Sewer Solution

[gbaglo]

I see you edited your post two minutes before I posted my response. So, to clarify my clarification ?
I don't find it that difficult to hitch up, dump and return. It has to be a lot less messy than pumping, driving, pumping and return.

[gbaglo]

And, under T.M.I.
I have an empty anti-freeze container that holds a gallon. It stows nicely beside the toilet and handles #1.
I just can't convince the Old Bag to use it.

baglo

[blugene]

You may well be right Baglo. I don't have my 19' yet, so I'm just theorizing possibilities, getting advice from experienced people like you. I sure ain't gonna run out and buy a macerator system until I try it your way. But I am definitely gonna be boondocking. As you know, there are nice CGs here in the NW, with space, if you're willing to go primitive.
-Gene-
PS I like the anti-freeze container idea.
________________________
There aren't exactly "steelhead", but there are ocean-going rainbow trout.. There are also Atlantic Salmon, but they're not really salmon; they're also a trout. And there aren't really any "Brook Trout" because that breed is actually a char.

[Jim Bennett]

[QUOTE=blugene;20731I don't have my 19' yet, so I'm just theorizing possibilities...[/QUOTE]

You mean over thinking things? Sheesh, I probably have you beat by a mile there.

Though, I think it is a common affliction. Actually, for most, quite a fun thing to do.

[rvomaha]

After someone wrote me to ask how we are liking our Sewer Solution by now, I decided to write this update.

We remain enthusiastic users of the Sewer Solution. It has not eliminated the need for the stinky slinky, however, but we like having both, and use each in particular circumstances which I will explain. I may end up giving extensive detail on this odd subject, but these are the kinds of things we learned only gradually and they might be helpful.

First, we have never encountered a dump station or a campground where the Sewer Solution was prohibited.

We have camped in national parks, state parks, a city park, and commercial campgrounds, and usually our sites do not have a sewer connection on the site. We usually ask for a site which has electricity, if that is available, but don't bother paying extra for a site with a sewer connection. At campsites where there is a sewer connection included, there has always been a water connection as well, as a source for drinking water.

We carry two hoses--one for drinking water and another clean hose for the Sewer Solution. That second hose is 25 feet long. We recommend that just to be on the safe side, people should not hook up any hose used with their Sewer Solution to any hose or spigot that is meant as a potable water source.

There is usually a dump station which we use before leaving the campground. At dump stations there is usually a source for potable water and a separate source for rinsing a stinky slinky. Unfortunately, it is hit and miss as to whether there is a threaded connection on that second water source. In cases where there is just a raw-ended hose, we cannot connect the Sewer Solution, and we just use the stinky slinky.

(And this brings up another product we bought, called a Water Thief, but which we haven't used yet. We hope to be able to use the Water Thief to connect our Sewer Solution hose to a raw-ended water hose when necessary.)

Even when we have a campsite with a sewer connection, we do not connect the stinky slinky to the camper and leave it there during our whole stay as most people do. We just collect waste in the tanks until we are leaving. This way the stinky slinky is used only briefly and ours has remained undamaged so far. We have been perfectly satisfied with the stinky slinky provided by Reace & Tammy.

We use the stinky slinky in several circumstances--
1. when there is no threaded hose connection on the water source
2. when we need to dump quickly for one reason or other, such as when other people are waiting in line at the dump station
3. when we are at the end of a trip and intend to clean the tank thoroughly at home using the Sewer Solution

When we use the Sewer Solution, we dump the black water followed by the gray water, and then we like to backfill the black water tank 2-3 times and redrain it. It is amazing how much additional gunk comes out with each refill and redrain. Everything coming out is visible through the clear connection we use between the tank drain and the Sewer Solution itself. In order to get the water to refill the tank to the desired depth, we hold up the drain-side hose (from the exit side of the Sewer Solution) up about as high as the top of the the black water tank. Otherwise the water reaches a certain level in the tank and automatically drains out without continuing to fill the tank.

For final cleaning at the end of a trip or at the end of the camping season, we do the following: We empty the tanks with the Sewer Solution or with the stinky slinky at the final campground. When we get home we give the black water tank a very thorough cleaning by blasting the walls with the tank wand we got from Reace and by using the Sewer Solution repeatedly until the water runs clean out of the tank. We also backfill the gray water tank and drain it an extra time.

This paragraph may draw criticism, but... we let the Sewer Solution drain directly into our lawn, not in an area where we would be gardening. We actually used a colander and tested to see how much visible material was coming out of the Sewer Solution, and saw nothing at all.

