Unique camping marine CMG005.8 Proper Care of RV Dumping Tools User Guide
- June 3, 2024
- uniQue camping marine
Table of Contents
Unique camping marine CMG005.8 Proper Care of RV Dumping Tools
INFORMATION
No one relishes the necessary task of dumping their RV wastewater holding tanks, but the feeling is compounded when you realize that it’s also crucial to clean the tools you use to dump. So not only do you have to do the messy work of cleaning out the nasty black and gray tanks, but you also have to clean out the tools you use to clean the tanks. When will the cleaning end?! Well, if you want a non-contaminated, odor free RV, you need to muscle through the discomfort of additional cleaning because keeping your dumping tools clean and stored properly is a very important part of RV maintenance.
Dumping Tools and Accessories
Just like the world of baby products, there are so many RV tools and accessories available out there that you might wonder if you really need most of them. Plenty of RVers have gotten by in the past just fine before all these new gadgets were invented, right? When it comes to managing RV wastewater tanks, only a few things are truly necessary to conceptually complete the act of dumping your tanks, but if your budget and storage capacity allow, there are many extra items you will be grateful to have.
Must-Haves
This list of must-haves covers the tools you need to physically dump the tank
in a sanitary way.
- Sewer hose
- Sewer hose extension
- Clear elbow fitting
- Sewer hose storage caps
- Sewer hose seal (aka sewer hose doughnut)
- Sewer tank rinser (backflusher) or rinsing wand
- Black tank rinsing hose (dedicated garden hose)
- Disposable gloves
Nice-to-Haves
This list of nice-to-haves covers the tools that may make your trip easier.
- Sewer hose support
- Replacement sewer hose gaskets
- Clear extension
- Twist-on waste valve
- Permanently installed sewer hose
- Sewer wrench
- Additional hose storage
- Sewer tote
- Macerator system
- Composting toilet
Note: For more details on these tools and why they might be something you would want, refer to our fulllength guide on Proper Care of RV Dumping Tools.
Cleaning the Dumping Accessories
First be sure to dump your tanks in the most efficient order:
- Dump the black tank first.
- Rinse/flush the black tank.
- Dump the gray tank.
- Rinse the hose with fresh water while still hooked up to the cleanout
After rinsing the hose, disconnect it from the cleanout. Fill the hose with water and disinfectant and let sit overnight. Some in the RVing community recommend the following process for disinfecting an RV waste hose:
- Fill the discharge hose with bleach water and cap both ends.
- Shake the hose up a bit so the bleach water reaches all the accordion groves inside the hose.
- Let it sit overnight to disinfect, and dump and rinse the next morning.
- Spray an antibacterial cleaner on the ends of the discharge hose before storing (optional).
Bleach is an effective disinfectant, but you need to be careful about which pieces come in contact with it. The rubber seals in the valve connector can be damaged by soaking it in bleach water and obviously anything metallic can rust when left sitting in water for long periods of time, so it’s better to only use this technique with accessories and fittings that have non-metallic material. If some of your accessories have grime or actual solids stuck on them, you might consider soaking them in a bucket of water and a couple ounces of Unique RV Digest-It so it will be broken up. Then you can soak them in bleach or antibacterial soap to kill all the unseen bacteria still on them.
Storing RV Dumping Tools
You definitely want your dumping tools to be somewhere as removed as possible
from the living space, and there are so many creative ways to do this from DIY
to specifically designed aftermarket storage options by trusted retailers.
- Built-in RV storage compartment
- DIY compartment door storage for sewer hose
- Storage bin
- RV bumper
- DIY or aftermarket sewer hose storage
- Sewer hose storage bag
- Sewer hose end caps