Gravity dumpers

[booster]

We have had a macerator the entire time we have had a B, as it came on the Roadtrek. So, we have never had to deal with the "slinky" dump method, and know very little about them.

I am now in the process of collecting the parts to make ours a true dual dump setup with both pump and gravity always available, not just an emergency plug.

IIRC, I have always seen the slinky detached when not in use, and stored somewhere. Is there some inherent reason it needs to be removed, or is because there wouldn't be enough room to compress it into storage tube while hooked up? I could see that being a problem with the long hoses and extensions. We would easily be able to live with 10 feet of hose from the edge of the van, I think, so I am hoping to be able to just compress that into a tube and leave it all hooked up.

Is this beyond the realm of reality? If so, it will require a separate storage area, but that certainly is doable, but not a first choice.

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by booster

We have had a macerator the entire time we have had a B, as it came on the Roadtrek. So, we have never had to deal with the "slinky" dump method, and know very little about them.

I am now in the process of collecting the parts to make ours a true dual dump setup with both pump and gravity always available, not just an emergency plug.

IIRC, I have always seen the slinky detached when not in use, and stored somewhere. Is there some inherent reason it needs to be removed, or is because there wouldn't be enough room to compress it into storage tube while hooked up? I could see that being a problem with the long hoses and extensions. We would easily be able to live with 10 feet of hose from the edge of the van, I think, so I am hoping to be able to just compress that into a tube and leave it all hooked up.

Is this beyond the realm of reality? If so, it will require a separate storage area, but that certainly is doable, but not a first choice.

supposedly the zion will have the macerator but also an actual dumping port(not clean out port)-at least thats whats listed

[wincrasher]

I've been using the Presto-fit brand of hoses because you can easily break them down and fit in the on-board storage tube.

I also carry an extension hose that I store in one of those PVC tubes I bought at Camping World. I mounted this on the back-side of my storage box like so:


So far, having about 15-16' of hose has been enough. 90% of the time, the 5' section is enough, and quite convenient for just using the dump station.

[booster]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

I've been using the Presto-fit brand of hoses because you can easily break them down and fit in the on-board storage tube.

I also carry an extension hose that I store in one of those PVC tubes I bought at Camping World. I mounted this on the back-side of my storage box like so:


So far, having about 15-16' of hose has been enough. 90% of the time, the 5' section is enough, and quite convenient for just using the dump station.

Thanks, Wincrasher. Does a usable length of hose stay permanently connected at the on-board storage, or do you always have to attach some length for a storage only area?

[wincrasher]

A 5' section will fit in the storage tube in the side of the van. You have to keep an end elbow connector (the part that connects your hose to the dump station) somewhere which is about 4" x 6" hunk of plastic. I keep that in my box. Since it's press-fit, you just pop it together and you are done.

[markopolo]

Pre-macerator equipped Roadtreks might be unique in the B world in having the waste hose permanently connected, ready for use. All the other RV's I've had require that you connect the dump hose when you want to use it.

[markopolo]

For some ideas take a look at "Changing out the Big Blue Hose" on a Roadtrek written by Harvey Tetmeyer.

On Roadtrek Chapter site: http://www.roadtrekchapter.org/tech-inf ... -blue-hose

and on the forum here: http://classbforum.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=64 (two additional photos recovered)

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

For some ideas take a look at "Changing out the Big Blue Hose" on a Roadtrek written by Harvey Tetmeyer.

On Roadtrek Chapter site: http://www.roadtrekchapter.org/tech-inf ... -blue-hose

and on the forum here: http://classbforum.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=64 (two additional photos recovered)

Thanks Marko, that was exactly what I was looking for. It is interesting that only Roadtrek self stored the hose. The article is for a Dodge, so that must explain the elbow in the system do to different tank locations compared to the Chevy that appear to come straight out of the manifold, by has to hinge down to clear the skirting. I won't be able to get as much tube length as the factory setup because of the need to add a tee to get the dual setup, but the wimpy hose could be used and still get enough length, I would think.

With all the room it looked like there was on that Dodge, adding a macerator for dual would be pretty easy, I think.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Pre-macerator equipped Roadtreks might be unique in the B world in having the waste hose permanently connected, ready for use. All the other RV's I've had require that you connect the dump hose when you want to use it.

The Leisure Travel Vans Free Spirit T1N Sprinters had attached 3" slinky hoses in a self store container. I don't know if the newer models follow through with that idea or not but I would think so. My 2011 Great West Van Legend has a self-store container tube next to the discharge but you had to pull the 3" slinky hose out and attach it. But it was there and hidden out of the way. The Advanced RV is two way. They have a macerator attached but you can uncouple it and attach a 3" slinky to dump the gravity way.

[mlts22]

The Winnebago Travato has a door to stuff a 3" slinky hose in. Only downside of that is that I prefer 3" sewage hoses with a 90 degree elbow on the end, so it can be jammed into the dump station or screwed in. It also prevents the hose from going down the CG's sewage pipe, potentially causing backups.

With a macerator pump, this is a non-issue... the macerator hose takes up significantly less space, and the two donuts fit almost any sewage port out there decently.

[booster]

Originally Posted by mlts22

The Winnebago Travato has a door to stuff a 3" slinky hose in. Only downside of that is that I prefer 3" sewage hoses with a 90 degree elbow on the end, so it can be jammed into the dump station or screwed in. It also prevents the hose from going down the CG's sewage pipe, potentially causing backups.

With a macerator pump, this is a non-issue... the macerator hose takes up significantly less space, and the two donuts fit almost any sewage port out there decently.

Thanks, very good information. I think for this project anyway, we have a bit of an advantage to make it easier to do. First, it is a secondary system to be used if the macerator fails, and we always have two people when we dump. We don't use the donut on the macerator, one just holds the hose over the drain.

The question of the fitting for the dump station has been one of our worries, for the reasons you mention. With the hope of having the reserve system totally contained and out of site, a big 90 degree fitting gets to be a challenge to fit, and we would prefer not to store it separately. We are hoping to be able to make a small fitting to direct the flow, and hand hold. Do you think that is a possibility?

[Davydd]

The 90 degree elbow on the end of a slinky hose is only for a campsite connection which is required in that situation. When you dump at a dump station you only have to stick the end of the hose in and hold it in place.

[markopolo]

Dayvdd answered Boosters question - but for the secondary topic about fitting the 90 degree elbows in the storage tube you can file down those fittings a bit to make them fit. I like using Valterra fittings but have had to file down the high points to allow them to fit in the tube. A Dremel tool comes in handy for that.

Booster - you probably noticed the garden hose cap fitting on the RT setup and figured out that it's handy to let the air out of the permanently attached sewer hose as you push it back into the tube. You can use a regular cap if you stow the hose first and then cap it. Watch out as the excess water in the waste hose gets squeezed out as you stow the hose.

The hose on the RT is a permanent extension of RV waste system. I don't know if anyone caps the detachable hoses.

[booster]

All excellent information, thanks to everyone.

At the same time I do all this, I am also thinking of putting in some sort of tank fill/flush for the black and grey tank. I assume you have to have a backflow preventer, but are there any other rules? Biggest issue I see right off is that at many of the dumpsites the hoses are just 1/2" rubber, no ends, so would be hard to get water into anything but a gravity hole or bucket. For a real hose connection, I think a fitting could easily be put in the emergency cleanout plug.

[Davydd]

The rubber hose at the dump is for rinsing the area only if you need to. There are some people that behave like Robin Williams in the movie, "RV". Also, you use that hose for flushing your slinky if you need to, but I find that first dumping the black tank and then dumping the grey tank to flush and rinse the slinky pretty much does the job. I'll still use the rubber hose just as a matter of formality. Then I progressively compress the hose to push out all the water before storing it away. I've never had a need to fill or flush the tanks. I have at times filled them with plain water and dumped again when I have the opportunity at a full hookup campsite with unlimited water and dumping capability.

Dumping with the 3" gravity slinky hose is really very easy and quick. Most RVs do it that way. I think the macerator became popular with Class B because the outlet is generally low. Still, it is very easy to "walk" (progressively lift the hose) the water through a slinky even when the dump hole is level with the road or if there is a curb in the way. I actually don't mind as the grey water will completely fill the hose and help clean.

[mlts22]

I wonder if it depends on rig. I've found what Davydd states does work. With built in macerator pumps, I do a slightly different method... I open the black tank valve, hit the macerator pump and dump it. I then turn the macerator pump off, pull the gray valve, let it backflush the black tank. From there, I just flip the pump on until all the water is out of the system. This does an adequate backflush without wasting any water, and very little additional time needed.

Where I found a macerator pump useful was when I was dry camping at a festival, and you could get a 250 gallon dump tank, emptied weekly for the festival run. Most people either buried the tank or raised their rig so it would gravity fill. "Walking" the dump hose was not doable because there was no way to put a fitting on the dump tank that would be sturdy enough to not fall off. So, I went with a macerator pump, then just shoved the dump tank near my rig, and even with the tank's top inlet being about two feet higher than the outlet from my rig... the macerator pump did the job superbly.

Both macerators and gravity dump systems work well.

There are head scratchers though. Sometimes I rent a "B" (usually a SS Agile, sometimes a 190P), and it doesn't take long to empty the tanks of those at a dump station. However, last time I was at a nearby park with a rental "B", I had a FHU spot, noticed someone with a RT 210P pull up to the dump station. I waved, and went about my business at the laundromat. Two hours and at least six loads of laundry later, the same RT 210P was still there and the owner was apparently rinsing the tank for the umpteenth time. Maybe it is just me, but I've never gotten how sometimes I see people will waste hundreds of gallons of water. If the problem isn't addressed by 1-2 rinses, it is time to get a snake or a plumber.

[markopolo]

This setup works well for me.





It's a combination of Valterra (faded red) and Prestofit (blue) fittings.
It gets stored as one piece with the Valterra end of the long hose going into the storage tube first. The short hose with the Prestofit fittings is used the most.

If hooking up at a campsite I use a pipe threaded Valterra fitting or a rubber ring depending on what is needed.

More photos:
http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...p=11141#p11141
and
http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...8&p=6407#p6407