New to RVing! The toilet!

[G.Mae03]

We just purchased our first travel trailer.
I would appreciate any advice you have on how to care for our toilet and the tank!
How to clean the tank.
Cleaners to use in the tank.
Any special cleaners for the toilet.
Tips on dumping.
Do's and Don'ts.

Thank you!!
Gabrielle

 

[Hillman]

From what I've learned watching youtube videos and reading various forums is, number one, expect at some time to mess up the dumping procedure and get covered in number two. After that, it's all up hill, apparently.

 

[AbdRahim]

Welcome. Leave tank valves closed until ready to dump. The fuller thy are at dump time the better. Use lots of water when flushing the toilet.

 

[FL-JOE]

I'll tell you how we have handled our black and gray water tanks over the past few years of full timing, maybe there will be some tips you take from it.

We only use Scott's RV butt wipe (sold at all Walmarts). Some will tell you that any "septic tank" safe toilet paper is okay to use but in reality RV holding tanks are not residential septic systems and have to be dumped often.

We keep the gray open unless it is the day before I'm going to dump the black tank, then I will close it for maybe 24 hours prior. The black always stays closed.

Use a lot of water in the black when flushing. This helps keep everything in there watery and prevents any type of build up.

We dump the black about every 4 or 5 days (3/4 full). I have the gray closed and dump the black. Use the black tank flush and rinse the black tank for awhile. Then I open the gray for a final rinse of the stinky-slinky hose. I close the black off and add a black tank solution down the toilet. There are several on the market that helps break down waste.

On travel days I make sure my freshly dumped black and gray tanks have about 10 gallons of water in them. I drop in a couple cleaning packets which are also available at all Walmarts (RV section). These little packets are like detergent packets and really clean the inside of the tank while you bounce down the road.

Hope some of this helps.

 

["EZ"]

What he said............

 

[NGC 613]

FL-JOE is 100% right on.

I might add this . " Dometic Blue Line Toilet Bowl sealer and cleaner".
Stuff works to help keep the seal in good shape and cleans the bowl really well too.

​

 

[bpaikman]

I'll tell you how we have handled our black and gray water tanks over the past few years of full timing, maybe there will be some tips you take from it.

We only use Scott's RV butt wipe (sold at all Walmarts). Some will tell you that any "septic tank" safe toilet paper is okay to use but in reality RV holding tanks are not residential septic systems and have to be dumped often.

We keep the gray open unless it is the day before I'm going to dump the black tank, then I will close it for maybe 24 hours prior. The black always stays closed.

Use a lot of water in the black when flushing. This helps keep everything in there watery and prevents any type of build up.

We dump the black about every 4 or 5 days (3/4 full). I have the gray closed and dump the black. Use the black tank flush and rinse the black tank for awhile. Then I open the gray for a final rinse of the stinky-slinky hose. I close the black off and add a black tank solution down the toilet. There are several on the market that helps break down waste.

On travel days I make sure my freshly dumped black and gray tanks have about 10 gallons of water in them. I drop in a couple cleaning packets which are also available at all Walmarts (RV section). These little packets are like detergent packets and really clean the inside of the tank while you bounce down the road.

Hope some of this helps.

Are these cleaning packets different from regular treatments?

 

[FL-JOE]

Yes they are different. What I use are Oxy-Kem. At Walmart they are sold in the RV section and are packaged in a soft green container. Running down the road all day with a couple of them in a gray tank will clean it up pretty good. I am always surprised at how dirty that water is when I get to a site and dump the traveling gray.

 

[LMHS]

Everyone has their own particular way of treating their waste holding tanks. I believe that, with the exception of not using enough water, there really is no wrong way.

I started out in a tent. I had a portable cassette toilet that I later moved to the popup. Always used my fav TP. When you are dumping a cassette holding tank, you pretty much realize that TP dissolves, tank chem or no tank chem. Over time I switched to a different TP. All the TPs that I have used passed the "jar test". That is where I take a quart mason jar, fill it about half full of water, put a few squares of TP in it, let sit for an hour, shake it and see if the TP is breaking down. If it breaks down, I use it in the toilet. I have yet to have any "septic safe" toilet paper not pass the test. And I have never seen a toilet paper that was not labeled "septic safe". I also use personal wipes. Every time I buy a new case (I shop at Sam's Club), I do the "jar test". It always passes the test as well.

I stopped using chems when I stopped using a cassette toilet. We shifted into a Class C in 2006. I do dump a 1/4 Cup of liquid automatic dishwasher detergent in the toilet and down the sinks (alternate sinks, shower) once a month to keep the tanks and P-traps clean. I use one of those scrubbing bubbles flushable pads in my toilet (it passed the "jar test"). Sometimes I use bleach in the toilet to clean it. I don't think this is a problem since I also use bleach in my HE washing machine (it requires a bleach heavy cleaning once a month).

