RE: [A/S] Need basic info on 1975 Land Yacht Ambassador

["John Sargeant" <john.sargeant@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Lee
Welcome to "streamin'"

The best thing I found as a new Airstreamer, was to ask specific questions.
Don't be afraid about asking simple questions, most of us started off with
about that much knowledge too. Also there is someone somewhere lurking in
the background who wants to ask, who needs to ask, but is afraid to ask. We
can solve his problem too.

How to empty the tanks.

There are two waste tanks in an Airstream. One holds black water ( water and
waste from your toilet_ and the other holds grey water (wash water from your
kitchen sink, bath sink and tub/shower) There are gauges in a compartment
over the stove that show the level of the tanks (Any readings on those
gauges are not to be taken as gospel since the sensors can become corroded,
coated and inaccurate over time) Hold the rocker switch over under each
gauge and you will see the needle move to show the approximate levels of
your grey and black water holding tanks. 
Note: There is another tank in the trailer that is to hold potable water.
Don't confuse.
If you go to the back of the trailer there is a compartment over the rear
bumper with a key lock. Unlock the compartment and you should see two T
shaped handles. They should be pushed down tight (closed) before you go
camping, otherwise your grey and black water will run onto the street. Not
an impressive sight. 
Some people use an enzyme addition to the black water tank to keep the odor
down. Frankly I don't. I make sure that the natural little bugs that are
inherent in all sewage get a chance to do their work (namely break down the
solids). Don't kill em. To do this though, you have to make sure that the
seal on the toilet will hold water. Just as in your toilet at home, sewer
gasses are kept out of the bathroom, by the water in the trap in the toilet.
In a trailer toilet, there is no trap, so you have a seal on the toilet
valve and a bit of water sitting in the bottom of the toilet on top of the
seal holds out the odors from the holding tank. You will find what works for
you, but I've stopped using the deodorants and no one has evicted me.
When you are finished camping or about at the end of three days (depends on
how much water you use and how many teenagers you have along on the trip),
the grey water tank should be full.  The thing you don't want is for grey
water to flood up into your shower or bathtub. A good indicator that the
tank is full, but not a welcome one.
There are three ways of emptying the tanks that are acceptable without being
arrested and told to seek other camping facilities.
	1. Tow the trailer to the sewage drop in the camp-ground and empty
them there.
	2. If there is a sewage drop on the site, you can empty into that
service.
	3. If you don't want to move the trailer, take a "blue boy" ( a
small blue plastic tank equipped with wheels and valves to dump your tanks
into) with you and empty into it, put the ring on the tow ball of your tow
vehicle and haul it to the sewage drop in the campground and empty as in 1.

	The process of emptying the tanks is important. 

If you are hooked to a sewage drop in the camp site, keep the black water
and grey  tank release valve closed until you are ready to empty the tanks. 
It is important to do the hookup in this order:

	1. Get yourself a pair of rubber gloves or disposable latex gloves
and put them on. This can be dirty work and why take chances with germs.
	2. Hook the sewer hose to the large 3-4" valve on the road side of
the trailer. 
	3. Put the other end in the sewage drop. There will be a flip valve
on top of the opening. Just stick the end of the sewer hose down the hole
far enough so that it is not kinked and runs mostly down hill to the drop
hole.
	5. Check that the sewer hose is securely on the trailer end. (Yep,
do this twice!)
	6. Open the T valve that controls the flow from the black water
tank. In my trailer, which is a 74,that is the valve closest to the place
the sewer hose exits. You will hear the liquids start to flow through the
hose into the drop. If gravity isn't working that well, I sometimes lift the
hose at the trailer end and help the liquid along to the drop. Eventually
you will hear the water slow and stop. 
	7. In my trailer there is a vertical pipe with a screw lid on it,
just to the right of the T handle that controls the flow from the black
water tank. Open this up and insert the end of the water supply hose at the
drop into this pipe. Turn on the water and wash out the black water tank. I
sometimes close the valve from the black water tank, let the tank fill and
then open it again to get as much of the solids out as possible. In warm
weather, you won't have too much trouble.
	8. Open the valve from the grey water tank and let it wash out what
remains of the black water tank goodies from the sewer hose. Wait till the
water stops running. Again, I lift the hose to help any liquids along to the
sewer drop hole.
	9. THE MOST DANGEROUS ACTIVITY
Keeping the drop end of your sewer hose still in the hole, cautiously
untighten the sewer hose from the trailer end. I tip it up so anything still
in the outlet, falls into the hose and goes into the drop. One time I did
this and a tennis ball came out. Our Golden had dropped it down the toilet!
Folks waiting behind us thought this uproariously funny. Put the sewage
outlet cover back on the trailer.
	10. Lift the trailer end of the hose and let the rest of the liquid
drain into the sewage drop. I then take the water supply hose at the drop
and just rinse out the sewage hose. 
	11. Coil the hose back into it's storage bin (In my trailer there is
a bin in the bumper with a lid on top of the bumper)
	12. Wash down the bumper of the trailer with the water hose, the end
of the sewer outlet on the trailer, and the area around the sewage drop pad.
I always try to leave it the way I'd like to find it. Some campers leave it
like a pig sty, but they ain't Airstreamers.
	13. Screw the cover on the end of the sewage outlet on the trailer.
	14. Close the valves to the grey & black water tanks in the rear
compartment. Close the lid of the water insert pipe to the black water tank.
	15. Lock the rear compartment door.
	16. Wash your hands and any other unlucky areas under the tap at the
drop.
	17. Go into the trailer and change to your driving clothes. Wash
your hands with soap and water.
	18. Have another wonderful day of Streamin'
Sarge