Carla's Camper

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WanderingRose said:
...and always try to leave solid waste in public toilets...
Click to expand...
.
By 'solid', do you mean a squishy?
Snork-snork!
.
[Sometimes, I think I might be living in a big-kid body with a 9yo boy running the joint...]
.
No, but seriously.
We avoid those complications by squatting over a newspaper, then confining the products in a plastic grocery-bag, then responsibly disposing of the whole shootin' match.
.
We experimented with paper grocery-bags, but were put-off by the sogging.
[9yo boy strikes again!]
.
No, but seriously.
Ask your proctologist if squatting is right for you!
 
Carla, if you're looking at your sensors and that is telling you that the black tank is not empty...it might be the sensors that are problem (not an actual full tank). Many times the sensors get covered with toilet paper or waste. You learn to ignore the sensor. While it's definitley controversial for many, I never flushed toilet paper. I had a covered trash can (the lid popped up with a touch) and I put toilet paper inside plastic baggies. Emptied trash can often of course. No smell. Many are grossed out by this, but I never had a clog. My sensors never worked properly though. I usually just got a flash light and looked down to see how full the tanks were.

However, if you have water in the toilet that won't go down and the tanks won't dump, then I see the delima.
 
rruff said:
You are making a good case for boondocking in the west...

How does your truck handle the load?
Click to expand...
Truck was great, except for a noise it makes when I'm really pushing it... up a hill or even a long low grade. The sound is hard to describe. It's coming from the engine bay and only when it is straining... almost sounds like water spraying or a metallic sound. But also reminds me of the sound old engines made when the engine was knocking.

It stops when I'm no longer pushing the truck hard. Although, six hours into the trip it did it when I started the truck in the morning at Walmart. It sounded so much like water spraying I thought it was inside the cab.

I need to call my mechanic about it. He will have to drive the truck while towing the trailer to know what I am talking about.
 
LargeMarge said:
.
By 'solid', do you mean a squishy?
Snork-snork!
.
[Sometimes, I think I might be living in a big-kid body with a 9yo boy running the joint...]
.
No, but seriously.
We avoid those complications by squatting over a newspaper, then confining the products in a plastic grocery-bag, then responsibly disposing of the whole shootin' match.
.
We experimented with paper grocery-bags, but were put-off by the sogging.
[9yo boy strikes again!]
.
No, but seriously.
Ask your proctologist if squatting is right for you!
Click to expand...
I learned that squatting was optimal in a health class in college in the '70's. Never tried the full on squat, but the instructor recommended using a stool in front of the toilet always. Been doing it ever since. Raised my kids using the stool method, too. Out of five kids, I think only two still use the stool method.

The image is what we used... still have a couple of those.
 

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Kyz1 said:
Carla, if you're looking at your sensors and that is telling you that the black tank is not empty...it might be the sensors that are problem (not an actual full tank). Many times the sensors get covered with toilet paper or waste. You learn to ignore the sensor. While it's definitley controversial for many, I never flushed toilet paper. I had a covered trash can (the lid popped up with a touch) and I put toilet paper inside plastic baggies. Emptied trash can often of course. No smell. Many are grossed out by this, but I never had a clog. My sensors never worked properly though. I usually just got a flash light and looked down to see how full the tanks were.

However, if you have water in the toilet that won't go down and the tanks won't dump, then I see the delima.
Click to expand...
Not going by the sensors. The toilet bowl itself is full of water that won't drain. The local campgrounds I called don't turn water on at the dump stations until April 15. There is one on the river that says it opened March 1. Still trying to reach them. And I need an assistant.

I'm babysitting today, but soon I will try flushing it again with the pump on. Don't think the pump has been on since I returned.

The RV tech said ppl pay them to unclog tanks and almost always the first thing works: flushing it out with a hose while it it hooked up to a dump station. Run the hose through the trailer into the toilet.
 
rruff said:
You are making a good case for boondocking in the west...

How does your truck handle the load?
Click to expand...
Think I will be boondocking on BLM land in Colorado in a month or so... on my way to Washington state. There is BLM land in the Cascades, not far from where my son lives.

The trip to Washington will be challenging for my truck. My mechanic asked that I call him Friday to see if he has time to drive it with the trailer attached. So he can hear that mystery noise.
 
Be aware it may still be winter at elevations in Colorado, possibly well into June.

It’s going to be interesting to learn what the problem is with your black tank, Carla. 😅

If the toilet bowl won’t empty, it sounds like the tank may be clogged with an astonishing amount of toilet paper, unless a foreign object found its way in there.

Once toilet paper gets in a mound in there, it takes a fair amount of force to move it.

