Changing Grey and black tanks on rv

[Bpracing1127]

Has anyone had to do this before? I am upgrading the size from 35 to 50 gal on the grey tank but I might be in over my head. Has anyone had this done if so where did you go and how much roughly did you pay. The tank itself is 50$ first quote I got for one tank is 700$ seems outrageous

 

[redone76]

How handy are you? The tank cross members on my trailer are welded in. I would have to carefully cut them out and weld them back in. Not sure how accessible the plumbing from the sinks and shower is. Probably a huge bitch but knowing me I'd attempt it

 

[buck35]

Grey water is simply dishwater . Now the black is whole different story. By the way ,they sell disposable liners to line the toidy to save on flushes if you have one that constantly uses the head.

 

[Bpracing1127]

Fairly handy. Seems like a major undertaking now. Idk I’ll have to look some more. Only the drain is plumded in the rest of holes need to be cut

 

[Bpracing1127]

Grey water is simply dishwater . Now the black is whole different story. By the way ,they sell disposable liners to line the toidy to save on flushes if you have one that constantly uses the head.

The black filling isn’t the problem so not a huge concern at the moment but the grey fills in two days dry camping

 

[buck35]

The black filling isn’t the problem so not a huge concern at the moment but the grey fills in two days dry camping

As said it dish and handwashing water that many water plants with as to not send it to the septic on their own property. You aren't going to drink it ,but it's not gonna harm anything either, other than it comes out the same drain as the black water to hopefully cleanse out the pipe and hose.

 

[Mandelon]

Have you thought about tapping in a hose valve into to the gray water tank? You can drain it into a bush or something? Some parks won't allow that, but if you did it at a slow drip who's gonna know?

 

[Sherpa]

sounds like you need to "teach" your clan how to use water better........

military showers.
washing hand outside.
washing dishes outside. (better, use plastic ware and paper plates.) everything burns in the fire pit.
guys: you will pee outside........ girls, pee ok, no paper in the toilet. put it in a small trash can in the bathroom.
better than military showers, bathe in the lake. (yeah, yeah, bio degradable soaps yeah yeah..)

we can go for days on our fresh tank. my grey tank might* be 1/4 full after 5 days. (and I have 3 daughters)
black tank is just pee, and little bit of water, and tank deodorant. nothing else.

--Sherpa

 

[redone76]

Have you thought about tapping in a hose valve into to the gray water tank? You can drain it into a bush or something? Some parks won't allow that, but if you did it at a slow drip who's gonna know?

I bought one of these caps for that single purpose

 

[riverroyal]

I’d buy a new trailer. Screw that

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

sounds like you need to "teach" your clan how to use water better........


black tank is just pee, and little bit of water, and tank deodorant. nothing else.

--Sherpa

So no pooping allowed on your camping trips? Or does that go into the fire too?

 

[Bpracing1127]

Once again RDP has opinions on how to camp. I can go 3-4 days easily on my setup now but that limits showers to one a person if we’re lucky. Wife would like to shower more than that. Plus we have a one year old. Having the wife being happy makes it so we can do 3-5 days or more camping easily! No training on my “clan” needed. Just need a bigger grey tank that’s all

 

[Sherpa]

where we camp there's either pit toilets, or regular bathrooms.....

I was wondering if someone would mention it though..... lol.

Sherpa

 

[EmpirE231]

sounds like you need to "teach" your clan how to use water better........

military showers.
washing hand outside.
washing dishes outside. (better, use plastic ware and paper plates.) everything burns in the fire pit.
guys: you will pee outside........ girls, pee ok, no paper in the toilet. put it in a small trash can in the bathroom.
better than military showers, bathe in the lake. (yeah, yeah, bio degradable soaps yeah yeah..)

we can go for days on our fresh tank. my grey tank might* be 1/4 full after 5 days. (and I have 3 daughters)
black tank is just pee, and little bit of water, and tank deodorant. nothing else.

--Sherpa

So no pooping allowed on your camping trips? Or does that go into the fire too?

I was wondering the same thing

 

[riverroyal]

Once again RDP has opinions on how to camp. I can go 3-4 days easily on my setup now but that limits showers to one a person if we’re lucky. Wife would like to shower more than that. Plus we have a one year old. Having the wife being happy makes it so we can do 3-5 days or more camping easily! No training on my “clan” needed. Just need a bigger grey tank that’s all

My advise, get a new trailer. Your in baby mode. You will buy a bigger one eventually.
But, just grey tank? Wait until everyone goes to bed and pull the plug. Just shower water, who cares. No worse than pissing behind it like everyone does

 

[EmpirE231]

Once again RDP has opinions on how to camp. I can go 3-4 days easily on my setup now but that limits showers to one a person if we’re lucky. Wife would like to shower more than that. Plus we have a one year old. Having the wife being happy makes it so we can do 3-5 days or more camping easily! No training on my “clan” needed. Just need a bigger grey tank that’s all

So you may want to read up on it, and it would probably be way easier than replacing the tank.