As for storing the Sewer Solution, we keep it in a large plastic bin with a lid, along with its hose. It fits in the storage area under the bed, accessed through the interior doors there (Escape 19).

In conclusion, we like the Sewer Solution very much. We consider it an important element of cleaning out our tanks.

[DonM]

I wish my staff could write a report so well.
We newbees rejoice with the excellent training you have provided. Thanks!

[Carol R]

Great, thorough information!
Thank you so much. It is really going to help this newbie!!

P.S. Does anyone know the approximate size of the largest plastic bin that will fit in the front storage box (mine will have one Group 29 battery in it)?

[rvomaha]

Originally Posted by rvomaha

This way the stinky slinky is used only briefly and ours has remained undamaged so far. We have been perfectly satisfied with the stinky slinky provided by Reace & Tammy.

Oops. Spoke too soon. We are on a lengthy trip right now and a tab just broke off of the stinky slinky. --Liz

[rvomaha]

Tammy informs me that the sewer hose (stinky slinky) is not covered under warranty. From reading other threads on this forum, the sewer hose provided by Escape (two-prong style) commonly has a brief life, but the diameter of the mounted tube that Escape provides is small and can't handle four-prong sewer hoses. I would recommend that this issue is something to solve with Tammy & Reace during the build phase if possible. Reace is aware that his sewer hose is controversial and he said as much during our training when we picked up the camper. --Liz

[Vermilye]

There are a number of posts here and in other fiberglass trailer forums on using plastic fence posts for sewer hose storage. I used a 5" post & fabricated covers that use small bungee cords & a stainless eye bolt to hold them on. Plenty of room for a heavy duty Rhino hose & fittings. Wish I could find the link to the many "cover" solutions; there were many interesting versions.

[Ruthe]

I'm a little confused. Is there a problem with dumping with the Escape that is different from other trailers?

[gbaglo]

No.
The Sewer Solution is used to ensure that nothing is left in the black tank. Stuff that may get stuck on the walls can mess up the reading given by your tank level monitors. It's not an issue for me. I just make sure the black tank is as full as possible before dumping. That may involve flushing the toilet several times to add liquid. I dump the black tank, followed by the grey to flush out the slinky.
I have a "wand" that I have used a few times to clean the black tank. It's cheap, but more hassle probably. You stick the wand down into the tank and turn on the water to spray the insides of the tank.

When it comes to the stinky slinky, I still have the original after more than four years. I had to replace one end piece because I tossed it down to the ground, and the ground was cement, which broke a tab off. Finding a new end that fit in the storage compartment was a challenge, which is why some have replaced the storage tube with a plastic fence post. It's a bit larger, so the end of the hose fits inside better ( See Jon's posts on this ).

[float5]

As Baglo says, you need water in the black tank and I saw that as the main point being made on another forum. We use the typical type chemical packs for deodorizing. That means that every time we dump the black tank, we put a gallon of water with a chemical pack down the toilet. So there is at least that gallon in there. It will then be sloshing around cleaning the tank when moving.

For the same reason, it's a bad idea to set up to stay a few days and connect up the slinky if it happens that there are full hookups. (People often do that.) You would be constantly emptying the black tank instead of keeping water in it. Best to dump with the slinky only after a few days.

[Ruthe]

Thanks for clarifying. i have to admit that in the past I left the dumping to my husband (except when we stayed put in one place for an entire summer, come to think of it, so I guess I've dumped plenty). I've been wondering -- if you boondock and then go to look for a place to dump -- is that a problem? Can you pull into any campground and use the dump station?

[cpaharley2008]

If you are not staying at the cg they will charge you.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

Thanks for clarifying. i have to admit that in the past I left the dumping to my husband (except when we stayed put in one place for an entire summer, come to think of it, so I guess I've dumped plenty). I've been wondering -- if you boondock and then go to look for a place to dump -- is that a problem? Can you pull into any campground and use the dump station?

While many campgrounds will let you use their dump station, they usually charge for it.

These websites will help you find dump stations:
Sanidumps
RV Dumps
RV There Yet Dump Stations

[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I've been a member of both forums for a few years & find them useful & friendly, even for non Casita owners. The fiberglass egg world is small enough that we all need to be friends & keep in touch!

Jon, you get it. Life is about inclusion, not exclusion. There's plenty of room for everyone.

[MyronL]

This TA had a free dump. Bring your own hose but pass on the burgers.

PS: Reading this thread is the best fun I've had since Vic's dog ran through mom's tupperware party.