Black and gray water set up?

[hoodoo valley]

So, I'm contemplating the installation of my waste water holding tanks. I was thinking about installing them inside an insulated enclosure, that could be kept from freezing with a little bit of heat, but here's a screwy idea..... I was thinking about a portable set of tanks that slipped in the bed of my truck. The truck would be parked near the rv, and when needed, I could simply drive the pick up to the waste station, then back to the rv. Wouldn't have to run the rv to the station. Crazy idea, or hinging on genius?

I was also pondering installing a 10 to 15 gallon fresh water tank up at the ceiling so that I didn't need to have a pump for water distribution. Simply would rely on gravity. Bad idea?

 

[hoodoo valley]

Well, I'm still a ways away from that point, so I'll keep toying with these ideas.

 

[bushpilot-TC]

how long do you expect to stay in this thing?
We have 220g of fresh water and our holding tanks are 60 or 65 each.

Our fresh water tanks are under the bed - its very unlikely theyll ever freeze (as long as the coach is heated or kept warm/protected).

I like the overhead fresh water idea - until theres a problem.

our black tank is simple It is a direct/straight drop from the commode to the tank....no bends or plumbing to clog.

assuming theres electric you should be fine to put the tanks in an under mounted / insulated bin and add some heating pads (ala oil pan heaters)....the issue I alway worried about was any exposed plumbing that contained liquid....eventually some plumbing/dump line/valve is outside the insulated/heated area.

 

[hoodoo valley]

Hey Bushpilot!


I actually intent to live in it eventually on shore power and sewer hook up. Otherwise, it's largely going to be setting in the yard, hooked up to power for heat and air conditioning, but not hooked up to water / sewer. I do however eventually want that capability to rough it, and on the subject of roughing it, I grew up hauling water and using an outhouse so conserving is in my bones, even though we've had the well we now have, since I was 14 years old. Huge on conservation of water and power, having not had electricity until I was 16 here at my house. Water under the beds is a good idea. I always worry, about heat tapes, and heating pads and anything that generates heat, as a fire danger, especially when it can't be inspected in small spaces..... Been through, and seen too many fires here in cold country to feel comfortable with it. One thought I had was doing the tanks underneath in a separate enclosure, then circulating air from the living space, but still on the fence. I still have a long way until I have to make a decision, so no worries yet, but I do ultimately need a solution.

 

[samcrimm]

Hoodoo,


With you building this why not make it as nice and convent as possible, why deal with crap now or later, set it up and make it Great!

 

[hoodoo valley]

This is exactly what I was thinking. I still have a lot of time to ponder things. Main issue is to get it where I can keep heat inside the box so I can detail it out while I live in there if need be.

 

[Pntyrmvr]

If it has to use tanks while being parked in its most regular spot I vote for the tanks in the pickup-easy to move and drain system.

 

[hoodoo valley]

If it has to use tanks while being parked in its most regular spot I vote for the tanks in the pickup-easy to move and drain system.

This is sort of the way I'm leaning. Just regular household plumbing on out below the floor, then flex hose it to the back of my Toyota. Run the Toyota to the clean out rather than the box truck.

 

[jcdostie]

I’m actually looking at propane toilet that burn the ****. So no black water to deal with. Just grey

JC

 

[hoodoo valley]

I’m actually looking at propane toilet that burn the ****. So no black water to deal with. Just grey

JC

Welcome to the forum. I saw a used one for sale at $2,500. I kind of ruled hat option out.

 

[solo318]

You will either use a MASSIVE amount of water pushing poo all the way to your truck, Or you will need to put the black tank DIRECTLY below the toilet. even a very efficient modern toilet uses over 2 gallons a flush, and the septic is completely below the level of the toilet. RV tanks use very little water and they dump straight down into the tank. Effectively it's an out house with a vapor barrier. They make a holding tank cart that you can dump into and tow it to the dump station with a golf cart or your truck. It's a much easier solution.

 

[hoodoo valley]

You will either use a MASSIVE amount of water pushing poo all the way to your truck, Or you will need to put the black tank DIRECTLY below the toilet. even a very efficient modern toilet uses over 2 gallons a flush, and the septic is completely below the level of the toilet. RV tanks use very little water and they dump straight down into the tank. Effectively it's an out house with a vapor barrier. They make a holding tank cart that you can dump into and tow it to the dump station with a golf cart or your truck. It's a much easier solution.

I'm torn here actually, because I'd really like to do the RV style toilet, but on the other hand, I might be living in this full on time and might, if so, actually hook up to a sewer hook up, and so I wouldn't want a holding tank in the loop. Otherwise, I had thought about 5 gallon buckets with a hole saw cut through the lids and regular lids after change outs, but the cart transporter sounds awesome!


Is there a way to have both options and easily transition from one to the other? My wife could benefit from the on board facilities if we were going down the road.

 

[bushpilot-TC]

what you need is some Y w/ blade valves....one to the sewer hook up (when thats available)....when sewer isnt available then you close one blade valve and open the other to the tank.

but you need lots of water to move solid down a pipe - especially when theres a CURVE or Y to it....last thing you want is something building up in the split/blade thats closed.

id more consider a marine toilet that burns the **** to ashes

 

[florida panhandler]

Here is some food for thought. My recommendation is to keep your tanks in the coach and install a sani-con waste pumping system so you can pump from the coach up into your second tank in the pickup. At a normal campground or rest area, you can use the sani-con to drain your black/grey tanks. Also, who needs to worry about 50 gallons of black/grey "stuff" freezing in the back of the pickup?

Since we dry camp in Key West and Arizona for months at a time, I have added black/grey (large blue buddy for now) and water tanks to the bed of the pickup. We have used a sani-con system since 2005 with no issues. I love it. No large hoses to mess with, and you can pump over a hundred fee easily (which we do at the house when we return home into our septic), or up into the blue buddy that I now use in the back of the pickup. I'm considering installing a larger fixed black tank with hose connections to replace the Blue Buddy. Makes life so much easier than breaking down and moving the coach to the water/dump site.

When I dump, I fill the water bladder at the same time. When I return to the coach, I move the water from the tank/bladder down into a bucket where i have a boat bilge pump set up, then the water is just pumped up into the gravity fill outlet into the coach water tank.

 

[bushpilot-TC]

man im sorry but those maceration toilets AND the (separate) external versions are just more trouble than theyre worth....they clog, they get hair wrapped around them....just more stuff to break and maintain.

they always fail when you need 'em most!

 

[hoodoo valley]

When I dump, I fill the water bladder at the same time. When I return to the coach, I move the water from the tank/bladder down into a bucket where i have a boat bilge pump set up, then the water is just pumped up into the gravity fill outlet into the coach water tank.

This is sort of what I was envisioning for my water as well.


I admit that I had to google maceration toilets. Very interesting, but I bet those would be a pain in the ass when you had something go wrong and had to crack one open for repairs and alignment. EEK!

 

[bushpilot-TC]

I admit that I had to google maceration toilets. Very interesting, but I bet those would be a pain in the ass when you had something go wrong and had to crack one open for repairs and alignment. EEK!

YUP you got it! No different that the macerator pumps....
I see the complaints on the Prevost forums and Renegade forums all the time...pump or toilet not working (and it never happens when its easiest)