Cleaning Out Your RV Black Water Tank 🚽 RV ENEMA 💩 RV Holding Tanks Maintenance

[@tbirdjpb]

Glad to see you had gloves on when demoing the wand. I've never seen how the wand works. Thank you for that!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Glad you enjoyed it. I remembered the gloves after I started messing with the black tank. Thanks for watching!

[@monaaguayo3594]

Thank you for all the details and even pouring the gallons of water down the toilet really makes a difference for me I am a visual person even if its simple things. Really appreciate your video: 😊

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for warning.

[@MaFinne]

I have a 2004 SeeYa and use Alfa;\'s Sani-Flush with each dump. Other then an occasional odor fixed with Borax. We've had no major odor issues in 3 years of full-timing.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Sadly when we bought the Alfa, none of that was working anymore and a previous owner had tried to fix and ruined it all.. Its a pretty little plaque down there though. 😊

[@jarretvanvolkinburg3105]

Dude that backflow preventer supposed to go in at the rhino connection that way you don’t contaminate your hose

[@RoamingWithRosie]

No, the black vacuum breaker goes between the hose and the faucet. Read the instructions on the Rhino Blaster packaging. It specifically says between the hose and faucet. Thanks for watching!

[@Somatic_Theraphy]

Thank you so much for your very informative video. I love the way you actually show us how to do it! I am doing it all by myself so this was very helpful!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@ryancornelius1007]

Beautiful motorhome! We bought a travel trailer a couple weeks ago, unfortunately the previous owner left us with a black water tank that was about 3/4s full. Checked in the toilet not the gauge, they said they didnt use the camper this year so this is last years waste and im terrified its not gonna come out. Its still liquidy but man, i couldnt imagine leaving someone with my families mess like that. Never drained one before so thank you for the info.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I feel your pain. Our first motorhome had a poop pyramid. That usually happens when they leave the valve open when camping at a campground. The fluids drain out and leave the solids. That took some getting rid of. Thanks for watching!

[@ryancornelius1007]

@@RoamingWithRosie luckily mine looks pretty wet inside, gonna go dump it tomorrow, just my truck back from getting and alignment.

[@harrisonmantooth7363]

My wife and I bought a used 2021 39' Open Range travel trailer. We are experiencing the same problem. The previous owner used the trailer in a different state where he was working. He left the trailer down there where he was working when he traveled back to his house about 30 hours distance. We have emptied and flushed but still have the foul order. I've used different chemicals and cleaning agents to no avail. . Your video was most helpful. I don't believe the previous owner took very good care of his trailer and then left his mess with me.. Thank you Roaming With Rosie for sharing this video. . Stan

[@KevinCoop1]

Words of experience. Before you drain the black and gray, hook up the hose and turn the water on. If the valve is in the wrong position, and no water hose, it will leak out with the black water. My flush elbow has a gate valve after the hose connection. You can close it off and fill the tanks to flush them out multiple times. Fun ain’t it!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thanks for watching and the tip!

[@Patrick_Cashman]

We just refill our 40gal black tanks with about 25gal of clean water after we dump, then dump that out, and fill again with 10 gal. Then we add OxyClean. Couple of scoops per tank after each dump. This method has been working great. When we first started full-timing it was an issue till we started doing this. Since then no problems.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thanks for sharing. When you purchase an old RV, you just arent sure what stored in there. For instance when we installed our Lion Energy batteries, we discovered a pack rat had lived in the spaces between the floor and the basement. Must have been quite awhile. And with this, a poop pyramid had dried to a state that wasnt coming out with liquid chemicals or dissolve even after driving around with it. This rig needed an enema! 🤣😱 Thankfully we have no odor left.

[@bobcloughjr]

I do the same method of refilling but also a couple times a year the wand. You would be shocked to see what comes out of what you believed was a "clean" tank. I suggest you try it.

