In praise of BLACK tanks (1 Viewer)

[funflair]

Well actually big tanks in general and yes I know not everyone has the payload to spec big tanks but if you can it gives so much freedom, we have 360 litres fresh 250 grey and 250 black, 6 days ago we filled the fresh to around 80% and black and grey were empty, we have been away from services since and still have 25% fresh left, only 25% in the black and 50% in the grey, if the grey became a problem we can pump some into the spare capacitor of the black tank so they would be good for another week

Just information for anybody that has the option and wondered how it would work.

 

[TDub49]

Well actually big tanks in general and yes I know not everyone has the payload to spec big tanks but if you can it gives so much freedom, we have 360 litres fresh 250 grey and 250 black, 6 days ago we filled the fresh to around 80% and black and grey were empty, we have been away from services since and still have 25% fresh left, only 25% in the black and 50% in the grey, if the grey became a problem we can pump some into the spare capacitor of the black tank so they would be good for another week

Just information for anybody that has the option and wondered how it would work.

I guess not everyone can scoot around the place with a third of a ton of water on board. No wonder it's called a palace

 

[CazPaul]

You’ve been going for bike rides and pooing in the bushes

 

[DavidG58]

You’ve been going for bike rides and pooing in the bushes

I tried doing the maths in my read and gave up

 

[funflair]

I guess not everyone can scoot around the place with a third of a ton of water on board. No wonder it's called a palace

Absolutely and I did mention that

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[ceejayt]

Your proportion of fresh to grey is much better than ours - we have 250l fresh and 100 grey and find the grey fills long before we have got through the fresh. On a positive note the grey bus easy to deal with, if necessary I can drop it into a collapsible bucket and pop it in a hedgerow and I also carry a large roller tank I can empty in to and wheel away to a drain.

Still we manage around 6 days with both of us having showers without a problem. Black we can last probably 10 days off grid.

 

[Razamataz]

Well actually big tanks in general and yes I know not everyone has the payload to spec big tanks but if you can it gives so much freedom, we have 360 litres fresh 250 grey and 250 black, 6 days ago we filled the fresh to around 80% and black and grey were empty, we have been away from services since and still have 25% fresh left, only 25% in the black and 50% in the grey, if the grey became a problem we can pump some into the spare capacitor of the black tank so they would be good for another week

Just information for anybody that has the option and wondered how it would work.

Not to be sniffed at

 

[eddie]

On our camper we only have 205l black tank, so I’ll bow out of this Willy waving competition

But on the subject I have noticed many many people carrying a little plastic pot, which they slide out the side of their van and all walk (at different times admittedly) to the toilet block, faff about, then, traipse back to their van and slide the little plastic pot back into the side of the van.

Any ideas?

 

[tacr2man]

I had a black tank in my USRV lasted 2 or 3 weeks no problem , but now i use a tote tank it lasts several months

 

[cyberyacht]

Is that what is meant by the expression "Getting your shit together"?

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[The Coops]

I take it you are The filthy rich?

 

[tonyidle]

As an aside has anyone any experience of retro-fitting a black tank? Who, if anyone, can do this work? Any experiences? I ask because I can't do it myself these days and, for the same reasons, carrying a cassette has become rather less pleasurable.

 

[scotjimland]

Having owned and lived in an 36ft USRV for 5 years with said black and grey waste tanks, the only time they fall over is when you can't find a drive-over dump , or low level Elsan point.. then its a smelly bucket and lug-it job ..

.... to overcome this potential dirty job, I bought a macerator pump, it was wonderful, could pump the $hit 25 mts or more .. until the pump takes a hissy fit, blocked with daughters long hair.. then it's a very smelly job.. opening up a pump and all that crap coming out on your hands.. puts you off your dinner.

so while a traditional cassette doesn't have the capacity of a tank.. it's rarely a problem finding a place to empty it.. and it's lot less smelly than dumping 50 gallons of sewage out of a 4 inch pipe ..

