Sewer Maserator pump?

[John in Santa Cruz]

I'm constantly challenged, especially here in Mexico, by RV dump stations where the sewer pipe is higher than my trailer's drain. One of the guys on the caravan I'm with has a built-in maserator pump on his nifty. Super-B, can't remember the RV brand... I see they make these for external attachment, they fit right on the sewer outlet of the trailer plug into 12 volts that you provide nearby, and switch them on and hit your black tank dump and whoosh it pumps uphill via a garden hose.

Anyone use one of these with an escape 21? Comments experience? Pros cons?

[AllanEdie]

we have one, and use it, but only in special circumstances. When we get home after a trip, we sometimes flush the tanks into our septic tank, which can't be reached by normal sewer hose. The macerator pump allows us to pump through a garden hose.

At normal dump stations, we use the normal hose, but so far, we have never found the drain location too high relative to the trailer. The grey tank is slow to drain (to put it mildly), but there is not much that can be done about that, the problem is mostly that the bottom of the tank has so little elevation above the drain. The macerator helps with this, but is more hassle than just waiting for the normal hose to get done, as long as that will work given the layout of the dump station.

[GinoandLinda]

Originally Posted by AllanEdie

we have one, and use it, but only in special circumstances. When we get home after a trip, we sometimes flush the tanks into our septic tank, which can't be reached by normal sewer hose. The macerator pump allows us to pump through a garden hose.

We are looking at one as well for this very reason. Waiting until we arrive at our new location before we purchase it.

[hugh]

We have one, and it works well. I've pumped through a 100 foot garden hose without problems.


One thing I've found useful to avoid "accidents" is wireless remote on/off switch to control the pump while being at the discharge end of the hose. Probably not an issue if you're just pumping a short distance though.

[John in Santa Cruz]

How messy is the detachable maserator pump after a use, and how/where do you transport it?

[hugh]

It's not messy. There is hose connection with a one way valve on the side that's used to flush the pump before disconnecting. I run the pump with while flushing and it comes out perfectly clean


Once cleaned out, I store the pump in a plastic bin in the front of the trailer.

[Carmel Clown]

I’ve thought of one too. Would love to know what you purchased. Thanks.

[hugh]

I just bought one of the "low end" white label ones on Amazon:


https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Mace...dp/B09W5NMGMS/

[hugh]

BTW, the best use I've found for the pump is transferring gray water from the trailer into a 36 gallon Rhino tank. I hook the empty tank to the back of the car, and then fill it with the pump. It makes it much easier than moving around the full tank, which is 300lb when full.

[DanandDaphne]

I used one for years when I was living stationary in a 30' trailer. I would pump my black water holding tank into a 35gl tank in the back of my truck like this. It worked great.

I am thinking about getting a macerator pump and adding a dump port to our septic tank here at home. The nearest public dump stations we can use is over 30 miles away from our home. It's not hard to stop and dump on the way home but sometimes we use our escape here at home for guest accommodations and I hate to have to hitch up and drive 60 miles just to dump the holding tanks.

[GinoandLinda]

Originally Posted by hugh

I just bought one of the "low end" white label ones on Amazon:


https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Mace...dp/B09W5NMGMS/

Thanks for this. We have the same situation now at our home in Idaho. The sewer clean out is easily a foot tall so that it can still be accessed with snow on the ground I am told. I plan on using a pump to empty my gray tank at home.

[Heartwood]

Has anyone found a place or way to mount a macerator pump to an Escape trailer, rather than attaching and detaching it every time you dump? I do not have an Escape trailer yet so I can't crawl under there and look. I'm considering buying the 21C trailer or the 5.0 fifth wheel. Thanks in advance! --Walter

[John in Santa Cruz]

The grey and black valves are right next to each other and the outlet pipe... My E21 has the foam insulation so I don't know how much room there might be upstream from the grey valve. The black tank on the 21 classic is half under the bed

[Centex]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

... I don't know how much room there might be upstream from the grey valve. ...

Upstream of the grey valve would miss black flow completely, so is not at all satisfactory for the primary intended purpose.

Ideally one would want a macerator downstream of both the black and grey valves (the black for macerating, the grey for flushing during / after macerating and to push the grey up-gradient when required).

Having looked at this a bit on my 5.0 sans spray-on insulation, I saw no obvious easy way to implement a permanent macerator installation that would not be hanging-out / IMO inviting damage from road debris, etc.

But hey, folks more motivated and innovative than I may figure it out!

[Heartwood]

Thanks, John. I do recall that black water tank in someone's video of their 21C storage.

[Heartwood]

Originally Posted by Centex

Upstream of the grey valve would miss black flow completely, so is not at all satisfactory for the primary intended purpose.

Ideally one would want a macerator downstream of both the black and grey valves (the black for macerating, the grey for flushing during / after macerating and to push the grey up-gradient when required).

Having looked at this a bit on my 5.0 sans spray-on insulation, I saw no obvious easy way to implement a permanent macerator installation that would not be hanging-out / IMO inviting damage from road debris, etc.

But hey, folks more motivated and innovative than I may figure it out!

Thanks, Centex. I had a feeling there may not be "space for it" or a place to bolt it down--or both! Sounds like it would take more engineering than I can do, or would need to be re-engineered by ETI in a redesign. I'll ask them to put me on the notification list for that change! ;-)

[GinoandLinda]

Originally Posted by Heartwood

Has anyone found a place or way to mount a macerator pump to an Escape trailer, rather than attaching and detaching it every time you dump? I do not have an Escape trailer yet so I can't crawl under there and look. I'm considering buying the 21C trailer or the 5.0 fifth wheel. Thanks in advance! --Walter

Just received my Mpump today and the 5.0 is in the garage. As other's have indicated, there is not a whole lot of space to "insert" a Mpump. Anything is possible given time and money but as the 5.0 is delivered it would take some creative engineering.

[GinoandLinda]

Originally Posted by hugh

I just bought one of the "low end" white label ones on Amazon:


https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Mace...dp/B09W5NMGMS/

We purchased this one as well and used it for the first time today. Great product. At first I thought the clear tube that attaches to the garden house was lame, but then realized it helps monitor the waste flow out of the tank. I used an old AGM motorcycle battery but plan on putting a 12v socket in the lift jack compartment. Anyways, it emptied about 25gallons of gray water in about 7 minutes and pushed it through a 100' garden hose into our home sewer clean-out.

[hugh]

FWIW, the clear hose "stub" is a bit lame, but it seems like all these pumps come with a 1 inch hose barb instead of some sort of threaded connection. I'd prefer a threaded connection so I can disconnect the "stub" when storing the pump.


Not a big deal either way, just seems a bit cheesy to have the permanently attached stub.

[mfschu]

SageRpod, If you need 12V plug power for your pump another option to add this is the modification Eggscape posted where he added a 12V outlet at the 3 way refrigerator access panel, taking advantage of the large existing wires run to the refrigerator which seldom or never get used for 12V refrigerator operation. I've done this modification and it has worked out well for plugging in my air compressor to winterize the water lines.