[@Patrick_Cashman]

@@bobcloughjr no doubt it's a mess in there. The tanks in my RV have a spider nozzle thing with multiple exit points for the incoming water spread around the tank. Not exactly sure where they are in there, but I think they help somewhat. Your advice is well taken though; I'm sure there are places the nozzles don't reach and they are probably caked up with goo.

[@thecasualrver]

Good tips guys, Using the flush wand is your best way to clean the black tank, Note; if you have a gravity flush toilet only the wand should not be used with Vacuflush or macerator toilets. BTW, RV Digest-It is the best black and gray tank treatment on the market. The Rhino blaster basically just adds water to the tank, there is no way for the jet stream to hit the tank and break-up any waste due to the angles and bends the discharge pipes are at, the jet stream is dispersed by the bends and angles, unless it's a straight shoot right into the black or gray tanks, which is very rare. Safe Travels!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@jkidd2007]

I have a very similar set up except I use a system that has a shutoff downstream of the sewer hose drain that lets the tanks fill with water. I found that this clean the TP that sticks to the sides of the tank plus the heavy solids that need to pulled out with large amount of sewer drains.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

When I emptied the black tank and hooked this up. I was surprised at much more came out. I have started doing the back flush every time I dump our tanks. Thanks for watching!

[@plainandsimple1]

The best way ive done this (homestead living in a 5th wheel full time) is to do what youre doing, but have a shut off valve after the backwash attachment. Close the valve, and with a cheap water meter for the garden hose, fill to right before your tanks capacity and shut off the water, then open the dump valve. Repeat 3-5 times till water runs clear. 😊

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Great tip! We ended up replacing the toilet. No more problems. Thanks for watching!

[@plainandsimple1]

@RoamingWithRosie what was wrong with the toilet? And what toilet did you replace it with? Because I've been having issues with my tank constantly getting gunked up. Which is why I bought the backflush and started doing it.

[@bobcloughjr]

Filling and flushing will not clean as good as the wand. I know you see clear water coming out but believe me if you use the wand you'll see.

[@plainandsimple1]

@@bobcloughjr I'm hooked up to a septic and sometimes have issues draining. I'm not too worried about it being spotless as I'm not using it for travel but rather living in it as we build a cabin.

[@ericstoner8635]

What you really need to do this correctly is a gate valve attached to the downstream side of the Rhino Blaster. The better unit to buy is the Flush King which comes with a gate valve. This way you can fill up the tank and then drain it. When you have a full tank, the water pressure being drained is far greater than doing it the way you did it.

[@Theistliecatcher]

I live in my rv. Rarely move about so i use unique tank treatment with thetford treatment every time i dump my black tank. I also use the flush system on side of rv for 30 mins every single dump. I dont mess around lol

[@RoamingWithRosie]

We replaced our toilet and have had no more issues. Thanks for watching!

[@ricksn777]

That was one of the best videos I’ve seen on this. Thanks so much

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@mikoserbousek4987]

We had similar smell issues in our bus conversion, even after flushing and adding chemicals to break up solids. At the end of the day it took the toilet wand to fix the issue- there were little solids pyramids/columns in various parts of the tank. I would insert the end of the wand into the toilet, turn it on and lower it while on until you hear that grinding noise- then back it up just a bit. This means the wand can spin freely and is upright rather than at an angle. Our "permanent fix" to this issue has been to replace our toilet Dometic 310 (gravity fed) with the Dometic 7640 (macerator, same form factor). A macerator helps prevent buildup and doesn't allow the tank to "burp" into the cabin with buildup odor.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

We had wanted to change out the toilet so ended up changing it out to the Dometic 320 toilet. Turns out the old toilet seal was all dried out and cracked. No more issues. Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@mrKeithGrayoldguy]

First rule of dumping tanks is put on glives

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Always!

[@Masterchief68]

What’s glives????

[@charlestait5303]

@@Masterchief68British gloves 🧤

[@jonellcarter3732]

Thank you, thank you. I am full timer. I bought one of those. But couldnt figure out how to use. Now i know how to use it.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching.

