Observations--Sewer Hook ups - Montana Owners Club

timandsusan · 09-19-2010, 07:03 AM

I usually don't make it a habit to review anyone's sewer hook up or unhooking. But in the past few weeks while traveling out west, it sure appears that a bunch of RVers don't use screw-in connections for the sewer hook up--they just cram the hose in the sewer fitting. In most states that is not an air tight connection and is illegal. Then they use their white fresh water hose to wash out their sewer hose but they are wearing rubber gloves! Maybe that helps. I believe that some bad things are going to catch up to them sooner or later. How do you educate these folks?

footloose · 09-19-2010, 08:08 AM

We watched someone use an empty neighbor's water faucet to wash out their sewer hose! They left before we could say anything. We washed that faucet down with bleach. Since then we have carried a spray bottle of bleach to wash the water faucet down before hooking up. It takes all kinds.
Dick and Sharon

Trailer Trash 2 · 09-19-2010, 11:33 AM

Same here on that topic. I get two shows when I'm at a camp ground, the first one is watching them back into a spot, and the other is flushung the tanks, I believe that a lot of people never got instructions on how to flush there system properly, learn by trial and error.
As for a good seal on the sewer conection thats a different story, if all campgrounds were statndardized I would not have to carry around six different types of connectors for that pipe, three step threded connector, rubber do-nut, reucers, and a expandable seal.
I do have seperate hoses for the flushing system only.
and a fresh water hose that was cumtom made at the RV show.

Waynem · 09-19-2010, 01:13 PM

Tim,
You can't. Those people are just dumb and dumber and you could talk till your blue in the face and not make an impact.

The Oldguard · 09-19-2010, 05:53 PM

Tim, its just nature’s way of natural selection or would you really like to partake of the items they bring to the potluck?
Like Don it brings great joy watching them empting the tanks, washing out the sewer hose while not wearing gloves then wiping their hands on the side of their pants then getting in the rig and grapping the wheel as they lean over kissing the dear wife, petting the dog and drive off to the next campground where if you are really lucky they end up next to you…

simonsrf · 09-19-2010, 06:01 PM

Tim and Susan,
You've hit on one of my pet peeves, and I agree with Wayne.

I see people with leather gloves or no gloves handling the sewer hoses, and adapters, then touching everything in sight around their rig with the very same dirty hands; they later take off their leather gloves for use later.....dumb and dumber is the order here. They obviously have never heard of the causes of hepatitis, or never passed a biology class.

I carry a bottle-full of clorox water in the convenience center and always spray down any water connection we make. Disposable latex gloves are only $5 for 100 (50 uses) at any Harbor Freight store, but explaining the risks to dumb-and-dumber can be an expensive proposition.

I also carry several adapter connections to make a proper fit on the sewer connection....wish they could standardize.

Ok, how about when you get to the electrical pedestal and the switches are still on?.....yep, dumb and dumber were there too!

NCFischers · 09-19-2010, 11:19 PM

Two days ago, I watched a guy open his sewer cap to hook up his hose and water came pouring out. Then he proceeded to attach the hose with water spraying everywhere. When it was attached, water poured out the other end of the hose because he hadn't put it in the sewer pipe. Then he calmly walked over and shut off the kitchen drain and put the hose in the sewer. What an idiot.

Jdrobone · 09-20-2010, 03:14 AM

Good idea to sanitize your water connection when you hook up. Just watched our next door neighbor pack up and leave - got sewer "stuff" all over his ungloved hands, then proceeded to cut the water on and wash his hands. Guess what he left on the faucet handle he used?
Jerry

camper4 · 09-20-2010, 04:06 AM

We really see the stupid moves by people who rent those class C's. They have no idea.
We never know who was on a site before us so you need to treat the hook ups like the idiots were there last.
I'm not happy with how Montana has our fresh water, black tank flush, and dump valves handles, in close proximity. You really should clean up that area after every dump.

