Just tried this method and it is marvelous! We live full time in our camper and I have been mortified how stinky our 2-year old camper has gotten. This worked amazingly the very first time and just keeps getting better. One side benefit is that my tank release handles pull much easier now also; they were getting hard to pull and hard to close. I can highly recommend this method and thank you so much for sharing it.
@@trbowlin Mr bowlin, I'm going to try your method, I'm only been full-time rving for 5 years. And I must say that I have had problems with the smells, so for one thing I'm going to start adding like you say two or three gallons of water to each one of my tanks along with the borax and I will start using a little bit of dawn soap because of the buildup of stuff in the tanks like grease and oils and things like that, for two years I haven't used any fat oil or Grease cholesterol salt sugar that sort of stuff, all my soups and everything I cook or fat oil and grease salt sugar free nothing extra added to my foods just spices, I'm down 36 lb in 5 months last year I lost 30 lb this year I've lost 36. So I'm staying away from the oils and the greases I don't fry nothing no more so I'm sure that my system is this needs a good cleaning and I will keep up with the borax and every two or three months I'll put a half a cup of Don's opener just a freshen it up and as an occasional maintenance thing to see a little bit once in awhile maybe three times a year but we'll do the Barack so after each flesh adding two or three gallons probably more like 3 gallons I could do that easily enough and that'll be good and maybe I should dump it every 2 weeks rather than go three or four weeks, and I have always I must say I have always flush my tanks three to five times if the facility will let me do it, and the facility that I've been going to for a while locally here in the town where I've been most at for The last 5 years, I have plenty of water and plenty of pressure so I can fill up my toilet in no time probably 3 to 5 minutes and it's completely full then I stick my toilet cleaning brush in the top of the toilet and leave the little flap door open some to let the air flow when I pull the valve outside has that good draw going on cuz the air coming in through the top so it drops down quicker does that make sense?. I'm going to buy borax and a couple of days and start my system rolling better, and yes I should add water to my toilet more and probably flush it more often that's probably the issue like you said with the oxygen, because if I'm saving my water as much as possible using as little as possible only enough to flush the toilet and that's not even a full bowl, that might be some of the problem I'm getting a lot of smell because it's just not a lot not enough oxygen and water in the in the hole. Okay sorry for the long message we'll give her a try and I'm sure it's going to work fine. And now that we're dealing with a hundred degree and 108° and 110 out here in the desert, oh, I want to say this even though it's been really hot and overly hot the normal out here in the desert cuz of this bad heat Wave we're having, my tanks really haven't had a really bad smell thing going on, just a small bit, just enough to notice something was going on. And I think that's a little strange, now maybe it's because I'm using a little more water, I'm not sure, but you got to remember, I'm doing nothing but plant-based nutrition, so when I take a dump in my toilet, there's no oil fat or grease going down into the toilet holding tank through the waste product, and nothing is getting greasy or oily or any other way in my cooking or in my cleaning of my dishes, so I think that's seriously helping, at least part of last year and and most of this year now since I've been really heavy on staying on top of the plant-based nutrition and not doing any cheating and eating things that I shouldn't eat to clog up my arteries. Okay I probably talk too much now have a good afternoon and we'll give you an update but a shorter one and let you know what I'm been doing and how's it working okay talk to you later my friend you have a good afternoon
@@trbowlin Mr bowlin, if this borax works like I think it's going to along with the little bit of extra water, I'm going to be a happy camper. And I'm glad to try something new to add to what I think I've been doing okay by flushing my tank 3 to 5 times when I do flush it and I always fill it up all the way to the top even with it really dirty tank loaded manure, cuz I want that first flush to be a really heavy pull and draw saw crack the lid with the with the toilet brush handle go outside and pull that valve and at that point the tank is fully full all the way to the top and then after that I'm feeling it all the way up to the top again three to five times after that flushing out watching like you say the color of the exiting water coming out the end of the hose keeping an eye on that, yeah this is going to be fun and I'll share this with my other rving friends that are nearby that live in their RVs, okay thank you sir, one other thing if you could do a video on how to make sure your tank is mounted properly so it doesn't sag and fall down, there seems to be a little bit of a problem with my gray tank coming down on one end some like the hangers not holding it properly for some reason, I'm going to look at that again and maybe have a guy look at that to see if it can be properly installed right, because my pipe from the gray tank to the valve cracked on me and when I was using some flex seal on that I thought I'm going to look at the tank itself to see what I might be able to find so I when I was underneath spraying my pipe for that little crack with flex seal I scooted over underneath the gray tank and gave it a looking at and I could see it plainly was falling down in the one corner where the pipe hooks to the tank so I thought well that's the reason why my pipe crack cuz the tank came down for some reason somehow it wasn't mounted right or something anyway I need to get that fixed or fix it myself. Have a good afternoon sorry for the extra talk
I love when MATURE, SMART, EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, such as yourself help the world. God bless you sir. God bless you and thank you. I hope and pray something wonderful happens to you FOREVER.
We purchased a used travel trailer in October. The previous owners had taken care of it pretty well EXCEPT for the tanks! This spring, we treated the tanks as you recommended, let it sit in the tanks for a month and today was judgement day. We went to our local dump station and we are very pleased! Both tanks came out squeaky clean and the odor is gone! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your knowledge! We will continue to keep our tanks maintained and will tell anyone who will listen about the Bio-Geo method!
Thanks Nina. My degrees are in Ecology and Biology so I had a micro class many years ago. Some of it stuck with me. I also got a minor in chemistry so that helped too. Your comments are greatly appreciated!
Never thought I would enjoy watching someone just talk about poop but it was very interesting. I recently moved and I'm staying in a RV and realized that my tank says it's full all the time so ima check it out. Thank you for all the information
Thanks for watching. If you want a clearer explanation of how to fix that check out this newer video I did last year. th-cam.com/video/RgCK_wV7TLI/w-d-xo.html It has been updated and is, IMO, a much better vid. Peace
As someone with a large appreciation of chemistry, biology, and truly understanding WHY and HOW something works: I very much appreciated the material in this video! Please, keep it up. ❤️
Thank you so much!!! Today, I emptied and cleaned my tanks with my 13 year old daughter. We did it all by ourselves! I’m so proud and I wanted to share this because if not for your video giving me confidence, I wouldn’t have done it.
@@kswag5759 I live full time and have for two years now (this month marked 2 years). It has been a wonderful experience. Read up as much as possible because if I knew then what I know now… 🤣👌🏾 but seriously, it’s a great life style and still affordable. Check your state laws before you buy as far as parking. Every state and county vary
There is not enough good guys out there like you Sir for taking the time to give us some educational "SHIT" that really makes a difference in a rv experience for sure. Thank you👍
I use Odoban (that's the actual name of the product) after I flush out my black tank after dumping. I put about 5 gallons of water in first, then I use 2 cups of Odoban and I have ZERO smell from my black tank when flushing now, despite it being mid-Summer and living full time in SE Arizona. I've done the Borax treatment first to flush out the tank (and free up the tank sensor at the same time) and then the Odoban and 5 gallons of water. It's never failed me! There are plenty of ways to maintain your tanks and your solution is also a terrific method. Thanks for educating us RVers.
Yes, odoban is a great product. It's used regularly on carpets and drapes. I think you're overdoing it though. 2 cups is a lot, I'd reduce the quantity your adding and see if you notice any difference. I've successfully used the borax method in 100+ temps in Tucson when I used to winter down there. Thanks for watching!
