We are looking into a Tote Tank and I have read the previously posted messages; alot of great info! My question is how often do you need to dump? I understand it all depends on how much water we use but I just have no idea of how quickly (for example) 22 gallons will fill up. And by the sounds of it I don't wan't it full. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :laugh:
Tote Tank Size
- Thread starter cwhiggins
- Start date
Tote Tank Size
You want to dump when the total from your black tank + the total from your gray tank is less than the capacity of the tote. Wait any longer, and after dumping your black tank, you many not have enough room to dump enough gray water to flush out the hose, etc. Not flushing out the hose, etc, is to be avoided...
You want to dump when the total from your black tank + the total from your gray tank is less than the capacity of the tote. Wait any longer, and after dumping your black tank, you many not have enough room to dump enough gray water to flush out the hose, etc. Not flushing out the hose, etc, is to be avoided...
rlmurraysr59
New Member
Tote Tank Size
For sure you are going to keep an eye on the amount in your on board tanks. I would suggest that when they get to between 1/2 & 3/4 full you plan on removing some with your tote tank. I have a twenty-two gallon tank and made up a special hose to attach when I get to the dump. Just a short piece that attaches. It also has a vent hole for rinsing. If you take two loads from the black water and two from the grey water I am sure you will have plenty of capacity for a couple of days. Depending on frugality. I always take military type showers when using on board fresh water. Get wet, turn off the water, soap up, turn on the water and rinse off.
The only thing my wife hates about the tote is the fact that everyone knows what it is for. I painted a happy face with a tongue sticking out of its mouth and wrote the words, "I'm Pooped!" under it. She did not think it was funny. The tank was mounted on the roof access ladder. Now I put it in the bed of my tow dinghy.
RonSr
'02 Southwind 37U/Workhorse
'01 GMC Sonoma w/Brake Buddy
For sure you are going to keep an eye on the amount in your on board tanks. I would suggest that when they get to between 1/2 & 3/4 full you plan on removing some with your tote tank. I have a twenty-two gallon tank and made up a special hose to attach when I get to the dump. Just a short piece that attaches. It also has a vent hole for rinsing. If you take two loads from the black water and two from the grey water I am sure you will have plenty of capacity for a couple of days. Depending on frugality. I always take military type showers when using on board fresh water. Get wet, turn off the water, soap up, turn on the water and rinse off.
The only thing my wife hates about the tote is the fact that everyone knows what it is for. I painted a happy face with a tongue sticking out of its mouth and wrote the words, "I'm Pooped!" under it. She did not think it was funny. The tank was mounted on the roof access ladder. Now I put it in the bed of my tow dinghy.
RonSr
'02 Southwind 37U/Workhorse
'01 GMC Sonoma w/Brake Buddy
Tote Tank Size
Greetings from Stonington CT!
I have a couple of questions. Are there volume monitors on your black and gray tanks? What volume do each of them hold?
Is the main prupose for these totes to take stuff from the camper to the dump station while you are at the campground?
Many of the places that I've been to have totes all set up with hoses and connectors just for this purpose. Unless, they charge you a fortune to use them.
Ron, I thought your smiley face and comment were funny!
Steve
Greetings from Stonington CT!
I have a couple of questions. Are there volume monitors on your black and gray tanks? What volume do each of them hold?
Is the main prupose for these totes to take stuff from the camper to the dump station while you are at the campground?
Many of the places that I've been to have totes all set up with hoses and connectors just for this purpose. Unless, they charge you a fortune to use them.
Ron, I thought your smiley face and comment were funny!
Steve
rlmurraysr59
New Member
Tote Tank Size
Most trailers have a monitoring system to tell you how much fresh water, battery charge, propane, black and grey water in the tanks.
Seems to me that the fresh water tank was always the biggest with the black water tank and then the grey water. The last travel trailer I owned had two grey water tanks. The black water is usually in the neighbor hood of 40 gal. The grey could be 30 gal and fresh usually around 50 gal.
The tote's are for exactly that. To be able to drain some of the sewage out of your tanks and take them to the dump. If you never stay in a campground that does not have full hook-ups you will not use the tote. I never used mine that much to really make it worth hauling around.
Happy Camping
Most trailers have a monitoring system to tell you how much fresh water, battery charge, propane, black and grey water in the tanks.
Seems to me that the fresh water tank was always the biggest with the black water tank and then the grey water. The last travel trailer I owned had two grey water tanks. The black water is usually in the neighbor hood of 40 gal. The grey could be 30 gal and fresh usually around 50 gal.
The tote's are for exactly that. To be able to drain some of the sewage out of your tanks and take them to the dump. If you never stay in a campground that does not have full hook-ups you will not use the tote. I never used mine that much to really make it worth hauling around.
