Can you Leave Your RV Sewer Valves Open?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- We'll show you what NOT to do with your sewer valves, the problems it can cause, and a few tips on how to avoid it! This is a common question I see in owners groups all the time. Though most people relate the question to new RVers I've seen plenty of veteran campers do the same thing!
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I think in a list of your best videos, this one is definitely number 2.
I see what you did there😅
Now that's a Crappy joke 🤣
😂🤦♂️
I'm groaning yet laughing at the same time.🤣🤣
@@muzerhythm2242 mission complete
I'm thinking the sewer scene from the movie RV!
That entire movie is a treasure
I love watching the poo go through the clear elbow. Show of hands--are ya with me?
I have seen plenty of sewer hoses left on the ground at camp grounds, why, because they sprung a leak. One of the main reasons sewer hoses degrade, is many RV'ers use the rear bumper to store their sewer hoses. After all, that is where many RV'ers are told that is where they are meant to be stored. While it is true, the rear bumpers are designed to fit sewer hoses. That is the worse place to ever store them. The metal slinky in the sewer hose is a dissimilar metal to the metal the bumper is made of. This causes electrolysis between the dissimilar metals and results in catastrophic failure of the sewer hose. The metal slinky in the sewer hose basically reacts to the metal bumper and kind of pickles itself, swells and degrades until it starts cutting the plastic of the sewer hose. Then when you need to use the sewer hose to empty your tanks, holy s- - t, it springs a leak. You are lucky if you notice it when it might only be pin holes. Other times it massively shreds itself and you can guess or know the results. Many RV'ers just constantly replace these sewer hoses, some of us just do it yearly.. The way to avoid this problem is to store the Sewer hose in a plastic tube under your RV. You can purchase plastic tubes made specifically for this at places like camping world or you can make one and save a couple of bucks by using a large piece of PVC pipe or PVC fence posts from places like HDepot. My last RV I sold had the original 11 year old hose that was used a lot. That hose was like new when I got rid of that RV. I will never store an RV sewer hose any other way but in one of those plastic tubes mounted under the RV.
Those tubes really are great and the bigger ones can easily fit things like your hose fittings as well
@@JoshtheRVNerd Hi Josh, People just do not realize that the sewer hoses (at least the quality ones) are made for longevity, but that the square tube rear bumpers actually destroy them. Also it is a waste of time to keep replacing them. I hope people read this. Thank you.
I made a big PVC storage tube for my Rhino! So far so good!
@@Joe26003 Great idea
@@arlenewolf5260 thanks! I’ll investigate, Dave!
And the one thing I always try and do is start with 5 or so gallons of water in the black tank just to have a little head start before adding solids.
Oh man
Absolutely
This all the way
I usually put about 2 gallons of water down the toilet when we set up to avoid the poo pyramid..
You should put a gallon or two of water in the tank with the chemical at the start.
"Boom! pink eye!" ... my new sales pitch for sewer hose kits that includes gloves
Hahaha
This will be our 3rd summer camping. Couldn't go last year. Next week will be our 1st trip since 2019. Still feel like newbies. We learned the hard way about leaving the grey tank open. Not because things dried up. Got sewer gasses smell in the camper. And it was in the 100s that trip. Its a small 19ft. So, that smell stays with you.
Woof. Yeah. People don't realize how the grey tank can often smell even worse than the black if you can imagine that
So everyone just needs to figure out how and what works best for their individual situation! I also use paper towels and wipe out all cooking oils, meat fats, butter from all pots, pans frying pans to keep oily stuff from my gray tanks along with using Dawn dish soap that does cut through those types of THINGS
We have a septic tank at home so we use the "septic safe" TP from the grocery store. Never had a problem.
I just saw this. This IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT video yet. 😮
I am also a rhino flex hose user too. A clear extension at the RV hook ups is a nice addition. I also like using the drop INS to help break down the solids and reduce the smell from the black tank. Another sanitary thing is to use a separate hose and pressure reducer For the black tank flush. Another tip for dumping the tanks is after everything is hooked up crack the Gray valve to check your connections. Cleaning up Gray water is a lot easier than the black water. Great video RV nerd keep up the good work.
I will agree with your video.. LOL
In all but ONE regard, which you didn't touch on here, and it's really not within the scope of the "valves open".. but I'll toss it in here anyways...
