Furnace/Battery Help and Black Water tank - R-pod Owners Forum

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Topic: Furnace/Battery Help and Black Water tank
Posted: 22 Sep 2011 at 12:59pm

Originally posted by techntrek

Regarding the water softener, discussions I've read on using it say that the blue stuff isn't needed anymore after the first few water softener treatments because all of the stuff gets cleaned out so well. Here is one article on using it, although I've heard of using less than they say, and w/o dissolving it in hot water like they say - just dump it in after a tank flush, fill with several gallons of water, and go on down the road while it sloshes around. http://www.newrver.com/holdingtank.html

Let us know what you think, after doing this a while. I've often wondered if I could quit using the "blue stuff" by just mixing up some baking soda (a natural cleaner/deodorizer) and dumping it in my black tank - along with the usual 5 gallons, after dumping. There is some amount of controversy about the environmental effects of the formaldhyde (spelling?).

Going down the road "sloshing" is a GOOOOOD thing!

g4royce

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Location: PortStLucie FL
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Posted: 22 Sep 2011 at 1:11pm

Pretty much everything requires a tiny bit of battery power for the sensors and computer panel (fridge, thermostat, propane sensor) and so a second battery is highly recommended if you plan on boondocking a lot.

We made the mistake of running our battery down by running the fridge on it when the propane igniter nozzle fell off during our trip to the Finger Lakes during this summer's heat wave. The Propane Sensor alarm is hardwired to the wall and doesn't have an off switch (only a temporary mute switch) so it went off in the middle of the night when the battery ran too low. We had to unscrew the sensor and cut it off completely to get it to stop shrieking Star

We boondocked previously in Killarney Provincial Park for a day and a half last fall when we bought the pod and had no problems if everything was switched to propane and we used the lights and fan very sparingly. We had the furnace on full blast to try and dry everything out as we had gotten soaked during a 6-hr drive.

As for the watersoftening, we have liquid Calgon for shock treatments of the black and grey tanks, but prefer to use white vinegar for everyday. I also keep a small spray bottle of white vinegar in the bathroom/toiletries kit for when the campground has crazy hard water such as that in MI's Upper Peninsula. It helps the soap and shampoo lather Tongue

and I don't end up with crunchy witch hair.

We are also researching the toilet-wand thing as even with all the Calgon and vinegar, our black sensors are still messed up. The Grey ones are ok though.

ChaiPod
2009 RP152
2011 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5L V6

mountain mist View Drop Down

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Posted: 22 Sep 2011 at 4:09pm

My tanks are empty now (I know the black water tank does not read so, but the sensor is gunked up)grey water empty.

I am going to put the 2 cups each, dissolved Calgon in a gal. of hot water down the sink AND the commode.

This is at home, drain valve is closed of course.

Also I am going to add a cup of laundry detergent to the commode. Then drive with it swishing to the campground.

I figure since the capacity of EACH tank is 35 gallons, I will have enough room to use it boondocking for limited use for 6 nights. I come home ever third day to shower and pick up mail, computer, etc and return to site.

Then I am going to a full hookup campground for 3 nights,there to dump, repeat the above mixture and dump just before I leave. And repeat the mixture while going back to boondocking for 8 nights.
Again, limited use of facilities in Pod. Then to dump.

NOW, I plan to try to camp in November one more time, I hope. I think when I get it home I should do the process again, maybe some bleach?

Any changes here?

'11 Forest River r.pod 171
'10 Ford Edge
ESCAPE POD
Trudi and Austin mini-schnauzers
change here, Trudi has gone, Austin now has a small black schnauzer buddy, Bentley

techntrek

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Posted: 22 Sep 2011 at 10:00pm

Let us know how it looks after a few treatments. I'll be going on my next trip in a week so that will be my first one.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

mountain mist View Drop Down

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Posted: 23 Sep 2011 at 5:40am

I thought to get a fitting that is clear to eyeball if this is working, but I don't find one that will work with the low drain on the Pod.

I hope to see results if/when the read out in the Pod is correct.

I am not sure who carries Calgon, have never looked for it, but will try today.

'11 Forest River r.pod 171
'10 Ford Edge
ESCAPE POD
Trudi and Austin mini-schnauzers
change here, Trudi has gone, Austin now has a small black schnauzer buddy, Bentley

g4royce

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Posted: 23 Sep 2011 at 8:30am

Calgon is usually merchandised with the laundry detergent. We found ours in the local supermarket-chain. From reading on the internet, it also seems that some parts of the country also have a Calgon branded/co-branded powder laundry detergent that is *not* Calgon powder.

ChaiPod
2009 RP152
2011 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5L V6

mountain mist View Drop Down

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Posted: 23 Sep 2011 at 4:18pm

Found Calgon water softner today, not all super markets carry it.

I got a qt. of the liquid Calgon just to see if it worked. The rest is the powder. The article said to dissolve it in a gallon of hot water. By using the gallon of water I guess it would have something to sloush in, so will put either one in water. And a gallon in the grey water. Hope I see some results since the stuff is not cheap. Going to put a cup of Tide down the commode too. I use the low suds anyway in my front loading washer so I hope not to have it foaming when I dump

Our camping outlets did not have a Johnny Chock, the pipe you put in the commode to hold the lever open. My camping world is too far away to be of any use. One can be ordered, but the postage on anything they mail is out and out steep.

Anyone out there devise something out of PVC that would do the trick?

'11 Forest River r.pod 171
'10 Ford Edge
ESCAPE POD
Trudi and Austin mini-schnauzers
change here, Trudi has gone, Austin now has a small black schnauzer buddy, Bentley

Keith-N-Dar View Drop Down

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Posted: 23 Sep 2011 at 9:29pm

My 177 has a connection on the side for a blackwater tank flush. I used it and my tank now shows empty as well as getting lots of "stuff" out of an empty tank. The dealer said it has nozzles placed to clean out the whole tank, and to get the TP off of the probes.

Keith-N-Dar
Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers)
2011 R-Pod 177
2010 Ford F-150

techntrek

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Posted: 23 Sep 2011 at 9:35pm

My wife found Calgon at Wal-Mart today. She said it was hard to find. My next trip is next weekend so we'll see how the first round of sloshing goes.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

Tidalwave4455 View Drop Down

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Posted: 24 Sep 2011 at 10:56am

Most holding tank chemicals are now formaldehyde-free...just check the label on the container. Some chemicals are more 'green' and environment friendly than others. I think that Calgon would be a satisfactory replacement, I don't think that it would damage the electronic sensors. Some of the commercial holding tank chemicals are specifically made to clean tank sensors. A store that carries an assortment of RV supplies would probably carry what you need.