20 replies to this topic

[Glassbydesign]

We have 2015 SD 17' . On this trip which lasted 5 nights the grey water tank seems to have reached capacity. Water in sink won't drain on last day you could see water in sink and shower. Same problem on last trip 3 days. Any suggestions. Black water tank was ok.

[Wally Z]

Drain the tank and check this out.

http://littlehousecu....com/store.html

 

Fast Grey kit and vent help.  You should already have the Hepvo valve in a 2015. If you drained the tank and the sink and shower still don't drain you may have a plugged or reversed hepvo valve. Think I read where the inside of the hepvo valve flipped internally some how.  Give LHC a call and they will tell you what to do. You may have to remove valve. It's not much different than having a plugged trap in your house. Check the sink trap also.

Edited by Wally Z, 28 November 2016 - 02:54 PM.

[Meadowlark]

It certainly sounds as if you overfilled your gray water tank. The capacity is (I believe 35 gallons but please don't quote me, I'm not certain.)

Remember any water you put down the sink/shower goes into the gray. If you connected your casita to the 'city water'...the campground spigot, you have no way of telling how much water you've dumped into the system. If you refilled your water tank and neglected to dump the gray, or you brought in water from outside the system (i.e. a bucket full of water from the campsite spigot), that water has to go somewhere. Remember also that the hot water heater has five gallons and that goes into the gray, as well.

 

If you install Larry Gamble's HEPVO valve, that will gain you a little more capacity in the gray, but still..sounds to me as if you misjudged how many showers it takes to fill up the gray. It's not that many.

[Glassbydesign]

Thanks I think filled to capacity as working fine after I drain. So I have probably misjudged. What about using a portable tank as it can be a Hassel if staying beyond capacity. This means having to move and dump.

[Wally Z]

Thanks I think filled to capacity as working fine after I drain. So I have probably misjudged. What about using a portable tank as it can be a Hassel if staying beyond capacity. This means having to move and dump.

I've heard a few people on here that do use portable tanks. I know I've seen some folks at campgrounds using them. Might be a good idea if you camp a lot where they don't have hookups. We go to a national park that has dump station only.  Would be a good place to have a portable if staying for extended period.  Not sure how they would work on Casita though since it's connection is so low to the ground.

https://www.amazon.c...VF7J2WEN1&psc=1

 

 

https://www.amazon.c...d=2G2UPMPUEJKPX

Edited by Wally Z, 28 November 2016 - 05:46 PM.

[Meadowlark]

I've never used the portable tanks but Wally Z brings up a good point...I don't know how low the portables are. But it has to work better than nothing. I know the feeling, you're in a nice spot and are loathe to pull up stakes to go and dump the tanks. What we do is use the 'house hold' water supply as little as possible. We wash dishes outside, using water we've toted in five gallon cans, we shower using the campground facilities and take cat baths inside when there are none. If I wash dishes inside, I take the water out and dump at the campground dishwater dump tank. Even so, if we've been camping in the same site for a week, it gets kinda dicey.

What you may want to consider is installing a cap that Larry Gamble at Little House Customs sells. It's a cap for the tanks that has a hose connection. Remembering at all times that both black and gray water goes through the same exiting outlet, a  hose can be connected to the cap and the gray tank emptied into your aforementioned portable tank. I would make sure the hose is BLACK, or some other color than white so you don't mix the two up. And you don't want to just dump the gray where you parked...that's not nice, although I bet there are folks who do that. I hope I don't have to say to never dump the black tank where you parked...I wouldn't want to camp in a site where the prior campers had emptied both tanks on the ground.

[Glassbydesign]

Great advise. Thanks

[Hot Toddy]

Short of buying more modifications and gizmos for your trailer, remember that the grey water tank drains much slower than the black water. I had the same problem when we first started out with our Casita and just couldn't believe we had used 40 gallons of grey water in a weekend. Come to find out, I wasn't draining the tank completely when dumping. Now I take my time and wait until water has subsided to a drip from my dump hose. Your gas mileage might improve as well. ;-) 

 

Toddy

[Glassbydesign]

Yes I did notice was draining really slow. I'll take more time next time. Only problem is when u have people waiting to dump it's like can u speed it up.

[Meadowlark]

I know the feeling, when there's a line waiting at the dump station. It seems like the guy ahead of you has decided to homestead the hose/dump station and then when it's your turn, you can feel the vibes from the guy behind you saying HURRY UP.

[TumaloTed]

We bought a clear plastic "extender" that attaches ahead of sewer hose so one can see what is coming out (and if black is done when flush toilet while dumping).  We also have a blue boy 22 gal. tank when I take my truck,  and it sits low enough that you can dump into it.  Has a separate metal handle that fits over hitch so can tow blue boy to the dump without having to move trailer.  works good.

[Beetlefreak]

It always helps to make sure the front and curb side of the trailer are high when you dump.  Sometimes I have to block the wheels to make it that way.

[jlgtx]

If you have a Hepvo valve and you overfill the greywater tank, it can cause the Hepvo's internal valve mechanism to partially or fully turn inside-out and stop draining (or even allow back flow). I've found the easiest fix (once you've drained the tank!) is to use a hose-end sprayer with a large outlet (something like https://www.lowes.co...ozzle/4363391).Cover the entire shower drain with the business end of the sprayer, and let 'er rip. The pressure from the sprayer will push the Hepvo's internal valve mechanism back into its proper position. This is also a good way to flush sand and other crud out of your drain lines and P-traps.

[Kbcarp]

Is there any indicator of how full either black or grey tank are? We are new to the Casita and previous motor home had an indicator.

[Zimm]

Black tank you can actually see down the toilet with a flashlight (I know, ewwww).   Not so much on the gray.  You will develop a guesstimate based on how much water you've thrown down the shower/sink to figure it out eventually.

 

I'm planning to install the fast gray mod tomorrow and will take pics, notes, and post an article very soon on our site.