Happy Camping
Kirk
Senior Member
Tote Tank Size
quote: I just have no idea of how quickly (for example) 22 gallons will fill up.
That is an issue that is very personal. If you take the same type of long hot shower that you do at home and both people do so every day, you will use your 22 gal. in one day. On the other hand, when we had a pop-up with a 10 gallon tank and no water heater, we could make that tank last for several days by washing in the sink with a half gallon of water and usint very carefully. With our previous motorhome, we used to go to square dance weekends where we would each shower every day in the "submarine" style and we could make a 40 gallon tank of water last for three days and have a little left. But if you do the same as when at home, it will probably need attention at least once each day, for two people and more often if there are more.
And to Steve, the size of tanks both for fresh water and for waste water and black water all vary quite widely. Generally the larger RVs have larger tanks, but that is not always true. There is no rule of thumb. Most RVs today have at least 20 gallons of waste tanks, but they could be less. And some have as much as 80 gallons. Keep in mind that you also need to have at least as much in fresh water as you do in waste, if dry camped. In a park with water & electric only, then you will need to be very careful of the volume in your blue tote tank, as it is not fun when the blue tank gets full before the on-board tank is empty!
quote: I just have no idea of how quickly (for example) 22 gallons will fill up.
That is an issue that is very personal. If you take the same type of long hot shower that you do at home and both people do so every day, you will use your 22 gal. in one day. On the other hand, when we had a pop-up with a 10 gallon tank and no water heater, we could make that tank last for several days by washing in the sink with a half gallon of water and usint very carefully. With our previous motorhome, we used to go to square dance weekends where we would each shower every day in the "submarine" style and we could make a 40 gallon tank of water last for three days and have a little left. But if you do the same as when at home, it will probably need attention at least once each day, for two people and more often if there are more.
And to Steve, the size of tanks both for fresh water and for waste water and black water all vary quite widely. Generally the larger RVs have larger tanks, but that is not always true. There is no rule of thumb. Most RVs today have at least 20 gallons of waste tanks, but they could be less. And some have as much as 80 gallons. Keep in mind that you also need to have at least as much in fresh water as you do in waste, if dry camped. In a park with water & electric only, then you will need to be very careful of the volume in your blue tote tank, as it is not fun when the blue tank gets full before the on-board tank is empty!
Tote Tank Size
Chris & Wendy
As stated above this is a very personal thing. That being said my wife and I can be on the road for four days before having to dump. Now this is reasonable use of the shower and such. We are also sailors and take wet down soap up rinse off showers. Now you may have to do it a couple of times before your washed but the idea is not to open the valve and stand under the shower for thirty minutes. This is our duration while using full hook ups. If we are dry camping we can go another day or so. Conservation is the name of the game.
Our tank sizes are as follows
Fresh water 50 gallons
Gray water 34
Black water 41
You have to learn your habits. Try as I might I just can't trust my tank panel. So pay attention so your not caught short.
I bought the 32 gallon tote tank. You don't have to fill it every time but you have it if needed. Yes wait till 1/2 to 3/4 full before dumping. You need the flow to get the stuff out.
Now you may say the 32 gal is to big to store right? Right! It is big for sure. Since you don't need it all the time. We try to dump before we have to use it while on the road. Since it is something that I need on occasion I mounted it under the camper on straps. This way it's out of the way and accessible when needed and it didn't take up truck bed space.
Remember you can pull this thing behind your car. I made up a thing so that I can pull it with my bicycle.
You don't need them all the time but when you do they are worth 10 times the price.
Hope this helps
Chris & Wendy
As stated above this is a very personal thing. That being said my wife and I can be on the road for four days before having to dump. Now this is reasonable use of the shower and such. We are also sailors and take wet down soap up rinse off showers. Now you may have to do it a couple of times before your washed but the idea is not to open the valve and stand under the shower for thirty minutes. This is our duration while using full hook ups. If we are dry camping we can go another day or so. Conservation is the name of the game.
Our tank sizes are as follows
Fresh water 50 gallons
Gray water 34
Black water 41
You have to learn your habits. Try as I might I just can't trust my tank panel. So pay attention so your not caught short.
I bought the 32 gallon tote tank. You don't have to fill it every time but you have it if needed. Yes wait till 1/2 to 3/4 full before dumping. You need the flow to get the stuff out.
Now you may say the 32 gal is to big to store right? Right! It is big for sure. Since you don't need it all the time. We try to dump before we have to use it while on the road. Since it is something that I need on occasion I mounted it under the camper on straps. This way it's out of the way and accessible when needed and it didn't take up truck bed space.
Remember you can pull this thing behind your car. I made up a thing so that I can pull it with my bicycle.
You don't need them all the time but when you do they are worth 10 times the price.
Hope this helps