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Lasting Sewer Hoses for Your RV
If you’re an RV owner, keeping your mobile home clean and operational is a must. Especially when it comes to draining your holding tanks and keeping them clean, that’s why you’re here. To find the best Sewer Hose for your RV.
There are a few options to choose from that make the waste disposal process comfortable and clean. In this article, we will cover all the vital aspects of picking the best RV sewer hose. It will help make your journey comfortable and carefree the whole way.
5 Minute RV Waste Tank Removal Check List
We will also provide a quick to-do list of how to empty your tanks in under 5 minutes. Providing you have a proper modern sewer hose, that is. Purchasing sewer hoses may not seem like an interesting or pleasant task. But you will be glad you spent the time and money purchasing the proper one for you.
About RV Waste Tanks
Regardless of size, the RV allows a break from civilization while bringing the daily comforts of home with you. A full-size bed, a pleasant enclosed space with a controlled atmosphere, kitchen, shower, and of course, a private toilet. However, all of this comfort comes with a few necessary operations that an RV operator must perform to keep operational.
One of these tasks involves regular emptying of waste holding tanks. Most RV’s use separate wastewater storage systems for sink & bathroom wastewater and toilet sewage. These are usually called “grey tank” and “black tank,” respectively. Modern RV’s have special sensors indicating how full each of them is.
The only job left to you is actually dropping by the designated special RV Dump Stations (which can be found in most RV camping sites and/ or via apps like this one ) from time to time and draining the tanks using the proper RV sewer hose.
Is there any major difference between RV sewer hoses currently on the market? Let’s find out. (p.s. you’ll be glad you did…)
What Makes a Quality RV Sewage Hose?
Although draining water tanks might seem a mundane task, there are a few key qualities your RV sewer hose must have to make this operation spotless:
RV Sewer Hose Durability
A heavy-duty RV sewer hose is designed to endure multiple uses and must remain perfectly sealed during all that time. RV’s are famous for rarely staying in one place for over 2 weeks during the season. This means that your sewer hose will go through multiple compression/extraction cycles for each use and storage.
On top of that, if you stay at an RV camp (with a permanent connection to local utilities), you also likely enjoy the company of other campers around you. Unfortunately, these people are prone to occasionally walking over, stepping on, crushing, and even running over your connected sewer RV hose by car. It must be able to endure all of this and not let sensitive matters spill 😉
Transportability and Weight
As if durability requirements were not enough, your RV sewer hose kit should also remain reasonably lightweight for an average person to carry around, connect the couplings, along with washing and storing without too much hassle. There is a special (and important) number to do with sewage line transportability: the collapsible size versus extended length ratio. This may go as far as 1 to 3 in some models, and it becomes important if you do not have a lot of space to keep it in (and for sanitary reasons, you do want a separate/ isolated space to keep it in).
UV Resistance
RV sewer hoses made from vinyl materials are durable, light, and leak-resistant but are vulnerable to prolonged direct sunlight exposure. These require extra coating/additives to keep them protected and not deteriorate over time. UV-resistant plastics like TPE are also fairly common in making these appliances, but they each have their own drawbacks.
Connection Fittings & Safety Caps
An RV sewer hose must go through multiple connection cycles with the RV pipeline ends and the local sewage dump terminals. Therefore the end-connectors (fittings) must be robust and fit snugly (leak-proof) on both ends. A convenient handle and locking mechanism design is also a great plus.
Bumper safety caps: For storage, purposes have removable end-caps on square bumpers to isolate your hose from its surrounding environment when not in use.
Diameter
It is simple physics. The bigger the diameter, the easier the drain line will do what it should. A diameter of 3” is believed to cope with most situations, except in some frigid weather environments. We will further explain this to you at the end of the article.
Temperature Flexibility
Warm weather is little trouble for an already-flexible and properly UV-protected appliance like an RV sewer hose. However, it is the cold weather that may cause trouble. Whenever choosing a drain hose, check to ensure somewhere on the package that it is functional at low temperatures, especially if you intend to travel in winter. The cheaper and lighter variants are prone to developing cracks and micro-leaks when extended or compressed in icy conditions. You definitely do not want this kind of hose.
RV Sewer Hose System Breakdown
Now let’s see how the manufacturers fulfill the above-mentioned requirements in their products:
RV Sewer Hose Materials
Here are 2 types of materials generally used for sewer hoses:
- Thermoplastic Elastomer (or TPE), usually the Polyolefin
- HTS Vinyl (can be UV-stabilised)
Vinyl hoses are generally lighter and less durable. They are perfectly suited if you do not spend a lot of time traveling in their RVs (the occasional holiday travelers). Suppose you enjoy boon-docking (and thus do not require continuous connection to drain their water like in properly equipped RV camps). This appliance is still durable enough to last you a few seasons and is easy to handle.
