Tanks & sanitation

Dump the black tank first, then the gray

Emptying the holding tanks is the chore everyone dreads and the one a clean routine makes painless. The order matters: black first, gray second, so the gray water rinses your sewer hose on the way out.

1. Wait until the tanks are about two-thirds full A nearly full tank dumps with enough force to carry the solids out with it. Draining a quarter-full tank leaves the heavy stuff behind, which is how clogs and false sensor readings start. At full hookups, keep the black valve closed and only dump when it is mostly full, never leave it open to drain continuously.
2. Glove up and connect a dedicated sewer hose Disposable gloves, and a hose you only ever use for waste, never your fresh-water hose. Seat the bayonet fittings firmly at the trailer and lock the other end into the dump inlet so nothing pops loose under pressure.
3. Pull the black valve, let it run, then close it Open the black valve all the way and let it drain until the flow stops. Close it completely before you touch anything else.
4. Now pull the gray valve Open the gray tank second. The gray water scours the leftover solids out of your hose so you are not storing a dirty one. Close it when the flow stops.
5. Rinse and treat Flush the black tank with fresh water (a built-in flush or a tank wand) until it runs clear, then add a holding-tank treatment so the next load breaks down instead of caking. Only single-ply or RV-rated paper goes down the toilet.