Macerator Pumps - Anyone Use These?

[2Z Bundok]

We are thinking about adding this system (and using responsibly) to save stress and dump fees. Your thoughts?

 

[DanoT]

I don't know much about maceraters. How do they save dump fees?

As far as stress goes, I have other things that I use for relieving stress.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

We are thinking about adding this system (and using responsibly) to save stress and dump fees. Your thoughts?

On the advice of a traveling buddy, I bought one that connects to the dump on the travel trailer. In 9 years, it’s never been used. If you stay in one spot that does not have hookups and don’t want to move, the macerater and a dump cart might be a good idea. I think it was a waste of money for us.

 

[dorocks]

Had one in an old van way back when. Not my favorite. Take a cassette type any day.

 

[2Z Bundok]

Our TC has a small black tank...When it has to go... IT HAS to GO! Then we find internet connection, search various apps, locate a dump station and drive to it = Stress. Then we often pay $10-$15 (more stress) the same as 40 gallon gooseneck trailers to loose 7-8 gallons through a 3" hose.
It seems with a macerator pump and garden house we can "relieve" our camper at any septic system, pit toilet or even porta-pot, For Free. I gather the down side is clear water (also a precious commodity) flush of system. I wonder if a gallon of river / stream or even grey water will work to flush.
We are responsible and know it is imperative that black water be treated before release back to nature. ie. it must go through a septic system at some point.
This is all concept and I wonder if anyone has experience.

 

[rando]

I think dumping it into a pit toilet or public toilet (say at a BLM or USFS camp ground) would be a bad idea. Not that 7-8 gallons is going to make a huge difference overall, but it is a really bad precedent to set, and what do you do about the tremendous mess if you have a hiccup in the system? I know if I saw someone trying to do this at a public facility, I would be pretty appalled.

My understanding is that these are primarily used to dump into your own sewer clean out at home, or to transfer waste into a tank to transport to a dump station so people don't have to move their giant RVs.

Best idea is that if there are toilet facilities available is to use those directly to conserve black tank space.

 

[2Z Bundok]

Good points, Rando. I appreciate various viewpoints and ideas, glad to have explored this one here.

 

[DanoT]

I think a cassette toilet offers flexibility when dumping and a porta-potti is even more flexible as it can be taken out of the RV and used outdoors in a suitable situation.

For adapting a standard 3" RV dump hose to a cassette, this is a new product from a YouTube RV couple that I sub to:
https://www.amazon.com/Americanizer-Adapter-Cassettes-Portable-Toilets/dp/B098BMXGCQ

 

[alano]

At Red Rock Canyon SP in CA we camped near a vault toilet that someone mis-eimptied their tanklet around not quite hitting the mark. We were only staying one night and were all set up by the time we found out so used our cassette toilet for number 1's and walked quite a ways to another vault for serious business. Wife still won't go back there after four years.

Alan

 

[SkyP]

I think dumping it into a pit toilet or public toilet (say at a BLM or USFS camp ground) would be a bad idea.

Not only a bad idea but possibly a very expensive one-
Many of the USFS and BLM camps we've stayed in have posted that there is, IIRC, a $5000 fine for dumping sewage, portable toilets etc in the pit/vault toilets.
Haviland Lake in CO is one and I've seen others too at trailheads with that posting.