External holding tank

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ChattyPatty

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Messages
9
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Sailors Two
Vessel Make
1982 CHB
I just ordered a Camco Rhino heavy duty portable holding tank. Anyone have experience with an external holding tank? I don’t like boating to the pump out station in the rainy, windy winter here. Anyone have experience with attaching it to the boat and pumping it out? Special fittings and or pump needed?
 
ChattyPatty said:
I just ordered a Camco Rhino heavy duty portable holding tank. Anyone have experience with an external holding tank? I don’t like boating to the pump out station in the rainy, windy winter here. Anyone have experience with attaching it to the boat and pumping it out? Special fittings and or pump needed?
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Welcome aboard. Have never used one of those. You are going to need some kind of pump to get it from your holding and up into the portable tank. Do you have an overboard pump that lets you pump the holding tank into the water when you are offshore at least 3 miles? If you do you may be able to add a Y valve and a hose that will pump the waste into the holding tank.
 
RVs can do all of the transfer in and out of an external tank with gravity. That is what the Camco tank is designed to do.

As others said you will need a pump, probably a macerator pump if you already have on installed with a Y valve to divert its output to the external tank. Then you will need about 20' of waste hose from the pump to the tank. Maybe collapsible RV waste hose could work. And then you need to vent the tank. And finally you will need a remote switch to control the pump so you don't blow up your tank once it gets full.

And then you need to wash down your hose- overboard? when you are finished with it.

I would prefer just to get a little wet occasionally.

David
 
djmarchand said:
RVs can do all of the transfer in and out of an external tank with gravity. That is what the Camco tank is designed to do.

As others said you will need a pump, probably a macerator pump if you already have on installed with a Y valve to divert its output to the external tank. Then you will need about 20' of waste hose from the pump to the tank. Maybe collapsible RV waste hose could work. And then you need to vent the tank. And finally you will need a remote switch to control the pump so you don't blow up your tank once it gets full.

And then you need to wash down your hose- overboard? when you are finished with it.

I would prefer just to get a little wet occasionally.

David
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Collapsible RV hose has no place on a boat. It scarcely has any place on an RV. Walls are thin, subject to tearing, corrugated insides hold solids long after any other hose would be clean, ....you get what I am saying.
 
We have a macerator in our RV to pump the waste out and even uphill if need be. It takes 1” retracting hose. The 1” hose is pretty tough. We have about 60’ of it and it stretches out easily. Maybe look at Camping World for the hose. Still it would be a mess to store. We leave our hooked up permanently.
 
Getting the right idea. Your Marine supply will have better hose than the Camping World stuff. You only need to match the fitting size. I too use the 1” on my RV. Easy to clean and store. 1” marine hose will fit your macerated but not likely your Y. Then the tank will have an RV size fitting you will need to match or change. Good luck!
 
If you're gonna have to lift and carry it, you need to know that water and waste weigh 8.333 lbs/gallon. Even a 5 gal portapotty tank weighs almost 50 lbs full. I dunno what size you ordered, but the smallest Camco tank I could find online is 21 gallons, so even if only half full it would weigh at least 100 lbs including the weight of the tank.

Methinks that you'd only have to go through what it would take to use the Camco tank once to convince you that having to put on foulies to go the pumpout, or maybe go when the weather isn't sour even if the tank isn't full yet, isn't such a bad idea after all. Or maybe put a 2-3 gal portapotty aboard to use in an "emergency" till you can get to the pumpout. Its tank weighs only about 30 lbs, which you could carry to the marina bathroom to empty it into a toilet.

--Peggie
 
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What size boat are we dealing with and how big is your holding tank? Would it be possible to just put in a bigger tank so you don't have to get pumped as often (making it easier to do it in good weather)?
 
Transferring waste to a "portable" holding tank, and THEN taking that tank someplace to empty it sounds much closer to a port potty and NOT much fun at all.
 
What many forget on TF is the old expression "where there is a will, there is a way".


Sure waste is yucky to some, yes it's weight is 8 lbs per gallon, yes rolling a cart is less work to some than moving a boat and vice versa, yes watching falling temps and frozen waste is an issue....


