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Old 08-08-2008, 12:12 PM   #1
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About 6 weeks ago there was a thread relating to gray water transfer via the black tank flush inlet. The comment was made about using a cap (3") with a garden hose fitting where the sewer hose connects and then connect to a hose and a pump. Can this type of cap be purchased or do I need to purchase an extra cap and try to build the fitting? Has anybody tried this concept? I am considering using an inexpensive electric drill driven roller/vane pump. It would only be used once or twice a year.
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Old 08-08-2008, 12:12 PM   #2
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About 6 weeks ago there was a thread relating to gray water transfer via the black tank flush inlet. The comment was made about using a cap (3") with a garden hose fitting where the sewer hose connects and then connect to a hose and a pump. Can this type of cap be purchased or do I need to purchase an extra cap and try to build the fitting? Has anybody tried this concept? I am considering using an inexpensive electric drill driven roller/vane pump. It would only be used once or twice a year.
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Old 08-08-2008, 12:33 PM   #3
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Rich,
Camping World sells the cap with the hose fitting. A small pump would probably work as you described. I think the idea was to pump the gray water into the black tank via the black tank flush plumbing.
What I do, and it has worked well for me when dry camping, is to buy a slide valve with the bayonette fitting from CW and install it on the outlet of the dump pipe where you would normally hook up the sewer hose. With this valve closed I open the gray tank valve and then the black tank valve and the gray water seeks the same level as the black tank which is always lower than the gray. Then, when I don't hear the gray water flowing into the black tank anymore, I shut the two valves and continue camping. This creates a much larger gray tank.

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Old 08-08-2008, 02:18 PM   #4
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I have the Sanicon system so all that's required is to turn off the pump and open the gray and black tank valves and let the water seek it's own level. I always rinse the black tank with park water but leave enough gray water to partially fill the black tank when I'm ready to leave. I guess I don't understand why you need a 3" cap with a hose fitting for the discharge when all you really have to do is place a 3" cap on the discharge and open both gray and black valves.
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Old 08-08-2008, 02:28 PM   #5
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richf,

We have a 34H Meridian and I did the following:

Went to Camping World and bought a clear 45 degree drain elbow and a cap with the hose bib fitting and small cap for the fitting. I installed these, and when needed, do the following steps:

1) With clear elbow & caps in place, open the gray valve.
2) Open black Valve and watch for the water tranferring into the gray though the clear. When it slows, I close both valves. This buys me a few more days on the gray tank.
3) When dumping, you have the small residual in the area between the valves and the cap. I open the small cap and drain it into a small container and pour this down the dump site.
4) Then I continue to dump in normal fashion.

Works for us, and it is cheap . I think it was about $10 total.
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Old 08-08-2008, 02:56 PM   #6
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Rich - I made a transfer pump setup so I can pump from gray to black via the flush connector. I should have documented that two years ago . I'll get on that asap. It consists of a Little Giant utility pump with garden hose fittings, the Valterra drain to garden hose adapter and some hose and hose fittings. It is a quick and easy build and total cost is probably around $75 with the bulk of that being the pump.

It works quite well and is a handy gizmo to carry. (It saved me from a couple of $15 dollar pump-outs at the GNR!)
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Old 08-08-2008, 02:58 PM   #7
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This third knife valve will do what is mentioned above without any spilling or mess.Valve

I use this to shuttle water to the gray tank anytime I need to do so. Works great and no mess of any kind just attach the valve.

Procedure is close third valve, open gray valve, then open black valve. When water is done moving from gray to black((gurgling souns), close all valves.

You can repeat this several times until both tanks are full.

To dump, attach hose to third valve body, open third valve then open black valve and rinse with gray tank water as normal.

Now you can remove the valve if not needed anymore.
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Old 08-08-2008, 03:18 PM   #8
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We also use the "final valve" from Valterra solution on our Tour and it works great. We are spending the summer without sewer and get dumped twice a week, so this is very helpful.

I let the bath grey tank (with the washing machine) fill. Then, making sure the final value (on the outlet) is closed, open the grey tank valve. Then, I open the black tank valve and the grey water will flow into the black tank. This allows both tanks to stabilize at about 50% full. If I need more capacity, I open the front grey tank and then the bath tank. The way our coach is plumbed will allow almost all of the bath tank to flow into the front grey tank.

By watching the monitor (love the See Level!), I can maximize my holding tanks and have gotten as much as 160 gallons (we are supposed to have 180 capacity) out while never maxing out any tank. Works great!
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Old 08-08-2008, 04:19 PM   #9
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by THutch:
richf,

We have a 34H Meridian and I did the following:

Went to Camping World and bought a clear 45 degree drain elbow and a cap with the hose bib fitting and small cap for the fitting. I installed these, and when needed, do the following steps:

1) With clear elbow & caps in place, open the gray valve.
2) Open black Valve and watch for the water tranferring into the gray though the clear. When it slows, I close both valves. This buys me a few more days on the gray tank.
3) When dumping, you have the small residual in the area between the valves and the cap. I open the small cap and drain it into a small container and pour this down the dump site.
4) Then I continue to dump in normal fashion.

Works for us, and it is cheap . I think it was about $10 total. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Hi Tom. This is what we'd thought would be best to try first before buying a pump.

However, after reading that thread a few months ago talking about this same subject, we thought that maybe some black water would be caught between the two valves and to empty black water into the small container would not be too pleasant.

It sounds that you are getting no black water trapped between the two valves as you see it also with the clear fitting too.

