Holding Tanks

[claude brousson]

In reading one of the posts on this subject someone mentioned they had
pumped the air bags up to the top to raise the vehicle so they could get
under to remove the holding tank.

It occurred to me (and maybe they did it anyway), but if one is working
under the vehicle at any time, and even more importantly if the air bags
are pressurized to higher pressure to raise the vehicle, please, please,
be sure to put blocks under as well, for safety supports.While it may
only happen very infrequently and hopefully never, if an air bag burst
when one is underneath, there is precious little room for ones survival
to tell the tale. Typically the bags run around 90-95 lbs If one pumps
them up to raise the vehicle, one may be putting in 110-120 lbs. If the
air bag is in poor shape, that extra pressure may just be the last straw
which blows the bag and drops that side of the coach like a rock and
with a bang like a shot gun. Even if the bags are not pressurized more,
if underneath- just safety block it anyway! Its bad enough losing
coaches to fire and accident, but lets not lose each other.

And on not so depressing a note for all those macerator affectionanoes-
it seems to me you are wasting an awful lot of space underneath behind
the waste tank with the hoses and macerator and only have one tank. Me
thinks I can with my two tanks (Black water and gray water) dump within
seconds as fast and as cleanly with my regular style dump hose. In fact
although I keep some rubber gloves back there, most of the time I don't
bother to use them, as they are not needed. The gray water flushes out
the hose and it is pretty quick to rinse a bit and put away. If we ever
meet at a dump station- I'll have you a race- who is fastest. The other
thing is - no freezing, no breakdown, keeps it simple.

My opinion only,
Claude.

Claude in Victoria

 

[antnip]

I was the one who mentioned pumping up the rear. I NEVER trust airbags,
jacks, jackstands, ramps or anything. I have some large wood blocks cut from
timbers when making a dock. These always precede me under any vehicle. Your
advice is wise and should be followed without exception. Mechanical things
fail when you least expect them to do so.

Tony B.

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Claude Brousson
To:
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2000 2:13 AM
Subject: GMC: Holding Tanks

> In reading one of the posts on this subject someone mentioned they had
> pumped the air bags up to the top to raise the vehicle so they could get
> under to remove the holding tank.
>
> It occurred to me (and maybe they did it anyway), but if one is working
> under the vehicle at any time, and even more importantly if the air bags
> are pressurized to higher pressure to raise the vehicle, please, please,
> be sure to put blocks under as well, for safety supports.While it may
> only happen very infrequently and hopefully never, if an air bag burst
> when one is underneath, there is precious little room for ones survival
> to tell the tale. Typically the bags run around 90-95 lbs If one pumps
> them up to raise the vehicle, one may be putting in 110-120 lbs. If the
> air bag is in poor shape, that extra pressure may just be the last straw
> which blows the bag and drops that side of the coach like a rock and
> with a bang like a shot gun. Even if the bags are not pressurized more,
> if underneath- just safety block it anyway! Its bad enough losing
> coaches to fire and accident, but lets not lose each other.
>
> And on not so depressing a note for all those macerator affectionanoes-
> it seems to me you are wasting an awful lot of space underneath behind
> the waste tank with the hoses and macerator and only have one tank. Me
> thinks I can with my two tanks (Black water and gray water) dump within
> seconds as fast and as cleanly with my regular style dump hose. In fact
> although I keep some rubber gloves back there, most of the time I don't
> bother to use them, as they are not needed. The gray water flushes out
> the hose and it is pretty quick to rinse a bit and put away. If we ever
> meet at a dump station- I'll have you a race- who is fastest. The other
> thing is - no freezing, no breakdown, keeps it simple.
>
> My opinion only,
> Claude.
>
> Claude in Victoria
>

 

[gene]

Ahhhhhh

But where are you going to put your single rear muffler??

