Gray and Black Tanks Filling Too Quickly??

[starflower]

Hi all! We took our Hideout on its first family voyage this weekend. The specs say it has a 45 gallon freshwater tank, a 38 gallon gray water tank, and a 32 gallon black water tank. We had to empty both the gray and black after a day - they both registered full. Then, by day two, they were both 2/3 full when we were pulling out of the site at around noon. (This is according to the button gauges on the interior wall of the trailer). Husband said he didn't think he emptied that much when we dumped on day two. Should they be filling this fast? Or do we have an airlock or buildup?? We really weren't that busy in the bathroom, I swear. TIA for any advice.

[KeithInUpstateNY]

More than likely there is something stuck to the sensors. It is typically a more common problem with the black tank, but it can happen with the gray tank too. There is a very long thread that addresses the issue here: http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163251

[travelin texans]

Those sensors will NEVER be accurate enough to tell you with any certainty what's in your tanks. Yes, some say they work great, but after 5-6 rvs I've NEVER had any that were worth looking at. Yes, bags of ice, flushing, this potion or that one & I agree you'll have clean tanks, but still totally inaccurate sensors.
We've lived fulltime in a rv for the past 10 years & I've tried every possible solution to help the with the accuracy of the sensors, short of replacing them, & they MIGHT work for 1 tank fill, but I still wouldn't bet the farm on them.
After you've spent some time in your rv you'll learn the sound of the toilet when it needs dumped, the shower drain will back up into the shower (usually in the middle of your shower) when it's full & if you have a separate grey tank for the kitchen it will take a lot of dishwashing before it fills up.

[JRTJH]

It sounds like some "transitional learning" is already taking place. In RV's, when dry camping (or relying on internal water supply and black/gray tank capacity) things like leaving the water running while brushing your teeth, showering without turning the shower head off while soaping, leaving the water running while washing dishes and other "wasteful practices" will hasten emptying the FW tank and filling the WW (waste water) tanks....

We all "learn the hard way" how to conserve water, maximize holding tank capacity and "avoid the agony" of being in the shower then the gray tank is full.

With practice, you'll learn how to make 45 gallons of fresh water last a week and how to "fit that 45 gallons into a 38 gallon waste tank".... Seems impossible, especially to new campers, but in no time, it'll all be "part of the joy" of dry camping...... Trust me on that :angel:

[dwall]

Like already mentioned, you can't rely on the sensors too much. They very seldom work accurately. After camping for a few times you will learn how long you can go before dumping. My tanks are 32 gallons each. With two people camping I empty my grey tank every2-3 days. The black tank will go at least a week. Possibly longer but after 7 days I empty to keep it from smelling. If the grey tank is full you will notice the tub not draining. Not sure how your black tank is but mine is below the toilet so I can shine a flashlight down my toilet and see the level. Not the most pleasant way but you definitely don't want a black tank over filling. Hope this helps.

[sourdough]

Water management is the key. If you are on a public water supply then it's a moot point….but the holding tanks need attention regardless.

If dry camping you have to conserve water unless you have a water supply and don't mind refilling the fresh water tank constantly. We had a trailer once in the middle of some remote mountains. Black tank wasn't an issue because it wasn't used, but, we did use a lot of fresh water. We had an old military water buffalo trailer that we kept filled from a nearby well and used an inline pump to fill the fresh water tank.....but I digress.

Our tank readings are generally useless and I have given up worrying about them and go by the way we always did. Gray water for the shower will fill up in the bottom. You can count the days and soon you will know when to dump to avoid that. Gray water in kitchen will begin to have an odor as the tank gets closer to full. Black tank sounds different as it gets fuller and will eventually kind of "belch" when you flush to let you know it's time to dump.
Just listen to the trailer....it will "talk" to you:ermm: