Davydd
Minnesota
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CTD wrote:How do the other B's get away with a gravity system that was mentioned?
My former 2005 Pleasure-Way Plateau and my current 2011 Great West Van Legend have gravity systems using a standard 3" slinky type hose that extends about 8 feet and compresses down to about 18" for storing away. I know Leisure Travel Vans also have a gravity system. The hose has a bayonet mount coupling to the outlet pipe. the other end just sticks into sewer receiver or you can connect to a tight coupling if you want to set up for a continuous dump at an individual campsite. The hose and couplings are all standard and are almost always available in a camp store at a campground.
Once you are connected both the black tank and the gray tank have pull blades. You first pull the handle of the black tank and dump the tank. It takes about a minute or two. Close that blade and then pull the gray handle to flush the hose with the gray water. When done, close the gray blade, uncouple and, if necessary (always do anyway) use the water hose at the dump station and rinse the hose while the outlet is still in the sewer receiver.
In seven years and several hundred days on the road I've never encountered a dump station where gravity didn't do its job. Even those with curbs or sewer seemingly as high as your B van outlet. Liquid seeks a level so most all of it dumps. Occasionally a curb will trap the dump liquid in the hose. You simply "walk" the hose to the dump receiver by lifting the hose first close to the van and keep lifting sections toward the dump. Once the hose is empty, hump lift the hose at the B and uncouple. Then lift the B end of the hose up to drain the remaining dump water into the sewer receiver. You need to hold it up that way anyway to rinse it out as I previously mentioned. Compress the hose down and store it. We have a receiver storage tube right next to our dump valves. We can dump start to finish in about 5-10 minutes or so.
The Class B sewer outlet for a standard gravity hose on a Class B is generally lower than Class As and Cs but it is definitely doable. The greatest luxury is a campsite with sewer hookups and a city water connection. You can then take long showers with no fear of filling your tanks.
Gravity works.
Davydd
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter B Camper Van
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1775
NY
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Joined: 09/30/2009
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gonetothedogs1 wrote:SkipJ: To paraphrase Roadtrek's response (and this was mentioned by another poster earlier) before each use of the macerator pump, push in and turn the manual rod. Also, Roadtrek states that the entire water system should be drained and flushed to prevent scale/mineral build up. They further state that you should never leave water stand in the unit unless you are using the water every day. Also recommended is adding about a cup of mineral oil down the sink or shower drain after emptying the black/gray tank(s), adding a cup of hot water to aid getting the oil down to the tanks. After inserting the oil, open the gray (in my case it's black/gray) gate valve for just a second, then close it. With the water and oil that passed the gate valve, now push the macerator for less than a second (just hearing the pump turn on, then let go) This is recommended just before storing the unit or if you are not going to use the unit for a week or two.
I am sure that Roadtrek said this to you but Roadtrek has not stated this in any manual, nor has the dealer or the service techs ever said anything like this. Yes, it is important to put lube down into the black and grey tanks to keep the seals lubricated which RT does state. They used to recommend coconut oil and have now started to say mineral oil. I am hesitant about using mineral oil as it is liquified petroleum jelly and this breaks down rubber. I have been using CocoLube and tank chemical that contains coconut oil.
We keep water in our fresh tanks for weeks. We do dump our grey and black tanks after every trip, but it is necessary to always have water in the black tank so that it does not dry out.
Yes, the tanks should be drained and sanitized at least once a season - just to keep the tanks fresh.
What all that they are saying has to do with your macerators failing twice in one year sounds more to me like they are putting this all on you rather than on the equipment. There are a lot of Roadtrek macerators in use without problems.
Roadtrek 190 Popular 2011
Meryl and Me Hit the Road
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CTD
Stockton, CA, USA
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Davydd, well the gravity system sure sounds more like a conventional RV setup. It would be interesting to know if your vehicles had a smiliar setup tank wise, but they chose to use gravity rather than a macerator. Perhaps Roadtrek went the pump route figuring most people would be impatient with a slower system? I'd prefer the simpilar design myself.
