Is there any law governing the need of a gray water tank at all? Keep in mind I don't have a shower, so it takes a while to fill our black water tank. The kitchen sink drains into a smaller gray water tank and I dont think I will ever fill that thing up all the way. Is the gray water tank usually on the other side of the coach? My fresh water and black water are both on the starboard (passenger side) rear and my gray water is on the port side. My dad says that you would empty out the black water tank first and then empty the gray water nest thru the same line and that would semi clean the drain hose. In this case, why have a separate tank at all if it all goes to the same place anyway.

"I am sure we could conjure up some rationale for the shower going into the black tank..................."

I was also told that the shower had to drain to the gray tank....Was this person misinformed or..? There seems to be theory to support that all used water should go to the Black tank. Any thoughts?

I think that one of the reasons for 2 tanks is that it used to be that you could drain the grey water tank out onto the ground. Not legal to do that any more. One other reason for 2 tanks is that many motor homes/trailers/5th wheels do not have enough space in any one place to fit in one large tank. Since my bus does not have frame rails, the fresh and black water tanks are in one of the bays. Both are 100 gallons. The 40 ft. buses have a third bay and some people put in 200 gallon tanks since they have more room. Some of them still do the traditional fresh/grey/black setup but that is just personal choice on their part.

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Originally posted by Shadow man:
I think that one of the reasons for 2 tanks is that it used to be that you could drain the grey water tank out onto the ground. Not legal to do that any more.

We are glad to have separate tanks, because gray water is produced faster, and is often easier to get rid of, if nothing else, because of the use of a short length of garden hose into the Blue Boy. Our Blue boy rides in the back of the toad, so transporting it is a non-event.

I haven't researched the law, but we have been at a number of places where the camp host quite openly drained gray water to water shrubs and plants, so it must be OK there. Some places asked that gray water be used to water plants and trees. I always ask, and get widely varying answers, so just go along with whatever today's answer is.

The BLM La Posa Access Guide issued by the Yuma Field Office, under “Dispose of waste properly”, says to “Scatter strained dishwater.”

We visit a friend who asks us to pour our gray water down his gopher holes.

Don't try this at NASCAR tracks. They say very clearly in the camping agreement that NO water is to be drained from any RV.

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Originally posted by Danny Z:
Don't try this at NASCAR tracks. They say very clearly in the camping agreement that NO water is to be drained from any RV.

As I said, I always ask. But, yes, I have observed that at NASCAR events. In fact, most infield or parking lot events are like that. Good thing, too.

NASCAR weekends are way too short for us to need to dump, anyway. In fact, we have invited next-door friends to pump their gray water into our tanks if they get full and there isn't tanker service. The tanker service seems to be hit or miss. Or used to. Haven't been recently.

The last 2 years it's just been Suzy and me, and if we're careful we can makt it through the weekend, friday morning to monday morning, but we're pretty well full by monday. Our gang of 4 RV's rents a portipotty for our site, [$100, plus 25 to pump it if needed], mostly because the Michigan gang usually has 8-10 people. If you need to pump an RV it's 30 bucks, but by Sunday they're pretty scarce. We'll have 4 in our coach this year so I'm figuring on a saturday late pumpout, or we won't be able to shower Sunday morning. It's a quick get-wet, get-soaped, and get-rinsed shower but it sure feels good! We always have the 13 gallon blue-boy on the roof if we need it, but if we're careful we usually don't.

I have to get in and modify the vent pipe on the black tank For some reason when manufactured, the vent pipe is about 5 inches down from the top of the tank and when the level gets to the point where the pipe is blocked, ODOR! and the tank isn't near full but requires draining just to clear out the continual odor.

We are gong to the beach tomorrow for a few days and after that I will tackle the job! Not looking forward to it at all, last time I worked on the black tank I got really sick for a few days. Going to fill the tank completely full with a lot of bleach and leave sit for a couple of days before I tear into it. I have some toilet seals that need replacing so I am going to try to remove the toilet and then see if I can get in thru the toilet drain to cut the vent pipe up near the top of the tank. If I can't do it that way, then the tank has to come out.

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Originally posted by Danny Z:
Our gang of 4 RV's rents a portipotty for our site.

That's a GREAT idea. I'm gonna suggest it to the NASCAR gang where I used to work.

We have noticed it is usually the guests or newer RVers who use the most water. The backpackers, tenters, and boaters are already experienced and aware on water conservation. Army or Marine Corps experience helps, too. Or really old sailors.

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Originally posted by MWrench:
I have to get in and modify the vent pipe on the black tank For some reason when manufactured, the vent pipe is about 5 inches down from the top of the tank and when the level gets to the point where the pipe is blocked, ODOR! and the tank isn't near full but requires draining just to clear out the continual odor.

I drove myself crazy on a fiver in the 70s before I finally figured that out.

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Not looking forward to it at all, last time I worked on the black tank I got really sick for a few days. Going to fill the tank completely full with a lot of bleach and leave sit for a couple of days before I tear into it. I have some toilet seals that need replacing so I am going to try to remove the toilet and then see if I can get in thru the toilet drain to cut the vent pipe up near the top of the tank. If I can't do it that way, then the tank has to come out.

The vent pipe on mine entered the tank through a rubber grommet, so I was able to loosen the vent pipe attachments in the closet, twist it to un-vulcanize it, and pull it up as high as possible without pulling it out of the rubber grommet. I made a rod with a squared-off J on the end. I slowly pulled the pipe by with the J hooked on the lower end. When the upward-pointing end of the J hit the underside of the tank top, the pipe stopped coming up, and that was my limit.

Dropping the tank would have been bad, as the fiver was perm, the wheels were dug in,and red ants and who knows what else lived underneath.

Bill that is a great idea, The main problem that I have with trying to withdraw the pipe is there is a tee just above the floor where the lav sink drains thru. I have looked at that to cut and bring up but there is very little room and I don't think enough to add a coupling after cutting.

I am going to study a long time before jumping into this and will take the easiest/safest way out.

Even the main toilet drop goes WAY down into the black tank???!!! That should be shortened as well.

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Originally posted by MWrench:
Bill that is a great idea, The main problem that I have with trying to withdraw the pipe is there is a tee just above the floor where the lav sink drains thru.

Yeah, now that I am on my second cuppa, I seem to remember something about that.

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Even the main toilet drop goes WAY down into the black tank???!!! That should be shortened as well.

OW! That is as bad as the too-deep vent. Fortunately, though, it is much easier to measure and deal with. I did mine when I updated the toilet. A tube of the proper length also is handy as the absolute full black tank indicator. In my learning days, I found the tub to be a less-than-satisfactory indicator. Ruined a typewriter that way.

Dumping grey water on the ground is illegal in any federal facility.

It is my belief that the black water is better for the enviroment than the grey water. Just not as people friendly.

quote:

Originally posted by MWrench:
I have to get in and modify the vent pipe on the black tank For some reason when manufactured, the vent pipe is about 5 inches down from the top of the tank and when the level gets to the point where the pipe is blocked, ODOR! and the tank isn't near full but requires draining just to clear out the continual odor.

If your tank is made of ABS plastic you may want to just cut a flap in the side and seal it back up. On my Barth the drain hose was broken completely off the tank leaving a big hole. Using the advice from "Barthmobile" I melted some ABS shavings in ABS glue (solvent) to make paste. After cleaning off the tank and gluing in the drain bunk I used the paste to fill in any gaps. After about four coats and some fiberglass cloth it was stronger than new and all one peace. This would be easier than removing the tank.

Neil