If your using a 12V External MACERATOR.. do NOT use the RhinoFlex coupling at the tank outlet! Sadly, the fitting on the rhinoflex 90 degree coupling is NOT rated for any back pressure that a Macerator may cause, and it WILL separate. Trust me, I learned this the hard way, and poop showers are NOT fun! If, like me, you want to be ready for anything and you bought a macerator to fill up your "schwaggon".. use the Valterra clear 45 degree elbow, it's ONE PIECE, and rated to handle far more pressure than your Macerator could ever cause to back up when dealing with the tank. The discharge side of your 12V Macerator is very low pressure, even at 25', so you CAN use the RhinoFlex there without any major worries.
As for the "bare hands".. well.. some of us don't have much of a choice due to injury and/or disability in our hands making wearing gloves a huge no-no for mostly anything.. for dumping, I *ALWAYS* keep my 2nd fresh water hose handy, ( we all have a 2nd hose and a y-gate to hook up to the park water right?) , wash with bleach water and rinse off everything before starting, and when I'm done, and ALWAYS wash my hands before, multiple times during, and after. Yeah, it's not ideal, I agree.. I'd much rather wear gloves.. but when you can't feel your fingers or hands with them on, your a much bigger accident waiting to happen. Just putting it out there so that people don't look at someone not gloving up to deal with the "dooty" as well.. disgusting. I don't much prefer it, but I also don't prefer broken fingers or hands from slamming into things either, so it's the lesser of two evils really. Yes, it's not ideal.. but if you want to enjoy things, you do what you need to do.
Oh man - good point here. Didn’t think about it
I use the Rhino Flex 15' dump hose and also carry a 10'
It’s also Recomended to not leave the valves opened when hooked at a site because nasty bugs from the camp site tanks can crawl up your tanks and work their way up your plumbing. Great video. Thanks.
Add lots of water to the black tank before using your toilet and put in some Happy Camper to break down the paper and poop, then it’s ready for use.
Good advisory here
I just started living full time in an RV due to the lack of student housing in my area. This video answered all my questions in it. Thanks!
Here in Utah, there was a news story on TV about students buying RVs to live in while going to school due to the high cost of apartments!
I left my grey tank open and within 3 months had an incredible clog of hair grease and just nastiness. I then had to have someone come out and power wash the inside of my tanks to break the clog. So yeah keep em closed. Thanks Josh for educating the masses.
Yeah grey buildup is a nasty thing
I like the Rhino Flex also!
THANK YOU SIR ...YOUR SIDE BAR INSTRUCTION OF SEWER ACCESSORIES AND WHAT TO DO MAKES ALOT OF SENSE...(WHEN I GET A RV, THAT IS)
Thanks for all the info, learning over here! We are new to having a bathroom and have barely used it.
IT'S A DIRTY TOPIC BUT SOMEBODY GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT. Good tips for the people MR JOSH
Great video Josh. I always use rhino flex hose and fitting. Thanks for sharing brother👍👍
Sewer hose storage tips, tricks & ideas.
Especially on toy haulers that don't have a storage tube for sewer hose.
I mean the first thing I thought of is "add the tube"
They're readily available aftermarket
@@JoshtheRVNerd I was thinking of that also but wasn't sure if it was available or not.
Thanks much.
I have also put a black tank chemical pod in the gray tank... I also put a 3rd pull valve on thr main hook up befor the cover to prevent spillage from what does not drain after valves
What a great video. I knew about pulling the gray tank second but i had no idea about letting the black tank fill up. I just figured keeping the b tank open all the time was better. But your explanation now makes perfect sense. Thanks for explaining this crappy topic.
Toilet paper recommendation: test it yourself. I ran a small experiment 2 years ago, put two squares of three different brands of TP in identical Tupperware dishes with the same amount of water and gave each a small shake. Let them sit for an hour. Guess which one broke down the slowest? The "RV" brand. Our Sam's Club TP broke down the best. It's what we've used ever since
Great tip!
Thank you for the info. Was not aware of the gray tank threat
It's very minor by comparison but "theoretically" should be treated the same
I've used a lot of different hoses love the rhino flex
I am new to life in RV and I have a vintage( old) RV that serves as my home. Thank you for your simple and good information.
Thanks Josh, more great tips! Much appreciated, your in a class all by yourself, Aye!
Wow. Ty Bruce
Thanks so much for addressing the grey tank! I have long hair and shed worse than a husky and am concerned about the hair over time in the grey tank. (OXO makes a variety of styles of shower drain strainers which help a bit).
Love the rhino flex! I would also recommend adding a gate valve to the end, nothing worse then taking the cap off and a little something comming out.
Very good video. Very specific. Having lived in an rv full-time, I echo your advice wholeheartedly. It freezes during the winter here, so I wrapped our water line in tape as well as the sewer hose.
TY Linda
Best tank treatment....Happy Camper. I also use it in my gray tanks.
