BT Cruiser BR Sink

[Gulf Santa]

I've had my BT two years now and I just learned that my bathroom sink is plumbed to the Black Water tank. I just made a quick trip and only used the BR sink and toilet. When I went to dump I had no gray water to flush out the sewer pipe. I rechecked and I found that the kitchen sink and shower drain into gray water and the toilet and BR sink drain into black water tank. Has anyone else found this to be true with there BT? I had a Holiday Rambler and the toilet was all that went to the black water tank.

[Chuck v]

Many RVs have the bathroom sink draining into the black tank. This was true of my full sized 43 foot diesel pusher Tour Master and for many other models as well.


It makes sense when you understand that most users do not add enough fresh water via the toilet for proper operation of the black tank additives to control odor, etc. If you are hooked up to shore water in a park, I find that a week of black water tank use will make a good volume to drain, followed by a full tank of grey water. My grey water was open to the park's hookup most of the time, but on the weekend I shut the gray valve and did a few loads of laundry and after a couple of showers and other gray water use I was ready to drain the week's black water accumulation followed by the full gray water tank being drained. The TM has a built in tank spray accessory, so I always used that feature to fully rinse each tank in turn, then closed the black drain for another week of live-aboard lifestyle.


Never leave the black tank valve open when connected to an RV park hookup -- you need the fast flow of a full drain flush to move solids out of the tank. For deep winter weather, you also will need to close the gray water valve, as incremental flows of even non-particulate water will cause an ice buildup in the hose connection. In freezing weather, drain the gray water as needed, and the black water every other time you drain the gray...


Chuck

[Gulf Santa]

Thanks Chuck for your thoughts. I never leave my black water line open as well. I live in Florida and never need to winterize. My unit has tank heaters but haven't needed them. I recently made a trip from Florida to PA and back. We didn't use the kitchen sink or shower so we had next to no gray water to flush with. I generally flush the gray water through the hose with city water before putting it away.
It does make scene that more water might be needed for solids so see why the bathroom sink was is tied to the black water. I just wish the owners manual would cover this. Thanks again!

[BPeschka]

I just bought a 2005 5211 BT Cruiser. The motorhome owner manual does show the bath sink plumbed to the black water. Don't recall seeing it mentioned in the text. I find the manual to be woefully week on useful details, though.

I had figured that it was just easier for them to plumb this way, but the explanation I see here makes good sense.