[@tomkroon54]

You need an additional valve between the flusher and sewer hose. That way you can shut sewer line off while flushing with water to build water volume and agitation to tank and then after doing fill / flush water to black tank then turn off water then open gate valve between flusher and sewer. So water.does not go down sewer while flushing

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I already have the additional valve and also flush out my tanks. The issue was the seal that goes between the floor and the toilet. It was completely worn out. Thanks for watching!

[@NoWay-xu1ie]

If you want to see how well you cleaned your black tank before you add your chemicals. Fill your toilet full of water and have someone watch the clear fitting while flushing the toilet. We also dump our dish washing water in the toilet and dump our black tank every 3-4 days. Never have a problem with smell. Been doing this for several.

[@NoWay-xu1ie]

Years. Also when using the wand ,don't let the toilet flapper close before removing the wand . You may damage the seal .

[@RoamingWithRosie]

We replaced the old toilet with a Dometic 310 toilet and have had no issues. Thanks for watching!

[@fishnhuntoutdoors8166]

Should always pull gray first just for a bit to lube hose up before black tank flush

[@larryv4249]

After doing a thorough clean and flush, I like to add Dawn low sudsing dish soap with 5 gallons of water and travel to the next campsite letting this solution slosh around good to clean the sensors, Then dump and add chemicals.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

That's a great idea! Thanks for watching!

[@rickrangel]

@Larry V EXCELLENT IDEA!!! I am going to try that.

[@LisaShankk]

I watched a KZbin video where they used calgon bath pearls, pinesol, and water mixture, and that really keeps things silky smooth running. Just youtube it you can see the videos people swear by using only that and no pricy rv chemicals.

[@AndrewMcSpadden]

You should try the rhino with the valve so you can fill tank with water and flush that way :)

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thanks. There are a lot of warnings about using those. People need to use care before trying.

[@AndrewMcSpadden]

@Roaming With Rosie oh interesting. I've never seen any warnings. I always use a water flow meter so I know how many gallons I've put back into the tank. What are some of the warnings?

[@computernerdtechman]

Would a vent pipe with a small fan on it that hooked into the black tank that you can activate with a switch work to vent the oder in the black tank out when you flush and the ball valve is open? That would create a suction up the vent pipe and gases would not go up the open toilet hole.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

We ended up changing out the toilet. The problem ended up being the seal on the bottom of the toilet. Thanks for watching!

[@warrendaniels3501]

Dexter is the star of the show lol. Keep putting out the great videos

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thank you. He just wants attention. LOL

[@travelingmertonandsue]

Gross...Lol. Thanks though for the info!

[@iagreewithme8577]

I'm sure you know that you have a sani flush built into your black tank, good video.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

It quit working before we purchased the RV. And the electronic flush valve not only didnt work, and the manual valve was stripped, meaning someone had already attempted this manually. A 17yr old coach. Some stuff is worn out. We're slowly replacing things. 😉

[@WayneB-rv1xs]

We had a bad poop smell in our camper to find out it was the TOILET its' self, after lifting the toilet out of the camper and turning it on it's side lots of poop was running out onto the ground, it was the round black rubber gasket that the flushing ball rubs against when flushing, poop gets through that round gasket and builds up INSIDE of your toilet.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Ours ended up being the gasket between the bottom of the toilet and the floor.

[@joeo7257]

Not your favorite video to make, but super helpful to me. Thanks

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Right? But we all gotta deal with it. Thanks!

[@stephens4861]

Great tutorial!! Thank you both!!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tincanboat]

After I drain and flush my black tank I close the valve and and about 6 or 7 gallons of water. I have had no problems. Remember water is your friend.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertpearson8798]

The blackwater flush hose should be brown😄

[@loriw.2152]

😂😂😂😂

[@steffanrhoads1870]

poop pyramid- i knew what that meant! have to dump, not leave it open so there is always plenty of liquid to move the solids

[@RoamingWithRosie]

The first motorhome we bought had a poop pyramid. I almost had to Jack hammer it out. I’m surprised how many people don’t know to leave the valves closed. Thanks for watching!