I like to test out things so pull the gray and make sure everything looks good. Then close the gray open and the black drain, black water flush, reopen the gray and clean the hose.
That's such a good idea
Found that out the hard way. Thank God . The manager at McCall rv resort came to my rescue. Spent an hour flushing out my tank. My hero
Bet you'll never do that again!
Enjoying the tips. Just got my first travel trailer this year.
Congrats! Hope you make some great memories. We have plenty more to learn from on this channel!
I do have the rhinoflex hose good stuff
Thank you so much for this information. I am new to all of this and so any good info is so much appreciated. I have been researching this stuff for a long time....so I can purchase my rv. And knowing things like is is valuable! You really do rock, Josh. I think you should do your own Ted Talks about RVs!!! Just saying!
Glad it was helpful!
Great Video! Glad I caught it!
Ty for watching!!
Thanks Uncle Josh you didn't poo pooh the subject. You stepped right in it and your shoe is still clean. Right to the point thats why we enjoy watching and learning from you. Keep up the great videos and the rving tips and tricks. By the way it hot here in Dallas.
Some mighty fine ten ton punnage there
Thanks for the good information.
We use pretty much all the rhino stuff to Josh , dealer recommended and just years of good luck with their stuff !
Awesome ty
I have learned more watching your videos then from any of the others I’ve seen. I’m sort of a fabricator/mechanical builder/do it yourself guy with a pretty good grasp of physics and this was a good eye-opener. Much obliged Josh.
And thank you very much for the kind words tonight
Thanks for the info, we are going from a boat to an RV and I was thinking of just leaving the hookup open. I did not think it thru. Been watching a lot of your reviews on RV's and tips videos. A huge thanks for all the great information you are sharing. Having a youtube channel, I know how much work and personal time it takes to put all of this together.
Glad it was helpful! Welcome to the RV Nerd Herd lol
Great educational video! We do everything you mentioned - winner! 🏆
Awesome! Ty for watching
First trip out, great info especially the poo pyramid, never looked at it that way. Great info.
Hopefully you never have to look at it that way 😆
Use and like the RhinoFlex 15 ft drain line. Came with the clear elbow and added the straight clear attachment at the trailer outlet. No guessing. Worth the little extra cash.
We learned this the hard way! 😳😳
Man.. bet you don't do that again
It's so easy to do. On the surface level it just makes sense
Then, once it's too late you're like "oooh noooo"
Use good quality chemicals in the black tank, take a flash light and look in during the clean out. Flush, flush again. I usually flush 3 to 5 times and look inside. After cleaning, put some water and chemical in the tank. I also put chemical in the grey after flushing. I want my tanks clean and no issues, a little extra effort goes a long way to pleasant camping....
You won't regret flushing too much.. but you may well regret flushing to little!
Video is a great example of what you should do, great going Josh
TY Richard :)
Good stuff! I could care less a good hose costs 4x more- That's what I'm buying!
Yeah sewer stuff... you don't want to skimp on sewer stuff
@@JoshtheRVNerd been there done that with my grandpa whos always trying to save a buck it's no fun when that cheap hose or fitting fail and they almost always fail when dumping the black tank.
I mean this with all sincerity, thanks for taking me there. (It actually was very informative.) Tony
TY for joining us :)
Thanks Josh.... You handled this subject well.
Well thankya!
Thanks. Good info.
On my Dad’s camper the Rino flex works great. The only thing it didn't stand up to was a black bear, but i’m unaware of any poop-chutes that are Black Bear resistant.
LOL yeah.. bears > rhinos?
GR8 video and advice, cheers Mate!
Ty!!
I leave the gray water open all the time, no issue. def not the black, and I flush it every week. Full timer here. Also get drain covers for the shower and sinks, keeps the sewer fleas from coming up.
Great information Josh, thank you 🙏
My pleasure!
For my end of season, I take the shower hose (if it reaches) and fill the black water tank with hot water through the toilet. Helps to break down the chunks.
I totally believe in having the tanks as full as possible when dumping!
The clear Rhino blaster 45 elbow at the camper connection since our Wolf Pup doesn't have a black tank flush. Also have a hose flush connector for when we're done dumping and flushing
Josh your a national treasure,u call a spade a spade thank you
TY Steve. I try buddy! :)
Thanks for the info. We are newbies to the rv world.
