Has anyone tried Sewer Solution device?

GoodoleBob · 08-08-2010, 07:28 PM

Our Sunlines ride low, and this was by design on the mfg's part. This is fine with me except for one point of use that is rather annoying. Dumping the blackwater especially on a full hookup site having a neck that projects upwards of a foot above grade. This defeats the flow characteristic which these tanks reply on for drainage...that's pretty obvious!

I have read much on the subject of this product:

SewerSolution

and wonder if we have any users here and what there experiences have been...was this a suitable remedy for the aforementioned dumping problem?

Now before all the axles flipping fans chime in with their suggested fix, note that I will not flip my axles...I love my sunny exactly at its ground hugging best.

Bob

BTW...here she is with my Dodge on vacation last week.

Gene · 08-08-2010, 07:55 PM

I have considered something like that. There are a couple of sites where I had to put one board on the high side just to raise the whole camper so "stuff" would flow downhill.

I thought I saw a thread here recently about that.

frank · 08-08-2010, 08:55 PM

Bob,

I don't have a sewer solution, but do have a flojet macerator pump. I have used it on a couple of occasions, usually to pump grey water into a barrel in the truck bed. It works fine, however, it will not empty the tanks anywhere near as fast as a 3" stinky slinky will.

The downside to the sewer solution is that it takes a city water connection to make it work. The downside to the macerator pump is that it needs 12V (and decent sized wire) to work. Either way, I've never personally seen any complaints about either that I can remember.

If you're the handy DIY type, there are plans running around to build a sewer solution equivilent.

- Frank

Honda03842 · 08-08-2010, 09:15 PM

I own a Sewer Solution. I bought it when we were camped in our son's driveway and had to pump uphill for about 50 feet.

It worked very well though it does require a waterline.

It chews up anything in the black tank, pretty amazing to watch, you can watch all the action thru it's clear plastic connection..

Normaly our Sunline's black tank drains very fast due to it's elevation. The grey tank is slow due to it's lack of elevation and shape. This device does not make the grey tank drain faster but it can 'pump' the output far and up hill.

I believe it comes with a 10 foot hose. Instead of buying more hose, I simply extended its length using an old 3/4 inch water hose.

I recently lent it to my son so he could pump out his trailer at his home after a camping trip. He thought it worked great, again he extend it's length with an old water hose.

I thought it was well built and clever for a relatively passive device, nothing but water power required.

GoodoleBob · 08-09-2010, 08:46 AM

I appreciate the responce folks. I'm glad at least one responder is also a user...I was hoping for an actual test pilot so to speak. I agree Norm, it is a simple design and it is also reasonably priced verses the macerator devices it's competing against for dealing with this nasty issue.

Yes it does require water pressure, but then again the full hookup site always has that or why would anyone ever be at such a site...so I believe this to be a very neat remedy for an exasperating chore.

I just spent a 1/2 hour slowly picking up the slinky repeatedly to force the flow uphill to the sewer connection and all the while praying nothing would let go and create an unbelieveable mess. Note...This is the only situation I would use the Sewer Solution device for. Now when using the average CG dump station, I find the drainage characteristics to be more Sunline friendly and the slinky method does yield a faster flush more appropriate to the potential of other campers waiting in line to dump their units.

I'm going to buy one of these...and I'm a spendthrift by nature so trust me when I say I have struggled with this approach. I do hope my buddy JohnB chimes in with his two cents before I plunk down the green on this one.

Thanks everyone!

Bob

Honda03842 · 08-09-2010, 11:32 AM

I don't know where you are in New England but if you're near me I'd be glad to let you try it.

**JohnB** · 08-09-2010, 11:37 AM

Hi Bob

I see both Frank and Norm have responded who are actual users of the “pump”. LOL

I feel your frustration as my prior T2499 had the same issue when it came to dumping at some parks. The first time it caught me off guard as I never thought about the dump pipe being 6” above grade… however the 2nd time I was prepared!

