Anyone old enough to remember National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has that image of Cousin Eddie in his too short bath robe, winter hat, smoking a stogie and drinking a beer while emptying his black tank into the storm drain permanently etched into their memory. DON’T DO THAT!
I am happy to report the first Team Tiegs black tank flush did NOT result in a gas explosion sending a yard Santa flying through the air while Aunt Bethany breaks out in song. This should give you confidence that even if you too are an absolute newbie to emptying your Airstream black tank, you can be successful!
I busted out the “Brown Box” from the truck box, put on some disposable gloves, and got to work! I had prepared myself by watching YouTube explanations of the process, so I felt pretty good going into stage one.
Stage One: Attach hoses.
First place the your hose support of choice along the distance between the trailer and the sewer connection. You want the tallest end to be nearest the trailer and lowest nearest the sewer connection in the ground. Hooray gravity!
Lining up the hose support along the route I think the hose will follow
Next, it's time for the sewer hose itself. The sticky slinky hadn’t been used before, so no stink to be found. That was nice. I removed it from the onboard storage compartment, AKA a big pipe across Tabitha’s belly.
Removing the sewer hose from the under trailer compartment.
You may need to adjust the spacing of the hose support along the hose, but this step doesn't need to be exact. Next, I attached the clear elbow… clear??? WTF? Why would you want to SEE your poopy water? I’ll get to that momentarily. Finally, connect the hose ends to the sewer pipe and outlet on the trailer.
Connecting the clear elbow to the sewer connection securely
Everything looks great to me!
Stage Two: Let the #2 flow.
Once the hose was connected from and to, and the hose support was in place to utilize the power of gravity, it was time to pull the handle and hope I don’t make this a shit show. Huzzah! No leaky bowels, no skid marks… nothing but a particularly brown liquid moving swiftly into the sewer line!
First time pulling that valve open....ew! On the bright side, everything is flowing as it should!
Stage Three: Bidet action
Now when you sit on the throne and need to clean yourself, most Americans reach for the roll of TP next to them. That’s well and good on the small scale. But when it comes to cleaning out a tank and hose, the best option is the European approach of a good pressure wash. Thanks to the MANY people who figured this out over the last 75+ years of the RV industry. Built into the side of the trailer is a place to attach a hose and spray down the interior walls of the black tank.
We sprayed that sucker down until the water ran clear… good thing we have that clear elbow going into the sewer pipe! With the newly cleaned black tank, we were ready to flush our gray water from the sinks and shower. This process helps to clean any lingering particles (dingle berries??) from the line. With that tank empty, I ran just a bit more water through the hose to make sure it was DEFINITELY clean… unhooked everything, packed it away, and washed my hands… then showered… because it had been DAYS.
You better believe that hose looks totally different than our fresh water hose!
Stage Four: Learning
Is this the most pleasant job in the world? No. That’s why Wastewater Operations can be a lucrative career option for those with a stomach for the work.
Is this the worst thing I’ve experienced in my life? Not even remotely.
Will I do this differently next time? I’m sure I’ll do something different EACH time. The sewer line attachment at this location is in perfect condition. The next one may require me to hold it in place, or use a rubber plug, or have some other issue.
My clothing choice of shorts may not be the best option… but I don’t have much in the way of long pants. Will I eventually have to rinse off my legs with the outside shower? That seems likely. But I think it’s a better option than carrying around soiled jeans until we can find a laundromat.
Enjoy your portable indoor plumbing and don’t mind me when my shitter’s full…
First round purchases:
Stinky Slinky (AKA Sewer hose) This bundle came with the clear 90 degree elbow… yeah, a little weird, but definitely helpful!
Keep that hose off the ground! Gravity works wonders for the flow of “liquids”...
A hose to flush the tanks, and clean the sewer hose. I picked up a flexible hose from Lowes similar to this… just be sure it looks different than your fresh water hoses!
Second round purchases:
If the sewer hose doesn’t fit (or is broken at the park) then a rubber fitting does the trick!
Comments