Black water holding tank

[phoneguy]

Got a question. Our local dealer recommends driving to our location with approx 7 gallons of water in black water holding tank along with treatment for dissolving things. He said that the sloshing back and forth really cleans things up. Do you think 7 gallons at 7 lbs per gallon is too heavy to be driving with? This is our 1st outing with our new but used 28fb. Thanks

[Lloyd]

I run with a full tank when we go up north hunting in the fall.
You might want to check the tank supports they have under it. I don't know what you have for a rig, but back in my vintage they were notorious for not being adequate.

[phoneguy]

i can't see my tank or the supports due to the winter wrap under belly on my 2005 cruiser 28fb.

[Lloyd]

It should be in the back right in front of the bumper. If you look under there you should see supports running across the frame under the tank. They use to have a thin piece of plywood under the tank, then the membrane. then the supports. Some of us dropped that membrane and put a heavier plywood in there.Plus reinforcing the cross supports.
Does that make sense?

[phoneguy]

Thanks, I'll take a look

[anaro]

You should always have at least a couple gallons in your black tank to help prevent the dreaded stone mountain from forming. I usually keep 3-4 gal in mine. If you are worried about the weight of 7 gallons of water then I have to ask are you worried about the weight for your truck? If so you must be really close to, if not over your limits.

[phoneguy]

not worried about truck weight just worried about tank support. I tow it with a Dodge Ram 1500 conversion van with 5.9 l and helper springs in rear

[anaro]

Ok, just wanted to make sure which way you were worried about weight as we often see people worried about water in tanks because they are too close to vehicle max. Glad to hear that is not the issue. That said, what trailer do you have, others may have the same to answer your question.

[phoneguy]

I have a 2005 Crossroads Cruiser 28FB Travel Trailer. I will add 4 gallons of water and a breakdown pack in with it and drive 100 miles with it splashing around and cleaning it at the same time. Dry weight is approx 5800 lbs. My van can tow 7500 and that's without the helper springs on it. Thanks again

[mark5w]

Since your camper is a few years old use the geo method next time you travel.
Here's the link:
https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/

It will help clean your tank. I use this at the end of the season.

Don't worry, your rv can handle it.

[anaro]

X2 on geo method. I really prefer using it to the drop in packets. A little tip, do not use the bleach until you are certain there is no packets remaining in your tank or you will get a chemical reaction. You can add the detergent and the Calgon water softener without issue. I prefer using liquid water softener and liquid detergent.

[Tim D]

All I have been able to find is the powdered borax. Anyone using that?

[avvidclif]

I've been using the powdered borax(Twenty Mule Team, anyone remember their commercials?) and the generic wally world refill size dishwashing liquid for over a year and it seems to work just fine. You have to be careful when you mix it up or you wind up with clumps. Pour the Borax slowly into the bucket and stir briskly. I prefer the apple scented dishwashing liquid.

[mark5w]

The water softener is the key. Even if you use a different brand, just dissolve it in warm water.

[anaro]

Try Here for calgon water softener. I use one capful per tank (my tank is 40 gallons) and I use liquid tide for my detergent. Works well.

[cw3jason]

I always travel with 1/3 tank of fresh water, for use on the road and 5-10 galons about 1/4 tank black water with chemical in the tanks. this settup alows me to use my facilities in case we need to and also plenty of fresh water if we decide to WallyDock for the night. We have had no problems with the tanks or supports.

[phoneguy]

great info. i'm going to go the geo method way since i don't know about its use before we bought it. thanks for all the great help

[MEHoffman]

I buy liquid Calgon at a local grocery store. It is also available on DrugStore.com

[mark5w]

It's often not in the laundry isle. usually it's in the bath soap isle. We look 3 times in the laundry isle until I convinced my wife () to look in the bath soap isle.

[Tim D]

Originally Posted by mark5w

It's often not in the laundry isle. usually it's in the bath soap isle. We look 3 times in the laundry isle until I convinced my wife () to look in the bath soap isle.

Hmmm...could be why I didn't find it. I bought the box of borax instead. It is cheap compared to the prices I have seen for the Calgon.