When used in sewer hoses, the TPE is usually spun around some other structure like metal coils (old technology) or a polymer helix. This provides excellent resistance to scratching, dents, and punctures. But you pay for it in more weight and less compact storage length of the compressed hose.
Last but not least – you should go with the TPE if you plan to stay predominantly at RV campsites on your journeys. A well-designed TPE hose will easily recover from various abuses and even if run over by another RV. The same should not be expected from a lightweight HTS hose.
The cold weather properties of both materials are not as straightforward. You will need to read the box and/or ask the seller to ensure that any particular model is suited for low-temperature usage.
The Line
Typically RV sewer hoses come in a few standard lengths. When fully extended: 1×20 feet long or 2×10 feet long lines. In the case of 2 separate units, they are connected to make a single 20-foot unit using a bayonet connector. And are disassembled for easier storage. Sometimes 15′ 18′ or even 30′ models can be found. The primary consideration of what length hose to purchase is the volume and shape of the storage space it’ll be kept in.
Connectors
The RV-side connectors generally used are the bayonet-type for ease and speed of assembly. Slip-ring connectors are less common, as is a more reliable but admittedly bulky cam lock design. The simpler the design – the better. It seems to be true with most things in life, and with sewer hoses as well!. In the end, you should really go and try handling different types of fittings. Then pick one that you find easiest to work with.
The sewer-side connectors are not always required to fit firmly into the local sewer outlet terminals (sometimes it’s just a concrete hole), but nice if they do. The waste outlet itself might even be a different size, but it’s usually 3-4”. The general solution is to use a 4-in-1 or 6-in-1 90 degrees elbow for that end of the sewer hose to ensure a tight connection.
Some manufacturers equip this end of their hoses with a universal tapered rubber doughnut nozzle. A nice extra feature to have is a translucent end-section (or the elbow itself) that will allow you to make sure that the hose is empty all the way down before you remove it. This kind of information is priceless.
How to Drain Your RV Waste Water in 5 Minutes
We’ve covered most of what you will need to make an educated purchase of a drain hose that would be right for your needs. Additionally, we will explain how to use them properly.
Here is our 10-step operations guide to emptying your RV waste water tanks in under 5 minutes:
Preparation (before you arrive): buy and use a box of disposable gloves. A box should last you a whole season and will save you many worries about sufficiently guarding your hands against unsanitary equipment.
Steps to Drain Your RV Waste Water at the Dump Station in 5 min:
Step 1
Do NOT rush. If you rush – you make mistakes. If you make mistakes, you might make it to YouTube and become famous… but probably not the way you’d want to be.
Step 2
Put a pair of disposable gloves on before you do anything – even opening your RV storage compartment, put a glove on each hand. Extract your RV sewer hose from the storage compartment, and remove the safety caps (if so equipped). Take it and go towards the dump station terminal. Insert the respected end of your line into the terminal (sometimes it’s just a hole).
Ideally, this end of your drain line is pre-equipped with a 5-in-1 size adapter to fit in snugly, and it has a translucent elbow to confirm that the hose has been fully drained at the end of the operation. Ensure it is installed well and won’t jump out of the terminal when sewage hits the pipe.
Step 3
Take the other end of the hose to the RV, extending it as necessary. Remove the RV’s holding tanks’ drainpipe safety cap and connect your hose connector fitting (the coupler) to it. Make sure it fits well. Fasten the Camlock, spin the bayonet, and push the slip ring all the way; now give it a little pull (to make sure it is connected snugly and water seals will work as it should). Give the other end a quick inspection to make sure it is still well-connected to the dump station terminal.
Step 4
Empty the black holding tank first. Most RVs have one terminal to which both black and grey drain pipes go. In this case, the drainpipe of a larger diameter is the one that comes from the black tank. Reach for the handle on that pipe and pull it to open the valve and discharge the wastewater.
Step 5
Observe as the dirty water leaves the tank. After all the water has discharged (no sound of running water anymore), wait for another 30 seconds for all the remaining contents to leave the hose’s end. Close the black tank valve.
Now it’s time to empty the grey tank. Reach for the handle on the thinner drain pipe and pull it open. As the water leaves the grey tank, some will go over to the now-empty black tank pipe and flush it out. The grey tank wastewater cleans most solid residues that might be leftover in the sewer hose from the black tank’s discharge.
Step 6
Wait for another 30 seconds and shut off both drainpipes’ valves. Disconnect the sewer line from the RV terminal first. Then put the RV drain safety cap back on with your free hand.
Step 7
Take the free end of the RV sewer hose to the freshwater washing point (usually, a hose found somewhere next to the dump station terminal). While still holding the free end of the sewage line up with one hand, insert the freshwater hose inside your wastewater hose by a few inches with your other hand.
