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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / April 2008why two tanks
Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? Black water and gray water. I ask this because keeping the black tank clean enough so that the gage works is a challenge. If the gray water and black were in one tank the amount of water would be much higher than in the usual black tank. More water would mean better dispersion of solids and quicker breakdown. Ideas and comments please... ( serious ones ONLY PLEASE ) >Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? Black >water and gray water. I ask this because keeping the black tank clean [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >solids and quicker breakdown. Ideas and comments please... ( serious >ones ONLY PLEASE ) Probably stems from old days when gray water was dumped on ground. Even home systems had a gray water sump and a black water septic system. Not dead sure, but I believe some RVs do combine black and gray. You might look at doing that on yours. But you don't want a full black/gray tank backing up into your shower.... Also, in a pinch, I wouldn't think it so bad to empty a gray tank in a ditch -- Not so for black. Pete In article <01005ad0-2554-4f3e-8bbb-7f6850504fd7@b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com>, > Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? The black water tank usually fills much slower than the gray tank. In many places, draining gray water on the ground is allowed. This significantly extends the time the RVer can remain at the site before the RV must be moved to a dump station or the black tank contents must be transferred to a "shuttle" tank to be taken to a sanitary dump station. > I ask this because keeping the black tank clean > enough so that the gage works is a challenge. The most accurate gauge for most black water tanks, while not aesthetically pleasing, is your eyes: Simply look into the tank while holding the flush blade open. Of course, this method is only available to those systems where there is no turn or "elbow" in the waste line. > If the gray water and black were in one tank the amount of water > would be much higher than in the usual black tank. More water would > mean better dispersion of solids and quicker breakdown. It is good practice to leave the black water dump valve CLOSED until the tank is nearly full for that very reason. If, before dumping, the tank is NOT full, it is a good practice to fill it prior to dumping. Of course, a combined black/gray system would disallow the draining of gray water on the ground and require more frequent dumping. There are, however, several models (i.e. Class B motorhomes and small travel trailers) that DO use a combined system. Overall, two tanks are better.  Signature:) JR >There are, however, several models (i.e. Class B motorhomes and small >travel trailers) that DO use a combined system. Overall, two tanks are >better. Not all Class Bs, however. Mine has two separate tanks -- not connected at all. GB in NC > Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? Black > water and gray water. I ask this because keeping the black tank clean [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > solids and quicker breakdown. Ideas and comments please... ( serious > ones ONLY PLEASE ) Our first RV, an 84 Toyota, had only one tank. I did not know anything better. Our current unit has three - one black and grays for the sinks and shower. It is nice to dump the black first and follow with the grays because you will flush the hose with cleaner water. All in all, it makes for a less stressful dumping experience. > > Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? Black > > water and gray water. I ask this because keeping the black tank clean [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > because you will flush the hose with cleaner water. All in all, it makes > for a less stressful dumping experience. Several I have seen route one of the sinks, usually the bathroom into the black tank to ensure that there's enough water to avoid the dreaded "Black Pyramid." Now that I think about I can't say for sure that my 97 Damon doesn't. Maybe I'll investigate that, then again maybe not. SignatureMatt Delete nospam for email "Where did you say we are going again, Dear?" > Several I have seen route one of the sinks, usually the > bathroom into the black tank This is the case with my 2000 (Thor) Skamper Ultra 249. For this very reason, when we do not have a sewer hookup, I encourage as little use of the bathroom sink as possible. > to ensure that there's enough water to avoid > the dreaded "Black Pyramid." Given the cheapness of my camper, I'm sure it was done for construction ease or cost-saving purposes. Customer convenience or anything related to quality or common sense (such as avoiding the Black Pyramid) was not given much, if any, thought with this camping trailer. Signature:) JR >> Several I have seen route one of the sinks, usually the >> bathroom into the black tank [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >to quality or common sense (such as avoiding the Black Pyramid) was not >given much, if any, thought with this camping trailer. At the other end of 'spare no expense spectrum,' our Blue Bird is plumbed with the kitchen sink into black, bathroom sink