The Dreaded Holding Tanks

When our new axles were put on the trailer, the replacement fresh water holding tank was installed first, since it sits above them. If you’ve read the previous posts, then you’re aware this job was handled by the shop who did the axle work. So we won’t be going into any detail about how this tank was installed and hooked up to the new fresh water pump inside the trailer. (We did install the pump ourselves. It was another “last summer” job.)

While they were under the trailer, the shop saved us some labor on the remaining gray and black tanks. Per our request, they removed the belly pan covering them and dropped the tanks. Our initial thinking was getting photos and measurements to make finding replacements easier. After sending us the necessary info, they could dispose of the old tanks.

Folks, there are many good reasons to seek professional help. Opinion is one of them. We assumed (that word again) those tanks were going to need replacing, mostly due to their age. Turned out they weren’t in bad shape at all. They were coated in plenty of dirt and weren’t super clean inside. It appears the POs didn’t use them very much. Our experts thought they were in good condition with minimal repairs needed. It was great news, because replacement tanks for our center bath, late 1970s trailer are rarer than Unicorns. There really aren’t exact replacements, and new tanks could mean a new belly pan and other modifications, if they aren’t close enough in size and/or shape. The other option was to pay an expert to make reproductions. Moral of the story? You really don’t know what is needed until the tanks are out and examined. They could be really bad, or you could get lucky, like we did. Don’t make yourself crazy until you know for sure. (Or get the expert opinion.)

The black and gray tanks are now clean and back where they belong. The gray tank needed a crack repaired on the outlet. We got a new valve that lets the dirty water out, along with some other pieces of ABS pipe to rebuild the drain system. The PO made extra-certain the valve on the black tank wasn’t going to leak, so we didn’t disturb it. Since it still operates, it wasn’t necessary to try dislodging it and risk damaging the black tank.

We didn’t take any pictures while re-installing the tanks and belly pan for one simple reason. It’s a pain in the butt, and not a one person job. We were glad to just get them back where they belong. Never mind taking pictures. However, there are plenty of people out there who have done this work and documented the process, especially in the Airstream community.

This is one subject you really should research before buying a vintage trailer. In the case of Airstreams, which have been around since the 1930s, there is a lot of variance in the holding tank situation. If a trailer of any brand is old enough, it may never have had holding tanks, running water or a bathroom. Some of those features started becoming more available post WWII in the late 1940s, and standard during the 50s-60s. By the late 60s and into the 70s it was increasingly unacceptable to put any dirty water on the ground. At that point RVs got a third tank, the gray, which collects water from the sinks and shower. Unless you plan to use an RV the same way its original owners did, (a fancier, somewhat sturdier tent on wheels) you should put the required waste tanks into it. It’s not only unacceptable to dump dirty water on the ground, it’s against the law in most places. Also, think about where you want to camp. Everyone who uses a city, county, state, national or wilderness recreational resource owes it to those places and their future users to leave it better than you found it.

Oh, we almost forgot… Do yourself a favor and look up the etiquette for emptying said tanks at a dump station, as well as the proper technique. (Sewer hook-ups are done the same as dump stations. Emptying tanks when they’re full usually works the best.) Keep in mind too, the more water you use, the more frequently you’ll be refilling/emptying the tanks. If you find yourself shouting, “Not only no! But Hell No!” that doesn’t mean you can’t be an RV owner. You’re going to get yourself some very thorough campground guides so you know where all the private RV resorts and campsites with modern bathrooms are located. And there is no shame in that. In fact, it’s our strategy when we’re actually traveling and only staying at a location for a night or two (or tramping with an incomplete renovation). This is a chore that takes some time when done properly. As long as the bathroom at any given campsite doesn’t give us waking nightmares, we don’t see any reason to create extra work for ourselves while we’re on the road.

For those of you who have glamping fantasies, we do apologize if we’re injecting too much reality here. But if you plan to travel with your vintage prize, reality is going to rear its less-than glamorous head eventually. There are a lot of practicalities involved in RV ownership, and it really isn’t an inexpensive venture. How you deal with the holding tanks and their intended purpose is just another example. You’ll be so much better off being honest with yourself about the chores you’re willing to do, before you spend any money.