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hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:24 pm
by missyholtman
Hello. I'm Missy in Tennessee. After owning 2 pull-behinds I now have a 96 Rialta. I wonder if anyone has made any modifications to the shower drain -- making it drain to outside instead of to black water tank.

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:08 pm
by VickieP
Welcome to the forum, Missy! I don't know anything about Rialtas, but I would think it's set up like most other rv's where the shower would drain into the grey tank and not the black tank, unless it has been previously modified. Usually the black tank is sewer only. If you want to modify it to drain outside, it should also still be able to drain into the tank when you're not in a location that allows you to drain grey water on the ground. I'm sorry if I misunderstood your question, but that's the way I understood what you were asking. That said, welcome again and when you get a chance, tell us a little more about yourself and your new-to-you Rialta.

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:23 pm
by mitch5252
Welcome to the Forum, Missy. We'll look forward to getting to know more about you. I'm in Tennessee, also - NW corner, near Paris.

As far as dumping shower water on the ground, I don't know near as much as other, more experienced women here, but isn't it against the "rules" to do that in MOST places? From everything I've read, it's pretty frowned upon?? I figured that's why I have a grey water tank... ? ? ? Ladies, help me out?

Anyway, welcome.

..

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:25 pm
by BirdbyBird
Welcome aboard. Hope you new to you Rialta can be made to fit your needs. Don't know the answer any better than Vickie but know that the showers and sink usually both go to the gray tank if you have one. Hope to meet you around the campfires...real or imagined. :)

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:26 pm
by Bethers
Welcome Missy - lost my message I was typing (operator error) so this will be short. Lots in the TN area at various times of the year, so you should be able to meet some if you'd want to. Great group of ladies here.

Both the previous posters are giving you good info. First, the shower drains into the grey tank. Second, you can't drain anything from the rv directly to the ground legally. Yes, sometimes people sneak and empty their grey tanks when no one is looking. But your shower shouldn't be going into the black tank.

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:34 pm
by Forestgal
Welcome Missy!

Rialta's are nice little rigs. I'm wondering if you use a macerator for your sewer ... if that's the case you may only have one tank. I know Sharon/Sprinter does, and both shower and sewer empty into that. If you're wanting to separate them to get a little more "mileage" from your grey water you'd have to carry some sort of container to collect the grey water and then take it somewhere in the campground that it could be dumped legally. It might not be worth the effort.

Tennessee is a pretty state. I've been to the eastern part a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed it. But I'm clear across the country on the Left Coast -- don't get out your way very often.

Thanks for joining us.

Laura -- and Jed

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:44 pm
by VickieP
We've stayed at one place that we were told by the Park Rangers to dump gray water on the ground. I ran a long green hose away from the sites. I was surprised, but they had no dump station or sewer hook ups anywhere in the park and was told that it was okay.

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:52 pm
by mitch5252
VickieP wrote:We've stayed at one place that we were told by the Park Rangers to dump gray water on the ground. I ran a long green hose away from the sites. I was surprised, but they had no dump station or sewer hook ups anywhere in the park and was told that it was okay.


Yeah, and you did it at The Blue Marlin Resort, too...I'm just sayin'. :o

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:54 pm
by VickieP
mitch5252 wrote:Yeah, and you did it at The Blue Marlin Resort, too...I'm just sayin'. :o

:lol: Oh, yeah, I forgot about that, but I had special permission from the land owners!!!

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:23 pm
by mitch5252
VickieP wrote:
mitch5252 wrote:Yeah, and you did it at The Blue Marlin Resort, too...I'm just sayin'. :o

:lol: Oh, yeah, I forgot about that, but I had special permission from the land owners!!!


Oh, okay. You're right... :D
And you're still a Doofus.

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:27 pm
by Forestgal
VickieP wrote:We've stayed at one place that we were told by the Park Rangers to dump gray water on the ground. I ran a long green hose away from the sites. I was surprised, but they had no dump station or sewer hook ups anywhere in the park and was told that it was okay.


At the risk of hijacking a welcome to Missy, grey water isn't bad for the environment as long as biodegradable soap is used. It smells bad because it's been sitting in a closed container, sometimes in the heat, for quite a while. As soon as it's exposed to the air the smell seems to go away.

I've often taken a collapsable water container that I use just for grey water and empty my tank a little at a time in a campground's spigot area -- where tent campers wash their dishes. I've never been yelled at for doing that, and it buys me a day or two more in my tanks. But I don't know if I could run a hose here. Wouldn't be pretty if I got caught.

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:37 pm
by Acadianmom
I looked on the Winnebago web site and it looks like the '96 rialta only has one 19 gallon holding tank. I think most campgrounds would frown on someone letting gray water empty out on the ground. I have a small motorhome and I have thought about using a container in the shower to catch the water and then using it to flush the toilet to save water. My holding tanks are big enough but my fresh water tank isn't that big.

Martha

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 4:17 pm
by Liz
Welcome Missy! And congratulations on your new to you Rialta. You sound like you've had some experience with camping in Travel Trailers, so I'm looking forward to hearing about your travels past and future. Glad you joined our forum, and hope to meet you at a future get-together (GTG).

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:53 pm
by mtngal
Welcome to the forum Missy. Have fun in your new rig!

Re: hello Tennessee Rialta

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 7:08 pm
by retiredhappy
welcome to the forum. I know that some rigs have only one tank for both grey and black water. If that is your situation you wouldn't be allowed to dump on the ground. When boondocking I use a dishpan in the sink and a bucket in the shower to catch water and use it for the toilet or dump it outside.