TR, a very thorough explanation. I guess I take for granted that most people have a basic knowledge / understanding of such things, but based on the comments to your video it's obvious that "people don't know Shit"! I too, am a full-timer (Monaco Dynasty) with the luxury of remaining stationary for long periods of time. When stationary, I use a timer that causes my flushing system to initiate every few days to flush the tanks with plenty of water. It took a leap of faith to quit letting the tank partially fill only to drain it every week. However, after starting with a clean & functional tank system, I've discovered throughout the last several years that my system remains crystal clear, sparkling clear and clean enough to eat out of (don't hold me to the last one). As I used to say in the groundwater remediation business: "Dilution is the solution!" I've enhanced my system to control the flush valves so I can continue to use it while mobile. I've installed redundant secondary tank level sensors & controls to make the system fail-safe - I would hate to see the chocolate fountain shooting out the vent!) Thanks Again, Scott
@@trbowlin I started thinking about it, because I noticed that the sensors used in my tanks are the same type of pressure transducer that I had designed into secondary containment systems used in my industry. These pressure transducers are mounted on the side wall near the bottom of each tank, which is the absolute worst place to mount them! They only need to experience a pressure differential as the liquid level increases... so I removed them from the bottom bung and created an opening on the top of each tank for a 5" PVC drop pipe that hangs about 2" off the bottom (to prevent bridging by solids/paper in black tank). The pipe is sealed at the top end, and the pressure transducer is installed such that it experiences any pressure change inside the pipe. When the liquid level rises above the open end of the drop pipe, a correlating pressure change occurs inside the pipe which the transducer registers as a change in current (4-20mA). By installing the sensor in this fashion, the liquid never comes in contact with the sensor... It is only sensing a change in air pressure. The monitoring system built into my coach allows for recalibration. The only negative is that the sensor does not register the first 2½" - 3" of liquid... or ⅛ tank according to my calibration. For the gray tank, I set the drop pipe just ½" of the bottom of the tank as there is little concern for bridging and plugging of the entire pipe. Frankly, the RV mfgs should use a similar configuration. Especially, the high end coaches that already use a pressure transducer for the sensor. I'm guessing they want to avoid the added expense of having to modify an off-the-shelf tank. It's worth it to me, and the 5 RV owners for whom I've performed this modification.
We have been using this method for 6 months and it work. We stop putting toilet paper down our tank and have no issues with sensors anymore after using your method.
I have had a 5th wheel for about 2 1/2 years and full time in it, and have never done any more than empty the blank tank. Of course, I’ve had problems. Your video came across my You Tube feed and I watched it last night. I didn’t have any Borax but I did have Oxyclean, which I think is like Borax. Anyway, last night I did exactly what you said using the oxyclean. This morning I hooked up the water to the black tank and emptied the black tank. Voila! after the third filling, the water came out clear!! You have literally made me a happy camper. Thank you so much for your information and knowledge. Peace!
Marvelous voice with a calm relaxed manner and a wonderfully intelligent and simplified explanation of how things should be done and why. Terrific handling of an “unpleasant” but necessary topic.
You sir are a daggone genius. Whether or not you developed the method isn’t relevant. You explained it a way that absolutely has not been done. I appreciate the time and effort you put in to educate us!
My RV is 25 years old, used for camping, never had a problem. Now I'm fulltime RV living in a park, and now I have odor issue. So glad to find your video. I'm going to use the Geo method, and use Borax. 👍👍. Luckily my sensors still work. So maybe if I jump around and shake my RV to slosh it around, lol. I love Zep products so I will get it too. This is the best video. Thank you so much 👍💩👍💩. 💓
Anyone and everyone that has an RV should watch this video! it was everything I needed to know! thank you so very much! I am a subscriber now and will continue to watch all your vids! I really appreciate your time and your in-depth explanations!! The animations are very helpful as well!! And I'm so extremely happy because I already have borax and Dawn on board!
A quick note...You should use Borax... I keep calling it boraxo because my Grandfather ran a Chevron Service Station and I used to hang out there as a kid. One of my jobs was cleaning the bathrooms and filling the old Boraxo powdered hand soap dispensers. I just can't stop calling it boraxo...
I am looking for a vidio on replacement of a window in a 1995 Catalina Coachman. ClassC. It is the window above thu upper sleeping area over the cab. It does not have screws it does not open and it is leaking a little but water is never good in the walls.
thanks for all the information on the black and grey tanks. always good to have this great information especially since we will be boon docking more often. Thanks TR
I was daunted by the 27+ min video, but I am a desperate mother who wants to see her son become a successful RVer, and by the smell of their RV, he is failing! This was soooooo informative and interesting! Thank you so much! Can't wait to do it and pass on the info to the kids. Printing you PDF for us now!
Dude, thank you. I just bought a thor trailer last week and I have NO experience with rv's. I was going over everything to see what I bought and I filled the water tank and flushed the toilet and as soon as it opened I got whacked in the face with a funk beyond recognition. I see that it was probably dry and I broke a seal of sorts. I am going to implement the teachings in this video.
OMG!! You are a life saver, you explain this so well that that I will never forget it. I had to stop looking for my Borax to send you this before i forget. Thank you so much.😍🤩
I watched this video last week because I was being run out of my RV because of the smell! I live in my RV, I just purchased it used about 6 months ago as my old RV was falling apart. I went home after watching this video and did exactly what you said to do.. I was amazed at the fast results I got. No more smell!!! Hurraaaay!! Thank you so much for this information, I am so greatful you were there for me. Works perfect!!
Yet another quick note: Zep changed the packaging look of their orange cleaner. As long as you are using the de-greaser from Zep or your favorite brand of concentrated de-greaser your okay. I'll have to re-do the video and upgrade the graphics and will work on that in the near future!
We are new to the RV thing and full time living in it now this video was good but lots of info that this moliqu this and that. I'm still trying to figure out what do I use i believe you said bleach and ammonia right. Like I said I got lost in this 28 min 🎥 that I forgot why I started watching it for sorry sir. Can you just do a simple 🎥 with out all that other stuff so I can pick up what you are talking about. And this is 1 1/2 hours of watching this 🎥. That means 3 times in a row. Im kinda slow learner but Im great once I figure it out. Thanks again
Hi, just go to my website and download this document. It is a short cheat sheet of the process. www.trbowlin.com/bio-geo-method/ I have plans to do a shorter video, but that will be this fall. I am pretty busy right now with another project. Thanks for watching!
finally. clear observation, and well-tested science applied to what is an ancient and fairly-simple component of daily life. thank you for the research and the long work you put into producing this piece. excellent work. - C
I live in my RV full time. Just moved in in Feb. Still a greenhorn! Times are tough! Thanks for such a great video. You have taught me things I never new. The explanations were crystal clear and I greatly appreciate the graphics! I look forward to watching your other videos. Thank you! Roger W.
Only fellow RV'ers appreciate that sewage flow and color! And that animation... excellent! I'm not only planning to use this method, I'm thinking about adding some twisting roads and rough dirt tracks to my route to help with the "scrubbing".
TR, thank you so much for this thorough and easy to understand video. This must have taken much effort and time to put together. I can't say how much we appreciated it as the knowledge you gave us has allowed us to maintain our black tank easily and affordably. This has greatly enhanced our enjoyment of our RV. Thank you!!
It did take quite a bit of time. I probably had 20 hours in the animations alone, but I felt like that was as much adding to my personal skills as it was instructional. Thank you very much for your kind comments!
Just got my used 2000 C class RV two weeks ago. This is the first one I have owned with a bathroom. This is my dread but know I have to do it once I get on the road. I have a feeling I am going to have that "hard" problem you spoke of. The man who had it knew nothing about RV's. He bought it less then a year ago. Took his family on a final family 6 week trip before, the last kid went off to college. So now not looking forward to those warm temps you are speaking of. Nice to know there is a cure for stink. I figured while it's in for it's checkup on systems I will have the camper place do the first tank clean and flush out to give me a start. I have also considered changing it over to a composting toilet . So will give this a go first.
