Dumping Your Tanks on a Pleasure-way Ascent
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- It doesn't have to be a dirty, messy or smelly job. Dumping your tanks on the Pleasure-way Ascent is quick, easy and painless. I share some of my tips and tricks for keeping the tanks clean and saving money by using your local water treatment plant!
Links:
If you're looking for a free dump station near you try out Sanidumps.com!
www.sanidumps.com
This video made emptying tanks much less daunting. Thank you.
Thanks I needed that😊
You are so welcome
This is very informative video and emptying the tanks had me worried because I saw the movie, “RV”, and I could just picture that happening to me.
Right now, I don’t fully understand the reason for not filling up your water tank somewhere, but it doesn’t matter now because I’m still am over 2 years out on buying a Class B.
Thanks,
Dave
lol. it really is super simple and not a problem at all. once you do it you'll see how straight forward it is.
Can't thank you enough for taking the time to make this video! I've been surprised and frustrated at how many RV guides, UA-cam channels, etc, either quickly gloss over this, umm, "less sexy" part of the RV experience, or skip over it completely. When this is probably one of the very first things a layman/newbie like myself wants to know! It was incredibly helpful to finally see someone go through this process step by step. Just curious, is the routine pretty similar on your Roadtrek and other Class B's?
Yeah, I noticed too that no one wants to show the actual "dumping" part which is odd because that's the part that everyone really wants to see! Many thanks for your comment and for subscribing!
Hi Neil - just to be sure I understand, you only use Cascade in your black water tank - no enzymes or other chemical additives - thanks
I use a kind of liquid floor soap with lin-oil in it . "huile de lin" in french , its cheap /smells good and is biodegradeble for the black and grey tank,s
what a fantastic tip to share Paul! Thanks for that. I think others will find that useful like me. I think I'm going to try that as well.
I've not see any oil build up. I think using the dishwasher detergent helps to keep that under control (if it would otherwise have been a problem).
@@Ultramobility I suspect Rick Owen was asking about the use of the oil-based floor soap building up.
FYI… In the United States, the Murphy Oil Soap brand is commonly available. It has a potassium vegetable oil base, with no phosphates. Has many uses. Smells great. I have no idea if it is good to use in RV tanks or not. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy_Oil_Soap
Huh! That was waaaaaay easier and less gross than I ever imagined! You’ve just changed my entire outlook on black tanks. Thank you. I’m wondering over time if the residue starts to smell? Is it recommended to get them professionally cleaned out every so often? And if so where would you get that done?
hi, Ben! Yes it's pretty straight forward and not a hassle at all. you don't need to spend the money to get them cleaned out. i dump about a cup of cascade dishwashing detergent in as the black tank fills up. then i dump a bit more in right before i dump. the detergent helps to lubricate the sides of the tank so that nothing sticks (ever notice how slippery your fingers are if you get dish washing powder on them and you rinse your hands?) if you find it starts to smell then you can buy a wand that you stick through the toilet that sprays the inside out really well - some camper vans have a black tank flush which does the same thing. if you do these things then your tanks will never smell and you'll never have any problems.
Ultramobility thanks for all the tips, great info! One more question, what the heck is a macerater? I keep hearing that term but have no idea what it is. Thanks again!!!
Hey Ben I macerator is a pump that also has a grinder in it so that any solids will be ground down before their pumped out. The vantage of the macerator pump is that you can pump uphill basically. I had a macerator in my 2014 CS adventurous but I actually prefer the simpler gravity system of my current pleasure way Ascent.
I couldn't find the next video you spoke about at the end. Could you please provide a link? Thanks
Let me check if I actually did it! I thought I did...
Do they supply water filtration units on Class B camper vans?
Yes, the Winnebago Travato and Paseo both have water filters under the sink. You can also purchase an inline one like I have which you attach to the water hose when you fill up the tanks. Thanks for the question Anti!
