Grey water waste tank

Hi All, we've got an Auto-Sleeper Sussex Duo, we are having trouble finding a wheelie grey water waste tank that is low enough to take the hose from the grey tank fitted to the van. We presently have the Fiammo tank but the waste from the vehicle tank has to flow up to the mobile tank. Has anyone else experienced this problem and how did you solve it? Thanks, Dave

We bought the wrong one was to high so we bought this pair the waste is very low will measure if you want the height

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chrisk wrote:We bought the wrong one was to high so we bought this pair the waste is very low will measure if you want the height

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The waste as two filling holes the lowest is 6' high (150mm)

I've never even considered a wheelie waste tank. Always thought of them as a caravan accessory.

We've never had a problem, either emptying at the motorhome service point before we leave a site, or finding a drain on a lay bye en route. After all, there's nothing very nasty about grey waste, and some CLs even ask you to throw it on the borders or hedges in dry weather.

Am I missing something here?

Gromit wrote:I've never even considered a wheelie waste tank. Always thought of them as a caravan accessory.

We've never had a problem, either emptying at the motorhome service point before we leave a site, or finding a drain on a lay bye en route. After all, there's nothing very nasty about grey waste, and some CLs even ask you to throw it on the borders or hedges in dry weather.

Am I missing something here?

Nope! 

I have never understood why people spend good money to buy a motorhome with an engine and then trundle their waste water and toilet cassettes all the way across a campsite to an emptying point that is custom built to cater for motorhomes!

If you do need something that will fit under the Sussex have a look at the rig plastic type of collapsible buckets. They dont hold much but do fit underneath without the need to hold them

We use a Fiamma to empty our waste and our van will have similar waste tanks and flexible hose outlet as the OP.. I am not sure it needs to flow "uphill" into the Fiamma as it is lower than the van's tank, but the flexi hose does form a U bend so you can always have a small amount left in the van's tank..

Regarding using or not using MH service points, we always use the MH point if we are going out for the day, if not we find its much easier to deal with water "caravan style" rather than having to fold down the sink and cooker lids, put away the kettle, remove our steering wheel lock, wind in the canopy, remove the mains lead, remove the satallite cable, drop the van off the ramps, go out through one barrier, come back in through the other, go to the MH point, return to our pitch and re do everything..... But each to his own.....  

Justus2 wrote:Regarding using or not using MH service points, we always use the MH point if we are going out for the day, if not we find its much easier to deal with water "caravan style" rather than having to fold down the sink and cooker lids, put away the kettle, remove our steering wheel lock, wind in the canopy, remove the mains lead, remove the satallite cable, drop the van off the ramps, go out through one barrier, come back in through the other, go to the MH point, return to our pitch and re do everything..... But each to his own.....  

Yeah - OK. (You are obviously not an ex-caravanner or all that palaver would be the most enjoyable part of the holiday - or so it would seem by watching some of them!!!    )

But our van has a 70 litre waste water tank which we have never ever filled to overflowing, even after four days off hook-up and both of us showering every morning etc.. We rarely stay more than 5 days in one place, so the capacity of our waste tank is more than adequate, with no need to empty it until we move on. (Can't comment on other vans 'cos we've never had one.)

BTW. As an ex-caravanner of many years experience, one of the huge benefits of getting the motorhome was its handbrake!! When we arrive I give it a yank, and that's the sum total of the faffing required before we can put the kettle on.

Gromit wrote:

Justus2 wrote:Regarding using or not using MH service points, we always use the MH point if we are going out for the day, if not we find its much easier to deal with water "caravan style" rather than having to fold down the sink and cooker lids, put away the kettle, remove our steering wheel lock, wind in the canopy, remove the mains lead, remove the satallite cable, drop the van off the ramps, go out through one barrier, come back in through the other, go to the MH point, return to our pitch and re do everything..... But each to his own.....  

Yeah - OK. (You are obviously not an ex-caravanner or all that palaver would be the most enjoyable part of the holiday - or so it would seem by watching some of them!!!    )

But our van has a 70 litre waste water tank which we have never ever filled to overflowing, even after four days off hook-up and both of us showering every morning etc.. We rarely stay more than 5 days in one place, so the capacity of our waste tank is more than adequate, with no need to empty it until we move on. (Can't comment on other vans 'cos we've never had one.)

BTW. As an ex-caravanner of many years experience, one of the huge benefits of getting the motorhome was its handbrake!! When we arrive I give it a yank, and that's the sum total of the faffing required before we can put the kettle on.

Actually we have had tents and caravans for over 20 years ;-) .......  Our van's waste tank, however is only 45lts , same as a caravan's wastemaster... but the main reason for now being keen to empty the waste tank, is that I recently had it over filled to the point where the shower tray had an inch of washing up water in it.... Management wasn't impressed.. not impressed at all.  

Thanks for all your replies guys. Chrisk - I have considered the Wastemaster, the filler hole at the wheel end is the same height as the Fiamma tank - the filler hole by the handle does fit under the vehicles waste tank, but being lower than the wheel end of the tank it only holds a small amount of water before overflowing. Justus2 - you understand our problem perfectly, we use sites in the Lakes and north west Scotland where we go walking. Once on site we don't move the van until were ready to leave for home a week or so later, the wheelie grey water tank is essential. Dave

The ancient memory is beginning to work - at last!!

