No gray water tank - can one be added?

[Scorpionbmw99]

Sent: 8/8/2005

I don't think I have a gray water tank in my 72 Brave.
After crawling around under the rig, I saw just the black water tank under the shower pan but no other tank. Is this normal?
I have the original owners manual and it makes no reference to two tanks. It says to place a bucket under the outside drain.

I plan on getting one of those portable tanks on wheels for now but should I plan on adding a tank somewhere ?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 8/9/2005

My rig also only has the one tank.

I added a T-fitting, and another valve, and can now use my black tank AS a grey tank, effectively combining them both, or selecting between the two valves for whatever combination I want.   

You can ADD a grey tank, or use those silly tote tanks for grey water, but I really think my solution is the simplest and cheapest...and it really DOES work great!

As far as grey-water on the ground, if you have the landowners permission, it won't hurt anything..

Kev 

[Scorpionbmw99]

Sent: 8/9/2005

Interesting idea to mount the portable tank underneath.
Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having a "portable" tank?

I'm going to take a look and figure out the best place to mount a tank and plumb it in.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 8/11/2005

LOL!  Nonsense, Tom!  I looked at your plumbing...you could easily add a valve and T-fitting, although your grey pipe comes in at an angle, as opposed to my set-up where the the grey line comes in at an ideal angle to add a T-fitting.  What's the shower have to do with it?  Unless you mean that it would fill your grey/black tank in record time...in which case you are QUITE correct...we can't go more than 3 days boondocking without dumping if we are showering and washing dishes.

Speaking of which, the campground we WERE going to stay at, which we are at now, has full hookups including sewer.  However, they are crappy, have no laundry facilities, you can hear the dueling banjos, and are astronomically priced!  Over 300 bucks a week!  We found a better campground with MUCH cheaper rates, much closer to my daughter's house, but they don't have sewer, just 4 dump sites and a "honey wagon."  That said, we ended up buying a 32 gallon tote tank since we are staying for a month.  Now I just have to figure out where to store it!  Yikes!

One of the things that made the campground we are staying at so expensive is that even though they have weekly and monthly rates which aren't TOO bad, they charge 2 bucks a day PER pet, with no breaks for weekly/monthly stays.  So, 2 dogs and 2 cats=8 bucks a day, 56 bucks a week, and 224 a month!  Crazy!  All told, it would cost us more than our old mortgage to stay here for a month!  The new campground, which is much nicer in appearance, location, and amenities, is less than 400 bucks for the whole month total, and they don't charge extra for pets and visitors.  We'll just have to get used to using a tote tank...lol.

Kev 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 8/20/2005

The tote tank is FUN!  Note the sarcasm...lol.  We are less that a hundred yards from one of the dump stations, but even so I'm glad we have the Volvo with us to tow the 32 gallon tank that 100 yards!  32 gallons is heavier than it sounds!  I CAN muscle the tank down to the dump site, but damn!  I should have spent the extra hundred bucks and got the 4 wheel model with a pull handle...lol.  The one we bought is a 32 gallon 2 wheeler.  You have to lift the whole thing up, till the back two wheels are moving...yeah...its heavy!  And yes...with me, Patti, and the daughter showering, I'm dumping the silly thing every three days.  Same with the poop tank, although that's because my daughter wasn't closing the ball valve all the way, and it was filling up fast!  I had her help me dump it the last time it filled in a day, with the impending threat that the NEXT time she left the ball valve open, SHE'D be the one dumping and cleaning the tank.  Needless to say, the lesson hit home, and she's using the ball valve properly now...lmao.

Kev

[Cooneytoones]

Sent: 8/21/2005

Bet she double checks the ball valve now.....doesn't she?
Good Lesson PLAN.... Kev...There must be a way to adapt another set of wheels to the tank.....if it's full must be about or near 300lbs plus....you should be able to find a set of casters that will hold that weight....When I was in the music business, my drum stage weighed almost 400 lbs with my drum kit and stuff on it.....The wheels were the same wheels they used for "ANVIL" Flight cases.....in fact my drum stage folded and became the case (drums were set up all the time) .....If I remember right those wheels are available and not very expensive...and could be adapted to use on that portable tank.....just a thought to save your back....

Timmy 

[JCMAC]

Sent: 10/25/2005

OK, here is my plan to add a 35 gal grey water tank to my '72 D22C.  Being a mechanical engineer, I get to play/design on the computer with my CAD program.  That way I don't make so many mistakes during the install.
  I still have to check my dimensions
  Comments? John

[JCMAC]

Sent: 10/25/2005

35 Gak tank install - part 2.
  The plan.
1. add a 2nd 3" slide valve to shut off the main drain, causing the grey water to backup to about 6-8" below the floor level.
2. add a 1-1/2" TEE fitting at this point and slope a pipe rearwards (14" for foot ±) over the rear axle (allowing for bumps) and into the end of the new tank. A vent allows the tank to fill up to top/the bottom of the floor beams, or 2" below the floor.
3. add a 1-1/2" drain pipe, exiting behind the rear tire gravel guard in new 1-1/" slide valve.
4. add a 3" TEE to the sewer drain hose to allow the gery water to into the main drain hose with 1-1/2" cam-lock fittings and hose so everything stores away OK.

[JCMAC]

Sent: 10/31/2005

I measured to spacing and sizes,   The platform is 1 x 6 oak, to be primed and painted.  The 2x4s are pressure treated.  In So. Cal the climate is mild so salt and corrosion are almost non existent.

[JCMAC]

Sent: 11/17/2005

I think this is the final design.  I have ordered the 35 gal tank ($225).
Note hanging with 3 J-bolts to avoid overhead drilling and the 1-1/2"tube
that cantilevers over my dual exhaust pipes and their heat (straight rod used here).
John 

[Scorpionbmw99]

Sent: 2/6/2006

Excellent design. have you been able to build it yet?
I want to do the exact same thing. Do you think a 35 gal. is needed?
maybe a smaller one to save space, no?

Please keep us posted as to the progress.
     35 gallons is a good size tank.  The Airstream only has a small 14 gallon grey tank, and a 14 gallon black tank.  If we are boondocking or at a site without sewer, the grey tank fills really quick.  I'd love to have a 35 gal. tank myself.

[Winnielover4078]

Sent: 2/9/2006

My 72 brave has a valve where you can divert the grey water to the ground or put it in the black tank. If you are camping out in the woods that works out great because no one complains about dish and shower water on the ground. But, if you are in a proper camp ground, you have to divert it all to the black tank, and it do fill up quick!!  Kenny