After attending the Truck Camper Adventure Rally in Quartzsite last month, we decided to empty our RV waste/gray water holding tanks at home using our Flojet Portable RV Waste Pump. Even though we had owned the unit for almost a year, we had never used it, so we decided it was time to finally put the product through its paces. This is our review of the Flojet after using it.
The Flojet Portable RV Waste Pump Kit weighs only 6 pounds and takes up very little storage space. It includes the Flojet macerator and pump, a 12 volt, 6-foot-long wire harness, and a portable carrying case. The Flojet’s macerator section grinds waste down to a particle size of 1/8-inch maximum like the garbage disposal in your home and has a built-in safeguard to prevent overheating by providing run-dry protection up to 30 seconds. The pump section is self-priming, permitting the unit to be mounted above the tank in a convenient location. The Flojet Portable RV Waste Pump sells for about $180 on Amazon.com.
The Flojet connects directly to your RV’s waste outlet and is very easy to use. A standard 5/8-inch garden hose is used to transfer the macerated waste to a sewage connection or toilet, thus eliminating the need for an RV dump station. However, an RV dump station and/or auxiliary holding tank can be utilized if desired. While testing the Flojet pump, we utilized 100-feet of garden hose to pump our waste over a 6-foot fence, which exceeded my expectations (and the manufacturer’s recommendations).
The Flowjet is designed to handle human waste and tissue only. The manufacturer specifically advises against pumping hard, solid objects like sanitary napkins and rags through it. Additionally, the manufacturer states that a typical 40 gallon holding tank can be emptied in less than five minutes, which is consistent with my observations as well, and that the pump should not be run more than 15 minutes continuously under any circumstances. In my opinion, due to the slower discharge rate, it is very important to flush and rinse your black tanks thoroughly when using this pump.
We utilized the following to setup the Flojet in our Lance 855s truck camper:
- 3.5-inch Clear Sewer Extender
- SAE (WEP) Alligator clips along with an extension cable to reach our 12 volt EZ Charge Battery Charging Port.
- Two 50-foot lightweight, 5/8-inch flexible kink-free garden hoses
While probably not as convenient as using a cassette toilet (I have no personal experience with a cassette), the Flojet effortlessly drained our waste tanks at home in only a few minutes. Obviously, the same procedure would allow us to drain our waste tanks in a wide variety of locations during our trips.
Our Lance 855s features fairly large holding tanks of 20 gallons gray and 25 gallons black, so I anticipate we will usually use a conventional RV dump station during our travels. However, with the Flojet we now have the option of dumping our waste in a pit toilet using a garden hose (without lifting a cassette) or pumping our waste into a small container prior to disposal (similar to a cassette toilet). We envision using the Flowjet to dispose of our waste at home after boondocking. Additionally, our guests will also have the option of dumping their RV tanks without leaving our property.
In conclusion, the Flojet is a terrific product. It’s nice to have options when dealing with waste disposal and the Flojet provides many. Not only that, but the Flojet will save you money by reducing or eliminating RV dump site fees. It’s also a great way to keep your holding tanks cleaned and maintained through regular use and flushing. For those who are on the fence about buying the Flojet, we highly recommend it. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, we give the Flowjet 18555 a rating of 5 stars.
I got one and love it. I was going to dig up the yard and install a cleanout in the drain so I could dump at home. The macerator saved me from doing that and gives me flexibility of being able to dump anywhere (well, anywhere poo is allowed 🙂
When the pump has not been used for a while, to avoid blowing a fuse, turn the pump shaft clockwise with a screwdriver (and remove the screwdriver) before turning on the pump. I learned that by blowing a fuse.
I have been loving mine for years! So much nicer just doing it at home instead of waiting in line at a campground.
As reviews on this product vary widely be sure to keep discharge hose as short as possible and 12-volt power supply fully charged to reduce likelihood of motor overheating.
As suggested in article, keep black water tank clean and be sure to run clear water through pump once done using.