- Excerpts taken from Bill's Hints -

Hooking up to the sewer is accomplished by using flexible sewer hose. Before connecting your hose remove the twist-on bayonet waste cap that is on the valve assembly. One end of the hose attaches to the valve outlet with a twist-on bayonet hose adapter. The other end attaches to a sewer fitting for connection to the ground level sewer. Some sewer fittings fit loose while others form a gas tight seal which is now required in many states. Once the hose is properly connected on both ends, dumping of holding tanks requires only pulling the handles of the slide valves to the open position. Some of these valves are hard to access and use because they are low to the ground and the direction of opening can be awkward. For your first try do a test while the tanks are empty to see what you have to do to get them open. Sometimes a kneeling pad for your knees will be required. In general, basement models are easier to operate, because the tanks are higher off the ground. Slide valves should always be kept fully closed or fully open. A partially opened valve will allow for solids to dry on the valve track or in the drain pipes both which can lead to problems.

Always dump black water first which is the larger of the two valves. Ideally, dumping the black water should be delayed till the tank is more than half full. This ensures a strong flushing action to carry solids out of the tank and through the flexible drain hose. When the black water tank is empty open the gray water valve. This relatively clean water (from the sink and shower) will then flush clean the valve and flexible sewer drain hose. When it stops running, close both dump valves. Disconnect the drain hose from your waste connection on the RV, and rinse the inside with clean water. Do not use your white fresh water hose for this purpose. Drain and remove the flexible hose from the ground sewer connection and store it. REMEMBER TO REPLACE THE OUTLET TWIST-ON CAP.

BILL’S HINTS about Sewer Hook-Up & Dumping

• Find out for certain which light on the master control panel (1 or 2) designates black water so you can monitor it. Then you can decide when and where to dump.
• Keep either disposable or reusable waterproof gloves handy to wear while dumping. Even though you seldom come in contact with wastewater, the hose is often dirty and wet after dumping.
• Always close dump valves before storing the trailer. In warmer weather, leave a gallon of water and some tank treatment product in the black water tank. In cold weather, add some anti-freeze.
• Carry a spare waste outlet cap. If you fail to put the cap back on after dump­ing, it will probably be torn off while driving.
• Special waste tank outlet caps are available for draining gray water (NOT black water) through a standard garden hose, leading out of the campsite. Use this only when such discharge is permitted. Carry a colored hose for this purpose. (Do not use your white drinking water hose.)
• Do not leave the black water dump valve open when connected to a sewer. Liquids containing the deodorizer will drain away, leaving smelly solids behind, which can then solidify. In extreme cases you may have to replace the tank - a very expensive proposition.
• Gray water dump valves may be left open when connected to a sewer, since no solids are involved.
• If you dump black water every night, you will waste a lot of chemicals, and will generally get a weak flush of the tank. Unless you are heading into a situation where you need maximum holding tank capacity, dump only when the tank is at least half full.
• Carry an extra 10 or 20 foot length of sewer hose, with appropriate fittings installed, just in case the sewer is located too far from your waste outlet for your regular drain hose to reach.
• Flexible sewer drain hose comes in many grades. The most important feature is the vinyl mil thickness over the wire and this is the best determinate of hose quality. Mil thicknesses vary between 8 and 21 mil. Terms like heavy duty and standard can be misleading so just focus on the mil thickness.
• Protect your drain hose by supporting it. Don't drag it over rough surfaces. Even then, it will not last forever. At the first sign of brittleness, or pinhole leaks, replace it! It is not a pretty sight when the hose ruptures while you are dumping a full black water holding tank!
• If your waste valves are hard to open; spray the shaft of dump valve handles with silicone each time the valves are in the open position to ease operation.
• There are many different sewer hose fittings on the market. The black ones are inexpensive but must be used with hose clamps. Colored fittings are the upgraded versions. Whichever you decide on just make sure they’re easy to install, won’t come off during dumping, and create a good seal.
• Clear fittings allow for you to determine when the tank is clean. Use them – otherwise you will be cleaning longer than you need to and wasting water.
• Sometimes the people who design and/or build dump stations have never used one. They slant the paving the wrong way and you can’t completely empty your tanks. Use your jacks (or boards under your right-side wheels) to tilt the trailer toward the sewer connection.
• If the sewer connection is on the wrong side, or is too far to reach from your campsite, check to see if the campground has a dump station to use as you depart. Or, drive through an empty campsite when you leave, pausing long enough to dump your tanks in an accessible sewer pipe.