I recall dumping at Mimizan aire.. into an open drain gulley .. unfortunately the wind was blowing the stench down the aire beside the other vans... several irate people came out to see where the smell was coming from.. thankfully we were leaving after dumping ... lol


see above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

But on the subject I have noticed many many people carrying a little plastic pot, which they slide out the side of their van and all walk (at different times admittedly) to the toilet block, faff about, then, traipse back to their van and slide the little plastic pot back into the side of the van.

Any ideas?

 

[olley]

Well actually big tanks in general and yes I know not everyone has the payload to spec big tanks but if you can it gives so much freedom, we have 360 litres fresh 250 grey and 250 black, 6 days ago we filled the fresh to around 80% and black and grey were empty, we have been away from services since and still have 25% fresh left, only 25% in the black and 50% in the grey, if the grey became a problem we can pump some into the spare capacitor of the black tank so they would be good for another week

Just information for anybody that has the option and wondered how it would work.

Yes you have bigger tanks than our winnie but we only do little poo's.

 

[funflair]

You’ve been going for bike rides and pooing in the bushes

Rumbled us Paul

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[funflair]

On our camper we only have 205l black tank, so I’ll bow out of this Willy waving competition

But on the subject I have noticed many many people carrying a little plastic pot, which they slide out the side of their van and all walk (at different times admittedly) to the toilet block, faff about, then, traipse back to their van and slide the little plastic pot back into the side of the van.

Any ideas?

It wasn’t meant as a competition Eddie and if it was I thought you might have trumped it with one of your RV’s, no ideas about the plastic potty but they call them a “Chocolat box” in Germany, don’t know if that helps though.

 

[Jim]

I've enjoyed big onboard tanks, and if, when full, you have a neat un-splashy way to peel some off into a bucket or small tote to empty in the normal way, then it is the best of both worlds.

We move around a lot when touring, and I have a completely irrational thing about never leaving a site without being full of fresh and completely empty of black and grey. I couldn't leave a site with a pint of pee in a tank, even when I enjoyed a 100 gallon tank. Today, even in a small van, I hate having to take the van to empty points, don't know why, but they always seem to be a bit of a faff. So bucket and chuckit works for me and my irrational tick of needing to always be completely empty of black and grey.

 

[eddie]

Before you leave it should be full, fill it, if it should be empty, empty it

That way your ready for any thing

 

[Mzracer]

I have a completely irrational thing about never leaving a site without being full of fresh and completely empty of black and grey

Not irrational, just sensible IMO

 

[funflair]

I think I am a bit more relaxed about full/empty than some people, I’m OK with 50% water and 25% black and grey as long as I know I can service in the next few days.

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[ceejayt]

I’m with you Jim - always have to fill and empty whenever the opportunity presents

 

[Gellyneck]

we have 360 litres fresh 250 grey and 250 black

Somebody at the installers has got their sums all mixed up!

Bear with me on this (the calculations).

You start off with the fresh full and the grey / black empty.
You use 250 litres of fresh for washing, bathing, showering, etc (does the bidet empty to the grey or the black?) filing the grey tank so that leaves (360-250, eh) 110 litres of fresh for the black tank.
This leaves only (250-110, eh) 140 litres for recycled beer, wine, gin, tonic, Champers, Prosecco, Cava (location dependent), fresh water (only two tumblers full though), etc, etc.
That 140 litre black tank balance capacity ain't gonna be anywhere near big enough!
Major rethink by somebody required!

 

[funflair]

Somebody at the installers has got their sums all mixed up!

Bear with me on this (the calculations).

You start off with the fresh full and the grey / black empty.
You use 250 litres of fresh for washing, bathing, showering, etc (does the bidet empty to the grey or the black?) filing the grey tank so that leaves (360-250, eh) 110 litres of fresh for the black tank.
This leaves only (250-110, eh) 140 litres for recycled beer, wine, gin, tonic, Champers, Prosecco, Cava (location dependent), fresh water (only two tumblers full though), etc, etc.
That 140 litre black tank balance capacity ain't gonna be anywhere near big enough!
Major rethink by somebody required!

