Sure is nice to go out camping in the shoulder seasons. Nicer when the weather cooperates and we can use the plumbing. We are lucky too because they built a Cabelas 8 miles away and they have a dumping station there. It is the only station within 50 miles of us in the winter. So, we are able to scoot off the highway on our way home and dump there. Keep in mind the CGs where winter camping is allowed all have closed dump stations in the winter months no matter the temp.
Last weekends trip was different. We packed up on Monday and headed South to home. Path going right by Cabelas. Got to Cabelas and found their dump station out of order. Went in and was told it would be out for several more weeks. Wonderful. Time to install a dump station at home into our septic system while the ground is still soft. ASAP.
Our house is 60+ years old. It has the old cast iron drain system riser with no available branches to tie into. The house received a "Title 5" revision just before we bought it. I figured the buried piping from the house to the septic system would have been replaced near where it exits the foundation. Decided to dig down 3', instead of risking removing the basement cleanout and breaking it. Nope. Iron pipe extended into the parking area 8'. Right in the way of equipment traffic and then broke into PVC. Refill the trench....no time for a complete replacement of the iron pipe this year.
Time for plan B, remove the cleanout in the basement and adapt to IPS so we can do a macerator tie-in there. I think we all know that the cleanout was going to snap. I knew but placed that extender pipe on the pipe wrench and gave it a good shove. IT SPUN! Just for 1/4 turn till it sheared off...lol. Of course there were no female threads remaining. Now, the urgency increased immensely of course. Some one was sure to need the pooper sooner than later.
Why do I always seem to post about poopers? Anyways....
After cleaning out all the PB&J from the pipe, and ensuring the dog could find no interest in it, I measured the hole at 3-3/8". With a small city next door I could certainly conjure-up a kludge and be back to business in a snap. Nope. The size was odd. No one even carried a Test Plug sized for that cleanout...online ordering was not an option. The wholesale plumbing house had a 4" inflatable ball and I had a bicycle pump. That plugged the hole but was no solution to fitting a macerator line. $37 for an inflatable rubber ball stop that I will never use again....I'll ship it to you for free, any takers?
Time to call in the cavalry. I have a long time client that runs the largest plumbing service in town. Always took good care of him as I knew if I did he would do the same if ever needed. Always did my own plumbing till now. Called him up and he promised to be there that afternoon. He missed. I've been wronged. I feel violated. He showed-up early the next morning with two trucks and three guys. One stayed and was able to do a Professional Kludge, installing a 1" ball valve there for my macerator line. Perfect! Only charged me $39! I asked if he would take the inflatable ball stopper and $2 as payment? Nope...shucks.
This kludge is not completely legal. The cleanout is not a proper branch. The mice downstairs will say nothing...they promised!
This is maturing nicely now. I can't wait to see the macerator in action through that clear plastic window! Good thing I ordered it from Amazon and I am a Prime member...right? It's coming today as promised, right? Well, not so fast. There has been a truck delay shipping the stoopid thing ALL THE WAY FROM NJ TO MA! Wow. A whole 200 miles. They missed. I've been wronged. I feel violated.
So, today all I can do is remove the 275 gal oil tank to gain access to the fill and vent pipe holes. This is where I will run the pump line through into the basement. We no longer need the oil tank as we have heated the home with Mini-Splits for the last 5 years. It will get to 26F tonight, 34 tomorrow and 24 tomorrow night.
Gotta love winter camping!
I'm putting off going seeing Star Wars for another week, just to watch this epic unfold.
I should take the inflatable rubber ball stop. I have a feeling it will be a valuable piece of memorabilia after this epic (as so aptly termed by Pinstriper) gets turned into a feature length movie. I suspect there will be more episodes to this series too. I eagerly look forward to reading what comes next (sharing Whoofit's interest in pooper postings).
[quote source="/post/17232/thread" author="@sandroad" timestamp="1450456272"][/quote]Over the course of the morning, after inhaling all those old heating fuel fumes while gasping for oxygen from exertion, I had a vision. I kind of decided to wipe it off and gag gift it to my oldest brother on Christmas Day. I will package it along with a nipple ring and a gift certificate to Piercing Pagoda. Do you think he will like it? He is 68 years old and carries himself like John Wayne....
[img style="" style="max-width:100%;" src="http://i1312.photobucket.com/albums/t521/minuteman1965/1VNE7_AS01_zps7po9zy8t.jpg"]
But I will hold to my word if you really want it, Merlin
[quote source="/post/17231/thread" timestamp="1450452678" author="@pinstriper"]I'm putting off going seeing Star Wars for another week, just to watch this epic unfold.
[/quote]Have tickets for Christmas evening. I-Max and 3D. Hope Merlin's epic unfolds first. Gotta love crapper stories.
We are presently driving in South Carolina to bail out our camper from RV Prison (aka "storage") on our way to Florida. I just read this thread to my husband to help entertain him while he is driving. Your story reminds us somewhat of what we did when we owned a house.