I had a composting toilet in my travel trailer before I traded it in on my new Class C. The only thing keeping me from going that route again is the price. Fixed income blues. But I'm here to tell you, composting toilet is fantastic. If you go that way I would suggest "Natures Head" and if your space permits, they have an arm that attaches to the agitator that just makes its operation a breeze. One of the side benefits of it is you add a discharge valve onto where your dump end cap goes and keep that valve closed. Then you keep your black and gray tank valves opened. So since you no longer have black water, you double your gray water capacity. If I can help you with real world experience, I'd be happy to. Mike
Thank you so much! I not only have the odor, I have a clog. I am living in a FEMA camper after my apartment floated off its foundation during hurricane Ida. It filled up with mud, & was unsalvageable. As a lone woman with no prior RV experience & not handy or mechanical, your channel is a lifeline for me! There's a temporary (semi, been living here several months) black flexible plumbing hose that both black & gray water have to exit through, connected to the sewer or septic tank. My camper is way too close to it, and the hose is too long & kinks up. They said there's only 1 size. I have no clue, but now have what I guess is a pyramid clog, capstone & all! Hoping it isn't the adobe brick! I'd already squirted Dawn in there. About a month ago I thought it would be good preventive maintenance to dump a box of Rid X down there. Thinking was my 1st mistake! I just dumped the Borax in there, so now I feel a little more hopeful about the poo pyramid... If it doesn't get better I'll have to call FEMA & I'd rather not, so embarrassing, ugh! But I will know better how to prevent another clog! Thank you a million times, your explanation was perfection! So easy to comprehend! I'm so happy to have found your awesome channel there's a lot more to learn for me. I'm going to visit your website too! :)
Just call them. Don't be embarrassed. Join me on Tuesday night for a livestream at 7pm mountain where you can ask any RV related questions. I am happy to help.
as an educator for more than 50 years i appreciate great teachers....i subscribed because you meet and beyond my standard. we are about to buy our first motorhome so the past two weeks has had me watching many hours if youtube help. i have a learned a plethora of important things about RV use. if I were to rate all the videos I have learned from your Video here would be Number one. thanks fir making a crappy aspect if the adventures understandable. i am ready for quiz and the final test.
EXCELLENT video. I wish I had this information 13 years ago when I was living in an RV trailer. I LOVED living in that tiny house, but the smell from the tanks lead me to get real tired of it in the summer time. I may just get another RV & try RV living again. It's much cheaper than renting a house, & easier than trying to buy a house in the area where I work.
Well done and thorough video. I was more interested in this method for my gray tanks since we have a composting toilet. One of the several reasons we have for switching to a compost toilet, is how much water is involved to properly flush the black tank, a tremendous waste, yet with a traditional toilet, as is mentioned in the video, it is a requirement.
I agree on the water usage. I have refining this method to reduce the amount of water I use and on my list of upgrades is a composting toilet. Has the composting toilet been working good for you?
DUDE !! Thank-you for breakin’ it down “Barney-Style “ I now get it -and can’t wait to get rid of the stench ( Smells like Kandahar and the open sewage “poo-pond” )
I just have to say, this was the best video explanation of any kind I've seen on TH-cam. There are lots of information on TH-cam, and you can learn to do almost anything. But this was over the top. You made an uncomfortable subject turn into something that every RV owner should watch! Bravo to the poo.
Thank you. You can do it. Both those projects can be done if you have basic carpentry skills like measuring using power saws, etc. Take care Natalie and let me know how those two projects turn out.
I finally get it! Thank you for breaking all of this down for me 😁 We haven't bought a 5th wheel yet but we are learning so much & you are really helping us! Thank you! ✌
We have been full time for a year now and this information helped me understand exactly what to do moving forward.....Thank you so much. Will be looking forward to watching more of your videos....
Just bought our first RV, it's a used one and the tank definitely have some poop adobe build up from the way it smells. Thanks so much for such thorough information to help us understand exactly what is going on with the smell and how to conquer it. I have about 5 products loaded in my Amazon cart to try and find one that will work, will now just use some of my favorite products I already have in the house. Borax saved many items after Hurricane Harvey flood for us and yes, it DOES sweeten fabrics and many other things soaked in it. Thanks for help for a really stinky problem.
Congratulations on your new RV! On your tank, to speed cleaning, add a 20 pound bag of ice, 2 gallons of water and a box of Mortons Kosher Salt (or any coarse salt) and go for a nice long drive on a curvy road...say 30 minutes. Then dump and flush the tank. The ice and salt will help scrub the tank and break down the pyramid.
Right there with ya -- been using the "Geo method" w/Borax, liquid dish washing soap, & Calgon water softener. Not full-timers, use our TT generally 6-8 times/yr over the summer. Being paranoid about build up on sensors, have not been putting TP down the toilet either and NO problems in 2 + years either w/sensors or objectionable stink. Believe will modify my treatment however, following your advice and add the dish washing soap & Calgon only to every 3rd treatment instead of each time. Also like the idea of throwing some grey water from galley sink dish washing tub down the black tank to even out the tanks fill, and to ensure that black tank is closer to full when emptied. Am noticing more campgrounds in our state & federal CG's now have modified their rinse-out hoses at dump stations so that they can no longer be attached to your RV's flush-out fitting, and can only be used to rinse off the sewer area. So, we can now only do a flush out with full hook-ups, Boo!
Yea, your right on the dump stations with no flush hose attachment. I've built a small 1/2 hose with the female end cut off (picked up a used washer hose at goodwill) and I slip it over the washer widget and tighten the clamp. :-)
We started using your method last season and I can say, it's by far, the best treatment you can do. Those commercial treatments are good for a couple of days. Borax last's for at least 2 and 1/2 weeks, easily.
Great information on black tanks. The poop pyramid is something I haven't had to worry about, my fifth wheel is getting a little old, I've had it since 2003. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've pooped in it.
What a great helpful video. I just subscribed and will look to your library in the future as we are newbies (3 months as an rv owner now) and need all the help we can get. Will be shopping for Boraxo, Dawn, and the Orange cleaner now. Hope to meet you someday.
I've watched this video multiple times and catch something I missed each time. Your advice is straight-forward and easy to understand. Being new to Rv'ing, I really appreciate the education you are providing. I look forward to each new "how-to" video. Keep up the great work! Thanks.
thank you so much! I was looking for a solution for my pyramid for weeks, I'm kinda excited lol We just got a 2008 RV and we inherited a mighty stink lol You got a new subscriber!
I did too in my older coach. It will take a little time but it does work well. You might try parking it with the tanks full of water and the Borax and Dawn (or orange cleaner, simple green works too) for a while. if it gets to smelling add some borax. You got to let it soak a while to soften the adobe but eventually it will get those tanks clean as a whistle. Thanks for watching Monte!
Thank you so much! We are a homeschooling family preparing to take this show on the road in our RV. Thanks to you, I now know how to keep the anaerobic smells away AND I’ve got a great science lesson. You’re awesome!
I hope this helps me. My camper is parked in a campground for 5 years. I just bought it last year and every once in awhile I smell POOO!. I sure hope this helps me when I move back in next year. Thank you very much for the video.
Oh yea, it will. Here's a tip since the camper has been parked a while. Soak the tanks. AS soon as you start visiting the camper again and the weather is not freezing, fill both holding tanks with water, in the grey add the 2 cups of concentrated cleaner and 1 cup of borax and let it soak at least a week. Longer is better. In the black add 1/2 cup dawn and 1 cup of borax. Let it soak also. This will help soften the crud that has accumulated in the tanks and wash away. It will give you a big head start on getting the tanks clean and never stinking. Thanks for watching, David. Let me know how it turns out.
We are trying this right now! With the borax and dawn on our way home from a camping trip. I noticed this trip that the sensor read full right when we got there (this is our second trip with this camper) I think we inherited a black tank stank and crusty sensor. Thank you thank you for this video!! Can NOT WAIT to watch all the rest of your videos! Love your voice!
Great. Just be patient and treat the tank every trip. In a couple of trips things should settle down and start working correctly! The voice is a holdover from working as a radio DJ for 20+ years. Thanks Jessica, you guys have fun out there!
