jimpav
Well-known member
I thought a tote would come in handy for State park camping, So I watched the Thetford video on the above mentioned 18 gallon tank. I also thought it would be a good idea to leak test it with clean water before using it. This unit has a float device that tells you when it's full. Good idea! Upon filling to the top with water, I noticed it did not rise to indicate a full tank. Not good, especially if dumping black water. The Thetford video also shows the the emptying procedure which among other things shows the top lid open, with the lower lid in an upright position. This is so you can extend the attached hose (very nice) to form a "U" or rather a "P-trap", to prevent the contents from coming out of the hose while you move the end to the campground receptacle. The problem is that the lower lid does not remain in the upright position to enable "making" the P-trap. A call to Thetford Tech support was in order. Well, a new float assembly will be sent to me from Ann Arbor (free), very nice. The tech could not figure out why the red float was not rising like it should have been. The issue with the lower lid remaining in an upright position is another story. Ostensibly, users were having trouble keeping that lid in it's locating pins, for some reason, so the smart (?) engineers decided to eliminate them!!! The result of the latest model not having the locating pins is that it's almost impossible to hold the lid in position while forming a P-trap with the attached hose. Amazing!! They will also "correct" the Thetford video which showed the older style with the locating pins, as they are no longer produced in the "new and improved" style. As I am a Nuclear Power Plant Inspector, my standards are a little higher than the average worker, but for the $200+ I spent on a plastic tank, I think a little more quality is in order. Take a look at my "work-around for the lid issue. IF anyone has another way to secure this bottom lid, let me know.
View attachment 39509
View attachment 39509
