Posted 2006-08-25 5:09 PM (#47424) Subject: New to living quarters trailers
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA
Just brought home my first living quarters horse trailer its a (new to me) 2005 Logan w/ 8' LQ. Used by the previous owner less than 10x. The "used" blackwater outlet tube (the one that looks like a dryer vent tube) is in a manger storage area and is kind of smelly in there. There is a plastic tube under the gooseneck that looks like its for storing the blackwater tube, but its only 18" long (the sleeve) and there is no way that long tube is going to fit in there. Does anybody have any creative ideas for where to store the blackwater tube so its not near other usable space and smelling things up?
Posted 2006-08-25 6:52 PM (#47431 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 168
Location: Stem NC
mine doesn't smell. I would throw that one away and get a new one and then clean it after use. They are cheap enough to throw away after each use. Mine is under the gooseneclk.
Posted 2006-08-26 9:13 AM (#47444 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Expert
Posts: 1719
Location: PA
I would install a longer PVC tube under the GN, vented of course, and just get a new waste hose. Keep it clean by fluhing it well with clean water after each use. There's no way I'd buy a new hose every time I used it!
Posted 2006-08-28 11:55 AM (#47512 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Mena, AR
After I dump my black water, I run the gray water thru the hose. I agree, get rid of the smelly hose and get a new one. They are pretty cheap at Wal-Mart. If you've bought a blanket lately with a platic zip bag, those are great for storing the hose in. I store my hose in the manger and it is no problem.
Posted 2006-08-28 4:49 PM (#47530 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 192
Location: Kentucky
I have a question about my truck. I just bought a 4-star 3 horse with a LQ. It is 22' X 8' wide X 7'6" tall. It is much heavier than my other trailer. I have a 1995 3/4 ton Ford truck. I haven't tried it with this trailer yet. It seemed to have all it could handle with my 3 horse 20X7X7. Any thoughts about this?
Posted 2006-08-28 10:40 PM (#47544 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
I always dump the black water 1st, Grey 2nd and flush with hose provided at the dump station.
My dump tube stores in a PVC pipe mounted under the gooseneck.
Most of these tubes are 5' long and collaspe to 12" or so. So they are pretty easy to store.
Those older stock Ford were around 175-200 hp. It may strain to haul a 12,000lb trailer up steep grades. The new duramax's are 360hp and the current 6.0L ford is 325 hp.So your older Ford will not pull like the newer ones. That doesn't mean it can't pull that trailer around Texas or other flat country. You just may not like to pull 8% grades at 7000' elevation.
Posted 2006-08-29 12:51 AM (#47551 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 168
Location: Stem NC
I pull a 13ft short wall 2 horse 8 ft wide with solid oak cabinets up the mountins ov VA and NC with a 2001 Ford diesel. I don't have problems. My WHOLE rig with one horse weighs 19000#. That is a lot for just a 2 horse, but my cabinets are massive and beautiful.
I have a 410 rear end on the truck. Mine is almost that size too.
Posted 2006-08-29 3:39 AM (#47553 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 192
Location: Kentucky
So, it sounds like I can use my 95 Ford for fairly short runs but when I go to Tennessee or Illinois where there are steep grades, I need to use another truck.
I do have a hose under the nose of my trailer. So, when I camp I run water from a faucet through the outside connection on my trailer. Then, if I want to take a shower, I light the hot water tank and the water from the connection will fill it. Then, when I leave the campground, I put that hose under the nose on the holding tank under the trailer and dump the black water first and then the gray water and then wash out the hose and put it back under the trailer nose. So the black and grey water have separate holding tanks? Which handle is which? I have one on the left and one on the right under the trailer. (Sorry to be so elementary but I have never done this before)
Posted 2006-08-29 5:30 AM (#47555 - in reply to #47553) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 168
Location: Stem NC
I would just run some water in the sink about a gallon and let it go down the drain. Open a valve and the water should come out of the grey water tank. IF you open a tank up and no wate comes out, that should be the black water tank. Go to the other tank and see if you water comes out that one.
