have the cleanout port. We sent him over here to read up on all the options the everyone has come up with.

makes the zion look better

Geo · 07-14-2015, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

That is the 4 way fitting double valve setup that is in our Roadtrek and will remain in place. It is probably the one Peteco has also that he is going to put in. The stuff I am adding and moving goe right after that fitting.

The cleanout, or emergency dump, would be the 2" port on the outboard side. It is nearly impossible to get an easy connection into the port, at least on a Chevy 190, and I think impossible to get a decent valve there, so emergency dumping would be a pain. You would have "water" on the ground every time you hooked up, to some extent.

I am sure ours will be a bit of overkill, but as long as I was at it, I wanted to see if true dual capability was possible, and practical.

Who is the 4-wye connector manufacturer and where can I buy it? I have a 2013 Pleasureway Excel TS I want to modify.

Geo · 07-14-2015, 01:27 AM

Who manufactures the the 4-wye, what is cost, and where do you get it?

markopolo · 07-14-2015, 01:28 AM

I think this post has details: http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5...html#post25936

robert g · 03-02-2021, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

The Valterra fitting just has a 2" pipe socket for the cleanout port. Roadtrek glues in a 2" female threaded bushing and puts a plug in it. At least in the Chevies, it is in a position that you can't screw anything into the thread to hook up a dump hose as the grey tank is in the way (see my pic from an earlier post). Your emergency dump has to be on the ground or in a bucket.

I don't want to speak for Peteco, but his modification is so that a standard 3" slinky dump hose could be attached to that fitting. The big question for me is if the setup will fit within the very tight space that is there (again see the pic). Once he gets a chance to put it in, we will know if it does fit and how it works.

I have mine on a12C210P modified that way there. is room for the connection and it works adequately. little mess just hold hose under cap and open slowly attach sewer hose then full empty valves as usual. Reason for small mess is when the macerator quits you have already opened the valve to dump so must close and that little bit will run out so open cap easy ha.

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