My pleasure!! Hope it helps
Recently found your channel, like this morning. Great content. We have been RVing since 91. Started with a fifth wheel, and were trained by the Service Department Manager how to take care of our unit. Class room setting for an hour, and then 2 hours hands-on with unit. Fast forward 5 units later, have never had instruction offered with any new ones. As trained, we keep valves closed, when ready to dump tanks, we use rhino hoses, of course, I take 5 gallon bucket of water to restroom. Going back outside, I dump black water tank, once complete, going inside I dump 5gl water down toilet. Going outside I close black water valve, then open grey water valve, thus flushing hose. Once complete I place 5gl water in toilet, toss in a cleaner packet. I pour 2gl water with 2 tablespoons of dawn dish soap down the shower. We leave campground, our tanks are cleaned as we drive down the road. Never have had a problem, even with tank sensors. Thanks
I recommend a gate valve as well, just to keep accidental spillage from occurring. I have a clear rhino extension at the top and bottom of my rhino flex and carry an extender, just in case. Also, it’s a good idea to get some sort of support to give your stinky slinky a good angle to at which to drain, and there are a million out there.
Great advice and explanation!
Ty!!
We needed this info ! Thanks,
My pleasure! Glad it helped :)
Facts about the sewer hose , I have a rhino flex 15 ft and I ended up needing a 10 ft extension I went cheap from. Walmart ,well I found out what cheap does when golf ball size hail came flying down on my rv. It completely destroyed that Walmart sewer hose and the rhino flex was absolutely unharmed lesson learned!
Josh number 1 in a number 2 system. lol. So many people have no idea where their food comes from or goes when they are done with it. Good video helps to explain to even experienced people why the tank does not seem to empty any more.
Lol ty
Love the Rhino flex. I replace the whole kit every year instead of waiting for something to fail. Also, before opening any valves, double check all your connections! The force of the water/etc. will spin open a loose connection and create much panic!
Oh man.. great tip
Camco makes a bayonet valve that connects to the end of the outlet then you can put the cap on that, it's like a fail safe incase a valve leaks.
I use the rino flex. It lasts longer than other brands I have used. I need to get one of the clear elbows
I keep finding great videos on your channel.
Tons of useful information.
I’d appreciate a video covering what you do to stow the sewer hose once your done using it.
Perhaps on an FSX 190 RT? I know some trailers have bumpers used for storage but the toy haulers must have a different solution I imagine.
I'd add one of those belly hose holding tubes
Trip over a sewer hose at night? Wrap several pieces of reflective tape on them, same for water hose, and electric, easily seen at night. Works very well.
Brilliant. Super simple
Thank you
For those without the black tank flush can use the Rhino Blaster. That’s what I had when I had my Jayco 184BS.
Great advice as always! I have the same Rhino Flex sewer hose but I’ve heard that Lippert makes a great hose that’s completely smooth inside so it’s easy to flush everything through and keep it clean! I’d like to try one but also heard they’re expensive!🤔🤷🏻♂️
Smooth hoses work, they seem to take up more room plus add weight. We use the supplied water at Most Dumping stations to rinse inside hose, before storing.
Been building a playlist of camper tips for a while now and I noticed most of the videos are from y’all. So I definitely appreciate the quality information you put out, thank you.
A little :) doesn't do the smile you just gave me justice. Thank you :)
I like the Rhino Flex hose. I've tried a couple of more expensive ones but went back to Rhino Flex.
They're my general pick as well
Very informative. Also leaving your valves open let fumes come up from the sewer. I only open my valves to dump then close them back.
Absolutely. Leaving them open is just a constant recipe for disappointment
That is what you should call these videos " word with the nerd"
lol I just might :)
We use the lippert waste master system love it
I've been curious about those. TY for the input
Great video (a little stinky though lol) thanks for sharing you are right on the money Josh, I had this conversation with a fellow camper the last time out this guy was asking if I was leaving when he seen me dumping the tanks on my travel trailer, I explained to him what was instructed in this video, he apparently was one that hooked sewer hose up and opened all the valves, I noticed when they were leaving the campground when they we’re breaking down hoses it looked as though they had a mess,
lol
Love the pun :)
Thank You for another awesome tutorial. Over a 10-year period we spent approximately 1650+ days living in our 5th wheel trailer while work camping in Wyoming. We wish we had access to these videos back there and then.
Due to the harsh conditions of living mountainside at 8,000 asl, we had to keep the water running 24 hours a day to keep from freezing the water lines of the camper and campsite. Hence, the gray water tank drain remained open until we could be sure of the weather. Flushing the gray tank after being open for months proves you to be correct. We were luck not to have clogged the gray water drain with the despicable buildup. (5º F after a 10" snowfall was our coldest night and with ingenuity nothing froze up.)
Thanks again!