gene

>In reading one of the posts on this subject someone mentioned they had
>pumped the air bags up to the top to raise the vehicle so they could get
>under to remove the holding tank.
>
>It occurred to me (and maybe they did it anyway), but if one is working
>under the vehicle at any time, and even more importantly if the air bags
>are pressurized to higher pressure to raise the vehicle, please, please,
>be sure to put blocks under as well, for safety supports.While it may
>only happen very infrequently and hopefully never, if an air bag burst
>when one is underneath, there is precious little room for ones survival
>to tell the tale. Typically the bags run around 90-95 lbs If one pumps
>them up to raise the vehicle, one may be putting in 110-120 lbs. If the
>air bag is in poor shape, that extra pressure may just be the last straw
>which blows the bag and drops that side of the coach like a rock and
>with a bang like a shot gun. Even if the bags are not pressurized more,
>if underneath- just safety block it anyway! Its bad enough losing
>coaches to fire and accident, but lets not lose each other.
>
>And on not so depressing a note for all those macerator affectionanoes-
>it seems to me you are wasting an awful lot of space underneath behind
>the waste tank with the hoses and macerator and only have one tank. Me
>thinks I can with my two tanks (Black water and gray water) dump within
>seconds as fast and as cleanly with my regular style dump hose. In fact
>although I keep some rubber gloves back there, most of the time I don't
>bother to use them, as they are not needed. The gray water flushes out
>the hose and it is pretty quick to rinse a bit and put away. If we ever
>meet at a dump station- I'll have you a race- who is fastest. The other
>thing is - no freezing, no breakdown, keeps it simple.
>
>My opinion only,
>Claude.
>
>Claude in Victoria
>
Genef -- 77PB/ore/ca
GMC MOTORHOME INFORMATION
mr.erf
http://www.california.com/~eagle/

 

[antnip]

I really like that card concept, I'll have to remember it. Thanks for the
laugh. Tony
- ----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 12:14 AM
Subject: Re: GMC: Holding Tanks

>
> > I NEVER trust airbags,
> > jacks, jackstands, ramps or anything. I have some large wood blocks cut
> from
> > timbers when making a dock. These always precede me under any vehicle.
>
> Tony,
> Good advice. Many years ago, (I was about 19, IIRC), I was swapping
the
> rear axle center section (final drive, in effect) on my 1950 Pontiac, a
heavy
> bit of iron. Working in the yard of our summer place in New Hampshire, I
had
> the car jacked well up, and "securely" supported by two solid wood pieces
cut
> from a tree trunk. They were about 15" high, and 12+" in diameter. I had
> both wheels off, axles pulled out, and was happily unbolting the center
> section when I thought I noticed a slight movement of the car. Dropping
my
> tools, I grabbed the frame rail with both hands, and slid myself straight
out
> from under, just as the two wood blocks sank slightly into the soft ground
> and rolled over, dropping the car flat on the ground. There wasn't room
for
> a field mouse under that frame. This got my attention. =8-O
>
> Ever since then, I use solid supports/jack stands, avoid soft ground,
AND
> take the wheel(s) I remove and slide them flat under the frame near my
> position. I figure that if all else fails, a spare wheel will stop the
> weight short of crushing me, and it's wide enough that there's no way it
can
> tip or roll. (My little mishap dropping my GMC a couple of years ago
> occurred as I was letting it down off the jack stands.)
>
> That's what I do.
>
> BTW: This reminds me of the theory of the "dumb-shit" card. As
> elucidated by buddy of mine back in the hills of western Massachusetts, we
> each are issued a card, like a train or plane ticket, at birth. Each time
we
> do something "wicked stupid" as the kids say, we receive a punchmark in
our
> "dumb-shit" card. Examples include looking into a carburetor while a
friend
> tries to start the engine (instant Afro hair), crawling under a car with
poor
> support, coming down a mountain too fast on the ice, cutting into house
> wiring without being SURE it's off, and things like that.
> When the card is all punched out, we go to that big campground in the
sky.
> Trouble is, no one knows just how many "rides" his ticket comes with.
;-)
> Be careful out there. Don't punch your "dumb-shit" card.
>
> Rick Staples
> '75 Eleganza
> Louisville, CO
>