But I have heard, if you can route your shower drain to drain straight out under your RV, that it is "legal" ....as long as it never passes through a holding tank. In essence it is the same as an outdoor shower at that point. You can plumb in a split with some sort of valve...one direction to your tank, the other going straight out.

 

[fishing fool]

It's grey water.... Dump it to the ground your 1/2ton truck will love you for it on the way home........

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

It's grey water.... Dump it to the ground your 1/2ton truck will love you for it on the way home........

He just got a 1942 1 ton Ford truck. He can now tow anything with ease because automotive engineering and manufacturing technology has been stagnant for 80 years

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

When I did mine 10+ yrs ago i didnt feel like pulling the old one and replumbibg everything. There was quite a bit of room in the bay so I bought a 20gal tank and mounted it behind the existing and tied them together with 2 3" pipes one high one low. Works great did it in the gray water and the fresh water.

 

[HB2Havasu]

I'd buy a Portable Tank or 2 before messing with swapping out tanks. That's a PITA !!!
https://www.campingworld.com/thetford-smarttote2-lx-4-wheel-portable-waste-tank-630090.html

 

[RVRKID]

How about a portable?
https://www.amazon.com/portable-grey-water-tank-rv/s?k=portable+grey+water+tank+for+rv

 

[rightytighty]

I’m thinking I’d just dump grey water in the desert.... and carry a portable wheeled tank for “overflow “ grey water if I was in a campground where my desert dump wouldn’t work....and then dump it all when I got home.

And I’ve never owned an RV so I have no clue why that would be “frowned upon”

 

[Waffles]

View attachment 840402 I bought one of these caps for that single purpose

Get this and dump it at night into a bush. Ive never had to do it on mine, but I've done it with the in laws. I see it the same way others have already mentioned, it's just soapy water and it can't be any worse than pissing outside.

 

[pronstar]

Get this and dump it at night into a bush. Ive never had to do it on mine, but I've done it with the in laws. I see it the same way others have already mentioned, it's just soapy water and it can't be any worse than pissing outside.

Yup, and the hose attachment makes it easy to dump your soapy water elsewhere without moving your rig [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Kylemenz1]

Another vote for dumping gray water on the ground when dry camping. I have a short hose I attach and run to the middle of the RV. Then I just crack the gray and let it seep out to the ground.

Just be mindful when doing this you won't have gray water to flush the black when at a dump station. You'll need a "SANI-FLUSH" system, or just run a black hose to the toilet and let her rip until the black runs clear.

 

[LowRiver2]

Once again RDP has opinions on how to camp. I can go 3-4 days easily on my setup now but that limits showers to one a person if we’re lucky. Wife would like to shower more than that. Plus we have a one year old. Having the wife being happy makes it so we can do 3-5 days or more camping easily! No training on my “clan” needed. Just need a bigger grey tank that’s all

In your defense
I thought you had an Eclipse which was SUPPOSED to have a 50 gal grey along with the 50 black.
If it’s an eclipse did you reach out to them (factory) ? They replaced some as the tank supplier put wrong 50 gal model numbers on 35 gal tanks.

My 17’ may have Same issue, need to get a flow meter and find out.

 

[grumpy88]

I wish somebody would answer the original question because my fresh water has a leak and I want to hear how big of a pain in the ass it is to change the tank .

 

[fishing fool]

Yes

I wish somebody would answer the original question because my fresh water has a leak and I want to hear how big of a pain in the ass it is to change the tank .

 

[Riverfamlee]

as said above by many, just empty the grey. We’ve had to do it on long trips . It’s just soapy water.

don’t pull the wrong lever though

 

[Mandelon]

On a trip to Baja both our tanks filled up. I asked a couple places where I could find a pumpout station. They all looked at me like I was stupid. So I pulled up a dirt road, backed up to a weed patch and pulled the levers. Yuk. Drove forward a bit and closed the valves..... Back on the road.

 

[Riverfamlee]

Plus going from a 35 to 50 it is still going to get full. That’s a shit ton of work for the same result.

 

[Go-Fly]

I wish somebody would answer the original question because my fresh water has a leak and I want to hear how big of a pain in the ass it is to change the tank .

Fresh water is no problem because it has soft plumbing to it. Where is it located on your trailer?

 

[Bpracing1127]

In your defense
I thought you had an Eclipse which was SUPPOSED to have a 50 gal grey along with the 50 black.
If it’s an eclipse did you reach out to them (factory) ? They replaced some as the tank supplier put wrong 50 gal model numbers on 35 gal tanks.

My 17’ may have Same issue, need to get a flow meter and find out.

Yes called them, they checked it is supposed to have 35 grey and black. That was std I didn’t really believe but she showed me the build sheet so I am sol on that one. Bought the new 60 gal tank for 56 bucks including tax lol. Now to get it changed

 

[Bpracing1127]

In your defense
I thought you had an Eclipse which was SUPPOSED to have a 50 gal grey along with the 50 black.
If it’s an eclipse did you reach out to them (factory) ? They replaced some as the tank supplier put wrong 50 gal model numbers on 35 gal tanks.