[@ricktaylor6373]

That was good video! If I can do my tanks as good as he did I should get a diploma.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

🤣💯

[@DawnBonds]

Is this method supposed to be better than using the high pressure rotating wand down the tank?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

That is what we used in the video to clean the black tank.

[@tbirdjpb]

No gloves? Especially while working on black tank! Loved the info on using the tank wand!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I was wrapped up in what I was doing. Then I remembered gloves!

[@chrisw5847]

How long does that keep the smell down for?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Depends. This video is always popular in the summer months, so warmer temps bring it out. We haven't had to re-do after 2 years of travel because we follow the steps for prepping after every time we empty the tank.

[@madsmomma2009]

Just curious, do you flush your tank like this with every dump? Do you use the digest it after every dump?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Everytime we drain the tank, we flush it (run water back up it using the Rhino blaster connector to rinse the tank). As far as using the wand thru the toilet to clean the black tank,, we do that a couple of times a year. Hope that is helpful. Let us know if you have other questions. 😉

[@rodneykroetsch2924]

Very good explanatory video 👍

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Glad you liked it. Hope it's helpful. Thanks.

[@JamesBrown-ds8qn]

Do you use the same method if the black tank won't drain.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I have never had the black tank not drain. Hopefully you don’t have a poop pyramid.

[@topguncg47]

Very good job.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@stephenrice4208]

When you’re breaking down you rig to go home. 1. Dump the black tank 2. Dump the gray tank 3. Fill the gray tank 4. Fill and dump the black tank at least 2 times 5. Dump the gray tank 6. Add two scoops of “Happy Camper” - it adds enzymes and deodorizes. 7. Fill the black tank about 1/3rd+ full. 8. Hit the road and let the black tank slosh around. (The first time you do this fill and dump the black tank until the tank gauge registers empty, or starts to register less than before. Eventually it will become accurate and not register 1/3rd+/- when it’s supposed to be empty) If you do this regularly the solids that have built up in the tank and on the gauge float or sensor will be washed away and the smell will dissappear and your tank gauge will start registering accurately - unless it’s broken. You don’t have to do this every time you dump - just when you break down to get on the road. It’s all about washing all the solid buildup off the bottom, and the side walls of the tank. I’ve been doing this for years and between the wash out procedure and the “Happy Camper” the nasty toilet smells are gone and my tank always registers empty when dumped and always accurately reflects the black tank level throughout the trip. “No I don’t represent Happy Camper” - if you find something like it - use that. I’ve just found it to be my favorite.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

We have a routine that works for us. The issue was the gasket on the bottom of the toilet was worn out. We ended up replacing the toilet and have had no issues since. Thanks for watching!

[@michellebarlondsmith6243]

Hello .... Made me laugh just subscribed

[@RoamingWithRosie]

When dealing with the black tank you have to find the humor, right? Thanks for joining the Roamers.

[@laniewesley2372]

So if your system is hooked up to a septic line do you still have to do this flushing of the black tank in the gray tank?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Yes, when your hook up to a septic line in a camp ground you don’t want to leave the valves open. If you leave them open the liquid will go through your hose and leave the solids in your tank creating a real problem. Flushing your tanks clean anything that maybe stuck on the side walls of your tanks. Thanks for watching!

[@paintilludrop]

Oh my..I really have messed up... Hooked up to my septic tank, lived in rv for a year, never moved it!! Working on cleaning it now.. one good thing did not put tp into toilet. But no smell..and it works. I hope no teepee.

[@danp7405]

Water,water,lots of water= no problem.

[@Michael.of.Barrett]

So your black tank is 20-year-old plastic - how long do tanks last?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I rarely ever hear of someone replacing one. If ours had a difficult to fix crack, we will replace as a fresh water tank. And then install composting toilet.