Open the fresh water and give that drain hose a thorough 40-60 seconds wash. Bear in mind that the other end of your waste drain line should still be connected to the dump terminal as you do so.
Step 8
Now it’s time to disconnect the second end of the hose. After you do – drop the hose to the ground and give it another quick wash with that freshwater. Retract (compress) the RV sewer hose and bring it back to the RV. Put the safety caps back on. Place the RV sewer hose back in its appropriate compartment.
Step 9
Go back to your RV drain pipe terminal and make sure the safety cap is on – it is required to by the law whenever you’re driving! Even if it was not, inevitably…someone…somewhere will appreciate the fact you did.
Step 10
Take disposable gloves off and dispose of them (surprise – they are disposable gloves!) in an eco-friendly manner. Don’t forget to sanitize your hands afterward to be on the safe side.
RV Sewer Hose FAQs
Most modern RVs are equipped with a special storage compartment for all types of water hoses (including the sewage hose). In larger RV’s, there can be 3 separate hose extension compartments, while smaller rigs may have just one. In any case, you should always account for the space available when picking a sewage drain – and make sure it’ll fit in when folded properly.
Remember that it is generally a good idea to keep the appliance you use to drain used toilet water separate from any other equipment, especially for any fresh-water hoses. If you are short on space and have to keep your drain hose along with any other equipment, it would be prudent to keep it in a separate waterproof sealed plastic bag (no matter how well you clean it after every use). Stay on the safe side when away from civilization.
A general solution to a lack of storage space is purchasing a separate square back-bumper attachment and use it solely to save storing the dump water hose.
As previously mentioned, not all drain hoses for mobile homes are designed to remain flexible (and subsequently not crack or leak) at low temperatures. If you plan for winter travels – make sure to consult with the seller and learn what temperature your hose can be reliably used in.
However, even if your hose is good to use in the cold, there are still a few tips on avoiding typical winter errors.
Wastewater is still water (surprise!). It freezes at temperatures below 32F (0C). Regardless of whether your RV itself and the tanks are winter-ready, your hose will be exposed to local temperatures.
The possibility of gradual ice build-up inside the pipe and clogging it during prolonged use (we’re talking about a constantly-connected hose with free-running wastewater). If the temperature is 20-30F – a gradual slope down of your drain hose is usually sufficient to keep the drainage going smoothly. Wastewater has an above-freezing temperature at the RV drain pipe terminal and will not have time to freeze before it reaches the end of the hose this way. An RV sewer hose support works especially well for this, as it not only lifts the pipe above ground level but provides a nice slope all the way.
However, if the temperature falls below the teens and even more so in single-digit numbers (Fahrenheit) – you would want to connect your drain sewer hose only when you are about to empty the tanks and disconnect it once done. Otherwise, risk getting something called a “poopsicle” – and you definitely don’t what to know precisely what that is.
This is an easy one. If you have an RV sewer hose made of two separate pieces (like an extension hose), you will connect them via a bayonet-type coupling – in the same manner as you’d connect the sewer hose end to your rig’s drain pipe. The same goes for a case when you have a few RVs at an RV campsite sharing the same local dump terminal for permanent connection. There you can connect up to 3 different sewer hoses to a single exit-section via an X-adapter, all using the bayonet connectors.
Your typical RV sewer hose serves for 2 years. However, a few high-end models are built of high-quality components and include a second layer inside. Such a house can last (and do its job well) for a period of 5 to 7 years before wear-and-tear take their toll.
Both black and grey tanks require occasional cleaning. Whilst not practical by any means to do so after every draining, it’s generally a good idea to do so every 5-10 drains. Cleaning is performed immediately after. The dirty water is discharged by refilling your freshwater tanks and draining the freshwater to waste tanks straight away. Then repeat the process once more.
Some models have a separate valve in the wastewater tanks. Freshwater can be sent directly to them without filling the fresh water tank first. Suppose your rig has this setup. Make sure you keep a separate freshwater hose for these occasions (for sanitary reasons).
Remember that blackwater tanks are technologically required to be filled with at least 1 gallon of fresh water after being drained to operate properly.
Conclusion:
Want to learn more about sewage? We didn’t think so. Do not worry. We are almost done.
We’ve covered:
- The reasons why to use (and master) RV trailer sewer draining.
- Key qualities required for your sewage drain hose to be a good, practical appliance and serve you over many years.
- The design and material solutions and models on the market are offered to meet those requirements.
- A quick guide on how to survive RV dump station operations and have them go flawlessly. Some frequently asked questions regarding the RV sewage sensitive matters.
RV sewer hose is not an extra. It is a necessity (as is the application) that every roadhouse dweller is well familiar with. After all, what comfort is a house with no running water? We hope we have made it a bit easier for you to embrace and master the subject. The hose you’ll end up choosing will help you along your many amazing camper journeys.
