How to Remove a Black Water Tank from a Travel Trailer

The black water tank is the container that collects and stores waste from your toilet. The black water tank can become full after a while, which makes it necessary to remove it from the travel trailer.

This post will give you step-by-step instructions on how to do just that.

Removing the black water tank from a travel trailer might seem like an easy task, but it can be more difficult than you think.

Even if you have done this before there are some things to consider before removing the tank. 

The first thing is to make sure that your tanks are empty and clean so that they do not leak or spill on any of your personal items inside your home.

Next, let’s talk about how to remove the tank for those who don’t know!

How to Remove a Black Water Tank from a Travel Trailer?

First, you need to unhook all of the hoses and connections until everything is disconnected. Once everything is disconnected then take off whichever bolts are holding down the bracket with a wrench or ratchet set depending on what type of bolts they are (usually 10-12mm).

After you take the bolts off, disconnect the wiring harness to the flapper. Once you have everything disconnected then it should be pretty easy to remove your old tank and replace with a new one!

That’s all there is to removing the black water tank. 

Action Plan to Remove Black Water Tank

Anyone who has ever purchased or borrowed a book on how to do home repairs knows that there are basically two types of books: 1) those which tell you exactly what tools you need before beginning, step by step instructions with pictures, and where to buy each tool; 2) those which say something like, “you will need a wrench and ratchet set” and leave the rest up to your imagination.

It is difficult to write an article of either type, since tools change from one year to the next and advice on where to buy them can be out-of-date as well. The best we can do is tell you where we got the tools we used in this project. 

We started with a standard 10″ crescent wrench and adjustable pliers for some of the work; we also used a 12mm combination wrench (box end/open end), some pipe wrenches (both 2″ and 4″), screwdrivers, sockets (both deepwell and regular), wire cutters, needle nose pliers, a small grinding wheel, and a large hammer. There was more, but these were our most frequently used tools!

The next step is to disconnect all of the appliances that are attached to your black water tank so you can remove it from its position. Make sure you know where they go when you take them off so they can be replaced correctly later on.

You will need to get rid of whatever fluid is in the tank before taking it out, so a good idea would be to flush your toilet a few times or fill up one of your sinks with water and dump it in the tank (whichever method works best for you). 

Disconnect everything related to the tank; this includes any pipes coming in or out of the tank, the tank vent, and the overflow tube. If you have any spare parts or tools that were not mentioned please leave them in the comment section below so others can benefit from your knowledge! 

You can also follow the below easy steps to remove Black Water Tank from a travel Trailer: 

• Determine the type of trailer you have
• Remove any bolts that are attaching the black water tank to your trailer
• Unhook all plumbing lines from the tank 
• Use a hose to clean out any residual waste in the tank 
• Disconnect electrical wires and remove propane tanks, if applicable 
• Lift up on one side of the black water tank while holding it steady with your other hand, then slowly slide it off its frame or hitch mountings

How to Install a New Black Water Tank

After the black water tank has been removed it is time to replace it with a new one. The first thing you will want to do is connect everything back together again in reverse order of how you took them apart. 

For example, if you disconnected all of your appliances by un-tightening bolts, then when you put the bolts back start by screwing on the equipment that was connected last (for instance, if the hose connected to the water pump comes off before something else, then put the hose onto the pump first).

Ensure that all of your appliances are securely attached, but don’t overtighten anything because you could crack some of the fixtures. A good rule of thumb is to tighten everything “snug.” Then you will also need to reattach the power source to the black water tank so it can flush itself out for a few seconds before starting up again.

Once everything is attached and ready, hook one end of your sewer hose up to the connection on top of your tank and then attach an appropriate length of sewer hose to the other end (the longer the better) making sure that there are no sharp bends in it along its path! 

Now all you have to do is set your new tank back into place (check to make sure the tank is level) and reattach it with your screws.

Action Plan to Install a New Black Water Tank

One of the most important things you should do when replacing your black water tank is to ensure that you purchase a new one that fits in your space perfectly so there will be no leaks and nothing will fit in there incorrectly (which could cause damage in the future). 

It’s also a good idea to get a fresh rubber gasket for each screw so they won’t leak either. You don’t want any problems after completing all of this hard work! Please leave us some comments below if this article helped you at all or if you have anything else to add, we would love to hear from you! Happy Camping!

Final Thought

This is a great example of how to remove a black water tank from a travel trailer, but it’s also important to remember that when you’re pumping out your tank at home or on the road, make sure you have an appropriate container for disposing of the sewage. 

You can find these containers in most hardware stores and they’ll keep any danger away from children and pets.

If you need more help with this project or want some advice about what type of mobile toilet may work best for your needs, contact our team today!