Help! Where's the grey water tank outlet??

So I'm getting all set for the first trip in my 1998 Duetto. On Thursday I leave for a mud-bath festival. Feeling pretty anxious about the getting stuck issue, but that is another story...
It seems a good idea to check the grey water is empty but I seem to have no note from the hand-over as to where it is. The handbook doesn't mention it at all -- just says to empty it . Please can you tell me?! Feel pretty stupid about that, but hey-ho.
Thank you, kind people.
Jinny

Its NOT a Duetto, but on my Talisman, the fresh & grey water drains are valves at the end of 1" dia flexable plastic hoses which are terry-clipped to the

inside of the RH inner sills, you may have to lay on a mat & have a 'peek' under

regards

Hi there,

It's clipped to the chassis underneath the cill on the near-side just forward of the back wheel.

Push it away from yourself to un-clip and pull towards yourself to clip. AS are a bit mean on hose length so a bit of pipe on the end is helpful when trying to park over a drain.

Enjoy.


PS To minimise grey water tank smells we use either Concentrated Orange Juice (28p from Tesco) or a bio-washing tablet.

Phew-- thanks for the info and also the tips about smells -- these things are joys I have yet to discover....
Jinny

Hi Jinney,
From what Dutto tells us your pipe should be somthing like this, which is an extra drain that I have fitted on our van, note the fitting on the end, a half turn connector which enables me to connect an extra length of pipe to reach out of the way road drains, I also have a short lenth with the foot of a ladies stocking over the end so that when draining you do not deposit all sorts of food residue.
The fittings for the end if you decide to fit them are available from C A K Tanks in Kenilworth, telephone 0844 4142324.


Brian2

Thanks Brian, I think that will have to be for the next trip -- at least now I know where the drain is! That's a start and I can refine later...
Jinny

Dutto wrote:

PS To minimise grey water tank smells we use either Concentrated Orange Juice (28p from Tesco) or a bio-washing tablet.

Stupid question time again: how do you get the bio washing tab into the tank? dissolve it in water in the sink and wash it down? Do you think straight bio washing liquid from a bottle would work as well?
Jinny

Hi Jinny.

I do my tanks twice a year using milton steralizing fluid. I just pour in about half a cup into the fresh water tank filler, run the van around for a day or so. Then run it out of the taps into the waste tank, this time I run around and leave it in for about three days. After that drain down waste tank and flush through both tanks a couple of times with fresh water. ( the hose pipe ban.) Might be overdoing it a bit but never had any bad smells or tainted fresh water.

Cheers. Whisky.

Sounds like a really thorough regime. For later -- thanks.
Jinny

Hi Jinney,
We use about a 1/4 of a bottle of Zoflora or similar concentrated distinfectant down the kitchen sink this kills smells in the pipe and tank.



Brian2

MrsGrey wrote:

Dutto wrote:

PS To minimise grey water tank smells we use either Concentrated Orange Juice (28p from Tesco) or a bio-washing tablet.

Stupid question time again: how do you get the bio washing tab into the tank? dissolve it in water in the sink and wash it down? Do you think straight bio washing liquid from a bottle would work as well?
Jinny

Jinny,

We just crumble it into the sink and rinse it down with a bit of water.

Bio liquid (which we use in the toilet flush system) would probably work just as well.

Because we use our van winter and summer we never bother going through the "sterilise everything" route but if you are likely to lay your van up for the winter then it would be wise to sterilise, flush and drain everything (especially the water heater) before winter frosts arrive.

Best regards,

Ian

Jinny,

When you eventually find your grey waste pipe, every time after use go the extra mile to check that you've secured it back up again.

If you don't clip the pipe back up, or if the clip is weak or corroded, there's a risk that the pipe will dangle down, touch the road and work its way rearward to get stuck under the rear wheel as you're going along. If you're lucky this will pull the pipe off the tank, but if you're unlucky it will wrench the side off the tank or yank the whole tank off the vehicle. I've often considered fitting a chain from the cill to the end of the pipe so that, even if I left the pipe dangling, it would prevent the pipe getting under the rear wheel. It's always when you're in a hurry that such things are forgotten, particularly if you're 'at risk' where you're emptying your tanks: come on, most of us have had to do this at some stage, yes? On such occasions I've been penalised by quickly jumping back into the drivers seat only to sit on my new sunglesses. We all get what we deserve in the end!

Bartfarst

whisky wrote:Hi Jinny.