Ask me how I know this. 🙄
 
Bullfrog referred to an RV toilet wand earlier...I used one of these in my old 1987 motorhome and they really do help clear out the poop clogs and also they will help clear the crud off the tank sensors.

Most recently built RVs have a garden hose input port for cleaning the black tank: it sprays water into the tank thru a few nozzles at the same time you are dumping the black tank contents.

These RV toilet wands dont cost that much, but you will need a fairly long garden hose to make it work.

Next time you're anywhere close to an RV supply store or RV dealership, stop in and pick one up.


wand-00.png
 
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tx2sturgis said:
Bullfrog referred to an RV toilet wand earlier...I used one of these in my old 1987 motorhome and they really do help clear out the poop clogs and also they will help clear the crud off the tank sensors.

Most recently built RVs have a garden hose input port for cleaning the black tank: it sprays water into the tank thru a few nozzles at the same time you are dumping the black tank contents.

These RV toilet wands dont cost that much, but you will need a fairly long garden hose to make it work.

Next time you're anywhere close to an RV supply store or RV dealership, stop in and pick one up.


View attachment 35394
Click to expand...
Thanks. The night before we left for home the previous campground host sent her husband to look at my trailer. They thought my trailer might have the flush system you described. It doesn't. My trailer is a 2004.

I'll try to buy one of those... as well as what Camper uses.
 
WanderingRose said:
Be aware it may still be winter at elevations in Colorado, possibly well into June.
Click to expand...
Eww... Might skip Colorado BLM. Not keen on mountains even in summer, but no way around them. Right? I mean, I know I will be in the Cascades once there, but driving there I would like to find the flattest route.

I used a 'flattest route" website and all choices have steep mountains. But they do provide you with the best options. I'll look it over more.
 
Carla618 said:
Eww... Might skip Colorado BLM. Not keen on mountains even in summer, but no way around them. Right? I mean, I know I will be in the Cascades once there, but driving there I would like to find the flattest route.

I used a 'flattest route" website and all choices have steep mountains. But they do provide you with the best options. I'll look it over more.
Click to expand...
The major highway passes are typically going to have reasonably decent grade changes with safety turnouts for trucks. They also have one or likely more than one more slow lane on them which you will want to use as you are towing. Of course there will still be some routes that are flatter than others.

Try turning off the AC in your tow vehicle when doing climbs up steeper hills and overpasses. To avoid needing AC for personal can omfort I try not to do those climbs in mountain regions during the heat of the day in the spring, summer and fall. In my case I never use AC when towing and I am typically in no hurry on trips so I plan my start and stop times around the best conditions for towing. Luckily chasing 70 degree weather means I can sometimes tow in mid day.

In warm and hot weather I get an early or very late in the day start. Which one I choose depends on if I am heading east or west. Driving with sun in your eyes is of course brutal and dangerous. In winter I do go closer to mid day to avoid getting into black ice. This stuff is all logical if of course you realize there is a logic behind it which there is.
 
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maki2 said:
The major highway passes are typically going to have reasonably decent grade changes with safety turnouts for trucks. They also have one or likely more than one more slow lane on them which you will want to use as you are towing. Of course there will still be some routes that are flatter than others.

Try turning off the AC in your tow vehicle when doing climbs up steeper hills and overpasses. To avoid needing AC for personal can omfort I try not to do those climbs in mountain regions during the heat of the day in the spring, summer and fall. In my case I never use AC when towing and I am typically in no hurry on trips so I plan my start and stop times around the best conditions for towing. Luckily chasing 70 degree weather means I can sometimes tow in mid day.

In warm and hot weather I get an early or very late in the day start. Which one I choose depends on if I am heading east or west. Driving with sun in your eyes is of course brutal and dangerous. In winter I do go closer to mid day to avoid getting into black ice. This stuff is all logical if of course you realize there is a logic behind it which there is.
Click to expand...
I follow most of what you posted. Been driving old cars my whole life:D Thank you.
 
Kyz1 said:
Carla, if you're looking at your sensors and that is telling you that the black tank is not empty...it might be the sensors that are problem (not an actual full tank). Many times the sensors get covered with toilet paper or waste. You learn to ignore the sensor. While it's definitley controversial for many, I never flushed toilet paper. I had a covered trash can (the lid popped up with a touch) and I put toilet paper inside plastic baggies. Emptied trash can often of course. No smell. Many are grossed out by this, but I never had a clog. My sensors never worked properly though. I usually just got a flash light and looked down to see how full the tanks were.

However, if you have water in the toilet that won't go down and the tanks won't dump, then I see the delima.
Click to expand...
Lived in Romania for 18 months. You NEVER put toilet paper in the toilet.... always had to put it in the trash can. Old and poorly maintained sewer system.
 
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