You kept my attention for 30 minutes talking about poop. Really loved how you broke down all the science. Just started my RV journey and going to start with this method from the jump. Thank you for a very informative video!
Botox seems like a pricey option but borax would be a better fit. I'm not sure about Boraxo though. That stuff is always sold out. Almost like trying to find toilet paper during a pandemic.
I've been doing a lot of research as I'm working towards in the next year or two transitioning my family to full time RV living. This was the most in depth instructional video on this topic I've seen in the last 6 months of intensive research. Thank you for this video presentation and I have to say very well done sir. Safe travels and God Bless...
Thanks for you very kind compliments. I worked hard on the video and audio so this comment makes me feel good that the effort was worth it. Thanks for watching Linda!!!
Thank you for this video. I had been using the Geo method for a year with great results. Last year I had been using Borax, Calgon and Dawn in every tank and it was getting a bit pricey. Then this year with the pandemic, I couldn't find Calgon anywhere and only found a small bottle of Dawn! So I decided to try without the Calgon and only used Dawn about every third tank to save on it. Amazingly, I had no.problem with odor, even in two weeks of 95 degree weather!! I did add more water and in that heat I upped the Borax to 3/4 cup. Now I know it was ok to do so and I can finally stop checking every store I come to for Calgon! Thank you for such an excellent explanation!
TR, A quick note to let you know how well the Bio-Geo method worked. We made a short 2 day trip and before we left I charged the Black and Grey tanks with the prescribed setup and half a tank of water in each. When we got back today I dumped both and did some serious flushing. A lot of old stuff came out and the bonus is that my tank sensors now work for the first time since we have owned the coach! Thank you - I really appreciate it! Larry Fuller
Great job on this video, TR. Some of the most helpful RV related content I've ever watched. We've already been adding Dawn to our tanks. Now to take it a step further I'm going to HD. They carry both the Zep Citrus and the Borax. Thank you for sharing this info!
It's now been a year since I tried what he says and I can confirm that this method has NEVER failed me. No odor since. No issues. Ever. The ONLY method that works in my experience. 👌
Thank you for such an informative and simple video! I'm preparing to buy a trailer, and doing a lot of research, and the black/gray water tanks are some of my bigger concerns. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. Thanks again! :)
I've never owned an RV, but I've been learning what I can for decades. This is the first I've seen about the smell problem, and it was fascinating viewing! I feel like I will have such an advantage when I get mine, and perhaps can use this to my advantage by considering units that are priced lower because they haven't been able to solve the smell problem before the sale. Thank you for your passion and excellent teaching skill. Man, I'm so much smarter now!
Have had our Tiffin Phaeton new for 10 years. We park for five months in Palm Springs. Have used Happy Camper for as long as I can remember and have never had a smell problem. I use lots of water when I flush the tank. The grey water I leave open the whole time. When I park for the off season I fill both tanks add double Happy Camper and let them sit for months before we hit the road. A good feature is our tanks have the sensors attached to the outside of both tanks so never any monitor problems. We are on a water softener the whole time but will try Boraxo when we’re on the road. Thanks I enjoy your show.
Thanks, yea flushing is more important than the product you use for sure. Sounds like you have a really good system. I just added a water softener to my rig but am still using the borax for smell control. Take care
Just tried this method and it is marvelous! We live full time in our camper and I have been mortified how stinky our 2-year old camper has gotten. This worked amazingly the very first time and just keeps getting better. One side benefit is that my tank release handles pull much easier now also; they were getting hard to pull and hard to close. I can highly recommend this method and thank you so much for sharing it.
Great to hear! Happy you are getting great results.
Thank YOU &VERY MUCH
Had a problem until we found you !! THANKS!@@
Why do you keep saying boraxo? Boraxo was a Mexican wrestler
Been doing this for 3 years now.. works perfectly ! thank you! althought I use gloves through the whole process..!
Bruh, you made a 27 minute video about poop extremely watchable. Very well done! Thank you for sharing your experience with the world.
Thanks for watching Charles!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Never saw anybody talking about crap so Elegant and very instructional.
Thanks Jose!
@@trbowlin Mr bowlin, I'm going to try your method, I'm only been full-time rving for 5 years. And I must say that I have had problems with the smells, so for one thing I'm going to start adding like you say two or three gallons of water to each one of my tanks along with the borax and I will start using a little bit of dawn soap because of the buildup of stuff in the tanks like grease and oils and things like that, for two years I haven't used any fat oil or Grease cholesterol salt sugar that sort of stuff, all my soups and everything I cook or fat oil and grease salt sugar free nothing extra added to my foods just spices, I'm down 36 lb in 5 months last year I lost 30 lb this year I've lost 36. So I'm staying away from the oils and the greases I don't fry nothing no more so I'm sure that my system is this needs a good cleaning and I will keep up with the borax and every two or three months I'll put a half a cup of Don's opener just a freshen it up and as an occasional maintenance thing to see a little bit once in awhile maybe three times a year but we'll do the Barack so after each flesh adding two or three gallons probably more like 3 gallons I could do that easily enough and that'll be good and maybe I should dump it every 2 weeks rather than go three or four weeks, and I have always I must say I have always flush my tanks three to five times if the facility will let me do it, and the facility that I've been going to for a while locally here in the town where I've been most at for The last 5 years, I have plenty of water and plenty of pressure so I can fill up my toilet in no time probably 3 to 5 minutes and it's completely full then I stick my toilet cleaning brush in the top of the toilet and leave the little flap door open some to let the air flow when I pull the valve outside has that good draw going on cuz the air coming in through the top so it drops down quicker does that make sense?. I'm going to buy borax and a couple of days and start my system rolling better, and yes I should add water to my toilet more and probably flush it more often that's probably the issue like you said with the oxygen, because if I'm saving my water as much as possible using as little as possible only enough to flush the toilet and that's not even a full bowl, that might be some of the problem I'm getting a lot of smell because it's just not a lot not enough oxygen and water in the in the hole. Okay sorry for the long message we'll give her a try and I'm sure it's going to work fine. And now that we're dealing with a hundred degree and 108° and 110 out here in the desert, oh, I want to say this even though it's been really hot and overly hot the normal out here in the desert cuz of this bad heat Wave we're having, my tanks really haven't had a really bad smell thing going on, just a small bit, just enough to notice something was going on. And I think that's a little strange, now maybe it's because I'm using a little more water, I'm not sure, but you got to remember, I'm doing nothing but plant-based nutrition, so when I take a dump in my toilet, there's no oil fat or grease going down into the toilet holding tank through the waste product, and nothing is getting greasy or oily or any other way in my cooking or in my cleaning of my dishes, so I think that's seriously helping, at least part of last year and and most of this year now since I've been really heavy on staying on top of the plant-based nutrition and not doing any cheating and eating things that I shouldn't eat to clog up my arteries. Okay I probably talk too much now have a good afternoon and we'll give you an update but a shorter one and let you know what I'm been doing and how's it working okay talk to you later my friend you have a good afternoon
@@trbowlin Mr bowlin, if this borax works like I think it's going to along with the little bit of extra water, I'm going to be a happy camper. And I'm glad to try something new to add to what I think I've been doing okay by flushing my tank 3 to 5 times when I do flush it and I always fill it up all the way to the top even with it really dirty tank loaded manure, cuz I want that first flush to be a really heavy pull and draw saw crack the lid with the with the toilet brush handle go outside and pull that valve and at that point the tank is fully full all the way to the top and then after that I'm feeling it all the way up to the top again three to five times after that flushing out watching like you say the color of the exiting water coming out the end of the hose keeping an eye on that, yeah this is going to be fun and I'll share this with my other rving friends that are nearby that live in their RVs, okay thank you sir, one other thing if you could do a video on how to make sure your tank is mounted properly so it doesn't sag and fall down, there seems to be a little bit of a problem with my gray tank coming down on one end some like the hangers not holding it properly for some reason, I'm going to look at that again and maybe have a guy look at that to see if it can be properly installed right, because my pipe from the gray tank to the valve cracked on me and when I was using some flex seal on that I thought I'm going to look at the tank itself to see what I might be able to find so I when I was underneath spraying my pipe for that little crack with flex seal I scooted over underneath the gray tank and gave it a looking at and I could see it plainly was falling down in the one corner where the pipe hooks to the tank so I thought well that's the reason why my pipe crack cuz the tank came down for some reason somehow it wasn't mounted right or something anyway I need to get that fixed or fix it myself. Have a good afternoon sorry for the extra talk
@@trbowlin sorry this phone is misspelling some
I love when MATURE, SMART, EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, such as yourself help the world. God bless you sir. God bless you and thank you. I hope and pray something wonderful happens to you FOREVER.
