Roadtrek macerator hose length.

Atlee

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2011
Messages
1,746
Location
Central Virginia
I've never seen this mentioned anywhere and definitely not in any brochures, but how long is the macerator hose on the 190 and 210 Roadtreks?

I'd like to know for two reasons.

1) I'd like to know how far from the sewer dump I can be when staying at full hookup campsites. I've found over the years there can be considerable variation in the location of the sewer dump and the electric and water outlets are.

2) The sewer cleanout at my house is 40+ feet from the driveway. If the macerator has the strength, I was wondering how much extra macerator sewer pipe I would need in order to use the sewer cleanout at the house. It would be nice to be able to dump at home at the end of a trip, rather than go to a dump before I go home.
 
I can't answer Question (1) because over the years I have changed my hose twice and don't know the exact length. I carry a piece of garden hose fifteen feet long and I can use it to extend the macerator hose if necessary.

Question (2). I bought a one hundred foot 3/4 inch garden hose at Tractor Supply years ago and had no problem pumping to my sewer cleanout. About ten years ago, I just buried a one inch pvc pipe from the street curb area to my sewer cleanout. At the curbside the pipe comes up in a box made to contain a valve for a water sprinkler system and the pipe is fitted with a hose connection so I can attach the hose from the macerator. I connected the other end directly to the cleanout pipe underground.

I have been doing this for years and never have had a problem.

I might add that I replaced the original hose from the macerator to the hose box on the RT years ago with a piece of agricultural spray hose of the appropriate size and length. The hose is thick and should last for a long time. As I recall it was made by Goodyear and was rated 125psi and you buy it by the foot at Tractor Supply.
 
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Most of the original Roadtrek macerator hoses were a very stiff plastic material and not very long. IIRC ours was maybe 8'. Those hoses failed often, were hard to use, and too short per a lot of complaints I heard.


We only had our van a short time (2007 version) before I changed ours to what was then a Sanicon product that is now sold by Thetford.


https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-97521-Hose-Kit/dp/B076FYD6JS


Easy to use, rolls up compactly and has not failed in over 15 years of use for us. A lot of people here use them now and I have not heard of any complaints that I remember.



We don't need super long like 100' but lots of people do seem to use 1" garden hose for that.
 
Most of the original Roadtrek macerator hoses were a very stiff plastic material and not very long. IIRC ours was maybe 8'. Those hoses failed often, were hard to use, and too short per a lot of complaints I heard.


We only had our van a short time (2007 version) before I changed ours to what was then a Sanicon product that is now sold by Thetford.


https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-97521-Hose-Kit/dp/B076FYD6JS


Easy to use, rolls up compactly and has not failed in over 15 years of use for us. A lot of people here use them now and I have not heard of any complaints that I remember.



We don't need super long like 100' but lots of people do seem to use 1" garden hose for that.

Did you attach the nozzle thingy to this new hose?
 
My setup is shown in this discussion: https://www.classbforum.com/forums/...just-a-sewer-pipe-without-the-hose-14299.html
1. Replace original hose from the macerator to the hose box with heavy duty hose. I got Tigerflex (Kanaflex) hose from local industrial supplier. Tractor Supply was mentioned as a source. Any similar heavy duty hose should work. It does not have to be super flexible. Mine is now 14 years old and still in good condition.
2. Couple hose from 1. to the Thetford flex hose (https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-97521-Hose-Kit/dp/B076FYD6JS). Advertised length is 21-ft but I would not stretch it that far. Mine is 14 years old. I have repaired some minor leaks where it attaches to the other fittings. I treat the hose yearly with 303 rubber conditioner to keep it from getting brittle, but it is much less flexible now than when new. When it leaks again I will replace it.
3. Attach a shutoff valve with 90-degree fitting to the Thetford hose. Then attach short extension with tapered rubber plug to the shutoff valve. This plugs in nicely to drain opening. I think the extension is threaded to accept a garden hose.
I have never had a situation where I could not get close enough to the dump with this setup. Occasionally I may have to move the vehicle from where I am hooked up to water/electric, but since I can go many days between dumps I am usually on the move anyway. Fortunately, my home sewer cleanout is 6-ft from the driveway.
In your case you will need to have an extension for home dumping. Doneworking has used garden hose which sounds like the simplest solution. I did buy a flat hose like this but have never used it. (https://www.amazon.com/Backwash-Dis...ocphy=9012205&hvtargid=pla-2189468702795&th=1)
 
Our setup is very similar to what Peteco describes very well. I used radiator hose from the pump to the box where there the hose is stored, though.


My radiator hose goes to a barbed plastic bulkhead fitting that is tightened to the box so doesn't move and has another barb on the inside of the box that the Thetford hose goes on. I used the bulkhead fitting to help prevent flexing of the fitting connections too much.



The 90* valve is on the Thetford and is the original.
 
Our setup is very similar to what Peteco describes very well. I used radiator hose from the pump to the box where there the hose is stored, though.

My radiator hose goes to a barbed plastic bulkhead fitting that is tightened to the box so doesn't move and has another barb on the inside of the box that the Thetford hose goes on. I used the bulkhead fitting to help prevent flexing of the fitting connections too much.

The 90* valve is on the Thetford and is the original.

The hose box on the RT 210 is part of the storage slide out. The hose length from the macerator to the hose box was 3-4 ft as I recall. The hose had to be somewhat flexible as the hose box moves out to access it. As booster said, the hose box is fixed on the 190, so once in place it doesn't have to flex anymore.
 
The hose box on the RT 210 is part of the storage slide out. The hose length from the macerator to the hose box was 3-4 ft as I recall. The hose had to be somewhat flexible as the hose box moves out to access it. As booster said, the hose box is fixed on the 190, so once in place it doesn't have to flex anymore.


Good point. Being a bit more rigid was a benefit to me, particularly because I have the inverted compared to the factory pump, macerator pump. That puts the hose in a clear area where it is harder to support than the factory setup where is easy to strap it to the crossmember.


A 170 should be the same as a 190 AFAIK.
 

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