# 312Bh Front Tank Draining



## Walter (Feb 13, 2012)

Ok so the front grey and the rear tanks are not connected. What is the best way to connect for draining while camping?
tks


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## LaydBack (Aug 22, 2010)

II usually run a hose from each waste valve, and hook them to a she connector that hooks to the bayonet, right at the sewer connection. I guess you could place the wye further upstream, but my way has worked for me. Others use the cap with the water hose connection for the front gray tank also, but I already had the 3" stuff, so I'm sticking with it.


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

Walter said:


> Ok so the front grey and the rear tanks are not connected. What is the best way to connect for draining while camping?
> tks


Something like the Y connector in the attached link should fix you up.

My link


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## LaydBack (Aug 22, 2010)

Jewellfamily said:


> Ok so the front grey and the rear tanks are not connected. What is the best way to connect for draining while camping?
> tks


Something like the Y connector in the attached link should fix you up.

My link
[/quote]
Exactly what I was referring to. I attach that to the bayonet and bring both hoses to it.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

How much water will you put into the front tank?

Do you need it to be hooked up while camping?

We dry camp 90% of the time, but when I do have full hookups I still don't connect the front tank until it is time to leave. I figure...why have more hoses and connections? Just wait until the end...dump black tank...then back grey...they front grey. This allows the most grey water through the sewer hose and keeps it spiffy clean.


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

Oregon_Camper said:


> How much water will you put into the front tank?
> 
> Do you need it to be hooked up while camping?
> 
> We dry camp 90% of the time, but when I do have full hookups I still don't connect the front tank until it is time to leave. I figure...why have more hoses and connections? Just wait until the end...dump black tank...then back grey...they front grey. This allows the most grey water through the sewer hose and keeps it spiffy clean.


I dont hook up my front gray until leaving. I'll hook up the rear gray and black tank connection if we have a sewer site, but leave the valve closed until you are ready to drain the system. This increases flow and helps keep you black tank cleaner. When we leave, I drain the black tank, then the rear gray, then hook to the front gray to flush out the hose. I always recharge my toilet with 5 or so gallons of water and potty chem and let it slosh around during traveling to keep digesting any left behind waste. Then, the toilet is charged and ready for the next trip too!


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## Walter (Feb 13, 2012)

so is leaving the front gray unhooked until departure the best way? how many days would it take to fill front? on average.....


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Walter said:


> so is leaving the front gray unhooked until departure the best way? how many days would it take to fill front? on average.....


This varies way too much on how you use it. For us, we could go weeks without ever having to empty, as we use a lot of paper plates (good for starting campfires!!) and therefore we don't use the kitchen sink much during camping.

If you wash dishes every meal...yours will fill up faster.


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

You have to pay attention on these 312's as far as how fast the tanks fill. We dont shower in ours typically. Our favorite places have showers available so we dont have to watch the rear gray tank really. The front gray is the big gray tank, but we can fill it up in a long weekend if your not paying attention. Check your tank level indicators a couple of times per day while out to get a feel for how fast your filling up. For the toilet, our 312 uses a lot of water when you flush it. It doesnt seem like much at first but it adds up quick and its the smallest tank, so flush the minimum amount of water you can. A good way to go is to always act like your on full water conservation mode (think dry camping) even when you are on hookups. Once you're used to it, its not a big deal, but its easier to go dry camping when you already think that way after being on hookups.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> How much water will you put into the front tank?
> 
> Do you need it to be hooked up while camping?
> 
> We dry camp 90% of the time, but when I do have full hookups I still don't connect the front tank until it is time to leave. I figure...why have more hoses and connections? Just wait until the end...dump black tank...then back grey...they front grey. This allows the most grey water through the sewer hose and keeps it spiffy clean.


We also follow this procedure.

In my experience, the black and rear grey water tanks will fill long before the front tank fills up. The front tank is usually not an issue when it comes to capacity. Maybe if you do a lot of dishes, but otherwise it should not be an issue.

DAN


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

TwoElkhounds said:


> How much water will you put into the front tank?
> 
> Do you need it to be hooked up while camping?
> 
> We dry camp 90% of the time, but when I do have full hookups I still don't connect the front tank until it is time to leave. I figure...why have more hoses and connections? Just wait until the end...dump black tank...then back grey...they front grey. This allows the most grey water through the sewer hose and keeps it spiffy clean.


We also follow this procedure.

In my experience, the black and rear grey water tanks will fill long before the front tank fills up. The front tank is usually not an issue when it comes to capacity. Maybe if you do a lot of dishes, but otherwise it should not be an issue.

DAN
[/quote]
One thing that impacts the black tank on the 312 is that the outdoor kitchen sink drains into the black tank and not the rear gray tank. Maybe they fixed it this year, but something to watch.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Jewellfamily said:


> For the toilet, our 312 uses a lot of water when you flush it. It doesnt seem like much at first but it adds up quick and its the smallest tank, so flush the minimum amount of water you can. A good way to go is to always act like your on full water conservation mode (think dry camping) even when you are on hookups.


I am going to respectfully disagree with this thought process. In my opinion, the LAST thing you want to do is conserve water into the Black tank. You want to ensure a lot of water is used to allow the chemicals to break down the solids. If you conserve water, you will end up with a "Poop-Pyramid" and then you wil have another bigger issue to deal with. If you have full hook-ups...let the water rip! You want a lot of liquid in the black tank, so when you do open it, you get a powerful rush/flow of liquid.


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

Oregon_Camper said:


> For the toilet, our 312 uses a lot of water when you flush it. It doesnt seem like much at first but it adds up quick and its the smallest tank, so flush the minimum amount of water you can. A good way to go is to always act like your on full water conservation mode (think dry camping) even when you are on hookups.


I am going to respectfully disagree with this thought process. In my opinion, the LAST thing you want to do is conserve water into the Black tank. You want to ensure a lot of water is used to allow the chemicals to break down the solids. If you conserve water, you will end up with a "Poop-Pyramid" and then you wil have another bigger issue to deal with. If you have full hook-ups...let the water rip! You want a lot of liquid in the black tank, so when you do open it, you get a powerful rush/flow of liquid.
[/quote]
I dont disagree...Nobody wants the brown pyramid. I was stating it based on the fact that at least my 312 uses a heckuva lot of water when you flush. On mine, 4 of us could fill the black tank in a day until we started watching it. I'm not kidding, my toilet pounds water when you flush it. No big deal if you have full hookups but sure sucks when you dont. Its just something that you have to keep an eye on...


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

One other thing to watch on the 312....the kitchen sink vent is under the sink near the trap on mine. Keep an eye on your gray tank level or you can have one of those "hey, where's that water coming from" moments...


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

Jewellfamily said:


> One other thing to watch on the 312....the kitchen sink vent is under the sink near the trap on mine. Keep an eye on your gray tank level or you can have one of those "hey, where's that water coming from" moments...


the "vent" under the sink should just be an anti siphon valve. At least mine is. the real tank vent should be through the roof. if the valve is working correctly it will let air into the tank, but normally uses a spring on the rubber valve to keep it's vent side to the trailer closed. So even if the tank fills and fills the sink, water shouldn't come out the valve. At least ours doesn't.


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