TO DUMP OR NOT TO DUMP THAT IS THE QUESTION

[scanzel]

Electronic dump valves should be banned on all motorhomes. There is no good reason to dump into the public except someone being lazy. There is enough pollution going on why would you want to add to it ? 

[CrabbyMilton]

Now I'm laughing because I'm thinking of a Johnny Carson sketch with his Floyd R Turbo character. Something to the effect "I'm very considerate. I dump the tank on my WINNEBAGO in the corner of the KMART parking lot. Nobody goes back there anyway."
Then the same character said..."They say we throw out too much garbage. What do they want me to do with it keep it in a shoebox under my bed?"

[oltrunt]

Congrats BCO!  Another provocative and informative Post.  Loved it!

By the way, I finished Honeysuckle Rose a couple of years ago and have yet to need to empty the tank which seems to be swelling somewhat--what is your suggestion or will the problem simply clear itself?

Jack

No, No--that's not my tanks, that's a propane leak.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

That is the problem with Propane.  Smells just like a black water tank so you can't tell which is leaking by the smell.  Which is good because when people complain about my bus smelling like a sewer when I skimp on toilet chemicals, I just tell them I have a propane leak. It does two things, it stops them from complaining and they get further away from my bus. 

[Lin]

Just wanted add one definitive comment to correct any misconceptions anyone might have.  Dumping on the road is disgusting.  There can be no debate on the subject.  It is wrong in so many ways that I do not believe anyone on this board would really be so despicable as to actually do it.  Although, I have heard that it is one the things the Islamic State is threatening to do.

[Seangie]

Often when you sit down to talk with another bus owner, you discover that you have a great deal of things in common.  For instance, their 2.5 children of legal age, want to move home to live with them again.  They do not know why they bought a bus with some 3 million miles on it.  And their wife completely does not understand them at all.

The more you talk, the clearer it becomes. 

Other than the fact that you are driving something completely different, you quickly discover that you share the same problems. 

Such is the case here.

I am talking to this guy and he tells me that his Prevost has an electric dump valve and a switch on the dash and one at the holding tank. 

My Eagle has the very same thing.  Now his has a mascerator and mine does not, there we kind of part company on the dump circuit of life. 

As we talked I told him of a guy who I met who told me that "he had never used a dump station in 15 years of RV'ing in America."  Which most folks would find not only hard to believe, but at the same time, disgusting.

Then my new found friend told me this story, which I will now share with all of you:

"We had a coach that had a macerator switch inside the coach if we desired to use that to drain the holding tank. It could be used while we drive. We did not ever use it in that fashion, because I personally don't think it is right to do that.

But he had a coach built to match our features. He decided at one point to use that feature to drian his holding tank to use his macerator. When you are in motion your coach creates a large negative pressure area behind it, which is why you probably have as much road dust and crap stuck to the back when you stop driving. 

What he did was use his macerator to empty his full holding tank.  (Please insert an appropriate Oooooooo or deep-throated groan or Yuck here)

What he did not realize until he stopped driving for the day that whatever came from the macerator got pulled into the low pressure area behind the coach and it literally ended up painting his new Grand Cherokee with whatever came out the macerator discharge pipe.

And it got every where.

In the door seams, in the air intake vents for the AC system, on the engine, and it created a dried coating over the entire Jeep.

Washing it off reconstituted the dried ****.  And no amount of washing got it out of the air intake for the AC or heating system. He did not drain his holding tanks while in motion after that.

BTW, he is not alone is doing dumb stunts as the Dave Matthews bend bus driver realized when he dumped his tanks on a bridge over the river in Chicago hitting tourists on a boat going under the bridge awhile back."

Kind of gives totally new meaning to the expression "My tow-car is a piece of ****." 

Oh, hahahahaha ... I think I just hurt myself.

Anyway, often, in the cool part of the day (or after reading some of the comments here), I think of that story and how nice it would be, how it would be so cool to park on some of my BCM detractors driveways'.

Just for maybe ten minutes max, yeah, that would work.

Watch those Right-Handers.

BCO

Now there is one for the magazine Dave.  You could entitle it "When The Poo-Poo Hit The Whirly Dirley."

Oh how I've missed my BCO.

[digesterman]

I second that Seangie

[86102A3]

Something I have considered for getting rid of waste while driving comes from the engineers at GM. The GM Eleganza motor home had an option for a macerator system that then injected in to the exhaust to burn it off. One of many issues to overcome would be cracking the exhaust manifolds, I am not sure exactly how the whole system worked, but my thoughts would be to preheat the mixture with a heat exchanger before injecting it into the manifold. Another issue with this is the turbo, do not want to be sending burnt up gunk into the turbo. This will be a retirement project for me to play with, not something that I would find essential to have now. I have a freind who has an Eleganza maybe someday I can see how his system works.


Jeff LoGiudice
1986 TMC 102A3
Silver 6V92TA
Allison 740

[bigred]

Jeff some of the old Holiday Ramblers had this system also .Talked to a couple of guy's that had them back in the early 80's.Both these guys claimed that it worked .I will interject that I never saw one in action.

[Iceni John]

So they're basically just a less refined form of DEF  -  why bother injecting urea into the exhaust if the real thing will work?   Not sure about the turds though  -  I would hate to be behind you when some flaming hot poo is shot out towards me.   Maybe it warrents a Python-esque bumper sticker: "I fart in your general direction".   Mind you, it would be effective against tailgaters, just like when drivers of old Hall-Scott Crowns would 'encourage' a flame several feet long out their exhaust for the same purpose.

Isn't it amazing that sooner or later the conversation here always gets around to discussing matters excremental.   I think us busnuts have a healthy fascination with these things, or is it that most of us are not quite spring chickens, and older folk the world over are known for discussing the state of their bowels to anyone who will listen?

John

[Scott & Heather]

I think we all should give a second thought to the new plastic bag toilets coming out. You poo and then "flush" which really just twists the bag shut and opens another bag. Then when your system is full, you throw the bag in the nearest trash can or dumpster. Bag is sealed. No holding tank, no drama


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DoubleEagle]

Bag is sealed. No holding tank, no drama

Until such time as the bag gets perforated by sharp garbage! 

[dtcerrato]

Come on guys... I'm bustin' a gut laughing at all this and starving at the same time (Got a colonoscopy scheduled for tomorrow)!
Just a wellness check that goes along with this wild & crazy post.
John, if I was keeping score - you took the prize... "So they're basically just a less refined form of DEF ..."
Haven't laughed that hard in quite awhile - thanks

[dtcerrato]

2nd & 3rd prize goes to BoxcarOkie for starting this post and Digesterman for you post name!
I think I can stop laughing now... Kinda made my weekend.
Wow, I gotta get a life.

[B_K]

You guys don't drive thru Amish country very often at all do ya?

Those buggies have no holding tanks and when the horses gotta go they go!
Road apples everywhere!
  BK