and shower/tub into grey. When we added a washer/dryer, the only convenient way to do it was to the black, so we get a lot of flow in that one. With 116 gallons fresh and 95 each black/grey it isn't much of a problem, and the main advantage of having a grey at all is the one that was mentioned, to flush the hoses/lines after a blackwater dump. --- Don Bradner www.arcatapet.net '90 Wanderlodge PT40 "Blue Thunder" towing '07 Jeep Liberty rdoctors@gmail.com wrote in news:01005ad0-2554-4f3e-8bbb-7f6850504fd7 @b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com: > Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? Black > water and gray water. I ask this because keeping the black tank clean [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > solids and quicker breakdown. Ideas and comments please... ( serious > ones ONLY PLEASE ) Only TWO? Most have at least THREE: Fresh, Grey, and Black! Many have 4 or more with the extras being additional Grey tanks. My Montana, for example, has a total of 5: 1 Fresh, 2 Grey, and 1 Black water tanks plus a fuel tank for the generator. <G> > rdoctors@gmail.com wrote in > news:01005ad0-2554-4f3e-8bbb-7f6850504fd7 [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Many have 4 or more with the extras being additional Grey tanks. There was a new 5th wheel with a 1st time owner parked next to me a couple of years ago. He ask me if I had a "plunger". I ask why and he said he had drain lines stopped up in 2 places, one the kitchen sink & 1 was the bedroom sink. He had already opened the valve on the black tank, the shower gray tank and the washer gray tank. That rig had a tank for those seperately and you had to get the instruction book out to see where they were hidden. He never thought about reading the instructions!! Tom J > There was a new 5th wheel with a 1st time owner parked next to me a couple > of years ago. He ask me if I had a "plunger". I ask why and he said he had [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > seperately and you had to get the instruction book out to see where they > were hidden. He never thought about reading the instructions!! Real men don't read instructions. It is a form of cheating. On Apr 9, 12:26�pm, "RAM�" <s31924.nos...@netscape.net> wrote: > rdoct...@gmail.com wrote in news:01005ad0-2554-4f3e-8bbb-7f6850504fd7 > @b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com: [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > My Montana, for example, has a total of 5: 1 Fresh, 2 Grey, and 1 Black > water tanks plus a fuel tank for the generator. <G> What? No propane tank? Hank <~~~gets tanked and maybe two or more propane tanks. Whoops! did i cuss by saying propane? s > rdoctors@gmail.com wrote in news:01005ad0-2554-4f3e-8bbb-7f6850504fd7 > @b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com: [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > My Montana, for example, has a total of 5: 1 Fresh, 2 Grey, and 1 Black > water tanks plus a fuel tank for the generator. <G> > and maybe two or more propane tanks. Whoops! did i cuss by saying > propane? > > s snip You better watch out outor the antipropane a.shole will be all over us. SignatureMatt Delete nospam for email "Where did you say we are going again, Dear?" >> and maybe two or more propane tanks. Whoops! did i cuss by saying >> propane? >You better watch out outor the antipropane a.shole will be all over us. Except for those of us who filtered him long ago.... GB in NC > You better watch out outor the antipropane > a.shole will be all over us. Now you folks are TROLLING for the troll. Sheesh! :( (No wonder so many good users have given up on usenet for the moderated forums. I'm getting tired of daily creating more entries into my kill file, valiantly trying to keep the "noise level" below the "signal". It's terrible. Still, I hate web-based discussion groups.) Why don't you write about RVing? Signature<sigh> JR >> You better watch out outor the antipropane >> a.shole will be all over us. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > file, valiantly trying to keep the "noise level" below the "signal". > It's terrible. Still, I hate web-based discussion groups.) Did you ever notice how a good fist fight or brawl outside the bar gathers a larger, more animated audience of onlookers than a reasoned, rational, boring scientific debate inside? Trolls thrive for the very same reason - it's human nature to enjoy conflict. -- W. Mouch, State Science Institute > "Jim Redelfs" <jim.rede...@NOSPAMredelfs.com> wrote in message > > Did you ever notice how a good fist fight or brawl outside the bar gathers a > larger, more animated audience of onlookers t > -- > W. Mouch, State Science Institute I prefer to watch a goof fist f.ck! > Does anyone have an idea of why there are two tanks in RV's? Black > water and gray water. I ask this because keeping the black tank clean [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > solids and quicker breakdown. Ideas and comments please... ( serious > ones ONLY PLEASE ) I heard it was because RVers are conservation-minded. The gray water tank can be plumbed for re-use to wash the RV while the black water tank contents can plumbed to the kitchen be re-used to save on the grocery bill. I hope this helps. Shad O'Shay (knows why RVers are so full of sh*t)
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