# Who Makes The Best Gray Water Tote



## Tim P (Jul 29, 2007)

We're doing a lot of State Park camping and they usually don't have sewer hook-ups. I was looking at the 27 gal. 4-wheel Thetford (Model 40515) but it has bad reviews. Can anyone share their opinion on your tote? I've never owned one, just looking for something to make a once-a-day trip to the dump station. Thanks!


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

I've got the big blue one from Camping World. Never used it. Don't usually go where they don't have sewers any more so probably never will. Interested?

Mark


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## W4DRR (May 17, 2005)

We have the 35 gallon "Nimitz Class" Thetford tote. Man, it's a horse when full...something like 300 lbs. We used it this summer and didn't have a problem.

Bob


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## crunchman12002 (Jul 26, 2009)

Tim P said:


> We're doing a lot of State Park camping and they usually don't have sewer hook-ups. I was looking at the 27 gal. 4-wheel Thetford (Model 40515) but it has bad reviews. Can anyone share their opinion on your tote? I've never owned one, just looking for something to make a once-a-day trip to the dump station. Thanks!


Water weighs 8.34 LBS per gallon. Careful when full. I have a 11 or 12 gallon tote and that was almost to heavy for my bad back but manageable.
The 27 gallon one you are looking at would weigh 225 lbs. That is alot of stuff to move.
crunchman


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## Justman (Jul 22, 2006)

Agree with all others when they say how heavy these things are. It would be nice if someone were to add a small electric pump to these beasts to pump the water out of them. I can't really say I've looked at the tote you're looking at. Most are similar---heavey, cumbersome, cheaply made, and cost waaaay more than they're worth.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I bought the four wheel version from camping world five years ago. It has the side dump valve and a handle to drop on the ball to tow it. I believe its in the thirty gallon range. does the job with no lifting or mess. Stays in the shed now haven't used it in a couple years.

John


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## outback loft (Sep 22, 2008)

I _had_ the Thetford one from Camping World. I bought it last year and I just tossed it in the Garbage last weekend. It was a piece of garbage. You could never empty the whole tank, the hose would sometimes pop out and drag on the ground, and what finally did it for me is last weekend when I dumped my black water into it, got sidetracked doing something else, I came back to an empty tank. It had a hole in it this time and dumped all over the ground.

I am now going to replace it with one of these They are a bit expensive, but I have used it before and it is much better. I can actually empty the majority of the tank out(with the exception of a few drops of water) and it's wheels are attached to the handle so that they don't try to sin all over the place when in sand.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I have the CW Thetford 27 gallon. The nice part is that it will just about empty a tank on the OB. The downside is 1, it's heavy... 2, you can never fully drain it.








and 3, there's no valve so as soon as you start tilting the hose, the water starts coming out.
Otherwise, it works well. I like the attached hose. Now if they could add the ability to fully drain, and a valve so I could move the hose.

They are never going to be easy when you are trying to move 2-300 lbs of water...


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

I have the 27 gallon 4-Wheeler Tote-Along Portable...have used it a lot. I really like the side valve, makes it very easy to dump. Still have to wiggle the tank a little to get everything out...you would think they could engineer it to drain everything out. it is heavy when full, but i put it in the back of the truck and pump up to it with the macerator. I use it for both black and grey and have never had any problems.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Is this only for the grey water? Hard to imagine a Black Tank filling up so quickly.

Here is a thought...have the kids empty...haul...empty...return the tote. That will get their minds in the spot when they decide to take another 10 minute shower.

I just don't see how the tank gets so full that you would need to empty it daily....especially with your Outback. Doesn't the 28KRS have an 80 gallon Grey tank and a 40 gallon Black tank? That would last me for a month...


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Is this only for the grey water? Hard to imagine a Black Tank filling up so quickly.
> 
> Here is a thought...have the kids empty...haul...empty...return the tote. That will get their minds in the spot when they decide to take another 10 minute shower.
> 
> I just don't see how the tank gets so full that you would need to empty it daily.


Jim,
I'm going to ship my sister-in-law out to you next time she wants to go camping with us.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Nathan said:


> Is this only for the grey water? Hard to imagine a Black Tank filling up so quickly.
> 
> Here is a thought...have the kids empty...haul...empty...return the tote. That will get their minds in the spot when they decide to take another 10 minute shower.
> 
> I just don't see how the tank gets so full that you would need to empty it daily.


