RV sewer-hose storage that’s easy on the hose…and you
Camping is fun, but one thing RVers agree on is that dumping the black- and gray-water holding tanks is not a fun part of the experience. In fact, most would say it is the least-fun aspect of RVing, hands down. Unfortunately, it is a necessary task that can’t be ignored, whether you boondock or camp with full hookups. At some point, you will have to dump your holding tanks.
One thing that makes it so unpleasant is having to store the dump hose. For years, many RVers simply slid the hose inside the rear bumper, a practice that many square-tube RV bumpers are designed for. That can cause problems, though. Tight fitment of the hose’s coupler ends can make it difficult to get the hose in and out, while many RV bumpers are somewhat abrasive inside and can wear a hole in the dump hose over time from rubbing against the wire coil inside the hose that keeps it from collapsing.
Owners of an RV without this type of bumper can be forced to put their dump hose inside a storage compartment. That’s not exactly something you want to do with a hose you just emptied your rolling toilet with, unless you have a nonabsorbent molded-plastic compartment at the utility point that’s designed for such storage and the dump tube has been properly flushed and rinsed.
Valterra has been making RV-related products for decades as both an aftermarket and original-equipment supplier. One such product line is Valterra’s Adjustable EZ Hose Carriers. Available in 34-to-60-inch and 50-to-94-inch models, in black or white plastic, the carriers are available to fit almost any RV and length of dump hose, and they add the ability to clean the dump hose while in the carrier by connecting a garden hose to it.
We mounted a black 50-to-94-inch Adjustable EZ Hose Carrier to our Winnebago Minnie Plus travel trailer with frame rails that are 69 inches apart. At this frame width, both of the hoses that make up our overall 25-foot dump hose fit into just one tube. If you have an RV with a smaller frame width (making the carrier shorter) or need to store additional hoses, it is easy and affordable to mount a second Adjustable Hose Carrier to accommodate them.
It took us less than 45 minutes to install the carrier and required drilling four holes into the frame from underneath. There’s a third mount for the middle, but it isn’t needed, and we had nothing under our trailer to mount it to anyway. Having something comfortable to lie on under your RV will make the job a lot easier.
Now, we can handle that big snake without worrying about it biting us in the…well, you know where.
Valterra Adjustable EZ Hose Carrier
Residing in West Palm Beach, Florida, Rick A. Diaz is an avid mountain biker, woodworker and former Hollywood, California, custom Harley-Davidson shop owner, as well as a motorcycle and truck journalist. Rick will be taking his fiancée, their two retired racing greyhounds and an Italian greyhound puppy on adventures in their Winnebago Minnie Plus while contributing to Trailer Life.