[@Michael.of.Barrett]

@@RoamingWithRosie That'd give you what - about 150 gallons of fresh water? Longer boondocking options - lol. Also - just wanted to say I am enjoying your KZbin channel. I've learned a lot from ya'll, so thanks for sharing your adventures.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

@@Michael.of.Barrett So glad you're enjoying our videos. The skoolie tour we did in Magnolia Beach gave us that idea. They stayed in place for 14 days & if allowed, could have stayed longer. We had to go to an RV park to dump & refill after 8 days.

[@johnbland1422]

A green pocket hose will fit in a large empty coffee can takes up very little room

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!

[@timeonecop]

You need a flush king with a gate valve on it

[@jaytalbert7123]

Bro, you should have shown us before you stuck it down your tank. You're very fortunate ur wife loves you.

[@dancudmore13]

Why don’t you use your san-t-flush system?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

That would be nice, but ours doesn't work. LOL

[@jackhall4680]

Probably not a problem, but, ever the perfectionist, I have a hose JUST for black water cleaning and a WHITE hose which is ONLY used for potable water. Also, we bring gallons of reverse osmosis water which we use for drinking/cooking, so we almost never drink water from the on board freshwater tank. The idea of using my white hose to back flush the black water tank makes me cringe.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

My fresh water hose is blue and is stored where my fresh water hook up is. The long white is with the rest of the sewer stuff in a large storage container and only used for flushing my tanks. I am really picky when it comes to water. I only drink bottled water. Thanks for watching!

[@lynnstewart3403]

Do u put the tablets before or after in the toilet

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I add 3 gallons of water first then drop in the tablet followed with 2 more gallons of water. Thanks for watching!

[@armadilllo]

aren't you supposed to bring the drain hose up through that big hole in the bottom?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Not sure what you mean.

[@armadilllo]

@@RoamingWithRosie The big hole in the floor of the valve box. Never mind, the hose is coming out the door at 3:25 the it's coming down through the hole in the box floor at 8:12

[@rvscootin3457]

Why aren't you using the hole designed to run the hose down through on your RV?

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I was just flushing it out. When we are hooked up at a campground. I run the hose through the hole. Thanks for watching!

[@Barbb123]

Gloves!!

[@mega-hb4re]

2 solutions; get an electric marine toilet that doesn’t required vent or a dry flush self contained. Don’t deal with all that B.S

[@RoamingWithRosie]

We replaced the toilet with a Dometic 310 toilet and have no more issues. Thanks for watching!

[@iammichaelhughes]

The wand doesn't look like it has very much pressure.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Depends on the pressure of your water source. We had good pressure which you can't tell in video. But you also have the spinning head on the end of the wand.

[@Paul-gh9ky]

My first question is why not use the opening in the bottom of your sewage compartment and my second question is why did you hook up to your neighbors dump opening

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I filmed it that way because it was easier to see the setup when filming. We were at a campground when we did the video. The dump openings were at the far end of the campsite.

[@mrKeithGrayoldguy]

Gloves

[@franks551]

Are you using a different

[@davidbrothers4593]

I do an enema every three days instead of my tank. No solids.

[@michaelpendarvis7814]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mac4678]

We never drop a duece in our Camper. We always find somewhere else for that.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Ok

[@dsarti1]

You hooked that up totally wrong

[@LetsTalk649]

Buy her a tent😂

[@charlestait5303]

Use Unique products and follow their system. Problem solved!

[@RoamingWithRosie]

I use their products. The problem was the toilet seal. Thanks for watching!

[@topgunpressurecleaning8930]

I just poop in a bucket. Problem solved hahaha

[@RoamingWithRosie]

That’s what I call a drop in the bucket! Thanks for watching.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Not sure if that solves the odor issue. 🤣😉

[@Stanf954]

One way to discourge ppl from buying an RV is to watch more of these videos.

[@RoamingWithRosie]

You could be right! I think it’s better knowing the good and the bad. Everything has its positives and negatives. Thanks for watching!

[@robertyoung7595]

Gross doing that work, not using gloves👀

[@RoamingWithRosie]

Usually does, but didn't for filming. Definitely want to wear disposable gloves.