Jim,
I'm going to ship my sister-in-law out to you next time she wants to go camping with us.








[/quote]

Really? Even with 80 GALLONS???


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Is this only for the grey water? Hard to imagine a Black Tank filling up so quickly.
> 
> Here is a thought...have the kids empty...haul...empty...return the tote. That will get their minds in the spot when they decide to take another 10 minute shower.
> 
> I just don't see how the tank gets so full that you would need to empty it daily.


Jim,
I'm going to ship my sister-in-law out to you next time she wants to go camping with us.








[/quote]

Really? Even with 80 GALLONS???
[/quote]

Well, we bought it for the OB. I acutally haven't used it recently since the seasonal site has a gray water pit.


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## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

Tim P said:


> We're doing a lot of State Park camping and they usually don't have sewer hook-ups. I was looking at the 27 gal. 4-wheel Thetford (Model 40515) but it has bad reviews. Can anyone share their opinion on your tote? I've never owned one, just looking for something to make a once-a-day trip to the dump station. Thanks!


I use the Thetford 35 gal. Smart Tote LX and I love it. Tow handle, auto stop, integrated sewer hose... fun that the whole family can enjoy!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Get one of these....a long hose and your Grey Water problems are solved.


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## campingnut18 (Mar 11, 2004)

We have a big blue tank. Honestly haven't used it a lot but it seems to work well. Hook it to the hitch and haul it with the truck - at slow speed of course









C-


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Get one of these....a long hose and your Grey Water problems are solved.


Yes, if you are primitive camping. That's acutally what we now have (although it goes into a dry well). Only catch is ONLY for gray water.... you wouldn't want to plug the hose with anything......


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Nathan said:


> Yes, if you are primitive camping. That's acutally what we now have (although it goes into a dry well). Only catch is ONLY for gray water.... you wouldn't want to plug the hose with anything......


Who you calling primitive?


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## TexasCamper06 (Oct 2, 2006)

We have a 37 gallon blue tank we call the "honey wagon". We do a lot of camping without full hookups so when we plan to stay more than 3 days we take it. It has a valve on the side and a tow loop on the handle. Hook it over the ball on the truck and go dump. It's better than breaking camp to go dump if tanks get full.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

We've got the biggest Thetford, I think 35 gallons and yes they are heavy when full. However, they are very easily towable at most posted campground speed limits. The state parks here in Fla and Ga dont have sewer hookups either and we had to get one or give up on all those great cheap campgrounds if we wanted to stay more than a day or two without going back and forth to dump station. I usually have 6 in the outback 4 of wich are kids and the gray tank fills up daily. Yea it doesn't completely emtpty but we're only talking a gallon or so. Just throw it in the truck and sanitize it after every trip. You shoud be doing that anyway. And remember NEVER NEVER NEVER and I mean NEVER put the black tank stuff in there. Always double check before pulling the lever. ---Mike


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

I could never figure out why everyone is so squeamish about using the tote-tanks for emptying the black tank (not that I have to often, we can go a loooong time before having t dump the black)..but then i realized I have no problems because I use the macerator pump, that thing turns everything into liquid so no risks of solids getting stuck in the tote tank. Or is everyone just afraid of the black tank?


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

matty1 said:


> I could never figure out why everyone is so squeamish about using the tote-tanks for emptying the black tank (not that I have to often, we can go a loooong time before having t dump the black)..but then i realized I have no problems because I use the macerator pump, that thing turns everything into liquid so no risks of solids getting stuck in the tote tank. Or is everyone just afraid of the black tank?


I think the concern is more using it and then not cleaning it thoroghly. I've taken the hose off of mine and completely cleaned it. I can tell you I had it a lot cleaner than the tanks under the trailer are. The other issue on mine is since there is no valve, you take off the cap to the hose and point it at the dump station hole. There is always some spillage, and I appreciate the fact that it is dish and shower water spilling on my hands as opposed to the alternative.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

that would make sense, without the valve to control the flow I could see it being a PITA...that was one of the reasons I got this one with the valve on the side. I also sanitize the heck out of it when home, I (meaning the DW) is OCD when it comes to cleaning the tanks...she is not done until only pure mountain spring water runs out of the black tank...clean enough to use as an additional fresh water tank..mmmmm


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