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Black Tank Flushing Hack


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This is a copy of an article from my Substack: Oliver's Travels - Travel and adventures in a 2022 Oliver Travel Trailers Legacy Elite II hull #961

With a relatively small black tank (18 gallons) in an Oliver Legacy Elite II travel trailer, I find myself dumping the black tank frequently enough that I wanted a way to avoid pulling out a black hose and doing a hose swap in order to do a black tank flush as part of the process. Instead, I wanted to hook up to city water one time and be done with it.

I use the optional aluminum front basket for a water filtration and softener system along with drinking hose and wheel chock storage. My hack is to cut a black hose to exactly the right length to connect the beginning of my water system back to the black tank rinse. This, along with a Save A Drop water meter allows me to quickly do a black tank flush without ever connecting or disconnecting any hoses or worrying about overfilling the black tank. After dumping, I will typically close the black valve, then add about 12-15 gallons of water before dumping again. This fully flushes the black tank and then allows me to easily put another couple of gallons into the tank before closing the valve again. This latter step is particularly important as you should never let a black tank go dry and there should always be sufficient water in the tank to keep things diluted and moving around, especially when driving.

As an extra health and safety measure, I added a one-way garden hose check valve between the brass Y fitting where my fresh water is attached and the output to the black tank flush hose.

 
https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43 A) City Water in from spigot; B) Save A Drop digital water meter; C) One-way check valve; D) Water out to San-T-Flush black tank rinse.

 

 

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43 This black hose is cut to fit tightly against the trailer and stays in place all the time. The 90 deg fitting allows for a cleaner and less awkward setup.

 

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43 Brass 90 degree fittings with tightening lugs make connecting and disconnecting fresh water hoses much easier.

 

 

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43

2022 Legacy Elite II, Hull #961 towed with a 2013 F-150 Platinum SuperCrew with the V6 EcoBoost

Follow us at https://oliverstravels.substack.com/

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We don't usually add much  water to the black tank. It's so small. Just a quart or so, to dissolve the treatment packet or liquid a bit.

If we have even a pit toilet in the cg,  we use the campground facilities, especially for solids. Makes the tank go further. 

Btw, I can't see any of your photos.

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Buy a better quality double check valve to isolate the sewage from the fresh, your garden hose check valve is nothing but a vacuum break and they are less than reliable, There should be a check valve inside the Ollie, but you can never be too safe when dealing with E. coli. The inside one could jam open.  I have some reservations about the overall design, but if you are always very careful, you may be OK. Or may not be😳

https://www.waterregsuk.co.uk/news/newsletter/categories/installer_news/non-return_valves/

Try reposting your pics, I don’t see anything but urls, I can open them in a new window but that is awkward at best. Save the images onto your device or computer, and then attach them to the post. That uploads them to the forum server. 

Like this….

John Davies

Spokane WA

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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I missed that. Scrolling too quickly, I guess.

We carry two hoses.  I think many people do. 

I'd never connect my freshwater hose to the black tank flush. No matter what's in between.

Thank you, @John E Davies.

  • Like 6

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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I do find that four days is pretty much max on our Black Water tank before it need dumping. I do start out with 3-4 gallons of water in the tank, I feel I want my tank pretty much fluid and no chance of clogging up, that's just me, not necessarily need to be done that way. Yes I have a Honey Pot and carry it with us when we will not have sewer dump at our campsite. I have a sewer dump at home, so dumping and flushing 2-3 times is no problem for us, I like my tank clean when not in use. 

trainman 

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2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears.

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Sorry about the photo issue. I don't think I can edit the original post (at least I haven't found a way to do it) but the Substack page with photos can be found here. Appreciate the thoughts on the check valve. I do have a virus guard filter as the last of three stages in the water filtration system so I'm comfortable that I'm ok with this setup. I find it to be a time-saver and useful. 

2022 Legacy Elite II, Hull #961 towed with a 2013 F-150 Platinum SuperCrew with the V6 EcoBoost

Follow us at https://oliverstravels.substack.com/

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58 minutes ago, Gooey said:

Sorry about the photo issue. I don't think I can edit the original post (at least I haven't found a way to do it) but the Substack page with photos can be found here. Appreciate the thoughts on the check valve. I do have a virus guard filter as the last of three stages in the water filtration system so I'm comfortable that I'm ok with this setup. I find it to be a time-saver and useful. 

What about the campground water supply? How do you feel about contaminating that?

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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On 6/17/2022 at 9:58 AM, Gooey said:

This is a copy of an article from my Substack: Oliver's Travels - Travel and adventures in a 2022 Oliver Travel Trailers Legacy Elite II hull #961

With a relatively small black tank (18 gallons) in an Oliver Legacy Elite II travel trailer, I find myself dumping the black tank frequently enough that I wanted a way to avoid pulling out a black hose and doing a hose swap in order to do a black tank flush as part of the process. Instead, I wanted to hook up to city water one time and be done with it.

I use the optional aluminum front basket for a water filtration and softener system along with drinking hose and wheel chock storage. My hack is to cut a black hose to exactly the right length to connect the beginning of my water system back to the black tank rinse. This, along with a Save A Drop water meter allows me to quickly do a black tank flush without ever connecting or disconnecting any hoses or worrying about overfilling the black tank. After dumping, I will typically close the black valve, then add about 12-15 gallons of water before dumping again. This fully flushes the black tank and then allows me to easily put another couple of gallons into the tank before closing the valve again. This latter step is particularly important as you should never let a black tank go dry and there should always be sufficient water in the tank to keep things diluted and moving around, especially when driving.

As an extra health and safety measure, I added a one-way garden hose check valve between the brass Y fitting where my fresh water is attached and the output to the black tank flush hose.

 
https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43 A) City Water in from spigot; B) Save A Drop digital water meter; C) One-way check valve; D) Water out to San-T-Flush black tank rinse.

 

 

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43 This black hose is cut to fit tightly against the trailer and stays in place all the time. The 90 deg fitting allows for a cleaner and less awkward setup.

 

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43 Brass 90 degree fittings with tightening lugs make connecting and disconnecting fresh water hoses much easier.

 

 

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-43

The garden hose check valve is not sufficient to protect the public fresh water system. If you are going to continue this practice, you should add a back-flow protector valve. If there is every a drop in pressure in the public water system, you could be syphoning your black water contents back into the public water system. A VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE, and if someone from the town's health department every saw you doing that they would take you to court and fine you.

As alternate to your system, you could buy a Camco Rhino Heavy duty Portable Waste Wholding Tank which you can buy on Amazon.  

Please be careful with out public water systems.

As a retired sanitary engineer, I think your practice    

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2018 Oliver Elite II, Twin Bed, Hull #354 

2024 RAM 1500, 4 x 4; Gas. 5.7L V8 Hemi MDS VVT Torque; 3.21 rear axle ratio

Maine 

 

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I respect the opinions here and acknowledge there are valid reasons this is not a 100% safe idea. My feeling was that several things were in place that made it OK:

  • Y-valve that is only open to the flush when I open that particular faucet output that always has positive water pressure flowing out of it
  • San-T-Flush has a check valve
  • Black like I attached has a check valve

Regardless, you folks have given enough reasons that this isn't the great idea I thought it was. Thank you.

  • Like 6

2022 Legacy Elite II, Hull #961 towed with a 2013 F-150 Platinum SuperCrew with the V6 EcoBoost

Follow us at https://oliverstravels.substack.com/

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