I do my tanks twice a year using milton steralizing fluid. I just pour in about half a cup into the fresh water tank filler, run the van around for a day or so. Then run it out of the taps into the waste tank, this time I run around and leave it in for about three days. After that drain down waste tank and flush through both tanks a couple of times with fresh water. ( the hose pipe ban.) Might be overdoing it a bit but never had any bad smells or tainted fresh water.

Cheers. Whisky.

Milton is really just diluted bleach, I use ordinary household bleach from the supermarket at a fraction of the price, chuck in a couple of glugs, leave overnight, then drive over the local speed-bumps & drain immediately, Job Done!
Another tip, buy some cheap paper napkins or tissues from the pound shop & thoroughly wipe all plates, dishes & pans etc. before washing up, but even then, some muck manages to get down the sink.
We also use these cheap tissues to "Lilypad" the loo prior to using.

mikemelson wrote:

Milton is really just diluted bleach, I use ordinary household bleach from the supermarket at a fraction of the price, chuck in a couple of glugs

Cannot disagree with Mike that Milton is a weaker bleach solution as all bleach is sodium hypochlorite and Milton is only 16.5%. The reason I use Milton is that I do both fresh and grey water tanks. Don't fancy using the so called neat bleach 40% stuff in the fresh tank due to its corrosive properties. If not used with care it can be an irritant and at worst burn skin. Still if its a cost thing "you pays your money and takes your choice" Either or they both work.

Cheers. Whisky.

Another way to clean your water Tanks is to disolve 4 or 5 steradent tablets in a jug and pour this into clean tank then pump this via your sink into grey tank,then run clean water through the whole system..

I always thought that Milton was Sodium Metabisulphide <sp?> in solution?

With regard to the grey waste drain, I friend of mine forgot to clip his up (on a Swift Mondial) and the road ground away the tap while he was driving and left him with a "bare ended" pipe. Considering what Bartfast said, he was lucky to get away with just that!

Frank

Hi All,
Another item which helps to keep food residue out of the grey tank is one of these filters, if you use a wash up bowl it can stay in the sink outlet permenantly, but if you use the sink to wash up in then you have to whip the plug out and the filter in quick. you would be amazed how much this keeps out. Price 50p to £1 from a hardware shop or at motorhome shows.

MrsGrey wrote:So I'm getting all set for the first trip in my 1998 Duetto. On Thursday I leave for a mud-bath festival. Feeling pretty anxious about the getting stuck issue, but that is another story...
It seems a good idea to check the grey water is empty but I seem to have no note from the hand-over as to where it is. The handbook doesn't mention it at all -- just says to empty it . Please can you tell me?! Feel pretty stupid about that, but hey-ho.
Thank you, kind people.
Jinny

Hi Jinny

Glad to see you are off on your first trip.

As "Dutto" correctly points out, it's just slightly forward of the rear wheel clipped to the sill underneath. The AS handbook has many weird anomalies such as you mention. Another good one is the Habitation fuses which are "located on the Relay Module adjacent to the Habitation battery under the drivers seat". Hmmm......nothing under my driver seat. Leisure battery is in the engine bay as are the Habitation fuses! Applicable to all Duetto's AFAIK but suppose it's AS covering all model types.

Don't worry....you won't be the only one wondering where this 'n that is!

Personally I think the retaining clip is rather poor quality and intend replacing mine with a stainless steel one.

Another point is to check seals on fresh water tank tap and also the drain plug to the hot water. I forgot to do this before setting off on my current trek around Poland and found a slight leak on both. Luckily it's not serious and bought a tube of stuff from Screwfix before leaving UK. Tried a couple of Caravan dealers whilst in Germany last week for a Carver plug washer but no luck so will sort it when back home.

Have fun in your "mud bath"! Hope to see some filthy photo's posted!!

A few have mentioned various 'stink killers' on this thread so thought i'd add my tuppence worth.

Stayed a few days last week at a German friends house who, though not a MH'er is a "tugger". He asked me what I use for the toilet cassette so I told him Thetford "Blue". I have used a non-Thetford brand in the past but found it to be awful.

They have similar to Thetford in Germany but like UK it's quite pricey stuff so he told me many "tuggers" in Germany use a tablet called "Kurikur" which is used for cleaning dentures. Just drop a couple of tablets into the cassette when empty and job done. He gave me a tube before I left but so far I haven't 'road tested' it yet! I suppose the same stuff in UK is Steradent? No idea as though i'm an old fart, I still have my own teeth!