Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
We have a nice 5th wheel we live in about nine months of the year. It came pretty well loaded with amenities making it convenient for us to camp with or without hookups. I don't want to put all men in the same category but most of them do like gadgets. My husband is no different. I don't mind him buying things we will use a lot or that can make chores more convenient, but I don't think we have to keep up with the Jones'. He saw a guy at the dump station with a grinding pump that allows black water to go through a garden hose. My husband thought that was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He now wants to spend over three hundred dollars so he can grind up stink and put it through a smaller hose. He hasn't been very convincing as to how often we would need this item. We have been RVing for thirty years and we haven't needed one yet. Should I humor him and go along with this foolishness or hold my ground?
--Black water puree in Pontiac
Dear Black Water:
It sounds like you two discuss what goes into your budget and what does not. If your husband really thinks he needs a macerator pump he will just have to sell you on it. Many new rigs do have them. They are convenient if you have to move black water a distance. Many people use them at home to dump into a home septic system. They are slower when you are at a dump station where a three inch hose is convenient. Most require 12V power or a water source to run. There are many things on your rig that are not absolutely necessary. The two of you will have to decide if this is an investment you think would be beneficial. I would suggest checking Craigslist and Ebay for a unit that someone else has already bought and then decided they didn't need one more thing to haul around. Their investment loss will be your gain, until you decide you really didn't need it either. The water driven system is about a third the price. Just don't hold up the line at the dump station arguing over who gets to go back to the old grind.
--Keep Smilin', Dr. R.V. Shrink
##RVT914
6 comments:
In my opinion, too many people use the word "investment" too frequently and wrongly. To me an investment is something that will return a profit. I don't see how an "investment"in a dung grinder is going to return anything to me that I am interested in.
I had a macerator pump on a previous RV that I owned,it is neat and clean but noisy and slow.If it jams you need to disassemble it to clear the jam and you still need to retain the three inch hose hook-up as a back-up.My current RV does not have an macerator and I don't miss it at all.
I researched macerator pumps when we purchased out fifth-wheel and came to the conclusion for us it was a shiny thing we could live without. The folks that I see get benefit are those who need to move poop up hill or over a long distance. In five years of full timing we could have used a macerator twice. That would be around $150 per dump. With that said I have friends who get frequent use of the macerator.
I thought the RV Shrink's answer was politically correct, but I'm not sure he went deeply enough into the pros and cons enough for someone to decide if it's worth it or not.
I don't have any personal experience with one, however, an an engineer I do know that pumping out waste is far superior to a gravity feed. And I can bet that $300 is a small price to pay versus dealing with a clog in your black water tank.
I personally would highly recommend the pump.
Just wait until your macerator clogs, jambs or otherwise does not funtion. Often a problem on midsized boats (Class A size). Big hose and gravity are hard to beat for reliability and speed.
I write with 6 years experience with RV Sani-con in my coach. Bought because in order to visit our son's family I need to reach 120 feet slightly uphill to dump the tank and avoid shortening our stay. Have never had it jam, yet! The biggest reason is I have no hair and DW has very short hair, less than a inch just before a cut, thus no long hair to foul the impeller.
It is definitely slower at the dump, but no hose setup or rinsing needed so total time is about the same. No problems with odors in the tanks either. I am transferring the macerator to my new coach.
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