A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

Thankfully this is an all women forum, I'd be mortified to mention this anywhere else...
I assume an RV black tank is like a home septic in that you can't flush feminine products, etc.
We moved into our current house almost three years ago and this was the first time I've every dealt with a septic system. Talk about a game changer!

I now wrap "insertables" in a panty liner and then wrap that in TP and throw it in the trash. (Not sure what I can say on here...)

Is this good? Is there anything else I'm missing?

slam308 wrote: I now wrap "insertables" in a panty liner and then wrap that in TP and throw it in the trash. (Not sure what I can say on here...)

Stay with us a while. You might be surprised at what we talk about on here.

Anne

I don't even put tp down my toilet... I did until I learned how much I loved boondocking... And having my small tanks last longer between dumps.

And, yes, we'll talk black tanks

Some of our best (and funniest) threads have been about sewage!

Having had a couple of TP pyramids (as opposed to the well-known and dreaded "pyramids of poop"), I have moved to using two types of TP. One is the nice, thick stuff that does not shred, and the other is the junky, thin easily-dissolvable RV TP. The former I put in plastic bags and toss in the trash. The latter, I use for shall we call them "messier" products and I flush those. Actually, both are technically flushable, but it is just safer, in my personal opinion, to not flush the thick stuff.

You need to make sure also that "flushable" wipes are NEVER flushed, nor do you put anything else into the toilet other than body products and toilet paper. No chemicals are really needed, just lots of water, especially if you decide to put all TP in the tanks, as many people do. Tip: Small children need to be closely supervised so they do not use multiple handfuls of TP, and guests need to be told to use less TP and more water. Pyramids of poop are created when you leave the dump valve open at a campsite instead of waiting until tank is at least half to three-quarters full. Liquids dribble out, but solids remain and can harden into a mass which is hard to dissolve and get rid of.

OK, now you have been initiated!

To clarify, no an RV black tank is NOT a septic tank. A septic tank is meant to "digest" waste and liquids go into the field for evaporation. A RV Black tank is a Holding tank, meant to hold contents until dumped. We use TP and copious water in the tiny tank in our Leisure van and in 12 years of intermittent use (we are not full time but have had many trips lasting from a week to 2 months ), Never an issue. we rarely use chemicals as several gallons water after dumping then dump again x 2 keeps it working well, considering its only a 9 gallon tank!
Velda

Velda is correct to state that the RV black tank in a "holding" tank. That said I generally use Beth's method. I use nice soft two ply TP that would not be recommended for black tank since I am not a fan of scratchy single ply TBs that I have met. I have a small waste basket sitting next to the toilet and throw my TP in there. I also keep wet ones in the bathroom to help with any more serious "clean" up needed. I empty the trash daily. I also generally add extra water to the tank by emptying pans of dish water down the toilet after doing dishes, etc. The more water in the tank the better it will dump. Traveling solo gives many of us added control to what we do. Sometimes when I have company staying with me, my friend will forget but the occasional paper is not going to become a "tower" of anything by itself. Wait till you get a chance to reread our old thread on buying bras.....

I've already heard a lot about the poop pyramid, lol. Want to avoid that at all costs. Thankfully, the only "kids" that might be around have fur on them and I clean their messes up with a plastic bag. I may occasionally have to school my husband, but he's a pretty quick learner. I find that a squirt bottle and some bite-sized chocolate treats accelerate the learning process.
(You know I'm going to do a search for "bra" as soon as I post this...)

Tina,
I saw you mention somewhere that you were headed to PA for a dog show a week or two ago. I googled the city thinking that I might take a ride out to meet you, but you were way out there on the opposite end of PA, over 5 hours away.
Have you ever been to Purina in MO? We have our specialty there every other year.
Shari

I haven't been to Purina yet. I have looked at the schedule sometimes but there are so many shows in this part of the Midwest I haven't convinced myself I need to go. Our specialty usually comes in the late spring when I am working. And thought I have gone to a few in the past 25 years or so I usually save my money for local supported entry shows. Thanks for thinking of us though.

My problem "kids" are my two youngest grand-daughters. They are better now, but they used to use several handfuls of toilet paper at a time. They have their own bathroom at home and had a reputation for stopping up their toilet. And I had to remind them and their Mr. Clean brother that wipes do not get flushed, even though they flush them at home. The youngest is now 8, but she tends to argue--more so when she was about 5, like when I showed her how to brush her teeth with a dribble of water. She insisted she really LIKES to use a full stream of water and demonstrated that to me! Luckily, THIS grandma does not put up with her "opinions" when it comes to my holding tanks!

How did I miss the bra postings?

Oh yes, tp and feminine products issue,,, well I am fortunate to have a little cabinet right next to the toilet where I keep a big Folgers coffee can with a liner in it. Everything goes in there, it gets emptied often. I buy the large bachelors (I like the comfort ones from Walgreens)