I'm sure I've seen a similar thread on here or elsewhere, and I think it was Quilter who had the answer. She recommended a very shallow waste container (on wheels I think) that could limbo under almost any outlet.

It may have been on another forum under a different user name, but a PM to her may just get you the answer you want.

Gromit wrote:The ancient memory is beginning to work - at last!!

I'm sure I've seen a similar thread on here or elsewhere, and I think it was Quilter who had the answer. She recommended a very shallow waste container (on wheels I think) that could limbo under almost any outlet.

It may have been on another forum under a different user name, but a PM to her may just get you the answer you want.

I vaguely remember the post Dave. We used to have a Bessacarr with a very low clearance under the waste tap. In the end we used a washing up bowl ( also used as a bowl to stand in and wash feet in the shower among other things) under the outlet. If there was some distance to go to the drain we had a bucket to empty it into as well.

Now we use a bucket alone but sympathise with the OP re overflowing waste into the shower compartment. The smell lingers and, by the time you have washed bags of laundry stored there, thrown out cardboard wine boxes , washed and dried foam flooring  etc you begin to curse those who can't design a gauge for showing how full the waste tank is.

Is this something else that's changed for the worse on modern vans? I use our general mop/washing bucket to empty the grey water if on a site for more than a couple of days(a rare thing though), and clearance is not a problem, the waste water outlet is 16" above ground level.
Al.

Thanks Al, the grey water outlet on the Sussex Duo is only 6.5" above the ground making it difficult to get any weelie waste receptacle under it. Dave

bikeralw wrote:Is this something else that's changed for the worse on modern vans? I use our general mop/washing bucket to empty the grey water if on a site for more than a couple of days(a rare thing though), and clearance is not a problem, the waste water outlet is 16" above ground level.
Al.

If had 16'' clearance i might do the same but i don't i have only about 10'' how can it be for the worst if your happy with your bucket then so be it, for me i use a purpose made item to do the job. I can't walk very long distances due to back problems emptying a container on wheels is much better for me than carrying a bucket carrying items causes more discomfort then wheeling a container.

At the end of the day you do things that you are happy with, so bucket for you  container for me

This is the flattest type I have come across, been around for years but no longer available new. They are sometimes found with wheels as in the second link..

Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282499338147

Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162558428811

Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391815922427


We always use a wheeled one(a Fiamma one) because we often like to stay a few days without moving the van. Using the motorhome service point is ok if you leave site every day or so.

daveH wrote:Thanks Al, the grey water outlet on the Sussex Duo is only 6.5" above the ground making it difficult to get any weelie waste receptacle under it. Dave

You just might get this one underneath. 17cm deep, which is 6.7".

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A little shopping trolley would turn it into a wheeled one.

chrisk wrote:

bikeralw wrote:Is this something else that's changed for the worse on modern vans? I use our general mop/washing bucket to empty the grey water if on a site for more than a couple of days(a rare thing though), and clearance is not a problem, the waste water outlet is 16" above ground level.
Al.

If had 16'' clearance i might do the same but i don't i have only about 10'' how can it be for the worst if your happy with your bucket then so be it, for me i use a purpose made item to do the job. I can't walk very long distances due to back problems emptying a container on wheels is much better for me than carrying a bucket carrying items causes more discomfort then wheeling a container.

At the end of the day you do things that you are happy with, so bucket for you  container for me

It just seems a point that's not been thought through at the design stage. Why put a drain point so low as to make it almost useless unless using a drive over drain. I know modern design is all about keeping the CoG low, but practicalities should be considered as well.
Al.

bikeralw wrote:It just seems a point that's not been thought through at the design stage. Why put a drain point so low as to make it almost useless unless using a drive over drain. I know modern design is all about keeping the CoG low, but practicalities should be considered as well.
Al.

Hi Al

I think the point is they don't expect people to use the caravan style waste container.

Most people don't as far as I have observed, but it's a pity the facility is not available for those who, for whatever reason, prefer or need to use a container.

We were at the Lake Bled site in Slovenia a couple of years ago for a week. The only official place to dispose of waste water was a motorhome service point near the main entrance. It was an extremely busy site with motorhomes and caravans arriving and leaving every day. Our pitch was over 250 yards from the disposal point and it was stinking hot, so I was so grateful for our wheelie caravan WasteMaster container. Even my wife took it in turns to make the long trek. However normally I dispose of the waste water daily using a bucket. At the moment we are on a commercial site in Hope, Derbyshire. We have splashed out and are on a fully serviced hard standing pitch. Brilliant for blokes with bad backs!
Pete

All we use is a collapsible green bucket from Go Outdoors. Slide under and drain. Like previously said, dispose into nearest hedge!! Also good for storage once collapsed.

The one we use looks like the LH one for sale on the following site:

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or this one:

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We only take it with us if we're going to be static for a week or so. However the principal use it gets, which I don't think has been mentioned yet, is draining the waste tank on the drive when we arrive back home. For this purpose I find it absolutely ideal.

Bartfarst

I make it a point, never ever arrive home with grey water in the tank! Thinking about it I hardly drive anywhere carrying any significant amount of grey water.
Al.