Are you pulling this behind you TV? I take it you must be dry camping or staying someplace that doesn`t have FHU? if so those places are usually very bumpy and pulling one of those around full (250lbs) is going to fatigue it quickly!
I have the smaller one and it has lasted me a long time. I just go slow when I have it behind the TV.
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I have a barker 32 gal. tote. It does more riding along than getting used. I did the tire mode and I think that made a big difference in the way it pulls. Much less noise and rides smooth. Less jarring. I also made up a hanger system so that the tote goes every where the trailer goes. Nothing worse than getting some where and needing it and not having it. Have not had any problems with leaks in the 32 gal tote. The last picture is how it looks stored away under the trailer where it spends most of its time.
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It's OK if you have to use it but I do everything in my power NOT to have to use it, whether it's getting a sewer site or using the park bathrooms. There's one SP that we go that has no sewer sites. It's really the only place we'll use the tote these days.
The tote never FULLY drains. We'll pick up the other end and bring it up and down trying to force that water out but there is always some that gets left behind. I honestly have no idea how much gets left but you can always hear some sloshing around.
It also appears to have sprung a tiny leak where the attached slinky is connected to the tote. I haven't had a chance to see what the problem is yet though. IT could just need a little tightening.
Another thing is that this thing is LOUD when towing it. I'm sure it's coming from the swivel wheels in the front.
If I had to do it over again then I would probably purchase a smaller unit. Right now the 35 gallon tote is larger then our grey or black tanks, that's why we went with it because we felt we would never run into the problem of overflowing the tote. This is true, but the tote is also very large. This weight becomes an issue if you have a gravel or sandy site because pulling the thing gets tough. I feel like one of those suped up tractors pulling those sleds that dig into the ground when I have to pull this thing in a loose dirt/sandy site. You might as well try pulling a fully loaded shopping cart through beach sand. lol
This topic is very timely for me and I appreciate all the information. I usually do a lot of research on the Forum before I buy anything RV related, but the tote was an "impulse" buy yesterday. We can easily mangage a week in our TT without dumping and we rarely park for longer than that when we are traveling. The exceptions are our TT site at our farm, where we have a septic tank, and the State Park(s) where my son is a ranger. At his previous park, they had a tote for the use of volunteers and for campers who had difficulties. This is a smaller, less active park (Ochlockonee River SP)and they do not have a "friends" group and have fewer resources. We can give the tote to them and others can use it if necessary. lizzie
I agree, but only because most of the campgrounds I go to don't have dump stations, so carrying the thing would be useless, and actually using it would be foolish! (It would be a violation of the rules to dump your waste water into the vault toilets!)
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mowermech wrote: "Waste Water Totes Seem To Be A Waste "
I agree, but only because most of the campgrounds I go to don't have dump stations, so carrying the thing would be useless, and actually using it would be foolish! (It would be a violation of the rules to dump your waste water into the vault toilets!)
I have only been in a handful of FS parks in the past 10 years as we only use Provincial /State Parks exclusively. In Ontario during winter camping with dump stations closed or inaccessible we are directed to use the privy. Seriously we are only dumping down the same stuff anyway LOL! Use my small 12g tote for that duty as I can't lift the 25g unit to do that. They are emptied regularly.
I spent a few years in the plastics industry and gained a little knowledge of polyethylene. Premature cracking can be caused by a number of things. Most of revolve around the manufacturer attempting to reduce production cost. Polyethylene needs additives to get maximum life. Foremost are ultraviolet inhibitors which tend to be very pricy. If you can reduce the quantity your costs go down. The effect of ultraviolet light will vary depending on your location. Polyethylene will have a shorter life in Arizona or California than in Michigan or Georgia (cloud cover).
One of the other big factors is repro. Not every unit comes out of the mold in perfect condition and these rejects are ground up and repelletized. When added back into virgin resin it can embrittle the finished product. Some molders will sell or use the scrap in the production of products where this is not a concern, such as C&A film (polyethylene sheeting). When added back into a product where a long life is important it can lead to premature failure.
Of course the other issue is pulling the tank behind a vehicle. Barker says that damage sustained by pulling the tank faster than walking speed (3 mph)will not be covered under warranty.
DutchmenSport wrote: I have a 32 gallon Barker tote with the side valve for over 10 years now. Last summer I replaced all the wheels because the rubber finally disintegrated. (not bad for probably hundreds off miles being towed over 9 years). Other than the rubber on the tires, the tote is still is great shape. I do keep loosing the little cap where the garden hose screws on, but I finally bought a few plastic ones from Lowes so when I forget to put them on and lay them down and then leave, I can replace them
I don't understand why you're having such bad luck with yours. I do take special care of mine. It's washed out well after every trip, rinsed after every use, drained in the winter, and stored in our shed completely out of the elements in the winter. In transport, it's in the back of the pick-up bed under the shell, and when towing it with the truck I never get over 5-10 mph, watch for bad cracks and holes in the road and do my best to avoid hitting them. It's never kept in the sun, always under shade and always drained.
I don't know how you're taking care of yours, but if you're just using it without giving it a little extra attention and protection and care and preventative maintenance, letting it be exposed to sunlight, excessive heat, or filled with fluid and frozen in the winter, that would explain why it's leaking.
Because I learned my lesson with tyhe first tote and ruined the wheels I always drive no more than 5-7 mph. I store it under the rig while camping and store in in an enclosed shed when home. I have been very careful with this second tote because of the issues I had with the first one. It's never been frozen with water in it, I usually dump as soon as it's full unless maybe it sets overnight so I can dump it in the morning.
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DutchmenSport wrote: I have a 32 gallon Barker tote with the side valve for over 10 years now. Last summer I replaced all the wheels because the rubber finally disintegrated. (not bad for probably hundreds off miles being towed over 9 years). Other than the rubber on the tires, the tote is still is great shape. I do keep loosing the little cap where the garden hose screws on, but I finally bought a few plastic ones from Lowes so when I forget to put them on and lay them down and then leave, I can replace them
I don't understand why you're having such bad luck with yours. I do take special care of mine. It's washed out well after every trip, rinsed after every use, drained in the winter, and stored in our shed completely out of the elements in the winter. In transport, it's in the back of the pick-up bed under the shell, and when towing it with the truck I never get over 5-10 mph, watch for bad cracks and holes in the road and do my best to avoid hitting them. It's never kept in the sun, always under shade and always drained.
I don't know how you're taking care of yours, but if you're just using it without giving it a little extra attention and protection and care and preventative maintenance, letting it be exposed to sunlight, excessive heat, or filled with fluid and frozen in the winter, that would explain why it's leaking.
Our track record is about the same as above poster.
We have had ours for about ten years and keep it in the garage when not on the road and under the RV when on the road with it out of the sun.
We did put pneumatic tires with ball bearings on the rear and ball bearing types with rubber tread on the front.
We haul approximately fifty loads a year with it ,simple and safely towed by the Tv. Wouldn't go without it. Above poster said Barker really stands behind their products and that is for certain a fact. JMHO jb
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