I'm a firm believer that, for RV toilets, you flush once for #1 and flush twice for #2. Water prevents most problems in a black tank.

When dumping holding tanks, wait until they are full or almost full. Dump black first then use grey to "rinse" out sewer hose. And don't forget to wear gloves (I wear disposable nitrile gloves). And just because the hose next to the dump station says it's potable water, don't trust the hose on it. Always use "bleach water" (1/2 TSP PLAIN bleach to 1 pint water) on hose bibbs on ANY pipe stand (dripping wet for 2 minutes before hooking drinking water hose up to the bibb). BTW, the bleach water will "die" after about 24 hours so I only make up a pint at a time.

 

[Jireh Financial]

Sometimes we put the left over ice in the toilet and let it melt in there. Also is does slosh around for a bit while going down the road. If no cleaning pods, nothing wrong with a squirt of dish soap in the black tank with the ice /water to help clean while heading home.
No matter what method you pick, I am not convinced the tank is ever totally clean again. I would rather not think about what is left behind after bumping. HA
Ken

 

[TheLooks]

Lots and lots of water. I think most chemicals are just scents. I use Unique in mine. No scent. Big plus 1 on detergent and water going down the road. I use Dawn and borax.

 

[bpaikman]

Are these cleaning packets different from regular treatments?

 

[bpaikman]

I recall when we bought our new-to-us motorhome (10 years ago, wow) we were standing st the dealership with snother customer who had his 45-ft MH in for service of some sort, and we asked him, how did he handle the toilet situstion. He squirmed a bit, and finally replied "Nothing solid". We took our first trip to a lovely resort in north Houston, an NEVER used our toilet . We passed each other once in the night, trekking to the park restrooms (which were very nice, btw, Next trip we said, 'screw this, we're using our own facility,'. It's not been bad st sll.
1. Keep black tank closed until dumping (at 2/3 full) or so).
2. Use lots of water in flushing.
3. No need to use RV tp. We use cheap Walmart "Everday something" stuff. Not as nice as Charmin, but oh well. Do a 'shake it up in water' test before using iffy brands. We used Scott 1000 for years with no problem.
3. Dump before travel. Add a bag of ice, and some treatment.
4. Dump before storing, duh.

 

[Germanrazor]

First off, start the camping trip once set up with 5-6 full bowls of water flushed down into the black tank. Then add Unique Digest-it to the tank to assist with dissolving any flushed contents < best stuff we have found and highly recommended.

Flush a lot when flushing and use Grey tank at end of camping trip to flush the line and if your TT is equipped with a black tank flush hookup, thoroughly flush it to clean the walls and sensor.

If you do this, you will hardly have any issues we have found.

Congrats and welcome aboard.

 

[Gizmo]

The RV National Training Center that trains RV techs put out a video test on several of the popular products and the one I link to below is the winner. I have used packets and Happy Camper I can't tell if one is better than the other. What I do like about the product below is that liquid and easy to get into the black tank through my macerator toilets.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07564FPHL/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[TheLooks]

The RV National Training Center that trains RV techs put out a video test on several of the popular products and the one I link to below is the winner. I have used packets and Happy Camper I can't tell if one is better than the other. What I do like about the product below is that liquid and easy to get into the black tank through my macerator toilets.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07564FPHL/?tag=rvf01-20

Yup, I graduated from there in Oct. Have used it successfully a couple times since. One was real bad, real bad.......no more room for anything......gads the things I get to see. But it released after a few days without my involvement....you get the idea....

They have more then one product for different scenario's.

 

[Gizmo]

They have more then one product for different scenario's.

I got a bottle of the Sensor Cleaner but have not had to use it yet. It was interesting when he said don't clean the toilet with bleach or anything that will kill microbes in the black tank.

 

[Rich W.]

I’ve been in the same spot for 10 days - a record for me, and since I’m hooked up to everything, I’ve kept the toilet on wet bowl. This has put me over 2/3 of a tank almost every day, so the tank has had a lot of flushing and consequently the sensors are reading correctly. No additives in the tank of any kind. Just a lot of water and near daily dumping.

I’ve been contemplating adding some dishwasher detergent since its non-sudsing and a fairly strong cleaner. I tried laundry detergent pods and it caused a big sudsy mess in the system, fouled the sensors, and required a lot of rinse and flush cycles to get it out.

 

[TheLooks]

Just a lot of water and near daily dumping.

The water police will be knocking on your door.....

 

[Rich W.]

Just a lot of water and near daily dumping.

The water police will be knocking on your door.....

Don’t tell anyone, but I also double flush #1