Rear Kitchens & Holding Tanks - Montana Owners Club

jackandh2o · 10-28-2008, 07:43 AM

We have an '05 297 RKS FW Mountaineer.Is there a rule of thumb as to how often you empty the gray and galley tanks.
I'm guessing the gray backs up into the shower and the kitchen sink doesn't drain. I sure I haven't run 15 gallons into the sink and it shows full already.

Thanks
Ray

stiles watson · 10-28-2008, 08:22 AM

Ray, You are probably experiencing faulty indicator readings, likely due to grease build up on the galley tank sensors. It is very common. Many or us don't pay a lot of attention to them after we get familiar with how the tanks fill. We seldom if ever fill the gray and galley tanks before the black tank is ready to be dumped. We are full timers and I dump the tanks about every 4 or 5 days.

You are right. The shower will stop draining and the kitchen sink will quit draining as well when the tanks are full to the brim. By keying off the black tank, we are able to manage them all satisfactorily.

To get more reliable tank level information, you will probably need to retrofit a better monitoring system (externally mounted rather than internal). Camping World has one they will install. I haven't done it, so I have no idea about cost.

jackandh2o · 10-28-2008, 08:42 AM

Stiles, we have only had the unit for about 10 months and have been on about 7 trips. This time out we were driveway camping at our DD house. Lucky for us they have a sewer cleanout in their front garden.I just use a cut off hose to drain with and I noticed that not a lot of water drained out of the galley or gray water tanks although the gauges showed full.I can hear when the black tank starts to fill but I think I'm draining the other two more often than I need too.

Ray

simonsrf · 10-28-2008, 08:47 AM

Ray,

We do it just a little different than Stiles. When the black tank is full, we take that opportunity to dump both the galley tank and the gray tank afterwards to clean out the drain hoses.

When in a campground, our galley and gray tanks fill up several times before the black tank, so, we dump them then as needed.

Like Stiles says, forget those indicators, they are worthless. We only measure our fresh water on that gauge.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-28-2008, 09:08 AM

Check your unit for size of holding tanks, believe up till the last year or so, Montana and Mountaineer were 38 gallons black, 38 gallons gray and 38 gallons galley.

Now, this ain't the most pleasant thing in the world to do, but, since you are dumping with a hose anyway, see if you can find a 5 gallon pail and count how many you fill from the galley or gray. (For obvious reasons, this is not suggested for the other tank, ewwww

)

It might be that you really are full on both the galley and the gray, and it is draining faster than you think.

Unless you measure in a case like yours, you are just guessing. Stuff fools us that way!

After many years of camping and rving, we can make those tanks last a really long time if we gotta. Short showers, don't let the water run while you are soaping up. Easy on the dishwashing too. It is amazing how much water will go into those tanks if ya let it run, fills em up FAST!!

Good luck and let us know the outcome if you try my "solution".

ON EDIT: If you have grandkids along, all bets are off, whewie, can they go through the water! Since ours go only during the summer, we use the campground facilities for showers and bathroom duty, gramma does the dishes and we really monitor nighttime toilet use. In fact, we turn the pump off (we are usually at a state campsite), just so they cannot flood the toilet.

MacDR50 · 10-28-2008, 09:32 AM

I find I dump the gray tanks about twice as often as the black. I am in a seasonal site. Even though it is a pain to get out and dump the tanks I resist leaving the dump valves open. The chance of a blocked black tank and grease and solid waste build up in the kitchen tank are just too great. I use the bathroom gray tank to flush the hose after I dump the black tank. I have a 3585 with the two dump locations, the kitchen one aft and the combined black tank and fwd gray tank at the convenience centre. I made a "T" fitting that takes the two hoses. It friction fits into the CG sewer pipe. I am thinking about running a pipe from the aft dump to join up with the fwd one but for now I have to put up with the two locations, two hoses and hose supports.

jackandh2o · 10-28-2008, 09:33 AM

MrsCountryGuy, thanks for the info. Never thought about measuring it. I might even try it when we get home. We have an RV dump going into the septic.

