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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gray water transfer to black tank
    Posted: 01 Jun 2014 at 10:05pm
Has anyone here done this?  I wouldn't want to do it the cheap way, trying to equalize the levels in the tanks via the Y connection (and the cap on), so I'd need a pump of some type.  I figure I could tap into the gray tank below the shower, running the output of the transfer pump into the toilet.  Thoughts?

My reason is a 3-day slog of 10 hour days, using truck stops each time.  Normally we can get 4-5 showers out of a full fresh tank, I'd like to stretch that to 7-8 showers by taking more water.  However, most of the fresh water ends up in the gray tank, while the black tank is still mostly empty.  So... if I add 10 more gallons of fresh water I need to move 10 gallons of gray water to the black tank to make room.

Yes there are other options.  We could pay for showers at the truck stops, but I'd rather not.  I could find a dump station, again, I'd rather not since this would take up time.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 9:53am
Doug,

I've had the same thoughts because the gray water is the limiting capacity. I'm not sure how you would tap the gray tank under the shower because you'd have to drill a hole through the floor and into the tank and seal it all up. Just tapping into the existing ABS pipe will not allow suction because the pipe should not extend into the water level. And working under the shower is tight. Another approach is to use the readily available caps that fit on the dump Y fitting and provide a standard garden hose connection. Then an inline pump and a hose back to the toilet. Probably the the easiest, most versatile, and most expensive is the mercerator pump connected to the Y dump fitting.

Another option I'm looking at is a waste tank similar to the larger Barker or Thetford waste haulers set in the pickup bed. Even a 15 gallon tank is hard to lift in and out when full so I'd leave it in place and rig a portable pump to fill and empty it. You could do the same in the Burb if there's room. That would be the ultimate in flexibility and leave the entire black tank capacity for its intended use. There are always options for gray water disposal; not so for black. If you use a small inverter hooked to the TV you even avoid battery use and can use a cheaper and higher capacity 120V pump. Or your gen....The possibilities are endless.

Your thoughts?
Charlie
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Posts: 1676 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 10:47am
Yeah, interesting question. We will be doing a 4 day slog and have mapped out parks along the route, but without reservations we may end up at a truck stop or two.

Perhaps it could be as simple as a grey water termination cap with hose connector as Charlie mentioned:


..and a 5 gallon bucket filled and dumped in toilet?

And then, there is always Johnson's baby powder and dry shampoo! Wink

fred
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Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 11:53am
Assuming the pipe drops directly into the tank (no bends) I figured I could drill a hole in it and run a hose into the tank for suction, sealing around the hose.  The reduction in the inner diameter of the pipe shouldn't be a big deal with the low flow from the shower head.  Mount the pump under there and coil the output hose up, velcro the air vent back in place.  Then on the road just rip the cover off, run the hose up to the toilet and turn on the pump.  With limited time in the next few weeks it probably won't happen right now.
 
We'll have our camp chairs, some clothes, and a cooler in the back so space would be an issue for a dump tank.  That cap is an interesting option, I'll have to think about that.  I could add the fresh water first, then use one of those containers to transfer to the black tank, or just hold it in the container(s) until the next campground.
 
I just looked at our schedule again and now I don't think we'll have a problem.  There will only be 3 of us those first 3 days.  We'll have showers at home the first morning, I can get a shower on the mornings of day 2 and 3, they can skip day 2 and get showers on day 3 (or split between the 2 days).  Day 4 will only be a few hours to the campground so I can wait until we set up.  That leaves 1 unused shower.  It wouldn't work if my wife was with us, but I won't pick her up until we hit Denver on the morning of day 4.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 12:27pm
Some truck stops have dump stations, which is something I could investigate, too.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 2:16pm
Hmmmmm. Looks like you need a logistics and acquisition manager. Maybe you could pick up a spare one from the USAF F-35 program, with some retraining.Tongue
Charlie
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Posts: 767 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 4:53pm
About 3 times a season, I need to extend my grey tank an extra day or two.  I just pull out my handy FloJet Macerator (aka the Poop Cannon), hook it up to the sewer outlet, run a garden hose (reserved for sewage) into the trailer and point it down the toilet, pull the grey valve and activate.  It only takes a couple of minutes to move a half-tank over and I'm set.

Its an easy solution - cheap if you already have (or need) the macerator pump (I do - I use it to empty the tanks at home).  I'd come up with something more permanent if I did this on a regular basis; but, for me and my occasional use, it works well.

As a side note, a couple years ago, I bought a Body Spa Shower Head as a bit of a luxury item.  I'd heard that it was the best shower around (and it is absolutely fantastic).  What I didn't expect was how little water it used compared to the stock showerhead.  Honestly, if you don't have one (or are on the fence about getting one), buy it.  Its worth it for the water savings alone.  The fact that its the best shower head you've ever used is a bonus.
Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 7:29pm
Originally posted by CharlieM

Hmmmmm. Looks like you need a logistics and acquisition manager. Maybe you could pick up a spare one from the USAF F-35 program, with some retraining.Tongue

I think they are dealing with enough stuff already in the F-35 program!
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 7:32pm
I did upgrade to a better low-flow shower head, which lets us stretch out an extra shower.  Anything is better than the stock head!
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 113 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2014 at 8:08pm
Originally posted by techntrek

Some truck stops have dump stations, which is something I could investigate, too.


This^^^ Rest stops on the PA turnpike have them
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