2012 Roadtrek Agile
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PSW
Oklahoma City
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Joined: 10/21/2002
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I have used the macerator pump for almost six years now and have never had any issue with the pump. I have had issues with the hose, replaced it and modified it. But the pump, never a problem. And I take no special care of it, really.
We normally boondock and when we are in a SP or NP campground, we don't use their facilities, we use the RT head. Maybe we have just been lucky. I probably shouldn't have written this post because now it will be Jinx City for sure  .
PSW
2007 Roadtrek 210 Popular
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1775
NY
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Earlier Roadtreks had (have) a gravity feed waste dump system - just like other RVs. As I understand the reasoning to go to the macerator in the later half of the last ten years was that there were problems dumping when the dump hole was high enough to cause problems with the low height of the tanks. They chose the built in macerator rather than leave the older gravity system with an add on macerator (which would have been the best of both worlds). Many Roadtrek owners of older RTs use the gravity system. What I see as a drawback to the built in macerator is the inability to flush clean the tanks through the hose, and having to be careful about hair. Otherwise, it dumps fast and clean.
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Davydd
Minnesota
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CTD wrote:Davydd, well the gravity system sure sounds more like a conventional RV setup. It would be interesting to know if your vehicles had a smiliar setup tank wise, but they chose to use gravity rather than a macerator. Perhaps Roadtrek went the pump route figuring most people would be impatient with a slower system? I'd prefer the simpilar design myself.
It is conventional. The tanks are separate gray and black and the pipes come together to one outlet. I'm not sure how it could be slower with liquids coming through 1-1/2" and 3" pipes. The bottom of the outlet pipe is more than 8" above grade. I've never seen a sewer inlet above grade that much so gravity will do its job.
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gonetothedogs1
Olympic Peninsula, Wa
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So I e-mailed Roadtrek service again, to ask if there was a way to modify the system to allow a conventional gravity drain discharge. I was advised that most likely a local RV shop could accomplish this, although this is something Roadtrek currently has not designed. I will be talking to my go-to guys at my local RV repair shop to see if they are up to a challenge. The model I have (SS-Agile) has a combined black/gray tank with a single gate valve, so I imagine if such a system could be installed, I would continue my current practice of dumping, then running 4 or 5 gallons of water down the toilet and dumping again to flush everything after dumping the tank. What do you all think? I'm willing to risk occasional higher grades on dump sites to have the convenience and simplicity of a gravity discharge.
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sergeant76
New Bedford, MA
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This past March when in FL I was talking with an individual who owns a RoadTrek, he informed me that he knows an individual who owns a new RoadTrek.
This individual wanted to order a RoadTrek, insisted that he did not want the Macerator Pump, would only order if the Gravity Feed Waste Dump System was installed in place of the Macerator Pump.
As such he was able to order from RoadTrek a new RoadTrek with the Gravity Feed Waste Dump System.
Ron
Ron & Rose Cabral
Snoopy-Peanut-Daisy
New Bedford, MA
2010 Chevy/RoadTrek190 Popular
FMCA: 303873-02 ~K1RRC~ E-mail: RRCRT@aol.com
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CTD
Stockton, CA, USA
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We have a SS Agile and the black-gray tanks have separate dump valves. The hose for the macerator dump is a PITA. Even with silicone spray it's still a wrestling match to get the hose in and out. I know others have had to replace the hose and I can just imagine the fun that must be or to have a hose failure while camping. Do they tear or just start to weep or?
Please post the progress of a gravity conversion..Thanks!
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PSW
Oklahoma City
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CTD, my macerator hose failed on two different occasions, both were in a bend in the hose behind its container box. Every time you open and close the storage box, the hose is flexed twice. Thus, over time, it gets flexed a lot. Both times it cracked (not seeped) during the process of dumping. A real mess.
My new methodology is this: I rigged a PVC union at the point where the hose comes to before it flexes. I am just going to replace the hose from that point on every year as a part of seasonal spring get ready to go.
Seep? I wish! Noah would be proud of my latest failure.
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