Valterra SewerSolution
Dumping the black tank is one of my least favorite RV maintenance jobs. I especially hated wrestling with awkward 4" accordion hoses. Mine smelled no matter how well I tried to rinse them out and always had some foul liquid dripping onto my shoes and into my storage compartment.
The electric macerators are so ridiculously overpriced that I could never bring myself to buy one, and installing them is a pain.
The SewerSolution uses no electricity and hooks up in minutes. Better yet, it's remarkably odorless — I leave mine hooked up permanently in the utility bay. It uses a small water jet to force the black water through a set of fins that break up any solids. When the tank is empty, the same water is used to flush out the hose, which is small and smooth so the rinsing is very effective.
Occasionally, the fins will clog temporarily, but the jet has always cleared them for me. In years of use, I've only had trouble once, when I accidentally stored my rig without dumping the black tank. The liquid evaporated from it and the remaining stuff took a long time for the jet to break up, though it finally did the job.
The only down side is that because the hose is smaller, it will take a little longer to dump your tank. For me, it's worth it not to have to mess with the old-fashioned accordion hose. You'll also need an extra garden hose and a Y-connector for campgrounds that only provide one spigot.
My current rig has a separate hose connection for flushing the blank tank. This works particularly well with the SewerSolution. I just put a Y-connector with valves in the utility bay and when the tank is empty, I divert the water from the SewerSolution supply hose to the flush inlet. No muss, no fuss.
I also recommend getting the 10' extension hose. It will be a lifesaver when the campground has put the sewer connection just a little too far from your utility bay.
This is by far, my favorite Y-connector. It's light and reliable. You might think that a more expensive metal one would be a better choice, but in my experience, the valve levers on a brass one will break long before this plastic one will wear out and the levers on this one are *much* easier to turn. I also try to save weight wherever I can and this one weighs a fraction of what a metal one does, and is easier to attach. At around $5, it will also be less painful when you forget and drive off with it still attached to the water spigot. The only down side is that it's easier to cross-thread it and wreck the plastic threads. Just be careful when you put it on and it will last for years.
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