Tuesday - Day 44 - Potty Talk

For those of you who use traditional toilets, using the restroom is a pretty mindless act.  You never have to think about what you did, where it goes or how it goes down.   It works and it works all the time.

Living in an RV opens an entire new world of ‘potty talk.’ All of a sudden there’s talk about solids and special RV toilet paper, grey water and black water.  I personally think it should all be called brown water; because that’s what it is, brown!

You can't throw things in the toilet other then just a few squares of special RV toilet paper which is crazy thin, unless you buy the two ply version which is slightly better.  It's specifically made to breakdown faster in the tanks.  It's found in the camping section of major box stores or at local camping stores.  I'm sure Scott brand would suffice, but would you want to take that chance?  I am extremely mindful, no Qtips or tissues or anything else can be flushed down the toilet.  It's a serious 'No-No.'

There are tanks under the RV.  The tanks get filled depending on whether you’re washing dishes, brushing your teeth, taking a shower or flushing the toilet.  Grey water is from the sinks and showers.  Black water is from the toilet.  It’s really a very basic system, but until you get your hands dirty and learn it, the simple system can backfire and if you don't know where your water is flowing, disaster awaits.

Beneath this sign, (posted on the side of the RV), are two levers. 

Make sure you have a good connection before you pull either one, 

especially the black tank lever. 

We discovered our tanks were full the hard way last week.  I found a puddle on the floor of the bathroom, John investigated, opened the shower door and it was filled with water along with a tomato sauce ring around the shower, sprinkled with coffee grounds.  It was gross, but it would have been one thousand times grosser, if it was water from the toilet.  Coffee grounds I can handle.

John had thought the tanks were all drained properly, but something had gone awry and he was still wrapping his brain around which drains connected to each tank and whether the grey tanks overflowed into one another.  Considering he had drained the tanks earlier in the day, something was either clogged or not draining properly.

Our model RV actually has two grey water tanks.  The shower and bathroom sink drain into grey tank one, while the kitchen drains into grey tank two.  Or maybe it's the other way around.  Outside the RV there is only one lever to drain the grey water, and one to drain the black water.  We use to keep our tank drains open all the time and let our tanks drain out into the sewer hole. The hole that comes with our camping spot.

Everything ultimately finds itself in this small little hole. 

However, a good friend, who owns a fifth wheel, suggested we keep our tanks closed all the time and drain them on a daily basis.  There is good reasoning behind this method, but I put little to no thought into it until my husband, who takes such good care of me, leaves this task to me while he's out of town.  I have since become a pro at draining the tanks each evening and I'm absolutely amazed at how much water we actually use in one day.

This is what I have learned.  When you let the water flow directly into the drain, the solids are more likely to get stuck, unlike a traditional sewer system, the hose does not have the advantage of gravity and a high tech plumbing system to push everything through the pipes.  When we flush our toilet, it will initially flow downward, but the outside sewer hose is lying more or less on the ground, with only a small plastic elevation tool to keep it in place, slightly above the ground.  In order to keep things flowing smoothly our friend’s suggestion was the way to go.

I have to admit, my first time draining the tanks, I was a little intimated and mildly skeeved out, simply thinking about what I had to do.  John prefers we use the public facilities for solid business, but with two young boys and no idea when nature is going to call, that is just not practical for me, especially when he’s not home.  I may as well take full responsibility for my own business.

I go out to drain the tanks and I have no idea what to expect.  I was told to drain the black water first, so I did.  All the toilet water and other ‘stuff’ flowed through with no problem, as far as I know.  It doesn't however make it all the way to the sewer drain.  I try not to panic, we have quite a long pipe outside.

Right lever is to drain Black water - Left is to drain Gray

Pipe reaches half the length of the RV into the sewer hole.   

Next I drained the grey water, it rushes out like Niagara Falls.  The force was pretty impressive, I could hear all the water I used to wash dishes and take a shower flow super fast, pushing all that nasty black water down the sewer drain.  Success!  I felt proud and very much satisfied.  The unknown just became known.

I walked inside the RV and checked my tank light indicators and all lit up empty.  Mission complete.  I felt I had crossed over into the full-timer world of knowledge and it really wasn't so hard after all.  My neighbor asked if I needed help, and I really didn't.  I had things under control and knew exactly what I was doing.

This was taken before I drained the tanks 

Tank 2 was lit up like a Christmas tree indicating 3/4 full.