Hubby is wondering why you didn't use a bucket to drain the black tank and take it to your toilet in your utility room? I told him I would not do that. He told me that I wouldn't be anywhere nearby when he was working on the plumbing, so he is not surprised that I wouldn't take the bucket.
Just thought I might be able to add to the story...
[quote timestamp="1450471586" source="/post/17235/thread" author="@ammobob"][quote timestamp="1450452678" source="/post/17231/thread" author="@pinstriper"]I'm putting off going seeing Star Wars for another week, just to watch this epic unfold.
[/quote]Have tickets for Christmas evening. I-Max and 3D. Hope Merlin's epic unfolds first. Gotta love crapper stories.[/quote]We're going on Christmas Day, to the 21 and over living room theatre. They bring you whiskey at your seat. No, really, I've seen them do it !
No kids, whiskey, movie. That's a trifecta.
I'm also working up a crapper story, for ya. I'll let you know if it is worth retelling in a few hours or so.
Whoofit, In a great epiphany, I realized I don't want anything that's been up your pipe, so please, please, give it to your brother.
Quote from: @leslie" source="/post/17237/thread" timestamp="1450476382We are presently driving in South Carolina to bail out our camper from RV Prison (aka "storage") on our way to Florida. I just read this thread to my husband to help entertain him while he is driving. Your story reminds us somewhat of what we did when we owned a house.
Hubby is wondering why you didn't use a bucket to drain the black tank and take it to your toilet in your utility room? I told him I would not do that. He told me that I wouldn't be anywhere nearby when he was working on the plumbing, so he is not surprised that I wouldn't take the bucket.
Just thought I might be able to add to the story...
Hope you had a great cruise and things went your way. I am jealous, just so you know.
This post in the Gear Section was supposed to end happily with the subject being home based dump stations. I would have been happier with a straight exterior 4" pipe riser to dump into and that will still be the goal maybe next year. It seems very few RVers use macerators. Either that or they find the subject matter too elementary or boring to discuss. Did you use one at your home? If so how did it work out?
I did build a utility room in the basement but since it is below grade and lower than the septic system a toilet is not a part of it. The only water appliances we can have in it need to be pumped or installed near the ceiling. Those are the washer and a heat pump water heater condensate drain pump.
The bucket brigade would need to track straight into the home, through the kitchen and into the bathroom. Not impossible but I'd probably vomit, and like you described above, it would need to be done without my wife around. I considered getting some Homer Buckets and dumping into them, letting it simmer all winter, then dumping when we had a chance. Not a very smart choice. Ultimately I just rigged a skirt to the trailer and am running a couple 100W bulbs underneath until UPS arrives on Monday.
Probably would be fine without any heat under there until Monday too but just to be safe. When I look back at the initial challenge of just dumping I kind of wish I took the 50 mile journey to do so. But all this work will pay off in the end time and time again.
[quote source="/post/17242/thread" author="@sandroad" timestamp="1450488895"]Whoofit, In a great epiphany, I realized I don't want anything that's been up your pipe, so please, please, give it to your brother. [/quote]LOL!
That is a wise choice!
I can't for the life of me understand why my doctor is leaving spam like messages on my phone regarding the urgent need to explore that region of mine because of the simple fact that I am now 50 years old. Time for a new doctor!
Sorry to break into this frivolity with something geeky, but could you measure the temperature below the floor tomorrow morning. It is forecast to hit a low of 25 in your area tonight, so the temp will be a good indicator of how well a skirt and heat underneath works for winter camping.
David
[quote source="/post/17249/thread" author="@whoofit" timestamp="1450523951"]
Quote from: @sandroad" timestamp="1450488895" source="/post/17242/threadWhoofit, In a great epiphany, I realized I don't want anything that's been up your pipe, so please, please, give it to your brother.
LOL!
That is a wise choice!
I can't for the life of me understand why my doctor is leaving spam like messages on my phone regarding the urgent need to explore that region of mine because of the simple fact that I am now 50 years old. Time for a new doctor!
[/quote]In all seriousness, go in for the test. It's not so terrible anymore, and it can save your life. Colon cancer is so findable and so treatable, there is no excuse for anyone to die of it, anymore.
"I'm also working up a crapper story, for ya. I'll let you know if it is worth retelling in a few hours or so."
Pinstriper: I assume your crapper story pooped out. I just wanted to be I didn't miss a good one.
[quote timestamp="1450707628" author="@sandroad" source="/post/17261/thread"]"I'm also working up a crapper story, for ya. I'll let you know if it is worth retelling in a few hours or so."
Pinstriper: I assume your crapper story pooped out. I just wanted to be I didn't miss a good one. [/quote]Nah, this wasn't a Chipotle visit or anything.
Mrs. P had a bucket she used to pick up the yard after the dogs. She left the lid off and we got 6" of rain this week. So had a bucket full of Poop Soup. Roughly what you were contemplating in your bucket brigade solution. I had to haul it across the back yard, across the deck, down the driveway, 50 yards into my neighbor's woods, and dump it there.