My 17’ may have Same issue, need to get a flow meter and find out.

Yes called them, they checked it is supposed to have 35 grey and black. That was std I didn’t really believe but she showed me the build sheet so I am sol on that one. Bought the new 60 gal tank for 56 bucks including tax lol. Now to get it changed

 

[riverroyal]

On a trip to Baja both our tanks filled up. I asked a couple places where I could find a pumpout station. They all looked at me like I was stupid. So I pulled up a dirt road, backed up to a weed patch and pulled the levers. Yuk. Drove forward a bit and closed the valves..... Back on the road.

My last dune trip in 2006 with my lemon weekend warrior i pulled into the dump station at exxon behind the in and out in el centro.
Ran hose from connection to hole in the ground, it was day light.
Pulled valve, watch a turd go by and bam, hose came off the twist adaptor.
Warrior put the valve right at the poo tube end. No way i could reach it without a shit shower.
So, i hopped in the truck. Watched in the mirror as turds left at high speed. Once it slowed i drove off.
Mrs RR had no idea until i looped around and said, we need a new hose, the old one is over there.

Its only poo

 

[2Driver]

I didn’t read all the post here but I’d dig a hole and dump the grey all day long

 

[rivermobster]

Has anyone had to do this before? I am upgrading the size from 35 to 50 gal on the grey tank but I might be in over my head. Has anyone had this done if so where did you go and how much roughly did you pay. The tank itself is 50$ first quote I got for one tank is 700$ seems outrageous

First question is ...

Why?

If you're full hook up camping, there would be no reason too.

If you're desert camping, like others have said, hook up a hose and bury the end. I keep a grey color hose just for this purpose.

Yes, it's illegal. So there is that...

 

[Bpracing1127]

First question is ...

Why?

If you're full hook up camping, there would be no reason too.

If you're desert camping, like others have said, hook up a hose and bury the end. I keep a grey color hose just for this purpose.

Yes, it's illegal. So there is that...

I guess the legal factor. But since I tow with a F150 who cares right lol

 

[LowRiver2]

I’ll check with my guy what labor would cost
Won’t be for a week or so though

 

[Bpracing1127]

I’ll check with my guy what labor would cost
Won’t be for a week or so though

That’s ok. No rush to do it. In fact I’ll likely have it done after Presidents’ Day

 

[LowRiver2]

Cool
I’m going to get mine checked and check with Exlipse I’d it’s a 35.
The 32 IBG’s are supposed to have 50 gal tanks

 

[rivrrts429]

Any of you saying dump the grey to the ground haven’t been to Glamis. That’s a big ticket and one that the rangers look for.

But... what I may, or may not, have done in the dunes in the past was undue the cap ever so slightly. Then pull the grey handle ever so slightly until they’re is a slight drip out the cap every few seconds. What ever shower you took that night will be gone and the tank will be emptied in the morning and the dirt will be dry.

Be careful with this method. I know a guy who almost got popped when rangers were hanging out next to his grey dump. They bought the excuse that the valve started leaking when the trailer bottomed out and hit the valve pulling into camp.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

The cheapest solution is to just buy a bucket, drain some grey water into it and dump it in the black tank.

 

[racetrash]

At KOH starting tomm, the BLM will be looking for the graywater dumping. Big ticket, black water dumping and well, good luck...someones going down.

 

[2Driver]

LOL but it’s ok to piss and take an outdoor shower

 

[Singleton]

How about a portable?
https://www.amazon.com/portable-grey-water-tank-rv/s?k=portable+grey+water+tank+for+rv

these work well. I have one for long trips dry camping.
Use pump to transfer to tank in back of truck then drain as needed

 

[JB in so cal]

I'm getting the dry heaves just thinking of that moment the connections are cut and the aroma from either tank hits the olfactory nerves.

 

[rrrr]

At KOH starting tomm, the BLM will be looking for the graywater dumping. Big ticket, black water dumping and well, good luck...someones going down.

I figured if you were caught dumping grey water in California, you would be arrested and charged with a felony, be found guilty, do six months in jail, and pay a $10,000 fine.

Then the state would confiscate your 40' fifth wheel and 3500 Duramax, and run them through a crusher.

Dumping black water...your relatives will never see you again, you'll be doing life in the California gulag.

 

[2Driver]

I figured if you were caught dumping grey water in California, you would be arrested and charged with a felony, be found guilty, do six months in jail, and pay a $10,000 fine.

Then the state would confiscate your 40' fifth wheel and 3500 Duramax, and run them through a crusher.

Dumping black water...your relatives will never see you again, you'll be doing life in the California gulag.

LOL but shit and toss your AIDS needles on the sidewalk and the state considers it your right to homelessness.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

LOL but shit and toss your AIDS needles on the sidewalk and the state considers it your right to homelessness.

So what your saying is we just need to take some vagrants in their derelict RVs up to KOH?