BIG Fing deal.....think through it and make it happen if you want....it can be done as I have thought it through too.... it also has issues you have to overcome.


No one can lay out what works best unless they sit down with you and go over the whole situation. But don't let a bunch of people who don't want to either do it or think it through deter you.
 
psneeld said:
What many forget on TF is the old expression "where there is a will, there is a way".


Sure waste is yucky to some, yes it's weight is 8 lbs per gallon, yes rolling a cart is less work to some than moving a boat and vice versa, yes watching falling temps and frozen waste is an issue....


BIG Fing deal.....think through it and make it happen if you want....it can be done as I have thought it through too.... it also has issues you have to overcome.


No one can lay out what works best unless they sit down with you and go over the whole situation. But don't let a bunch of people who don't want to either do it or think it through deter you.
Click to expand...

We have been thinking it through for a while before I ordered this morning. It will be a challenge but all of the reply’s have given us more info than we have thought about. But knowing is half the battle. (GI Joe!!!!) not sure how many will get that reference! ?
 
HeadMistress said:
If you're gonna have to lift and carry it, you need to know that water and waste weigh 8.333 lbs/gallon. Even a 5 gal portapotty tank weighs almost 50 lbs full. I dunno what size you ordered, but the smallest Camco tank I could find online is 21 gallons, so even if only half full it would weigh at least 100 lbs including the weight of the tank.

Methinks that you'd only have to go through what it would take to use the Camco tank once to convince you that having to put on foulies to go the pumpout, or maybe go when the weather isn't sour even if the tank isn't full yet, isn't such a bad idea after all. Or maybe put a 2-3 gal portapotty aboard to use in an "emergency" till you can get to the pumpout. Its tank weighs only about 30 lbs, which you could carry to the marina bathroom to empty it into a toilet.

--Peggie
Click to expand...
we have a 34’ Trawler. It’s a challenge to maneuver this marina and we’ve had a couple incidents and decided not to motor to pump out for the winter. I don’t like walking out in cold rain to use the Marina head several times a day. Rolling my waste tank once every 10-15 days to pump out would mean being wet and cold only once in the day. The Camco tank we purchased is a 36 gallon tank. Our holding tank is 40 gallons. Even at that weight the Camco would pull easily with a towing dolly.
 
Or be careful and wash your hands afterwards. :)
 
ChattyPatty said:
We don’t get a lot of freezing here but we can possibly insulate as needed
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Keep in mind that insulating won't prevent freezing in a tank exposed to freezing conditions. It may slow the process, but without a source of heat, it'll eventually freeze, insulation notwithstanding. If the tank spends any time in freezing conditions, you may need to add a heating pad. Then the insulation will help to retain the heat.
 
Maerin said:
Keep in mind that insulating won't prevent freezing in a tank exposed to freezing conditions. It may slow the process, but without a source of heat, it'll eventually freeze, insulation notwithstanding. If the tank spends any time in freezing conditions, you may need to add a heating pad. Then the insulation will help to retain the heat.
Click to expand...

Good point. We will be prepared just in case.
 
Do you have a pump-out service at your marina? We have a guy and his skiff with a 300-gallon poly tank on board. He calls himself “The Head Honcho”. I have no idea what he charges.
 
Giggitoni said:
Do you have a pump-out service at your marina? We have a guy and his skiff with a 300-gallon poly tank on board. He calls himself “The Head Honcho”. I have no idea what he charges.
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Unfortunately no.
 
You might try using some of the heat tape designed to keep gutters from freezing. OR buy a glue on oil pan heater.
With the caveat of testing it out to make sure it doesn't get hot enough to melt the plastic tank.
 
Check RV places, they have heaters for plastic tanks...but first check the portable manufacturer for applying heat to that particular plastic.
 
Yes, it would not be good to melt a hole in the bottom of the poop tank...
 
I go into Menards, midwest big box store, and sometimes buy 6 or so boxes of latex gloves. The cashier asked me if I was buying them for my doctor office, told her no, I own a boat...
 
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