My tanks run out the same connection, but the balck water tank "faucet" is way back and very hard to get to. I have to get on my hands and knees to reach it.
Posted 2006-08-29 7:58 AM (#47564 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 192
Location: Kentucky
I have one place to empty my tanks and 2 valves, one on each side. The shower water goes into the grey water tank, right? So, the 2 sinks and the shower go into the grey water tank and the commode goes into the black water tank. In the winter, I would drain both tanks and put anti-freeze into both sinks and the commode? What about the shower? Do I put antifreeze down it also.?
Posted 2006-10-05 3:54 PM (#49645 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA
Went on my first test run outing with my (new to me) new trailer. Went to a three day horse show as a spectator and took the trailer and camped on the show grounds. All in all it was pretty uneventful, no mailboxes were harmed in the outing (sarcastic humor) but here's what I learned:
1) check for level BEFORE you unhitch.
2) If you can't get level, err on the side of the shower drain being downhill.
3) Analyse your site/parking options before you pull in. Its too easy to just say "good enough" when you are already parked in a site.
4) If you forget all of the above, the rubber edged sweat scrapers work really good for "pulling" the shower water uphill to the drain.
I learned I get 4 1/2 showers before my gray water tank is full.
I found a really cute horse-themed comforter on eBay that matches my window valances really well:
That's about all the decorating I did. Found acrylic wine glasses at Fred Meyer. Brought extra long extension cords and water hoses, which was a good thing as the hookups ended up being on the opposite side of the trailer.
Next weekend is first outing to a real show with my horse.
Posted 2006-10-05 4:18 PM (#49647 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Veteran
Posts: 192
Location: Kentucky
What did you do when the grey tank was full? Actually, what did you do for the other 1/2 of your shower? I am camping next week for 8 days and I thought that I could just run the hose into the woods and empty my grey tank once during the week that I was at the campsite.
Posted 2006-10-05 5:36 PM (#49649 - in reply to #49647) Subject: RE
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA
The gray water tank filled up the morning of the last day of the show, so it wasn't a problem. The water backs up in the shower when the tank is full, and I would guess this is true with most trailers, as the shower drain is the lowest of the drains. As for the half shower, I consider a shower without washing my hair a half shower since it takes considerably less time. The tank filled up towards the end of a full shower. Nobody was left with soapy hair
You sure could run a hose out into the woods for your gray tank while camping. Its probably not the most correct thing to do, but its only soapy water and wouldn't do much harm. I wouldn't do that at a show or campground where trailers are parked close together.
I dumped both the black and gray tanks at a rest stop with RV dump facilities on my way home.
Posted 2006-10-05 6:35 PM (#49651 - in reply to #49650) Subject: RE
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA
Do you know if your campground has utilities? If its full service it will have power, water, and sewer. If you have a sewer connection I would recommend leaving your gray water drain open, and opening and dumping your black water tank when its full. A full tank "pushes" everything out better in my opinion - please don't make me get specific. Maybe plan to dump after a shower, and close the gray water drain to collect some water in the tank to rinse after dumping the black water tank.
If you don't have a sewer hookup you will have to wait and dump at a dump station on the way out, or at a rest stop on the way home.
Posted 2006-10-06 9:51 AM (#49691 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Elite Veteran
Posts: 671
Location: THE GREAT NORTHWET, OREGON(THE REAL GODS COUNTRY)
Some camps have a dump for grey water,dishwater, as they dont want it dumped on the ground.I carry a 5 gallon bucket and if grey tank gets full I can drain some out in bucket and dump it in the holding fixture at the campground.It is not adviseable to get caught in some states to discharge grey water on the ground.
If pit toilets are availiable you can dump it in there too.If I just had to get rid of some in the woods I would dig a hole drain it and cover it back up.
Posted 2006-10-06 10:16 AM (#49697 - in reply to #47424) Subject: RE: New to living quarters trailers
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA
Some of them in Washington State do - since they're interstates I would guess they are in other states too. They are marked with signs that make it pretty clear there are RV dump facilities. If you go to your state DOT (Dept of Transportation) website, they may provide a list of rest stops with RV dump facilities.