To combat the situation when I went to those campgrounds where I knew I had an issue I brought about 4 to 6 more 2 x 8’s by ~ 12 inches long mitered on the ends. I already have on board lumber to level out the TT so I used that as well. Basically I backed the entire camper up on 3 ½” of planks. That did the trick. And since I had my own custom door step with adjustable feet being higher was tolerable getting in the camper.

Going to full hookup for us is a luxury and only about maybe about ~ 10% of our total camping trips. We camp with on board tanks for most of all our camping adventures so the issue was not that big to deal with the boards. And then it was only select CG’s that had the 6” problem. It seems 6” above grade is a health law here in Ohio for CG’s to pass there inspections. Now I know there are many a lot lower but talking with the owner of one CG that was the law per the book so ground water does not get into the system.

I also made up 4” PVC pipe troughs that use to be awning covers and adjustable feet to support them as a trough to put the sewer hose in. This gets the hose up off the ground and you do not have to deal with the dumping the entire hose. If you are not into the project building they sell a variety of sewer hose supports by Camco etc and open top gutter troughs that can be used to hold the hose from the lumber yard. I did not stumble on the gutter trough until after I made mine.

I know Frank had a “situation” that drove him to buying his before he ever camped one night in the camper…. And it seems Norm had to pump up hill which is how he came to get his. He can add more here on this if needed.

So I guess this comes down to a personal choice. From all I have read they do work and work well however I myself have never used one to give 1st hand experiences. And at home I can dump downhill into my septic system so my use for one right now is limited.

Good luck

John

Hematite · 08-09-2010, 11:47 AM

Bob,
I like the idea of the Sewer Solution and I believe that I'll buy one as well.
There always seems to be a level problem with campsites, some slight and others worse. For that reason and the sewer hookup height, I built ramps, as recommended by a member here, to help with those 2 issues. Either plank can be used alone or in combination to achieve the desired result. Naturally, I have a pair for each side. I took an end cut and glued and screwed it to the end of the lower board to secure the upper board against the trailer tire rearward motion.
I specifically used regular lumber, not PT, to reduce the weight and I stained them with deck stain for water resistance.
I'm also one that appreciates the many advantages of the original height.

Hematite · 08-09-2010, 11:52 AM

Ah, I see JohnB responded while I was typing. You were probably the member that recommended the ramps John!

Honda03842 · 08-09-2010, 04:25 PM

Our Sewer Solution was bought to resolve a single camping event. We camped in our son's yard in Seattle for 40 days while I worked on remodeling his Scamp.

It allowed us to dump using his washing machine drain thru an open cellar window, a handy, neat solution when parking at someone's home. At my house I have tapped into our sewer line and can dump with traditional hoses.

kanyonkitty · 08-09-2010, 07:49 PM

We purchased a Flo-Jet some time ago, back when we had the 320 I think. As of yet we have never used it. It's still sitting in it's "little Black Box" all nice and clean waiting to get used.

Kitty

GoodoleBob · 08-09-2010, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honda03842

I don't know where you are in New England but if you're near me I'd be glad to let you try it.

I'm sold on one as a remedy for the issues I spoke of, but thank you for the generous offer Norm.

Bob

rebellious78 · 08-11-2010, 12:05 PM

We have not ran into that problem yet, but it maybe a good idea to invest in one of those systems just incase.

Dave

GoodoleBob · 08-11-2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebellious78

We have not ran into that problem yet, but it maybe a good idea to invest in one of those systems just incase.

Dave

I doubt you will Dave since your unit is a slideroom model. This problem is more common on the non-slide models. The non-slide models are very low slung with the sewer connection quite low to the ground relative to many of the sewer necks I've seen at C/G's especially on full hookup sites which I prefer.

Bob

phillong · 08-11-2010, 03:23 PM

This is my third season using the Sewer Solution. I have never used the 4" hoses, so I have no comparison to go by. I have watched my son use his 4" hose setup, and it does not look like something I would want to go through, with the clean up, getting it to run, etc.

I did purchase two extra 10' extensions for my Solution, and find that it handles every camp site I have been in.

If mine broke today, I would order a new one before I left for camping again. Love it.

Phil