@MARCUS KOHL why be rude?? Isn't there enough 💩 in this world already?? Delete your ignorant comment🙄
@@59Alaskan i totally agree
@@59Alaskan My crap is kept in a tank, others like the jerk above have to spread it around. Thanks Aleah!
@@trbowlin haha, love it!!
You are welcome..😉
Keep up the good work! Thnx!!
You just stole my comment.
watched this video for the black tank cleaning and ended up learning about science I never knew about!!! Reallly awesome video!!
This isn’t my favorite video, but it is a solid number two.
Hey, this comment might not be the best one we've ever received, but it's definitely a respectable number two! Thanks for watching!
We purchased a used travel trailer in October. The previous owners had taken care of it pretty well EXCEPT for the tanks! This spring, we treated the tanks as you recommended, let it sit in the tanks for a month and today was judgement day. We went to our local dump station and we are very pleased! Both tanks came out squeaky clean and the odor is gone! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your knowledge! We will continue to keep our tanks maintained and will tell anyone who will listen about the Bio-Geo method!
I am very happy to hear this. Thanks so much for letting me and other viewers know just how easy and how well it works. Tanks alot. Happy camping!
I'm a microbiologist with a chem degree. You did your research and illustrated this so well, thank you!!
Thanks Nina. My degrees are in Ecology and Biology so I had a micro class many years ago. Some of it stuck with me. I also got a minor in chemistry so that helped too. Your comments are greatly appreciated!
Best RV video on You Tube
How kind. Thanks!
I normally don’t go for long winded videos but wow this video was absolutely packed with great information!
I’d agree if I knew what Boraxo was....I’ve heard of Boron and borax but not boraxo
What is a flush cycle? I don’t have built in flushing on my travel trailer
@@aWomanFreed I'm pretty sure you knew what he was saying. I'm guessing you'd rather just be a pain?
Never thought I would enjoy watching someone just talk about poop but it was very interesting. I recently moved and I'm staying in a RV and realized that my tank says it's full all the time so ima check it out. Thank you for all the information
Thanks for watching. If you want a clearer explanation of how to fix that check out this newer video I did last year. th-cam.com/video/RgCK_wV7TLI/w-d-xo.html It has been updated and is, IMO, a much better vid. Peace
Same! I've moved in for a month now and already I have to be dealing with the sewage problems.
EXCELLENT!!! CLEAR AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND!!!
Great to hear! Thanks for watching, Nancy!
As someone with a large appreciation of chemistry, biology, and truly understanding WHY and HOW something works: I very much appreciated the material in this video! Please, keep it up. ❤️
Wow, thank you!
Thank you so much!!! Today, I emptied and cleaned my tanks with my 13 year old daughter. We did it all by ourselves! I’m so proud and I wanted to share this because if not for your video giving me confidence, I wouldn’t have done it.
How motivating do you live full-time in a rv I plan to 1st of year
@@kswag5759 I live full time and have for two years now (this month marked 2 years). It has been a wonderful experience. Read up as much as possible because if I knew then what I know now… 🤣👌🏾 but seriously, it’s a great life style and still affordable. Check your state laws before you buy as far as parking. Every state and county vary
@@devonsiadavis2111 thanks for reply...lol ummm so if you knew what u know now would u still had did rv life
@@kswag5759 yep! I still live in the same rv, two years later! Still the best decision I ever made
@@devonsiadavis2111 im glad to hear,,everything has been goin well
There is not enough good guys out there like you Sir for taking the time to give us some educational "SHIT" that really makes a difference in a rv experience for sure. Thank you👍
Very kind of you. Thanks for watching!
@@trbowlin I totally agree!
I use Odoban (that's the actual name of the product) after I flush out my black tank after dumping. I put about 5 gallons of water in first, then I use 2 cups of Odoban and I have ZERO smell from my black tank when flushing now, despite it being mid-Summer and living full time in SE Arizona. I've done the Borax treatment first to flush out the tank (and free up the tank sensor at the same time) and then the Odoban and 5 gallons of water. It's never failed me! There are plenty of ways to maintain your tanks and your solution is also a terrific method. Thanks for educating us RVers.
Yes, odoban is a great product. It's used regularly on carpets and drapes. I think you're overdoing it though. 2 cups is a lot, I'd reduce the quantity your adding and see if you notice any difference. I've successfully used the borax method in 100+ temps in Tucson when I used to winter down there. Thanks for watching!
You are a natural. Thank you for the information
You are so welcome
Finally someone and something that makes sense and really works. No BS just great science.
Thank you
Thanks so much! Yep, I like science and fact based decision making.
TR, a very thorough explanation. I guess I take for granted that most people have a basic knowledge / understanding of such things, but based on the comments to your video it's obvious that "people don't know Shit"!
I too, am a full-timer (Monaco Dynasty) with the luxury of remaining stationary for long periods of time. When stationary, I use a timer that causes my flushing system to initiate every few days to flush the tanks with plenty of water. It took a leap of faith to quit letting the tank partially fill only to drain it every week. However, after starting with a clean & functional tank system, I've discovered throughout the last several years that my system remains crystal clear, sparkling clear and clean enough to eat out of (don't hold me to the last one). As I used to say in the groundwater remediation business: "Dilution is the solution!"
I've enhanced my system to control the flush valves so I can continue to use it while mobile. I've installed redundant secondary tank level sensors & controls to make the system fail-safe - I would hate to see the chocolate fountain shooting out the vent!)
Thanks Again,
Scott
Interesting solution. I know some mobility challenged RV'ers that could use a system like that!
@@trbowlin I started thinking about it, because I noticed that the sensors used in my tanks are the same type of pressure transducer that I had designed into secondary containment systems used in my industry. These pressure transducers are mounted on the side wall near the bottom of each tank, which is the absolute worst place to mount them! They only need to experience a pressure differential as the liquid level increases... so I removed them from the bottom bung and created an opening on the top of each tank for a 5" PVC drop pipe that hangs about 2" off the bottom (to prevent bridging by solids/paper in black tank). The pipe is sealed at the top end, and the pressure transducer is installed such that it experiences any pressure change inside the pipe. When the liquid level rises above the open end of the drop pipe, a correlating pressure change occurs inside the pipe which the transducer registers as a change in current (4-20mA). By installing the sensor in this fashion, the liquid never comes in contact with the sensor... It is only sensing a change in air pressure.
The monitoring system built into my coach allows for recalibration. The only negative is that the sensor does not register the first 2½" - 3" of liquid... or ⅛ tank according to my calibration. For the gray tank, I set the drop pipe just ½" of the bottom of the tank as there is little concern for bridging and plugging of the entire pipe.
Frankly, the RV mfgs should use a similar configuration. Especially, the high end coaches that already use a pressure transducer for the sensor. I'm guessing they want to avoid the added expense of having to modify an off-the-shelf tank. It's worth it to me, and the 5 RV owners for whom I've performed this modification.
We have been using this method for 6 months and it work. We stop putting toilet paper down our tank and have no issues with sensors anymore after using your method.
Great to hear! Happy it is working for you!
I came back here to thank you again. I followed your directions and so far, NO SMELLS WHATSOEVER. You are a god among men.
