Prior to packing up, make sure that you have some accumulation of gray water in your gray water tanks. Put on some latex gloves. At the dump station, hook up your sewer line and place other end in the opening at the dump station. Empty the black water tank first. Close the valve, and then open the gray water valves so gray water flushes out the sewer line. Then use the hose at the dump station to rinse out sewer line and clean up around the dump station as needed. Use a bucket to put a couple of buckets of water into your black tank...via dumping water in the toilet. Never let your black water tank dry up....keep some water in it to prevent hardening of any debris left in the tank.
If you never camp where there are full hookups, you'll want to find some way to do a better job of flushing out the tank now and then. One way is to add water to the tank (after the initial dumping) and let it drain out again. But this requires quite a bit of water....which is a lot easier with something such as the Flush King. A Flush King allows you to hook up a gray water hose, and backfill the tank, and then let it drain, repeating this process until the draining water is clear and debris free.
Does this help? Don't be afraid to ask for help if there are other campers at the dump station. Most of us are glad to help and make sure that a "rookie" doesn't get into a real mess.
Final reminder, always make sure all other valves are closed when opening the black tank valve....prevents cross contamination and/or black water backing up into the gray tanks.
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excited dad wrote: i am looking for advice on emptying water holding tank at dump station.
Things You’ll Need:
RV sewer hose
Latex gloves
Holding tank deodorant
Garden hose
Leveling board
Step1 - Start by pulling up to the dump station, placing your holding tank drain valve as close to the opening of the dump station as possible. This will ensure that if there is an accident, it will be contained in the dumping area.
Step2 - Put the latex gloves on and get your sewer hose out. Before removing the cap to the holding tank drain opening, ensure both the gray and black water valves are both closed.
Step3 - Check your sewer hose to ensure the hose is securely clamped to the adapter that attaches to the holding tank drain outlet. Remove the cap and attach the sewer hose, ensuring the adapter is completely attached. You can tell if it is when the tabs on the adapter are lined up with the stubs on the tank drain.
Step4 - Insert the other end of the sewer hose into the dump station's hole about four to six inches. Use the hole's cover, a brick, or something heavy enough to hold the sewer hose in place so it doesn't come out of the hole.
Step5 - If you have a permanent-mount black tank rinser, now is the time to connect it up to both the RV and the dump station water supply with the garden hose, then turn on the water.
Step6 - Once you are certain everything is secured, pull open the BLACK water tank valve first. You will hear the effluent rush through the hose, start to slow down, and finally become a trickling sound.
Step7 - If you have connected a black tank rinser, let this run for another minute or two to help remove solids left behind, then shut off the water and disconnect the garden hose. Now close the black water tank drain valve by pushing the handle completely closed.
Step8 - Now open the gray tank valve. As in step 6, you'll hear water flow, then slow, and stop. Close the gray tank valve.
Step9 - At this point, you're almost done. If you want to flush and rinse your tanks once more, you can do so by filling your tanks to 2/3 full (if you don't have a tank rinser) and repeat the emptying process. If others are waiting to use the dump station, be courteous and skip this step.
Step10 - Recheck that both your black and gray water tank valves are closed and disconnect the sewer hose from your tank outlet. Replace the tank outlet cover.
Step11 - Lift the end of the sewer hose (the end you just disconnected) to completely drain the hose into the dump station. If a non-potable water hose is available, run water through the sewer hose to rinse it out. Remove the sewer hose from the dump station hole and rinse the outside of the hose. Rinse the area around the hole to ensure that any spillage has been cleaned up and cover the dump station hole.
Step12 - Go in to your RV and add about five gallons of water (about three full bowl flushes) to your black tank and then add the appropriate amount of holding tank treatment. If you use a treatment for your gray tank, do that as well. Do this only if no one is waiting in line to use the station because it can take a few minutes to do. If others are waiting, pull away from the dump station (don't forget your leveling board) and perform this step in another area.
Step13 - The task of emptying your RV's holding tanks is now finished and you weren't the laughing stock of the campground!
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The 13 step method is great if you're the only one exiting the campground and have an hour to spare.
The 13 step method is the reason I have a Flojet pump so I can do this at home. An hour is an exaggeration, but the 13-steppers take at least 10 to 15 minutes each and I'd need to shave again if I waited for all of them to connect their Tornado tank rinser (or carry a hose inside and use a tank wand!) and then backflush the tank (several times, of course) at the dump site. Heck, half of 'em can't even find their short hose for the trailer to sewer and don't start looking until they're over the drain. These folks take so long the local park rangers often have to supervise the dump at our state parks to move these 13-steppers along.
If you need to dump at the campground simply connect your hose and salvo your black tank, close that valve, and salvo the gray tank. Close the valves, cap the connector, rinse the hose, and get off the drain so the next guy (and the 16 behind him) can dump.
Unless you're spastic there's no need to don a hazmat suit or MOPP-4 to dump the tanks.
Once you clear the site dump about 3 gallons into your black tank to keep it from turning to concrete.
Or just do it conveniently at home, you can take as long as you want. (But still don't need a hazmat suit.)
-- Chuck
'06 Roo 23SS behind '07 Expedition out of Cleveland Our Photo pages
I love the referral to MOPP-4. Here it is for you civilians.
MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture)is a military term used to describe protective gear, to be used in a toxic environment, i.e., during a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear strike.
Todd
2006 Ford Explorer
2007 Jayco Jay Feather EXP 19H My Pics
In answer to your question about dumping the FW tank. If it is important to you to dump whatever is remaining in it before you hit the road, best to dump it into your grey and black tanks first. Into the grey is easy, jut turn on the water pump, open a couple of faucets and stand back. This will work as long as there is room in your grey tank. If there is not enough room there, fill pots or pitchers or 1 gal milk cartons and dump down the toilet, filling the Black tank. You may even be able to prop open the toilet valve so the water stays running.
If you want to simply open the valve on the FW tank to drain, don't do it at a campsite or the dump station. It just might leave a wet muddy mess for the next person. Do it at home in your own driveway.
For us, there is usually a few gallons left in the tank when we are heading back home. This enables us to make a roadside "pit stop" when desired or a roadside lunch break with water to clean up.
Over a period of time, every RV owner develops his/her own style and method of emptying the holding tanks. All advice given in this thread is accurate and perhaps more specific in some cases to the individual posters than for others.
In general, black water first, flush, flush, flush, and flush some more until the water runs fairly clear. We use a clear sewer coupling with a jet stream flush that allows us to see the "clarity" of the water as it runs out. For a more complete flushing, you may want to get a wand to go down through the toilet into the black tank. But from my experience, there's usually a line at the dump station and something like this takes extra time. Gotta be courteous to my fellow campers.
Next, dump the gray water. Yes, make sure you leave some gray water in the tank before heading to the dump station. Gray water is not as yukkie as black water and tends to flush out the sewer hose and connections after the black water has been dumped.
After dumping, rinse all sewer hoses with fresh water usually available at the dump station. If you've been camping in a primitive area with no dump facilities or fresh flush water, many RV dealers have dump facilities you can use either free or for a reasonable fee.
Last, I always carry a little fresh water in my fresh water tank for incidental hand washings between stops. I try not to carry too much fresh water since it just adds towing weight (30 gal. X 8.3 lb. per gallon = 249 lbs.)
* This post was
edited 05/28/08 03:59pm by lovetogocamping *
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