I had to read that 3 times to checks the maths, from the black tank capacity remaining for Beer, Prosecco etc you need to minus any contributions made to public conveniences or hedgebacks

 

[Gellyneck]

I had to read that 3 times to checks the maths, from the black tank capacity remaining for Beer, Prosecco etc you need to minus any contributions made to public conveniences or hedgebacks

And your point is?

I understood that all FLT's (and I use that term reservedly in your case) never ever used any facilities outwith their gin palace. Something along the lines of "would never be seen dead.......". For clarity, sun loungers under the canopy whilst awaiting the butler serving cocktails is understood to be part of the gin palace.

Obviously, there are one or two known exceptions to that rule, off licences and, very occasionally when needs really must, a supermarket for toilet roll and, at a push, food when it's the butlers morning off.

But, I stand correct as I must be wrong!

 

[Threeracers]

Having owned and lived in an 36ft USRV for 5 years with said black and grey waste tanks, the only time they fall over is when you can't find a drive-over dump , or low level Elsan point.. then its a smelly bucket and lug-it job ..

.... to overcome this potential dirty job, I bought a macerator pump, it was wonderful, could pump the $hit 25 mts or more .. until the pump takes a hissy fit, blocked with daughters long hair.. then it's a very smelly job.. opening up a pump and all that crap coming out on your hands.. puts you off your dinner.

so while a traditional cassette doesn't have the capacity of a tank.. it's rarely a problem finding a place to empty it.. and it's lot less smelly than dumping 50 gallons of sewage out of a 4 inch pipe ..

I recall dumping at Mimizan aire.. into an open drain gulley .. unfortunately the wind was blowing the stench down the aire beside the other vans... several irate people came out to see where the smell was coming from.. thankfully we were leaving after dumping ... lol


see above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Full time for a couple of years and black tank that lasts a little over two weeks comfortably. I need a ground level dumping point and usually have no difficulty in finding one. I shudder at the thought of having to faff around with a bucket but luckily I haven't had to.

I have no laundry facilities in the truck so every couple of weeks I just book into a campsite, do my laundry and sort everything else. I just need to check when booking that there is a ground level dump.

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[ceejayt]

Full time for a couple of years and black tank that lasts a little over two weeks comfortably. I need a ground level dumping point and usually have no difficulty in finding one. I shudder at the thought of having to faff around with a bucket but luckily I haven't had to.

I have no laundry facilities in the truck so every couple of weeks I just book into a campsite, do my laundry and sort everything else. I just need to check when booking that there is a ground level dump.

See my link to dump map in my signature in case it helps

 

[olley]

Always found that if they don't have a ground level dump they will lift a sewer cover for you if you ask nicely. On the winnie the tanks are above the frame rails in the double bottom, so my dump valve is over 2 feet off the ground, meaning at shows when all they have is a big tank that's there just for the show I can dump into that without a problem.

 

[TDub49]

Black tanks - a toilet thread by any other name . . . .

Personally you're welcome - the thought of all that raw sewage sloshing around under the van and then spattering all over the place when you let it rip. Bad enough with 15 ltrs or so in the cassette . . .

 

[Gellyneck]

- the thought of all that raw sewage sloshing around under the van and then spattering all over the place when you let it rip.

Do they not just park over a gutter drain in a street in the centre of town, open the valve and head off for a coffee and bun whilst it's doing so? What's the problem?

 

[scotjimland]

Full time for a couple of years and black tank that lasts a little over two weeks comfortably. I need a ground level dumping point and usually have no difficulty in finding one. I shudder at the thought of having to faff around with a bucket but luckily I haven't had to.

We were a family of four, so black needed emptied quite often. At one point we were staying on a site in Spain for three months and there was no ground level dump points.. and the Elsan point was also too high to empty using a hose.. so had to empty using a bucket..

After that episode I bought a large waste hog for such circumstances .. and also a set of manhole keys which came in handy ..

After Spain we went to Morocco ... where site facilities are lets say... basic.. but managed to empty black on most sites into manholes.. on one site we had to use the squat toilets.. which were indeed dire to start and sank to high heaven.. so a bit extra poo made no odds..

there are also ways ...

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