Is this absolutely correct? ...that you get NO black water when you go to empty that bit of liquid that's trapped between the two valves?
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Old 08-08-2008, 05:06 PM   #10
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John_Canfield:
Rich - I made a transfer pump setup so I can pump from gray to black via the flush connector. I should have documented that two years ago . I'll get on that asap. It consists of a Little Giant utility pump with garden hose fittings, the Valterra drain to garden hose adapter and some hose and hose fittings. It is a quick and easy build and total cost is probably around $75 with the bulk of that being the pump.

It works quite well and is a handy gizmo to carry. (It saved me from a couple of $15 dollar pump-outs at the GNR!) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
---------------------------------------------
John, I have thought of doing the pumping with my macerater pump. My concern is not knowing if food particles might clog up the Back tank rinser. We use screens in the draps.
Do you have any thoughts on this.
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Old 08-08-2008, 05:59 PM   #11
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jgore:
John, I have thought of doing the pumping with my macerater pump. My concern is not knowing if food particles might clog up the Back tank rinser. We use screens in the draps.
Do you have any thoughts on this. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>We have transferred gray to black maybe six times using the pump without any problems. The little impeller pump is going to chop up soft particles and the next time you flush the tank, any debris in the flusher should be blown out. Your macerator pump should do a good job of grinding anything it encounters.
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Old 08-09-2008, 02:53 AM   #12
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Amanda,

I don't use any of the aforementioned methods but the simplest and least expensive way to have no mess looks to be the third gate valve as mentioned by Harry in an above post.

I've always been able to dump grey water using a Blue Boy, but think I might just buy the extra valve to carry along.

I have the cap with the hose attach point and have used it to drain grey into the Blue Boy but wouldn't want to attempt it with the black tank. I KNOW what would happen then!!!!
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Old 08-09-2008, 11:44 AM   #13
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I am haveing a difficult time imagining the 3 valve systems and how they work. I can see pumping grey water in the black water tank via the black water flush inlet. but with the three valves I am not seeing how you keep black water out of the gray water tank. Does anyone have pictures or diagrams?
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Old 08-09-2008, 12:53 PM   #14
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amanda_h

I sent you a PM...
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Old 08-09-2008, 12:54 PM   #15
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hi codgerbill.

They talked about it in depth in the thread referenced below. That's where I'm referring to when I asked about the trapped water between the valves.

http://irv2.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2486094452/m/...10621541#45210621541


As was mentioned, some suspect that black water will enter the gray tank.

We don't really want that because like some stated, we want to rinse our hose with the gray water.
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Old 08-09-2008, 12:55 PM   #16
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by THutch:
amanda_h

I sent you a PM... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, thanks, Tom. I'll go and read it right now.
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Old 08-09-2008, 02:59 PM   #17
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Finally I got off my duff and documented my gray to black transfer pump project. The catalyst for this was the camping reservation we had for the Teklanika Campground in Denali National Park, Alaska (drycamping at its finest!) in 2006.

I bought all of the parts in Anchorage and most assuredly paid more than if I was in the lower 48, but that's the price I paid for not thinking ahead.

Here is the pump project.
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Old 08-09-2008, 04:34 PM   #18
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CHIPPYSGT:
Amanda,

I don't use any of the aforementioned methods but the simplest and least expensive way to have no mess looks to be the third gate valve as mentioned by Harry in an above post.

I've always been able to dump grey water using a Blue Boy, but think I might just buy the extra valve to carry along.

I have the cap with the hose attach point and have used it to drain grey into the Blue Boy but wouldn't want to attempt it with the black tank. I KNOW what would happen then!!!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Doug.

Yes, the third gate is under consideration but we like the almost no expense of Tom's idea using a cap and a coffee can, actually, we have all the necessary stuff to do that now with no expense involved.

1. Clear elbow

2. Cap (Valerra cap came standard from Winnebago)


When gray tank is full, cap the clear elbow. Or attach the clear elbow with the cap attached.

Release the gray tank valve.

Watch gray water through the elbow.

Open black valve.

Gray water will then start moving toward the black tank until both are equal in volume.

Close black tank valve.

Close gray tank valve.

There now will be liquid (gray water) trapped between the valves that can be seen in the clear elbow.

Take a coffee can and hold it below the capped clear elbow.

Twist off cap.

Let the trapped gray water flow into the coffee can.

Recap the clear elbow (or you can even leave it uncapped because both gray and black valves are now closed but twist cap back on as a precaution)

Now in normal operation.

No money spent in this scenario.
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Old 08-09-2008, 04:39 PM   #19
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John_Canfield:
Finally I got off my duff and documented my gray to black transfer pump project. The catalyst for this was the camping reservation we had for the Teklanika Campground in Denali National Park, Alaska (drycamping at its finest!) in 2006.

I bought all of the parts in Anchorage and most assuredly paid more than if I was in the lower 48, but that's the price I paid for not thinking ahead.

Here is the pump project. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Quick question, John. Where to you plug in for power? ...or have you hardwired the pump into the sewer bay?

If my procedure described above doesn't work and we get black water trapped between the valves or black water starts to flow into the gray tank, we will use your pump suggestion.

Thank you so much for posting your document! Again, you're so generous to share all that you do!
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Old 08-09-2008, 05:05 PM   #20
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by amanda_h:
Quick question, John. Where to you plug in for power? ...or have you hardwired the pump into the sewer bay?--snip-- </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Amanda - you can buy the pump in a 12 volt version or a 110 volt version. I have the 110 volt version and it plugs into the outlet in the electrical bay (the one used for the engine oil warmer.)
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