Tank capacities

[TTMartin]

However the 19' trailers also have incorrect info about the black tank size. I would think that trying to retrofit all of those trailers too would be too much for the company right now. And not as critical since They're mainly for couples and not being pushed as a family trailer as much.

There is room under the dinette seat in my 2020 Escape 19 for a larger tank.

You make it sound like it would require any sort of major modification, it wouldn't. Especially, for trailers being built. It really is nothing more than installing a tank that extends less than 6 more inches into the space below the seat. As I recall from my days as a firefighter it is 7.5 gallons per cu ft.

If the design was originally certified as having a larger tank it wouldn't be anything more than them starting to use it.

I don't know if they will offer a retrofit or not.

 

[MichaelS78]

Escape gives the tank sizes in two different places on their site. One is under base and options and the other is under specs and floor plan. They have corrected the tanks size for the black for the 19 and 21NE under base and options but not under specs and floor plan. So now their web site gives to different tanks sizes depending on what tab you look at.

Ugh. I'm just going to call ETI Monday morning. Wife and I have our name in on the three 21NE inventory inventory trailers. Not sure I would ask to have our name removed from the drawing but I want to know if they're at least discussing putting in a larger tank.

It would help if we had more experience with RVs but this will be our first. It's hard for me to tell what dry camping/boondocking will be like for a family of four with a 13.2gal black tank. We watched the YouTube video linked earlier in the thread and were kinda discouraged when the couple in the video said they can only go three days if they don't take severe steps to limit what goes into black tank. They stopped using the toilet for going number one and have managed to make it eight days boondocking. But they're just a couple and both adults. We are a family of four with baby and toddler. Two are female. Have no idea if we could go more than a couple days without having to drain black tank.

I know options could be to go composting toilet but I need to read more about them. Other option could be to get a portable black tank that could go under the tunneau cover of truck?

RVs definitely are a give and take!

 

[MichaelS78]

There is room under the dinette seat in my 2020 Escape 19 for a larger tank.

You make it sound like it would require any sort of major modification, it wouldn't. Especially, for trailers being built. It really is nothing more than installing a tank that extends less than 6 more inches into the space below the seat. As I recall from my days as a firefighter it is 7.5 gallons per cu ft.

If the design was originally certified as having a larger tank it wouldn't be anything more than them starting to use it.

I don't know if they will offer a retrofit or not.

Ok good to know. Maybe they will even install a 22 if asked. Probably for a fee now that website is at least partially updated. I doubt they would change it on the three inventory trailers already built but I will ask on Monday.

Definitely not as worried now that I know a 22 should fit. Might just lose space in storage hatch?

 

[TTMartin]

I know options could be to go composting toilet but I need to read more about them. Other option could be to get a portable black tank that could go under the tunneau cover of truck?

RVs definitely are a give and take!

Okay, before you go off on the composting toilet tangent. With a compositing toilet with 4 people you would be emptying the urine container daily.

If you're okay with dealing with containers of urine. You can simply have the guys urinate in a container and then use that for flush water. You just need to make sure there is fluid in the bowl (urine or water) because that's what creates the odor seal between the trailer and the black tank.

Without adding any water you could probably go 5-7 days with the 13.2 gallon tank and 4 people.

I do have portable dump tank which happens to be 13 gallons, I was initially figuring I would have to be sure to dump when the tank was less than half full. Now I guess I don't have to worry about that.

 

[MichaelS78]

Okay, before you go off on the composting toilet tangent. With a compositing toilet with 4 people you would be emptying the urine container daily.

If you're okay with dealing with containers of urine. You can simply have the guys urinate in a container and then use that for flush water. You just need to make sure there is fluid in the bowl (urine or water) because that's what creates the odor seal between the trailer and the black tank.

Without adding any water you could probably go 5-7 days with the 13.2 gallon tank and 4 people.

I do have portable dump tank which happens to be 13 gallons, I was initially figuring I would have to be sure to dump when the tank was less than half full. Now I guess I don't have to worry about that.

Hey thank you, appreciate the feedback. And since we will probably not be camping for more than 7 days at a time (kids would get bored I'm guessing) I will mark this issue down as solved. Worse case we get a portable black tank to supplement. Thanks!

 

[Eggscape]

Thinking out of the box…that the tank is in.

Here is a crude drawing of a thought I had to extend the black tank in a 19. The idea could even be larger in a 21. It uses readily available plumbing pipe attached to the black tank to extend the liquid storage availability.

Typically the problem in dealing with an RV tank is connecting to it and making a good seal. If one was to use a standard toilet flange they could bolt it to the side of the tank with stainless steel hardware and a gasket. The hole in the flange allows your hand and wrench to get inside the tank to tighten the large washers and nuts. I would get a flange that allowed me to drill my own holes every inch or so around the contact area. Then glue on as much pipe and elbows as you feel will drain. I picture a U shape with a Tee on the end that will have a screw on lid on top so that it can be easily removed to flush the new addition. With down converting at the end and a small hatch you could even design a way to flush from the outside. A win win.

I know a new tank would be the best solution but that is way above how far I want to dig into the trailer.