Very interesting, never knew how this worked. Are there free dump sites all over the US?
Likely. I believe most municipal water treatment plants will allow you to dump for free.
Great video! Did you do one for how you handle the tanks after emptying? Thanks!
Hi, KarinLD. I have not yet but should. I do have my routine: I use powdered dishwashing detergent, about a cup in the black tank and then fill it with some water. Dishwasher detergent has sodium in it which is slick and helps to keep matter from caking to the sides of the black tank. This caking is what can cause odor down the line. I had this problem in my previous RV and decided to give the powdered detergent method a try and have not had any problems since. Plus, the detergent helps keep the odors down. It's a lot cheaper than those tank additives as well. For the freshwater tank, I add 8 drops of bleach per gallon. This helps to keep things from growing in the fresh water tank. I was having some problems with discoloration of water and since I've started doing the drops it has cleared things up. I use bottled water for drinking and only use the freshwater tank for washing dishes, hands and flushing the toilet. Hope this helps!
You put 8 drops into the water you're going to be using from the tank?
what brand dishwashing detergent do you use?
Yes but I don't drink water from the tanks. I use bottled water.
cheapest I can find: cascade powder.
I enjoy your reviews of difference class b RV. What do you think of the Coachmen Galleria, especially the 2018 & 2019 FL floor plan.
Awesome Video Neil! I’ve been learning a lot from your videos and your daughter is beautiful!
I have a question idea for one of your videos and it’s from your experience at RV Parks or places with paid hook-ups; Do you pay less for using the services at paid RV camping locations in a Class B vehicle because they are smaller and roughly are there a lot of Class B’s in the said locations? I’m just curious. Do the RV CampGrounds Keep You in the same generic area?
And when you are home do you park your Class B at your home? If not than where? Has the county you live in or travel locations ever given you any issues with Codes?
Do you need any special license to drive a Class B?
And roughly how much do you pay to insure your Class B without fully disclosing your personal info. And what type of options/companies for insurance coverage on your Class B do you recommend?
I am curious because I’m a 34 year old female that is thinking about purchasing an economical but as best as I can get for my budget but still continue to live (In a Class B because I feel more confident driving a smaller size vehicle) and work in South Florida as I have a great job but want to start living in the vehicle and travel more as it’s my actual retirement plan. This whole RV thing is new to me and it feels like the right thing to do.
And last question for now as ideas for your videos; From your experience how does the financing terms and interest rates work and how much do you recommend putting as a down payment in a Class B or just take a bigger loan amount?
Thank You In Advance Neil and Be Blessed!
One more question from left field: Since you seem to really known and have good contacts, Let’s Say there is an EMP Electronic Attack and the main grids go down, What items do you think will still work in your Class B and others? Basically which ones would keep you mobile and able to be self sufficient after a said Attack with just enough time to get out of the populated areas if such an Attack occurred?
Hi, Violet - I haven't experienced paying less for parking a class b at a campground. At some you can opt to get a site with no hookups and those are less; generally campgrounds keep the bigger rigs in pull through areas but there's not rhyme or reason to where you get parked; i do park my van in front of my house - i don't have an hoa; I've never had an citations or issues with codes; you don't need any special license to drive a class b; if you drive a double axel class a then you do; my insurance is basically the same as a car; as far as financing you're all over the map depending on the dealer; you can get good rates and loans and sometimes you can get a loan as a second home since a motorhome is considered a second home; I've put 50% down on my first RV and on this second i purchased with cash; check with your bank to see if they have good loans and rates - you should be able to get a loan that is equivalent if not better than a car loan.
Ultramobility Good to know! Thank You for all the advise and great videos!
Be Blessed!
