[VACList] Mini holding tank

[Terry Tyler <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Daisy, 

Your comment about wanting grey water capacity that's "just enough" caught
my attention. Our '67 22' (you saw it at Burlington), has a blatantly simple
two gallon capacity holding area for grey water. For us, that's "just
enough" when stopping along an Interstate for snacks or light meals.

It's surprising how little grey water is created when we use throw away
paper plates, cups and plastic silverware.  I suspect we let water run down
the drain for other reasons besides hand washing and brushing our teeth; but
I can't think of them at the moment.

What I do know is we haven't ever filled the two gallon holding area with
grey water generated at travel stops.

As for an overnight at Wally World where there at public rest rooms and
restaurants, I believe we could manage that with very little pre-planning.

I'm sure there are reasons why some folks think it's absolutely essential to
have a bigger (more than 2 gallons) grey water tank for one overnight, but
some boondockers have figured out other alternatives.  Part of that kind of
thinking comes down to each person's definition of an acceptable
cost/benefit ratio.

Having said all this, here's how I created a mini two gallon grey water
holding area. With my back bathroom ('67 22' Safari), the outlet pipe is
accessed by opening the rear bumper lid. The outlet pipe cap is forward of
the bumper storage area for the slinky hoses. It is directly below the shell
and is normally used by dropping the trap door and connecting the slinky.

First, I went to my handy dandy hardware store. I bought a few scrap pieces
(any length was okay because I make mistakes) of 3" white PVC pipe
(including an elbow), a can of glue, two hose clamps for a 10" long section
of 3" rubber hose and 2 adapters (1) to convert the end of a short section
of 3" PVC pipe into the same arrangement as the original outlet pipe cap and
(2) to fit on the pipe after it was extended through the frame. This latter
on is so I can connect the slinky to it or use the garden hose style cap.

My favorite welder was asked to cut a 3" hole in the streetside of the frame
(slinky storage area) so a 3" piece of PVC would just fit (close tolerances
- not a sloppy fit).

From there it was simply a matter of putting everything together (glue or
hose clamps) so the outlet pipe went through the new hole a short distance
outside the frame where the slinky hoses are stored.

The piece of 3" rubber hose was used to provide a cushion for vibration
between the original outlet and the newly created outlet hole in the rear
frame. Rightly or wrongly, I suspected that there would be some vibration or
movement of the side frame that was not similar to the main frame. I wanted
to avoid having the PVD crack because of that vibration AND make it simple
to slip the pipe into the storage area from outside the frame. This rubber
connection solved many issues.

Anyhow, bottom line is I have approximately 3' of PVC in the slinky hose
compartment which acts as a grey water holding area. Draining off the water
is straight forward with a simple garden hose shut off valve on the hose
adapter connector which we use on the connection outside the frame instead
of a solid cap. If I used the solid cap, there would be no way to control
the rate of flow and I'd end up washing my shoes with two gallons of grey
water. 

Daisy, my description may not be crystal clear or may sound like it's a
difficult adaptation, but it's not. The entire project consumed the better
part of a day, including towing the trailer to my welder friend. And, it was
profoundly easier than adding a grey water tank. It took more than a week of
"thinking" before I had the entire project clear in my head.

Again, when each of us wears our "Creator" hat, we are trying to figure out
a way to meet our own needs. The definition of an acceptable cost/benefit
ratio is a very personal one. Personally, I like to keep it simple and
practical.  In a previous post, I mentioned making modifications that
provide a "just noticeable difference" instead of one that goes gangbusters
and ends up being "overkill."

The above modification works for us, but that doesn't mean it would work for
others. Each of us has to decide for ourselves.  That's the beauty of this
list; we get to read about different modifications others have made without
going through all the trial and error while making all of the mistakes
possible.  But, sometimes, I make all of the mistakes.  <grin>

If Rube Goldberg is your friend, this mini modification might work for you
and be "just enough,"

Terry 
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net