ols1932 · 09-21-2010, 05:18 AM

That's been one of my pet peeves ever since we started RVing. I don't mind a little spillage if it's cleaned up. But I abhor toilet paper and the "other" debris strewn all over and not cleaned up. It's no wonder Flying J started charging for dumping. I observed one motor home owner pull up next to a Flying J dump (about 3 feet away), pull the black water handle and, you guessed it. He dumped all over the ground but none in the drain. I don't often complain but I did there. When I asked him if he had a sewer hose, he said, "It's none of your d---n business. I took down his license number and reported him to the manager inside. Don't know what happened after that because we left. BTW, the motor home had Michigan plates, just in case you run into him.

Orv

CORattler · 09-21-2010, 03:02 PM

The diligent will learn 1st to do it right, others will try to learn as they go along, others ... well the Darwin theory applies.

sreigle · 09-21-2010, 05:28 PM

Tim and Susan, I've seen a few of those situations while out here on the west coast the past six months, too. But I've also seen an awful lot of small diameter sewer pipes that none of my threaded connectors will fit. Well, the smooth part will slip into the hole but not the threaded part. And I can't find a donut small enough. So when we're dealing with those pipes we don't have an airtight connection, either. I'm still looking for a small donut or a smaller threaded connector.

Tom S. · 10-11-2010, 10:06 AM

I have to say that most of the parks we have stayed at haven't have threaded sewer connections - just a plain piece of PVC pipe sticking out of the ground. I wish they were all threaded - it would make it a lot easier and sanitary.

timandsusan · 10-12-2010, 07:49 AM

On our West Coast Summer, we found the "slick pipe sewer connection" is a few parks. My donut was to big. I found that interesting because the other park amenties were superior. My traveling buddy got them to temporarily install a fitting to allow a larger sewer connection from the RV. Nothing was air tight.

nosticks · 10-13-2010, 02:43 AM

Interesting to note that no one has mentioned our easy flush connection for the black tank. The location of it is bad enough, and it invites usage right at your site by hooking up a second water hose and flushing the black tank while you are on site. Next person coming along hooks up their fresh water hose to the bib some dolt just used to flush his tank.

The black tank built in flush system should be labeled for use at a proper dump station only, not at your site. But then again, there are those with reading and comprehension disabilities, that's why I too use the clorox spray when hooking up.

ole dude · 10-13-2010, 05:10 AM

And then there is the mess that happens when you pull the handle for the black tank, get things to draining, walk to the other side of the rig to do some thing else, only to walk back and find ssssstuff all over the ground because the sewer line is stopped up. Surprise--surprise.

SlickWillie · 10-13-2010, 05:54 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by nosticks

Interesting to note that no one has mentioned our easy flush connection for the black tank. The location of it is bad enough, and it invites usage right at your site by hooking up a second water hose and flushing the black tank while you are on site. Next person coming along hooks up their fresh water hose to the bib some dolt just used to flush his tank.

The black tank built in flush system should be labeled for use at a proper dump station only, not at your site. But then again, there are those with reading and comprehension disabilities, that's why I too use the clorox spray when hooking up.

All flush systems I have seen on RVs have backflow prevention devices. There is no way black water will enter the water supply.

nosticks · 10-13-2010, 08:34 AM

Yes, I know it has a backflow preventer. They can and do fail.

Capt Kidd · 10-13-2010, 12:58 PM

I just installed a shutoff valve at the outlet of my 3400. It seemed no mater how long I let it drain by the time I closed the stock valves and drove to the next site I had bad stuff behind the cap when I took it off. Hopefully with a shut off right at the exit I will no longer have this problem.

simonsrf · 10-13-2010, 05:04 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Capt Kidd

I just installed a shutoff valve at the outlet of my 3400. It seemed no mater how long I let it drain by the time I closed the stock valves and drove to the next site I had bad stuff behind the cap when I took it off. Hopefully with a shut off right at the exit I will no longer have this problem.

You'll probably still have the problem, but with the new shutoff it won't be a problem.

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