 

[kathytony1985]

I confirmed with Melisa @ ETI on June 21 that the Black Tank for a 21NE is indeed 13.2 gallons. She stated it has never been 22 gallons. See Post #104.

 

[Effie]

Let's get real, no one is going to do this.

 

[sherminator]

It would help if we had more experience with RVs but this will be our first. It's hard for me to tell what dry camping/boondocking will be like for a family of four with a 13.2gal black tank. We watched the YouTube video linked earlier in the thread and were kinda discouraged when the couple in the video said they can only go three days if they don't take severe steps to limit what goes into black tank. They stopped using the toilet for going number one and have managed to make it eight days boondocking. But they're just a couple and both adults. We are a family of four with baby and toddler. Two are female. Have no idea if we could go more than a couple days without having to drain black tank.

I too often camp as a group of 4 - myself, my wife, and two elementary school aged granddaughters. I am disappointed to find out that my black tank is 13 gallons instead of 22, but I am not too worried. Before we got our 21NE last September, we camped in a tent trailer and used a porta pottie with a 5.5 gallon waste tank. I found that we usually went 3 full days before it needed emptying, so I am figuring I can go 7 days now, which will cover any camping trips I have ever made to date.

I feel the 13.2 gallon black tank is commensurate with the usable 22 gallons of gray tank storage and 28 gallons of fresh water. My prior history in tent & tent trailer camping shows a history of having to dispose of about 4 gallons of wastewater per day and consuming 4 gallons of freshwater for cooking / dishwashing. (Any shower taking has a huge impact on these figures.) Those figures didn't include any attempts for conservation other than having to carry every gallon from one place to another by hand, which exacts its own penalties.

My future plans are to do fewer 4 to 5 day basecamp trips and do more traveling, where dumping opportunities should be easier to come by. This was a main reason for moving on from a tent trailer.

 

[Bobbie54]

Hm, interesting. My old portapotti officially had a 2.6 gallon capacity but I don't think I ever waited until it was brimming over to dump it. Whether 20 or 13, the black tank didn't hit the 3 dot mark when I was exclusively using the trailer toilet for 11 days. (I would have emptied the porta potti at least once and usually twice during that time, despite using a lot less water to flush it.) I guess it is a bigger deal for more people in a larger trailer, though. But I wonder how this compares to the stated vs, usable capacity in other RVs.

 

[noblets]

When boondocking, there is always the option of digging a "cat hole" of in the bushes and using something like the GoAnywhere seat. But please bag and carry out your used TP!

 

[gbaglo]

using something like the GoAnywhere seat.

Butt, don't do this. Keep well away from streams, rivers and lakes.

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

My Casita 16 had about as small a black tank as you could think of. and I could stretch that a week easily using it exclusively.. the one in the e21, my wife and I have done 5 days as our only toilet, and its close to full but not past.

its the GREY tank that always gets us when my wife is along. showers mostly. we've got the washing camp dishes with little water down pretty good. and I'm cool with doing a minimum hot water sponge bath plus once over spray that only uses a few gallons. at bodega bay westside,. I think we were there 5 nights, and the grey tank in the E21 lasted us just fine.

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

yeah... like this?

 

[noblets]

Butt, don't do this. Keep well away from streams, rivers and lakes.

What, exactly, is wrong with this picture? Is it that the seat isn't pretty? Or that human waste is going into a hole in the ground?
BLM guidelines for dispersed camping state: "Dispose of human waste properly (away from water and in a 6" deep hole)
If catholes are dug away from roads, campsites, lakes, streams, they are an acceptable method of waste disposal.

 

[gbaglo]

What, exactly, is wrong with this picture? Is it that the seat isn't pretty? Or that human waste is going into a hole in the ground?

It's that the "toilet" is on the banks of the Thompson River. I doubt anybody would have the energy to dig a hole through the boulders below. I didn't look in.

 

[gbaglo]

I don't know what my 17B tank capacities actually are, but my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids, age 2 and 4 just got back from three nights, four days at a provincial park. Park has washrooms, showers and potable water.
As SIL was emptying the tanks ( after lining up at the sanidump ) he commented that my daughter should be doing the chore since she's the only one to use the trailer facilities. I checked the fresh water and the monitor indicated full.

So, it can be done.

 

[Dave & Penny Smith]

Folks;

Apparently Escape has gone back to listing Black Water Tank sizes as 19 gallons (on their website)--does anyone know if they have made an actual change to the tank capacity or have just gone back to the old figures?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[7Gentex]

Folks;

Apparently Escape has gone back to listing Black Water Tank sizes as 19 gallons (on their website)--does anyone know if they have made an actual change to the tank capacity or have just gone back to the old figures?

Thanks,
Dave

Black tank back to 13.2 for the 17, 19 and 21NE on the ETI website today.........


I'm getting dizzy

 

[MichaelS78]

Black tank back to 13.2 for the 17, 19 and 21NE on the ETI website today.........


I'm getting dizzy

Well... CRAP. I was really hoping they were working on getting 22gal black tank to fit and that's why they hadn't updated the website.