Adding 2nd Grey tank

[nb_hall]

Has anyone added a second grey tank to a hideout? We ha e a 272BH and with 5 people onboard would like to have the extra capacity. Is this a dealer or DIY job? Any cost estimates?

[bobbecky]

I doubt you will find sufficient room to install one on most trailers. You would be better off planning on being connected to a drain in a park and emptying the tank very often. You could also set up a barrel in the bed of a truck and pump the grey water into it.

[notanlines]

NB, here is a site to start with for purchase, but I can't imagine there being enough room under there for proper mounting. Hindsight being 20-20, I believe you should have shopped a little longer considering your need for five people.
Bob may have the best idea with pumping the excess into a barrel/drum in your truck and then drive somewhere and pump it off.

https://www.plastic-mart.com/categor...-holding-tanks

[dutchmensport]

In addition to figuring out a way to add the tank, you will also have to figure out how to add a drain to the tank and make it functional for dumping. Although, not completely impossible, I think you are looking at some real challenges to do this. You'll need the room for the tank itself, room for connecting the tanks together, and room for the new drains. It's no small project.

We all do it different, but the thought of using a pump to pump the contents out of my black and grey tank and then storing that in the bed of my truck just has no appeal for me.

I have always used a blue tote. Actually, I've owned only 1 since our very first travel trailer, more than 20 years ago. Mine is a Barker 32 gallon and in over 20 years the design of this tote has not changed. Folks say these tanks are heavy to move around. I've never had any issues trying to move it. Its on 4 wheels, pulls easy and cleans out with a simple rinse.

When we are camped at campsites that do not have full hook-ups (which is almost always), monitoring your water usage is vital. Depending on the number of people, and the size of your tanks, you may have to dump each tank every day, or you may be able to dump all of them at the same time once a week. The tote works well no matter how often you have to dump because tanks get full.

Now, if you are boom docking without any hook-ups and you have no dump station anywhere around, then perhaps, dumping into a holding tank in the back of your truck is a more sound option (but not for me).

[Javi]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

In addition to figuring out a way to add the tank, you will also have to figure out how to add a drain to the tank and make it functional for dumping. Although, not completely impossible, I think you are looking at some real challenges to do this. You'll need the room for the tank itself, room for connecting the tanks together, and room for the new drains. It's no small project.

We all do it different, but the thought of using a pump to pump the contents out of my black and grey tank and then storing that in the bed of my truck just has no appeal for me.

I have always used a blue tote. Actually, I've owned only 1 since our very first travel trailer, more than 20 years ago. Mine is a Barker 32 gallon and in over 20 years the design of this tote has not changed. Folks say these tanks are heavy to move around. I've never had any issues trying to move it. Its on 4 wheels, pulls easy and cleans out with a simple rinse.

When we are camped at campsites that do not have full hook-ups (which is almost always), monitoring your water usage is vital. Depending on the number of people, and the size of your tanks, you may have to dump each tank every day, or you may be able to dump all of them at the same time once a week. The tote works well no matter how often you have to dump because tanks get full.

Now, if you are boom docking without any hook-ups and you have no dump station anywhere around, then perhaps, dumping into a holding tank in the back of your truck is a more sound option (but not for me).

Because it is just the two of us, we can easily go 8 to 10 days on our black tank especially the 49 gallon in the new trailer but the grey tank is another story.

The DW will take two baths a day no matter how much I complain

So, over the years I've worked out a system...

Using a separate valve on the 3" terminal port I can open both the grey and galley tanks which give me nearly 100 gallons of storage buying me a couple of days easily.

After that I put my 35 gallon portable tank in the bed of the truck and using a 3/4" hose and a 12 volt transfer pump I fill the 35 gallon portable and then drive over to the dump station and drop the hose in the portal; and away she goes.. I can easily repeat and avoid the 2 MPH journey to the dump station dragging the noisy rattling tank behind me..

On the last evening, I just store the 3/4" hose and tank away and dump as normal on the way out..

This has been an added bonus in the parks with a raise dump portal surround which doesn't make it easy to dump the portable tank without having to wrestle it into place for gravity to work..

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

In addition to figuring out a way to add the tank, you will also have to figure out how to add a drain to the tank and make it functional for dumping. Although, not completely impossible, I think you are looking at some real challenges to do this. You'll need the room for the tank itself, room for connecting the tanks together, and room for the new drains. It's no small project.

We all do it different, but the thought of using a pump to pump the contents out of my black and grey tank and then storing that in the bed of my truck just has no appeal for me.

I have always used a blue tote. Actually, I've owned only 1 since our very first travel trailer, more than 20 years ago. Mine is a Barker 32 gallon and in over 20 years the design of this tote has not changed. Folks say these tanks are heavy to move around. I've never had any issues trying to move it. Its on 4 wheels, pulls easy and cleans out with a simple rinse.

When we are camped at campsites that do not have full hook-ups (which is almost always), monitoring your water usage is vital. Depending on the number of people, and the size of your tanks, you may have to dump each tank every day, or you may be able to dump all of them at the same time once a week. The tote works well no matter how often you have to dump because tanks get full.

Now, if you are boom docking without any hook-ups and you have no dump station anywhere around, then perhaps, dumping into a holding tank in the back of your truck is a more sound option (but not for me).

I had the same tote, but made a hose that was just long enough, about 18-24", to connect to the tote & a twist in valve attached to the RV outlet, so there was only that short hose full once closed. From my 1st experience using the tote once the tote is full, valve closed, there's still 6-10' of hose & rv piping full of s### that won't fit in the tote.
As for 5 people using it, most parks have bath houses, send some them to it to use the potty & the showers.

[JRTJH]

The "blue tote" solution is your best bet. Trying to remove the bottom of a trailer, find AND PLUMB in a second gray tank will be extremely expensive and won't give you any more "gray water storage" than the size of that tank. After both are full, then you're going to have to pull the trailer to a dump station (or dump them on the ground, which is illegal in most campgrounds)...

Using the "blue tote" will give you "portability for the gray water" so you can tow that to the dump station or load it in your truck and drive it to a dump station without the need to move the trailer.... That way (using the blue tote) you can leave the trailer in one spot, manage your gray water and move part of the waste water to another location without having to break camp to dump the trailer tanks.....

I'd suggest leaving the trailer "unmodified" and just buy a 30 gallon tote.

[chuckster57]

As a seasoned tech that has seen inside the underbelly of more trailers than I can count, all I can say is:

Good luck with that!!

Tote is the best option I have seen.