I didn't bother trying to find this....would probably be like finding a needle in a hay stack.
Does anyone know exactly how much water is needed to cover just the bottom of a 30 gallon gray or black tank? I assume this is different for every unit right?.....considering that everyone's linear footage of drain lines is different.
Just curious if there's a rule of thumb, but knowing me, I'll probably end up measuring my drain length and calculating how much water I need to fill them first based on length and diameter...that will then give me an idea on how much more I need to cover the bottom of the tank.
Reason I ask is I'm trying to keep my TT as light as possible. I don't want unnecessary fluids in my tanks.
Thanks in advance!!!!!!
BigSur2
2012 Keystone Bullet 286QBS
2006 Ford F150 5.4 V8
Get a 5 gallon bucket, pour one down the toilet and pour one down the kitchen sink and you will be fine. NEVER,NEVER be sorry to bother us with a question thats why this site exist. I never use the search feature if I need to know something I want (live) answers. wills250psd
Cover it how deep? If it's dead level, a half gallon will cover the bottom. Personally, I flush about 3 gallons into my 40gal blank tank after dumping. Gives me a good start for the next fill.
Paul & Sandra
New Bedford, MA
2003 Monaco Executive M43 DS2
I suspect you're trying to prevent solids building up by drying out completely which is fine but if you're towing the trailer the movement of the water will keep the bottom wet even if you don't have enough to actually cover the bottom. I think you're probably being a little TOO concerned about weight but maybe you have a good reason. If it's fuel mileage the difference of a couple of hundred pounds would still be unmeasurable in the long term. Might make a significant difference though over a couple of hundred thousand miles but not many ever tow that much.
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR - 2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles) 2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
Thanks....to clarify, I NEVER leave my tanks dry. As Skip indicates, I like to avoid buildup and drying of solids. Weight isn't THAT big of an issue, but it IS an issue. My TT/TV combination is sufficient, but I'm competent enough to know that I'm pushing my limits, especially on my "mountain" trips.
I agree that just a little bit on the bottom is all that is needed. I used to only put about 1.5 gallons in each after dumping, but then I realized that the 1.5 gallons might just be sitting in the drain line....not in the tank. On my old Jay Flight I had a few feet of 3 to 4" diameter drain pipe from the tank to the valve, so I assume most of my water was just sitting in the pipe, not the tank. Subsequently, I started adding more but never new how much I really needed to fill the drain AND cover the tank bottom.
I need to take a closer look at my drain system on my new Keystone. My valves might be much closer to the tank which eliminates this uncertainty.
I'm aware I'm going a little overboard on this.....I'm a true perfectionist. Just can't help myself. Thanks again guys!!!!!!
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