Thanks Nick, great feedback!
You are a gifted teacher. Thanks for the pearls of wisdom and for making this so easily understood!
You are so welcome!
I have had a 5th wheel for about 2 1/2 years and full time in it, and have never done any more than empty the blank tank. Of course, I’ve had problems. Your video came across my You Tube feed and I watched it last night. I didn’t have any Borax but I did have Oxyclean, which I think is like Borax. Anyway, last night I did exactly what you said using the oxyclean. This morning I hooked up the water to the black tank and emptied the black tank. Voila! after the third filling, the water came out clear!! You have literally made me a happy camper. Thank you so much for your information and knowledge. Peace!
Yes, oxyclean is super concentrated borax. It does work just fine, but is a little more expensive than 20 mule team borax. Thanks for watching!
Marvelous voice with a calm relaxed manner and a wonderfully intelligent and simplified explanation of how things should be done and why. Terrific handling of an “unpleasant” but necessary topic.
Thanks. I was a radio DJ for 20 years so the voice is second nature now.
Great info !! Did you host a jazz station by chance?
@@mishaanton5436 No jazz but I did work in Radio for over 20 years!
Yes he has a very nice voice, very intelligent, and a good teacher.
You sir are a daggone genius. Whether or not you developed the method isn’t relevant. You explained it a way that absolutely has not been done. I appreciate the time and effort you put in to educate us!
Wow, thanks!
My RV is 25 years old, used for camping, never had a problem. Now I'm fulltime RV living in a park, and now I have odor issue. So glad to find your video. I'm going to use the Geo method, and use Borax. 👍👍. Luckily my sensors still work. So maybe if I jump around and shake my RV to slosh it around, lol. I love Zep products so I will get it too. This is the best video. Thank you so much 👍💩👍💩. 💓
Yes, it will eliminate the smells for sure. Have a great day, and thanks for watching.
i cant even begin to say how much this has helped....subscribed!!
Awesome! Very happy to hear this. Thanks!!!
Anyone and everyone that has an RV should watch this video! it was everything I needed to know! thank you so very much! I am a subscriber now and will continue to watch all your vids! I really appreciate your time and your in-depth explanations!! The animations are very helpful as well!! And I'm so extremely happy because I already have borax and Dawn on board!
You are so welcome! Hopefully you will find other videos of value on my channel. Thanks!
A quick note...You should use Borax... I keep calling it boraxo because my Grandfather ran a Chevron Service Station and I used to hang out there as a kid. One of my jobs was cleaning the bathrooms and filling the old Boraxo powdered hand soap dispensers. I just can't stop calling it boraxo...
Dito.
A OK
TR Bowlin we still use boraxo soap at work. They definitely still make it. I bet it would also work.
I am getting a brand new travel trailer. Any tips for prepping or starting out with clean new tanks.
I am looking for a vidio on replacement of a window in a 1995 Catalina Coachman.
ClassC. It is the window above thu upper sleeping area over the cab.
It does not have screws it does not open and it is leaking a little but water is never good in the walls.
Thank you for taking the time to do this. It is very much appreciated.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
thanks for all the information on the black and grey tanks. always good to have this great information especially since we will be boon docking more often. Thanks TR
Thanks so much for you're simplifying instructions.
I was daunted by the 27+ min video, but I am a desperate mother who wants to see her son become a successful RVer, and by the smell of their RV, he is failing! This was soooooo informative and interesting! Thank you so much! Can't wait to do it and pass on the info to the kids. Printing you PDF for us now!
I am very glad to hear that the investment of your time was worth it. Trust me, it works very well! Thanks for watching, Sharlee!
Sharlee, i am touched. Im a RV daughter whose mom is in your boat. TR, thanks for helping RVkids everywhere. ❤️
Fantastic explanation. Very straight forward in layman’s terms with the scientific rational. Well done, very helpful!
Thanks. That was what I was going for!
Dude, thank you. I just bought a thor trailer last week and I have NO experience with rv's. I was going over everything to see what I bought and I filled the water tank and flushed the toilet and as soon as it opened I got whacked in the face with a funk beyond recognition. I see that it was probably dry and I broke a seal of sorts. I am going to implement the teachings in this video.
You will find it works very well! Thanks for watching
@@trbowlin I certainly hope so we are a family of 7 escaping California to redder pastures.
Yup, it like a free course of learning,thank you.detail after detail.....
So nice of you, thanks for watching Sammy!
@@trbowlin thank you for making it, I'll call you from now on, MAGIC RV MAN!!!!!
OMG!! You are a life saver, you explain this so well that that I will never forget it. I had to stop looking for my Borax to send you this before i forget. Thank you so much.😍🤩
You are so welcome!
I watched this video last week because I was being run out of my RV because of the smell! I live in my RV, I just purchased it used about 6 months ago as my old RV was falling apart. I went home after watching this video and did exactly what you said to do.. I was amazed at the fast results I got. No more smell!!! Hurraaaay!! Thank you so much for this information, I am so greatful you were there for me. Works perfect!!
That is awesome! Thanks very much for your great feedback. It is sure to help other viewers.
Yet another quick note: Zep changed the packaging look of their orange cleaner. As long as you are using the de-greaser from Zep or your favorite brand of concentrated de-greaser your okay. I'll have to re-do the video and upgrade the graphics and will work on that in the near future!
We are new to the RV thing and full time living in it now this video was good but lots of info that this moliqu this and that. I'm still trying to figure out what do I use i believe you said bleach and ammonia right. Like I said I got lost in this 28 min 🎥 that I forgot why I started watching it for sorry sir. Can you just do a simple 🎥 with out all that other stuff so I can pick up what you are talking about. And this is 1 1/2 hours of watching this 🎥. That means 3 times in a row. Im kinda slow learner but Im great once I figure it out. Thanks again
Hi, just go to my website and download this document. It is a short cheat sheet of the process. www.trbowlin.com/bio-geo-method/
I have plans to do a shorter video, but that will be this fall. I am pretty busy right now with another project. Thanks for watching!
@@trbowlin thank you for the response I will print this out thanks again sir
Recommend that using rubber gloves when handling the dump hoses will set a good example for good hygiene.
Very informative. I'm going to try it in my truck camper. Thanks.
Great. It works well in any situation. Thanks for watching
This is by far the best video I’ve seen explaining the reasons why and how to keep the holding tanks clean! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
finally. clear observation, and well-tested science applied to what is an ancient and fairly-simple component of daily life. thank you for the research and the long work you put into producing this piece. excellent work. - C
I live in my RV full time. Just moved in in Feb. Still a greenhorn! Times are tough! Thanks for such a great video. You have taught me things I never new. The explanations were crystal clear and I greatly appreciate the graphics! I look forward to watching your other videos.
Thank you!
Roger W.
Awesome! Thank you!
Only fellow RV'ers appreciate that sewage flow and color! And that animation... excellent! I'm not only planning to use this method, I'm thinking about adding some twisting roads and rough dirt tracks to my route to help with the "scrubbing".
Sure is true
Absolutely Excellent methods, explanations, graphics... WEll DONE and thank you!!!!
You're very welcome! I just drove through Denver yesterday. Man I-70 from Aurora to the I-25 exchange was a mess!
This is the best video on the subject I’ve seen!! Thanks so much!
You are so welcome!
TR, thank you so much for this thorough and easy to understand video. This must have taken much effort and time to put together. I can't say how much we appreciated it as the knowledge you gave us has allowed us to maintain our black tank easily and affordably. This has greatly enhanced our enjoyment of our RV. Thank you!!
It did take quite a bit of time. I probably had 20 hours in the animations alone, but I felt like that was as much adding to my personal skills as it was instructional. Thank you very much for your kind comments!