Thanks
Ray

Driftwoodgal · 10-28-2008, 05:49 PM

We are camped for several months right now. Hubby leaves the black tank closed, but leaves the grey tanks slightly open. I was wondering why they weren't filling up as quickly. When the black tank is about half full, he closes the grey tanks and then dumps all three tanks a day or two later.

I always wipe off dishes and pots and pans with paper towels to get rid of debris and grease. I then wash my dishes in a tub that fits in my sink. I carry that water out and dump it outside when I am done. I try to keep as much grease, etc out of my grey tanks.

I don't think our gauge has ever worked properly.

Colleen

Waynem · 10-29-2008, 02:08 AM

Ditto on most of what has been posted with exception.
I figure if need to dump the galley, and gray, I may as well go ahead and simply pull the handle on the black first. (First to use the gray and galley to flush hose - although I have a flush attachment for the hose also). Typically 3-4 days on dumping. Back flush, back flush, back flush on the black tank cannot be expressed enough.

There have been several topics on how to clean, from putting ice in the black tank before driving down the roads to let it agitate the sides, to powerful and not so powerful cleaners. Just about everyone agrees that Calgon, or similar is a great help in lubricity of the sides of the tank.

Good luck - happy flushing!

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-29-2008, 02:38 AM

Colleen,

Just a small heads up on your dish washing procedure, dumping that on the ground here in Michigan is against state law. Not sure bout other places in the US.

It is our opinion, that leaving the gray and/or galley tanks open, in part, or in full, is a bad idea. We have seen the concrete-like residue that hardens on the sides and bottom of the tanks when allowed to go dry. Soap scum is amazingly snarly. SIGH

That scum/conrete is what we feel disables the tank sensors.

PowellsMonty · 10-29-2008, 12:45 PM

We always dump the galley way more often than the other two. We are at a permanent site although we aren't permanent and wash dishes like we are at the stick house. We get very conservative running galley water when we go to a state park where we have to cart it away. And the galley water doesn't smell like rose water either.

KathyandDave · 10-29-2008, 03:30 PM

We think that dumping grey water messes up the site for future campers and attracts animals like raccoons and skunks.

PowellsMonty · 10-30-2008, 05:47 AM

When I said "Dump" I didn't mean on the ground. We don't do that.

KathyandDave · 10-31-2008, 12:10 PM

Our comment was in response to what driftwoodgal wrote about dumping the dishwater outside.

The Weekenders · 11-02-2008, 02:45 PM

For the kitchen galley I use the Flushking. Gets those sensors working again. http://www.flushking.com/

KathyandDave · 11-03-2008, 04:27 AM

We use a similar item by Camco RV. The clear part is very handy for seeing progress and quality of results...

rving2us · 11-03-2008, 04:35 AM

I agree with most of what has been said, we generally get 3 to 4 days before we need to pull the handles. I also go on and dump all three tanks when the time comes. I often will let the gray fill knowingly especially when Mary Elizabeth is going to shower. The screams from the shower stall as the water starts to not drain and begins to fill the basin is music to my ears. Of course this is just before the fight which I dutifully lose with grace I might add. Jon

ols1932 · 11-03-2008, 04:54 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Mrs. CountryGuy

Colleen,

Just a small heads up on your dish washing procedure, dumping that on the ground here in Michigan is against state law. Not sure bout other places in the US.

It is our opinion, that leaving the gray and/or galley tanks open, in part, or in full, is a bad idea. We have seen the concrete-like residue that hardens on the sides and bottom of the tanks when allowed to go dry. Soap scum is amazingly snarly. SIGH

That scum/conrete is what we feel disables the tank sensors.

Without a doubt, dumping grey water on the ground in most areas is against the law. I think the only place where we found it to be allowed was in my aunt's back yard!!

Orv

KathyandDave · 11-03-2008, 05:35 AM

Sadly, it's not against the law in Ontario and we often notice hoses leading from trailers, especially pop-ups, into the brush. An Ontario Parks staffer mentioned that they will be starting to educate the public. I suggested that, instead of brow-beating the public about the environment, remind them that skunks and coons are attracted to food smells.

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