RV Waste Water 101: Equipment and Maintenance

In this free video lesson, Dave Solberg walks you through the basics of the typical RV waste water system. You’ll learn how to properly clean and take care of your grey and black water tanks. Discover how the system works to separate black and grey water and what you need to do to ensure both tanks are well maintained between dumps.

When it comes to most models, the draining process will be slightly different depending on whether you have a motor home, fifth-wheel, or tow trailer. However, what doesn’t differ is the fact that you should keep your RV waste water systems clean. To do so, Dave introduces some of the best equipment and products you can buy for your vehicle. These include a more advanced hose setup such as the Titan Premium Sewer Kit offered by Thetford, conditioned enzymes, level gauge cleaners, grey water conditioner, and holding tank cleaner.

Most importantly, you should start with the proper toilet paper, one that breaks down quickly and doesn’t stick to the walls of your black water tank. Dave recommends Aqua Soft 2-Ply, which was shown in a previous video to break down and liquify better than many other available products.

Other things to consider are gloves (Dave suggests thick, durable rubber ones that can be cleaned and reused), bleach for sanitizing after each dump, and odor control products. With all of these items at your disposal, you’ll be able to complete the process with less mess, less stress, and far less odor.

Remember to dump the black water tank and then the grey to ensure the best cleaning job. It can take a while to fully flush the black water, so be patient and thorough, and take care to always exhibit proper dumping station etiquette! Last but not least, once you’re done dumping, put the hose and other RV waste water equipment into a sealed plastic container to keep the “dirty job” stuff separate from the clean stuff.