permenant or portable grey tanks

[JKH]

Greetings Everyone,

My first post... I am converting a 7x12 enclosed trailer for hauling the bike and camping. I want to have some conveniences but I am not going crazy either. Along those lines, I am not sure which will be the best way to go in the sewer design. Portable grey tanks or install a permanent tank in the frame. I am looking at a 20 gal freshwater supply. I will be camping about 50% of the time with power and water locally, the other will be off grid with only my solar, and generator power and onboard water.

I know there is a lot of experience here and any ideas would be welcomed.

Thank you!

[Redoverfarm]

If you haven't seen Mountain Don's thread on what he did you might check it out.  Basicly did the same thing.   I am sure if you have any questions he might be able to help.  His conversion is here  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=13486.msg177872#msg177872

[UK4X4]

Another good forum to check out is expedition portal, which has a trailer section and overland trucks, they both hold a variety of self contained remote living self built trailers and campers.

We vacationed in a trailer on our property and used one of those wheel'd poop transporters, so the trailer stayed in place and I just ran the tank to a dump point when needed.

we used no paper in our system, prefereing to dump paper in the normal waste and not into the sewage system, this made for a much cleaner and easily flowing system.

[rick91351]

We are closing in on two year livings in the fifthwheel full time.  However  the house is close to finished.  UK4X4 brings up a wonderful point the paper  - the TP - the fodder......  I / we have had two plugs that would not allow the system to drain or drop its load.  Sort of like constipated.  I can tell you that it is one of the no pun intended but crappiest jobs - wink - getting it going again.  One thing is toilet chemical that helps break stuff down in the tank.  Getthe good stuff....   Two lots of water.  Now this is some what counter productive because at times you are trying to conserve water but if you can not drain the unit with out disassembling.  Not good.  Thing number two make it so you can disassemble the plumbing.  For the above reason and number two the below reason ---  In other words avoid gluing everything together.  Two years ago we were going south to AZ in the winter time.  Left Boise like at zero F got to Wells Nv and where they had plowed the snow on the road and left a berm at an intersection. I hit it and really messed up the sewer drop.  We went on to Vegas and cost us $500 to get it fixed.  They pretty well had you by the _____ .  You are in a strange place - you do not have a good way to find parts and fix.......         

[JKH]

thanks for the ideas....being a small trailer I think i might be better off with a portable one....