Dumping the tanks

‘Better out than in, I always say’.

Dumping the tanks is an RV task that seems to have a little stink around it, and while there’s some reason for that, I say dumping your tanks isn’t a big deal at all.

To dump the tanks you’ll need some sewer connections, and I like this one because I have two hoses, which allows me to have a spare, OR, to reach a far away connection, and, there’s a clear piece I can use to see first that the liquid is flowing, and second, that the liquid is clear when i’m done.

First thing I do is connect the adapter to the sewer connection, then the hose to it, then the other end of the hose to my RV. You may need a ‘Y’ adapter if you have two separate valves.
With my hoses connected and my connections checked twice, i’ll go inside and fill my black tank up to the top with water. I usually set a brick or block on the flush pedal and let it run a bit. I may also add water to my gray tank if i’ve had a lot of stuff other than water go down the drain. The big idea here is that I want as much water as possible in the tanks to help me flush all the junk out! Make sure to take the brick or block off the toilet flush pedal before going back outside.

Once my tanks are full of water, i’ll start by slowly pulling the valve for the black tank, and letting that flow out. If my connections are tight and there’s no leaks, i’ll open the valve all the way and let it rip. Once it’s done, i’ll close that valve, open the gray tank valve, then as the gray tank is draining, i’ll go back inside and refill my black tank with fresh, clean water. Again, the brick on the pedal is very helpful.
Also, if you have a black tank cleanout connection, this is the time to connect it and turn that on to both clean the walls of the tank, and to fill it up faster.
Once my black tank is full again, i’ll go back outside, open the valve, and dump the tank again, ensuring I have clean water in the clear adapter. If the water isn’t clean, i’ll refill and dump the tank again, until it is.
For my gray tank, I usually don’t refill it every time I dump it, but every fifth time or so i’ll fill it back up and dump it again, just to make sure it’s nice and clean.

When you’re done dumping, disconnect the hose from the RV, rinse it out while it’s still connected to the sewer connection, and just rinse each part as you disconnect the system, then hang to air-dry. I like to store my sewer hose system in a tote that is not air-tight (hinge-top totes are great for this!) in a compartment that is not connected to the inside of my RV, but put things away after they’re rinsed and dried.

If you’re still camping, make sure to put some treatment system and a few gallons of water into the black tank. If you’re storing the camper, this step is optional.
For the gray tank, I usually just put a gallon or so of water in there to keep the seals wet, but if you’re storing the camper, don’t.

If you’re having trouble with your tanks, I.E. they smell bad, add some treatment, or add more treatment. Your gray tank may get funk after several uses, and they do make treatment pods, tabs, liquids, and powders for that tank, too. You can also use fabuloso or a similar cleaner to help break junk down in either tank.
Lastly, if your tanks smell funky and you’re leaving camp, put several capfuls of fabuloso, and several pounds of ice into the tank, than let that slosh around as you drive down the road!

Take care of your tanks, because they take all your crap and still hang around. 😉