Ty for sharing some real world experiences with everyone
love your tips n tricks n honsety great job n the quirky comments are hilariious
Ty Terry :)
Rhino is the best! Just bought our 3rd one, as we sell our gently used RVs with the gently used Rhino.
Great tip Josh. Rhino Flex is the way to go. I also would recommend the serpentine thingy that keeps your hose off the ground. And I do not store my sewer hose in the bumper, never. It never seemed like a good idea to shove your plastic hose into a tight metal space that could rip, tear or put pin holes in it from being dragged over rough metal.
Never had a problem using the bumper storage. But I also use the Rhino Extreme hose, which is much tougher than the average hose.
First upgrade was a Rhino Flex hose system. 2 lengths because your sewer hookup may be quite a distance away. And don't forget the donut sewer seal ring! Some campgrounds require them! Another good way to keep your black tank clean"er" is put a 3rd tank of water and a bag of ice in before a trip and empty when you get there.
Good call on that
Very good review of dumping. I use all your products indicated. We have camped in 5th wheels for probably 30 years and with different rigs there is different options with them. The one thing I think you missed is an added valve on the end of the RV outlet. I have found that to be a must have. Almost always you have a small lingering of liquid in the end of the run behind the cap. The extra valve answers that issue.
Thx for the tip!!
Valterra Flush King 45 Degree Reverse Flush Valve Attachment. Great way to keep your tanks flushed out
I personally use a 45deg elbow right where the hose connects to the ABS. Doesn't slow the flow down as much as a 90, and easier to see what's coming out, especially when the sewer end is 20ft from your tanks. I also use a combination of the tank flush and a PVC wand. PVC wand can direct spray where you need a jet, and fills the tank up decently quickly for flushing.
Also not sure how picky folks are about flushing but after camping, I always flush the tank several times until the water coming out of the black tank is clear and has no signs of solids in the water. Surprised me a few times where I thought the tank was clean and all of a sudden, a wodge of TP goes rushing past, one less contribution to the pyramid.. :-)
I tend to also subscribe to the belief that the better to over flush than under
Everything you say is true, Josh. The other reason not to leave your tanks open, is if your camper has a sewer roof vent, you stink up the entire area, don't do it......
Ah, good call
Thanks a lot for the info videos, I always had a wand with a sprayer. And I always would put some water in my blank tank as soon as I hooked up. And I'd let my tank build up to almost full. I also used the more expensive marine grade tp, and always put the breakdown powder in the tank as well. Used the sprayer wand afterwards the make sure there was no hanging dangers anywhere. I never had and problem with smell or anything and the kids were told to use the bathrooms in whatever park we stayed in during the day. At night that was a different story. We also tried using their showers as well but 3 minutes per quarter just didn't get anybody very clean and the water was either Luke warm or blasting hot. So mostly we used the tub for the kids and I didn't bother to wash my hair while on vacation too many quarters or in my RV not enough pressure to actually rinse out the soap properly. So the showers at the pool were used before entering the pool and after to rinse out the chlorine. I love that new clear sewer elbow, wish I had that when I emwas camping and an outside flush.
Thumbs up for "Hanging Dangers" -- that was poetry right there lol
Poo pyramid that is a good one
I think I can tell if a tank is empty the main purpose of the see-through connector is to see if any solids are still coming out or if it is Clearwater
Had the Pyramid issue in new 5th wheel in 70’s on the road to Colorado from Ohio. We didn’t know. Some Dealer guy came onsite and explained the problem.
Was a real job getting it to clear out. We learned the Lesson.
Got a Clear, Valved Backwash twist on for our 28 ft trailer while we had it. Still have all the Gear, need a new Rig to put it on. 😉
I know a few people that could assist you with that 😉
Thanks Josh. I heard from a most unreliable source that leaving the grey tanks open was ok. So tonight, mid video, I paused, put on my headlamp and went outside to close them. (2 grey tanks)
So thanks, josh the buzz killing RV nerd. 👍
Read thru the comments here. You'll find a few folks who had left their grey tanks open & didn't like the result
It's a MUCH slower buildup in the grey tank. Extra water when flushing is your friend
We are camping this weekend I will shoot a quick video of how the lippert waste master works
Drop me a link. Would like to see it!
Rhino flex best money spent
Josh thank you!! Someone tried to tell everyone in an Rv group “you can leave the valves open and put a “pee trap” bend in the sewer line.” No. No you can’t. He said I was crazy. My response was “Okay go ahead and keep doing it, your Rv service dealer will love handing you a giant service bill.”
Some people just want to see the world burn..
And backup with dookie
@@JoshtheRVNerd Their just doing it all for the dookie.💩