I highly recommend against carrying a bucket of poop soup, well...anywhere at all, ever, for any reason...much less through a campground or into your house for the toilet. If you can't solve your plumbing problem and can't get your trailer to a dump site before the tank freezes and cracks, I would suggest you consider just pulling the trailer close to the house and set them both on fire instead.
I never should have opened this thread while drinking a can of soda... soda coming out of your nose is not a good thing...
Well, at least I'm no longer hungry for dinner, ever.
[quote source="/post/17267/thread" timestamp="1450733161" author="@sandroad"]Well, at least I'm no longer hungry for dinner, ever. [/quote]I was going to let it drop, having sobered up. But you insisted. [span style="font-size:13.3333px;"] You made me tell the story. [/span]
[quote source="/post/17250/thread" timestamp="1450535939" author="@david"]Sorry to break into this frivolity with something geeky, but could you measure the temperature below the floor tomorrow morning. It is forecast to hit a low of 25 in your area tonight, so the temp will be a good indicator of how well a skirt and heat underneath works for winter camping.
David[/quote]David, that is a great idea that I hadn't thought of until it was too late. Didn't see your post till now. I'll be sure to try test this next cold snap which is looking like middle of January at this point.
I'd guess the results will all depend on if there is frost in the ground, snow cover, ice or, like now, unfrozen gravel. We will see.
Quote from: @pinstriper" source="/post/17251/thread" timestamp="1450540477Quote from: @whoofit" source="/post/17249/thread" timestamp="1450523951I can't for the life of me understand why my doctor is leaving spam like messages on my phone regarding the urgent need to explore that region of mine because of the simple fact that I am now 50 years old. Time for a new doctor!
In all seriousness, go in for the test. It's not so terrible anymore, and it can save your life. Colon cancer is so findable and so treatable, there is no excuse for anyone to die of it, anymore.
You are right as usual. When I called the office nice lady said it could go two ways. I could be probed or could send a sample by mail. Was gonna offer the inflatable ball stop to her but she would not get the joke. She doesn't own a Camplite after all.
So, I tried to play hard to get. I tried to at least get her to buy me dinner and drinks before such an encounter. She refused...
All went well with the macerator.
Was kind of boring and uneventful. I had grand ideas like dumping white particles into the tank and doing a Snow Globe video mix with Bing singing "White Christmas" shot through the plastic window but I did want to remain PC and not offend....
Oh. guess I should add I went with the Sewer Solution from Valterra. Those soldiers didn't stand a chance as they were soaking for a full week before they met the device.
Just when I had recovered my appetite.........
:-X
I just looked at the Valterra Sewer Solution and it will work at our house! Good find. I just have to add a "T" fitting and extension on a 1-1/2 inch pipe in the basement to get it outside near the camper parking spot. It will make it much easier to care for our tanks, especially after boon docking at campgrounds w/o dump stations. My own crapper stories may be coming soon to a forum near your.
It worked well. The venturi effect was good but we have real high pressure too everyone's miles may vary.
Be careful to choose wisely on the drain you are gonna tie into. I looked at the bathtub branch, it is also 1 1/2" PVC. Would've been a breeze. But thinking it through, if there was a blockage toward the Main Stub, the result could have easily been a tub full of yuck...
Wow, thanks for doing that thinking for me. I could have made an awful mess in the bathroom. The 60 year old clean-out on the cast iron pipe leading to the septic tank is not an option, so this will be more challenging than i thought. ???
[quote source="/post/17303/thread" timestamp="1450914264" author="@sandroad"] The 60 year old clean-out on the cast iron pipe leading to the septic tank is not an option, so this will be more challenging than i thought. ??? [/quote]We need a "Me Too" button on this forum because that's what I thought!.... (rofl)
A metal detector would have helped me determine if I was dealing with iron pipe in the ground but since I work for peanuts, each and every day, the $50 not spent on one meant the 3' x 8' exploration trench was cheaper. Plus it gave me purpose and a moment to finally prove to my wife that I am supremely masculine and capable of doing dumb things with a swagger.
Is it possible you have PVC in the ground to tie into and skip the macerator, Merlin?
I am way too familiar with our septic system. I know every inch in detail. :-/ It's cast iron (old cast iron) in every place that would otherwise be convenient for a bootleg tie in. Given the caveat about what would happen in a clogging situation, I may look into a ball valve in an appropriate place in an accessible PVC pipe to use only when dumping the tanks. This thread continues to have the makings of a great forum epic.
I dont know much beyond the most basic plumbing, but isnt there a traditional check valve you could use rather than a manual ball valve? I just think I would end up forgetting to close it, or worse yet, reopen it after use. I figure anything that removes my memory from the equation is a good thing :)
-Sean
But forgetting to re-open a manual ball valve would add SO much to this thread that it would be worth staying with the manual version.