Just got my used 2000 C class RV two weeks ago. This is the first one I have owned with a bathroom. This is my dread but know I have to do it once I get on the road. I have a feeling I am going to have that "hard" problem you spoke of. The man who had it knew nothing about RV's. He bought it less then a year ago. Took his family on a final family 6 week trip before, the last kid went off to college. So now not looking forward to those warm temps you are speaking of. Nice to know there is a cure for stink. I figured while it's in for it's checkup on systems I will have the camper place do the first tank clean and flush out to give me a start. I have also considered changing it over to a composting toilet . So will give this a go first.
I had a composting toilet in my travel trailer before I traded it in on my new Class C. The only thing keeping me from going that route again is the price. Fixed income blues. But I'm here to tell you, composting toilet is fantastic. If you go that way I would suggest "Natures Head" and if your space permits, they have an arm that attaches to the agitator that just makes its operation a breeze. One of the side benefits of it is you add a discharge valve onto where your dump end cap goes and keep that valve closed. Then you keep your black and gray tank valves opened. So since you no longer have black water, you double your gray water capacity. If I can help you with real world experience, I'd be happy to. Mike
Thank you so much! I not only have the odor, I have a clog. I am living in a FEMA camper after my apartment floated off its foundation during hurricane Ida. It filled up with mud, & was unsalvageable. As a lone woman with no prior RV experience & not handy or mechanical, your channel is a lifeline for me! There's a temporary (semi, been living here several months) black flexible plumbing hose that both black & gray water have to exit through, connected to the sewer or septic tank. My camper is way too close to it, and the hose is too long & kinks up. They said there's only 1 size. I have no clue, but now have what I guess is a pyramid clog, capstone & all! Hoping it isn't the adobe brick! I'd already squirted Dawn in there. About a month ago I thought it would be good preventive maintenance to dump a box of Rid X down there. Thinking was my 1st mistake! I just dumped the Borax in there, so now I feel a little more hopeful about the poo pyramid... If it doesn't get better I'll have to call FEMA & I'd rather not, so embarrassing, ugh! But I will know better how to prevent another clog! Thank you a million times, your explanation was perfection! So easy to comprehend! I'm so happy to have found your awesome channel there's a lot more to learn for me. I'm going to visit your website too! :)
Just call them. Don't be embarrassed. Join me on Tuesday night for a livestream at 7pm mountain where you can ask any RV related questions. I am happy to help.
as an educator for more than 50 years i appreciate great teachers....i subscribed because you meet and beyond my standard. we are about to buy our first motorhome so the past two weeks has had me watching many hours if youtube help. i have a learned a plethora of important things about RV use. if I were to rate all the videos I have learned from your Video here would be Number one. thanks fir making a crappy aspect if the adventures understandable. i am ready for quiz and the final test.
That is very kind of you Bob, thanks. No quiz or final..you pass!
You are an excellent teacher.
Thank you.
Thank you! 😃
EXCELLENT video. I wish I had this information 13 years ago when I was living in an RV trailer. I LOVED living in that tiny house, but the smell from the tanks lead me to get real tired of it in the summer time. I may just get another RV & try RV living again. It's much cheaper than renting a house, & easier than trying to buy a house in the area where I work.
Thank you. Glad you found the information useful. Yea, once you get it figured out it pretty much becomes a non-issue.
Well done and thorough video. I was more interested in this method for my gray tanks since we have a composting toilet. One of the several reasons we have for switching to a compost toilet, is how much water is involved to properly flush the black tank, a tremendous waste, yet with a traditional toilet, as is mentioned in the video, it is a requirement.
I agree on the water usage. I have refining this method to reduce the amount of water I use and on my list of upgrades is a composting toilet. Has the composting toilet been working good for you?
DUDE !! Thank-you for breakin’ it down “Barney-Style “ I now get it -and can’t wait to get rid of the stench ( Smells like Kandahar and the open sewage “poo-pond” )
Works like magic! Thanks for watching!
I just have to say, this was the best video explanation of any kind I've seen on TH-cam. There are lots of information on TH-cam, and you can learn to do almost anything. But this was over the top. You made an uncomfortable subject turn into something that every RV owner should watch! Bravo to the poo.
Thank you, Larry!
This method works great. Wife was getting annoyed with the smell, but this simple method works awesome. Way better that store bought pods. Thanks
Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for the most educational video yet on this subject!
This was awesome!!! Now I'm looking for your floor and roof replacement videos. We need it all! Thanks!
Thank you. You can do it. Both those projects can be done if you have basic carpentry skills like measuring using power saws, etc. Take care Natalie and let me know how those two projects turn out.
I finally get it! Thank you for breaking all of this down for me 😁 We haven't bought a 5th wheel yet but we are learning so much & you are really helping us! Thank you! ✌
You are so welcome!
We have been full time for a year now and this information helped me understand exactly what to do moving forward.....Thank you so much. Will be looking forward to watching more of your videos....
Wonderful!
Just bought our first RV, it's a used one and the tank definitely have some poop adobe build up from the way it smells. Thanks so much for such thorough information to help us understand exactly what is going on with the smell and how to conquer it. I have about 5 products loaded in my Amazon cart to try and find one that will work, will now just use some of my favorite products I already have in the house. Borax saved many items after Hurricane Harvey flood for us and yes, it DOES sweeten fabrics and many other things soaked in it. Thanks for help for a really stinky problem.
Congratulations on your new RV! On your tank, to speed cleaning, add a 20 pound bag of ice, 2 gallons of water and a box of Mortons Kosher Salt (or any coarse salt) and go for a nice long drive on a curvy road...say 30 minutes. Then dump and flush the tank. The ice and salt will help scrub the tank and break down the pyramid.
College level explanation. I LOVED IT !
Right there with ya -- been using the "Geo method" w/Borax, liquid dish washing soap, & Calgon water softener. Not full-timers, use our TT generally 6-8 times/yr over the summer. Being paranoid about build up on sensors, have not been putting TP down the toilet either and NO problems in 2 + years either w/sensors or objectionable stink. Believe will modify my treatment however, following your advice and add the dish washing soap & Calgon only to every 3rd treatment instead of each time. Also like the idea of throwing some grey water from galley sink dish washing tub down the black tank to even out the tanks fill, and to ensure that black tank is closer to full when emptied.
Am noticing more campgrounds in our state & federal CG's now have modified their rinse-out hoses at dump stations so that they can no longer be attached to your RV's flush-out fitting, and can only be used to rinse off the sewer area. So, we can now only do a flush out with full hook-ups, Boo!
Yea, your right on the dump stations with no flush hose attachment. I've built a small 1/2 hose with the female end cut off (picked up a used washer hose at goodwill) and I slip it over the washer widget and tighten the clamp. :-)
We started using your method last season and I can say, it's by far, the best treatment you can do. Those commercial treatments are good for a couple of days. Borax last's for at least 2 and 1/2 weeks, easily.
That's great to hear. Happy it is working for you! Thanks
Great information on black tanks. The poop pyramid is something I haven't had to worry about, my fifth wheel is getting a little old, I've had it since 2003. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've pooped in it.
Well that would certainly prevent the pyramid! Thanks for watching, Daniel.
You are a great teacher.
Thank you! 😃
What a great helpful video. I just subscribed and will look to your library in the future as we are newbies (3 months
as an rv owner now) and need all the help we can get. Will be shopping for Boraxo, Dawn, and the Orange cleaner now.
Hope to meet you someday.
Glad to hear that. You'll be very happy with the results. Yea, keep an eye out and if were near each other holler!
I've watched this video multiple times and catch something I missed each time. Your advice is straight-forward and easy to understand. Being new to Rv'ing, I really appreciate the education you are providing. I look forward to each new "how-to" video. Keep up the great work! Thanks.
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching
thank you so much! I was looking for a solution for my pyramid for weeks, I'm kinda excited lol We just got a 2008 RV and we inherited a mighty stink lol You got a new subscriber!
I did too in my older coach. It will take a little time but it does work well. You might try parking it with the tanks full of water and the Borax and Dawn (or orange cleaner, simple green works too) for a while. if it gets to smelling add some borax. You got to let it soak a while to soften the adobe but eventually it will get those tanks clean as a whistle. Thanks for watching Monte!