Thanks for the great video. I have a 2017 Winnebago Era 170x on Mercedes Chassis and dealership has had to replace the macerator pump 3 times, which is unacceptable to me. I asked them if they could switch out to a gravity fed system like your video, but they said it's not possible. What do you think? I was wondering if the tanks being so low to the ground that gravity might not work? Would love your thoughts/ideas!
hmmmm, not sure. i'd have to take a look at the location of the tanks. my experience is generally these manufacturers put macerators in because the placement of the tank won't allow for the liquid to flow freely so they need to pump it. if that's the case here then putting in a gravity dump may not be possible. however, i can't imagine that the tank is that low. it's got to be above the rear axle so from that perspective it would be possible. you'd need to cut a hole into the black tank and then fit the pipes and find a location where you could put in the dump station. it may be the placement of the black tank isn't a straight line shot to an available location for the dump station and that's why they need to pump it around some stuff.
Thank so much for your speedy reply. It sounds like it would be a lot of work/hassle on this unit I have. Hoping my legal action will give me a positive result. :)
I like your rule about not connecting to public water. However, I recently ordered a PW Lexor TS, and my gray and black tanks combined equal more than my fresh water tank. I guess I will have to be sure to watch the levels of my gray and black tanks. I wouldn't have thought of this had I not watched your video. Thanks for the tip.
Hi, Ma Me. You're right. The combined gray and black water tanks should be MORE than your fresh water tank. On the Lexor your combined tanks are 32 gallons and your fresh water tank is 29 gallons I think. So if you follow my rule and never hook up to city water, when your fresh water tank is empty you can be assured that your grey and black water thanks combined will be close to needing to be dumped. Make sense?
Absolutely - thanks!
Do you mind providing GPS coordinates for this free dumping location for when we are passing through the area? Thanks for the videos.
Hi, Dan. I use the Vallejo city water treatment plant at Address:
47 Solano Avenue
Vallejo, California, USA, 94590. It's free. Just call into the front office using the call box out front and they'll buzz you in. Near Montreal I used the public dump station at Chateauguay Address:
220 Boulevard Industriel
Chateauguay, Quebec, CDN, J6J 4Z2 . You can find a list of many dump stations using sanidumps.com. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for awesome videos and reviews. I am wondering if you or anybody, know how the black tanks of Pleasure way looks like? Is it a rectangular cube or box with the outlet on one side or is it "funneled" or tapered to the outlet connect?
hmm that's an interesting question. I think it is just a square box on my ascent directly under the toilet. I believe there is a pipe that connects it to the sewer outlet.
Thanks so much for your response. I think so too, and this is the reason I prefer to have a composting toilet. It is not easy to clean the black tank nor the grey tank because of the corners. Even at home, those strainers and plugs on sinks get mucky sometimes, if I do not clean them regularly, so I'm leery about the black tank but I think I can moderately tolerate the grey tank. I'm seriously considering getting a class B from PW, but their website shows they do not do custom. I am concerned about voiding warranty if I fit it the way I like. I really hope RV makers consider fitting composting toilet.
Did you ever add Happy camper enzyme additives to your black tank ?
Wow my black water gauge has never been accurate because of toilet paper that clings to the sensors.
john try my method of dumping some cascade down there as you fill the tank plus another cup before you dump it. the cascade helps to loosen up debris in the tank just like it does in a dishwasher. i have not had any problems with debris in my black tank since I've started this method.
Ultramobility will dawn dish soap work as well as cascade?
Hi Neil. Do you only use Cascade dish detergent in your black tank? No deodorizers? Thanks!
Is a cassette system better than standard holding tanks? Also, can these tanks freeze in cold weather?
hi there. the use of cassette toilets is very subjective. one positive is that they are held in the interior of the van and generally are less susceptible to freezing. they can also be emptied in normal toilets. but they are small in capacity and also you have to generally empty your grey tank as well so emptying your black tank can be done at the same time. some people figure out a way to empty their grey water into the cassette and then dump the cassette which is a smart idea. it helps to extend how long you can go before you need to empty your grey water tank. generally fresh water is your limiting factor is boondocking and not electrical or grey/black water tanks.