Outside shower plumbed to black tank sprayer

troth · 04-03-2006, 09:28 AM

Anybody done this? Many times I've been at a dump station and the campground supplied water hose, if operational, has no fitting on it. So I can't rinse inside the black tank.
I have removed my shower head from the shower hose and held it tightly to the GHT fitting on the black tank sprayer; -that works, kind of. Kind of leaky and a PITA.
So I'm think of getting a second outside shower hose and cut the one end off where it goes to the shower head. Then add a male GHT (garden hose thread) fitting and I can spray inside the black tank with my onboard pump & water.
The black tank sprayer fitting already has a check valve in it.

troth · 04-03-2006, 09:28 AM

Anybody done this? Many times I've been at a dump station and the campground supplied water hose, if operational, has no fitting on it. So I can't rinse inside the black tank.
I have removed my shower head from the shower hose and held it tightly to the GHT fitting on the black tank sprayer; -that works, kind of. Kind of leaky and a PITA.
So I'm think of getting a second outside shower hose and cut the one end off where it goes to the shower head. Then add a male GHT (garden hose thread) fitting and I can spray inside the black tank with my onboard pump & water.
The black tank sprayer fitting already has a check valve in it.

rebelsbeach · 04-03-2006, 09:44 AM

Darn mousetraps....someone always builds a better one!!

Sounds like a plan!!

ronboc · 04-03-2006, 10:14 AM

I have a different brand motorhome, but that's just about what it does.

Only thing different is that the cold-water line has been plumbed off the shower line into a separate faucet with its own back-flow preventer.

I know you said you already have a check-valve in the line, but still .... (yuck)

Great idea, guy!
Ron

ISLAPP · 04-03-2006, 10:20 AM

I carry a green hose with me for the very same reason. I will disconnect the worthless hose at the dump station from it's source, and install mine and hook it up to the black tank rinser.
Probably only need a 15' section or so of it.
Usually the pressure will be better than the on-board pump and I dont have to worry about having enough water in my fresh tank or messing around with disconnecting that shower hose.
Mike

rebelsbeach · 04-03-2006, 10:37 AM

That's what I've always done too Mike,but his idea was hilarious!!

I use one of those "coiled" green hoses and I keep it in it's own little Sterlite plastic box.

ISLAPP · 04-03-2006, 10:47 AM

Here's another option. Get yourself a sanicon system from rvupgrade. With that, you can back fill the black tank with your grey tank water. It is faster than the flushing sprayer and probably as effective.
Mike

glenda1908 · 04-03-2006, 02:26 PM

Great minds must work together Rebel ! I am the "crew chief" on our rig and I also use a green coiled hose that is ONLY used for the purpose of flushing our black water tank. Little chance of contamination, but you never know. It is easy to store and always ready to use. I like to flush the tank after a camping weekend, or at least after a few days. We have NEVER had an odor issue in the coach so it must work.

Gary CA · 04-03-2006, 07:40 PM

I installed the Sanicon system on my coach. Like previously mentioned in case of no water at the waste dump, I clean out the black tank by flushing it with the grey water. The system is great and standard on the higher end Monaco's. It is the best $400 spent. By the way you'll need 20 feet of hot wire and wire covering to get to the battery bank up and over and around to the sewer compartment.

troth · 04-04-2006, 02:10 AM

Guys, I do have an RV Sanicon macerator system. But you don't need a Sanicon to back fill the black tank with your gray water. Anyhow, I don't feel that sending gray water back up into the black tank (via opening both 3" valves) is the way to "flush" or clean the black tank. I've got the built-in black tank sprayer like most of you probably have. I was just looking for a way to put fresh water into the black tank thru the sprayer.

ISLAPP · 04-04-2006, 02:38 AM

Tom,
I had forgot you got the sanicon. We werent knocking you for your thoughts on the shower attachment. Just giving you a hard time.

I personally would feel uncomfortable with the set up.
Mike

DonavonP · 04-04-2006, 06:09 AM

Tom, I like your idea. Would these GILMORE
quick connect hose fittings work instead of the two hose method? Or am I on the wrong planet?

troth · 04-04-2006, 06:27 AM

Your on the right track Donavon. Ideally, it'd be nice if Winnie had plumbed a line from the shower feed over to the black tank sprayer, because that's what I'm trying to create.
Issues to deal with:
a.) the metal panel holding the black tank sprayer GHT fitting is pretty close to the flip up compartment door.... may need an elbow or tee in all this.
b.) quick disconnects would certainly be nice, but the hose from shower is a weird size, I think 7/16" ID. Maybe with heat it would open up and be able to get pushed on a QD fitting..
c.) I'm leaning toward doing some of my own hard plumbing with tubing, tees, three way valves, etc. and do it "behind" the control panels, leaving the shower hose & shower head alone, and leaving the option to still be able to use a garden hose on the black tank sprayer.
d.) I don't know about everyone else, but I rarely use the outdoor shower. It's nice to have though, so I gotta keep the option to changeover quick-n-easy.

signed, Still Dreamin'