After all the vids I have watch this is the first that made sense and had science behind it.
Great to hear that Tom. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much! First time trailer owner here. So great full for the comprehensive video.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching, Sarah!
TR. You are an exceptional speaker. A true gift when explaining the chemistry side to us that are not so, enlightened. Thank you again.
You are very welcome
Agreed!
Thank you so much! We are a homeschooling family preparing to take this show on the road in our RV. Thanks to you, I now know how to keep the anaerobic smells away AND I’ve got a great science lesson. You’re awesome!
Great to hear! Thanks for watching.
Thank you! I'm a brand new owner of an old RV. I've had so many questions you've answered.
Great to hear. One more thing to worry less about in the RV now. Thanks for watching!
Same here. I like simple over complicated. Long time user of Borax in the laundry and of Dawn for various uses around the home!
Me, as well.... there’s a lot to learn , I just got a 1991 class C ... one thing at a time .
I hope this helps me. My camper is parked in a campground for 5 years. I just bought it last year and every once in awhile I smell POOO!. I sure hope this helps me when I move back in next year. Thank you very much for the video.
Oh yea, it will. Here's a tip since the camper has been parked a while. Soak the tanks. AS soon as you start visiting the camper again and the weather is not freezing, fill both holding tanks with water, in the grey add the 2 cups of concentrated cleaner and 1 cup of borax and let it soak at least a week. Longer is better. In the black add 1/2 cup dawn and 1 cup of borax. Let it soak also. This will help soften the crud that has accumulated in the tanks and wash away. It will give you a big head start on getting the tanks clean and never stinking. Thanks for watching, David. Let me know how it turns out.
@@trbowlin Thank you very much for the help.
We are trying this right now! With the borax and dawn on our way home from a camping trip. I noticed this trip that the sensor read full right when we got there (this is our second trip with this camper) I think we inherited a black tank stank and crusty sensor. Thank you thank you for this video!! Can NOT WAIT to watch all the rest of your videos! Love your voice!
Great. Just be patient and treat the tank every trip. In a couple of trips things should settle down and start working correctly! The voice is a holdover from working as a radio DJ for 20+ years. Thanks Jessica, you guys have fun out there!
You kept my attention for 30 minutes talking about poop. Really loved how you broke down all the science. Just started my RV journey and going to start with this method from the jump. Thank you for a very informative video!
Thanks, Minnie! Follow this recipe and you'll never have stinky tanks!
I smell satisfaction watching this video. -- Sincerely, the real Mick Jagger
Are you the real Mink Jagger?
This was very informative. Quick question, would Oxy Clean do the same basic thing as Botox?
Yes it will! Thanks for watching!
The only thing that it could be pricey to use oxy clean
Borax is only $2-3 for a 4lb box !
Botox seems like a pricey option but borax would be a better fit. I'm not sure about Boraxo though. That stuff is always sold out. Almost like trying to find toilet paper during a pandemic.
At first I was like oh man this video is going to be too long but honestly glad I listened to the whole thing. I understand it soo much better now
Great, thanks for watching!
I've been doing a lot of research as I'm working towards in the next year or two transitioning my family to full time RV living. This was the most in depth instructional video on this topic I've seen in the last 6 months of intensive research. Thank you for this video presentation and I have to say very well done sir. Safe travels and God Bless...
That is awesome! Good luck!
Man...you woke me up on managing my RV. Thanks!
Glad I could help!
Best explanation I’ve found, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
The video and sound quality is awesome, as is the content. Great Job! thanks for the info.
Thanks for you very kind compliments. I worked hard on the video and audio so this comment makes me feel good that the effort was worth it. Thanks for watching Linda!!!
Thank you for this video. I had been using the Geo method for a year with great results. Last year I had been using Borax, Calgon and Dawn in every tank and it was getting a bit pricey. Then this year with the pandemic, I couldn't find Calgon anywhere and only found a small bottle of Dawn! So I decided to try without the Calgon and only used Dawn about every third tank to save on it. Amazingly, I had no.problem with odor, even in two weeks of 95 degree weather!! I did add more water and in that heat I upped the Borax to 3/4 cup. Now I know it was ok to do so and I can finally stop checking every store I come to for Calgon! Thank you for such an excellent explanation!
That's great. I agree it can get costly treating every tank but once you get the tank clean you don't have to treat every tank.
Good explanation of the science. Thanks
So nice of you, thanks
Take a drink every time he says poo! Sweet dreams 🤣
A new drinking game. I approve✌
Just out of curiosity does this also pertain to Boat holding tanks; it seems like same type of system.
Sure. The only difference would be that you have to pump a boat holding tank whereas you gravity drain a RV holding tank. Should work perfectly!
I use laundry soap in mine, cleans the tank and smells good. Also I never leave my tanks completely empty.
Love that! I've used laundry soap in the past too. Thanks for watching!
TheSoloAsylum which ones r u using and how. Thank you
Yeah I use that cheap powder kind that Walmart sells in a bag lol. Has a great scent and it's super cheap.
@@kaydavis3297 In which tank?
Thanks so much for the information. Very useful. Keep the wisdom coming please.
More to come! Thanks for watching Jeffery!
Well worth the time.
Learned a lot in a compressed time. It all flowed well.
I did feel lighter in the end. Looking forward to exploring your channel.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great advice - Thank you!
TR, A quick note to let you know how well the Bio-Geo method worked. We made a short 2 day trip and before we left I charged the Black and Grey tanks with the prescribed setup and half a tank of water in each. When we got back today I dumped both and did some serious flushing. A lot of old stuff came out and the bonus is that my tank sensors now work for the first time since we have owned the coach! Thank you - I really appreciate it! Larry Fuller
That is great news Larry! So happy to hear that things are working again. Peace!!!
Great job on this video, TR. Some of the most helpful RV related content I've ever watched. We've already been adding Dawn to our tanks. Now to take it a step further I'm going to HD. They carry both the Zep Citrus and the Borax. Thank you for sharing this info!
Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind comments. I was at HD yesterday getting more myself...
Great class on black tank Mantaince
Great tip, the orange citrus cleaner leaves a nice pleasant smell in the entire RV! Thanks TR!!!
Yes it does!
It's now been a year since I tried what he says and I can confirm that this method has NEVER failed me. No odor since. No issues. Ever. The ONLY method that works in my experience. 👌
That's awesome feedback. Thanks for checking back in and letting us know! Take care!
Thank you for such an informative and simple video! I'm preparing to buy a trailer, and doing a lot of research, and the black/gray water tanks are some of my bigger concerns. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. Thanks again! :)
Glad it was helpful! Use this method and you can worry about something else! Thanks for watching Dave
I've never owned an RV, but I've been learning what I can for decades. This is the first I've seen about the smell problem, and it was fascinating viewing! I feel like I will have such an advantage when I get mine, and perhaps can use this to my advantage by considering units that are priced lower because they haven't been able to solve the smell problem before the sale. Thank you for your passion and excellent teaching skill. Man, I'm so much smarter now!
Thank you, Clarence!
Have had our Tiffin Phaeton new for 10 years. We park for five months in Palm Springs. Have used Happy Camper for as long as I can remember and have never had a smell problem. I use lots of water when I flush the tank. The grey water I leave open the whole time. When I park for the off season I fill both tanks add double Happy Camper and let them sit for months before we hit the road. A good feature is our tanks have the sensors attached to the outside of both tanks so never any monitor problems. We are on a water softener the whole time but will try Boraxo when we’re on the road. Thanks I enjoy your show.
Thanks, yea flushing is more important than the product you use for sure. Sounds like you have a really good system. I just added a water softener to my rig but am still using the borax for smell control. Take care
Great video! Love the science info. Now, everything makes sense. This is Bob Ross as Bill Nye the science guy. More videos please.
More to come!