Something I learned from the lady at Raritan Engineering...the reason that
some RV or boat septic systems stink is lack of ventilation. Without O2,
the natural bacterial action goes anoxic, and smells putrid. The trick is
to have "flow throw" ventilation on the tank, keeping a fresh supply of O2
in contact with the waste. Further, you need to be able to flush out the
tank once it is emptied. Therefore, I'd be hesitant to use a series of
pipes.

Of course, all that is good and well if you plan to keep your dirty sink
water in the tank for a few days or more...I am thinking of this tank as
meanly a "quickie" holding tank, so when we stop along the Blue-Ridge
parkway to cook breakfast, we don't leave a trace. The extra capacity would
be for those times when we camp with another couple for a couple days, or
have to live in the camper after a hurricane, etc.

G. Matthew Bulley
Director
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree

-----Original Message-----
From:   Malcolm Stebbins [SMTP:Malcolm.Stebbins@MSVU.CA]
Sent:   Friday, October 01, 1999 9:25 AM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Re: PVC grey water tanks...

Rather than "snake" it back and forth, make it like a house radiator:

||================||
||================|| Sink
||================||
||================||

( artistic note the || & || are all connected)  It must drain to the rear
(one
would want the water to settle in the low point), because if it drains to
the
front, you will get airlock and the sink will not drain properly (maybe not
at
all).    malcolm s

W. wrote:

>  The only thing I can't figure out is how to keep the water from
setteling in
> the low point - that is from where you come off the gray water tank, go
lower
>  and travel across the van back up to the sink drain fitting on the other
> side.  Water seeks its own level so you would always have water in the
line
> between the sink and the gray water tank-you wold also need a "trap" of
some
> sort ( with a clean-out)  or you would constantly have that "grey water
> smell" inside you van.