RVers and BoonDockers need a secure and efficient method of transporting black and gray water from onboard storage tanks to a dump station.
You won’t have to pack up your camp if you have a portable waste tank. Attach the RV sewer tote to your onboard waste tanks, empty the tanks, and transport to a dump station.
Choosing the perfect portable waste tanks for an RV or camper can be difficult. Although they can appear to be simple storage tanks that transport unwanted fluids, they have a few key features.
To help remove the guesswork for your RV portable sewage tank purchase, we pitted five of the best portable RV waste tanks against each other.
By the end, you’ll know which of the portable sewage tanks meets your needs and is the best budget option. (Learn How to Unclog a RV Toilet Holding Tank)
Why You Need a Good RV Portable Waste Tank
A portable waste tank for RVs is in the name, as they are temporary holding containers for waste gray or black water tanks. With these, you can easily move these from your RV to the RV park dump station.
Contents
When your tanks are full, simply dump the entire contents into your portable waste tank, and wheel it to the dump station.
A portable waste tank enables you to camp longer and is very useful if you aren’t near a dump station.
An expansion tank helps you pump your waste and transport it to a dump station without moving your RV if you have set up camp for weeks at a time. Other advantages with portable camper waste tanks are:
- An increase in black water tank capacity
- Longer RV trips between dump stations (boondocking)
- You can camp at unestablished campsites
- You won’t have to pack up your RV and drive to a dump station
- It makes things easier for large families
Top RV Portable Waste Tanks Reviews
1. Camco Rhino Heavy Duty 21 Gallon Portable Waste Holding Hose and Accessories-Durable Leak Free and Odorless RV Tote Tank
Camco is among the best-known brands in the RV industry for RV products. The Rhino 39002 Heavy Duty portable RV waste tank is made of high-density polyethylene and blow-molded into a 21-gallon tank capacity.
The tank is suitable for outdoor use as the blow-molded polyethylene is UV stabilized and stops the breakdown of the materials through excessive sun exposure.
The Camco Rhino 39002 is ready to use and makes transporting waste from an RV’s black water tank to a nearby RV dump station easy. (Find the Best Portable Air Conditioners For RV)
You get a 3 feet Rhino extreme sewer hose with bayonet and lug fittings, a 15-inch water hose rinse adapter for cleaning, storing the portable camper sewer tank in dimensions of 13 x 41 x 20.5 inches.
Pros
- Heavy-Duty No-Flat Wheels
- Complete Package includes all you need
- Made from UV-resistant HDPE
- The blow-molded design offers superior leak resistance.
Cons
- Small capacity of 20-gallons
- A high intake valve may not suit some RVs
With a guide price just under $95, you get an RV waste tank portable in various ways. You can use the heavy-duty tow handle to tow behind a UTV golf cart or use it like a luggage trolley.
The Camco Rhino 39002 is the best portable RV waste tank for the money overall and offers a mix of quality materials, great design in a ready-to-use package.
2. Barker 4-Wheeler Tote Tank – 42 Gallon Capacity
The Barker 4-Wheeler Tote Tank – 42 Gallon Capacity 4-wheeler waste tank makes trips to the nearest dump station straightforward and less frequent. The portable waste tank is constructed from blow-molded polyethylene, zinc-plated steel, and stainless steel hose clamps and can withstand the rigors of getting rid of your wastewater.
The front-mounted double wheel-swivel offer easy maneuvering and is mounted on a heavy-duty mounting plate.
In use, you have a 3-inch conventional waste valve for fast emptying and dependable performance, which means you don’t need to lift your tote tank to empty. The physical size of the tank is 14.0″ x 24″ x 45″ and has a large capacity to deal with any RV waste water tanks.
Pros
- Four wheels to ease the pressure when pulling
- Easy to store on a travel trailer
- Easy to read fill level gauge
- Easy to tow
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy object even when empty
With a guide price of just under $340, it is a costly option, yet if you want a solution that you simply connect to fill and empty, this is one waste water tank that can suit your family’s needs.
3. Tote-N-Stor 25609 Portable Waste Transport – 32 Gallon Capacity
Tote-N-Stor isn’t a large brand name for RV accessories, yet they still manage to offer some robust construction and great design features in this 2-wheel 32-gallon portable RV waste tank.
The all-in-one molded design means you don’t have an extendable handle. While convenient, for some, it could make transportation challenging of the size.
Luckily, the tank is only 26lbs in weight, yet water weighs a considerable amount when pulling 32 gallons. You do get a towing bracket if you have the means to tow.
You get all you need in the kit, such as a collapsible 36-inch long, 3-inch diameter drain hose, hose clamp, and tow bracket. All of which fit in an onboard storage compartment.
Pros
- On-board storage for all your fittings
- Large 32-gallon capacity
- Great quality all-in-one molded design
Cons
- Wheel design can make pulling the tank awkward
- No fill level tank indicator or auto-stop feature
With a guide price of just over $140, it is the best budget pick for the size of the tank. It is, however, better suited to season campers rather than novices. It lacks a few features, yet you can overcome these once you know what you are doing. Besides this, the wheels are not the most durable for the size of the tank. (Read Pop Up Camper Shelving)
4. SmartTote2 RV Portable Waste Tote Tank – 2 Wheels – 35 Gallon -Thetford
The SmartTote2 RV Portable Waste Tote Tank from Thetford offers a large 35-gallon capacity. It has 2 wheels and can be used with a towing hitch, although you need to purchase this separately.
The model of black water tank can be used in many applications and will suit almost all types of RV’s black tanks or RV gray tank waste.
In use, you have a flexible hose that is held in position by a simple but durable strap. Unfasten the hose, and it extends to connect it to the dump station. When dealing with waste, it makes things much easier to deal with and clean.
Pros
- Comes with an Auto-stop gauge to prevent overflowing.
- Great all-in-one molded design.
- Heavy-duty rubber wheels
- Light construction for the capacity size
Cons
- No included tow hook
- The design makes it feel heavier when full[/su_list]
With a guide price of just below $165, the SmartTote2 pack’s many features and robust design. It suits most travel trailers, yet it could do with front wheels as it is heavy when maneuvering.
It comes with a unique dump valve and sewer connection design, which is welcome, yet you lose out on not having a trailer hitch included.
5. Barker (31342) Tote Tank
If you want a large-capacity portable RV sewer tank that comes without all the frills, The Barker 31342 Tote Portable Tank could suit your needs. You get a robust design and features, including two heavy-duty wheels, a tow bracket, and a 5-foot sewer hose. The blow-molded polyethylene is durable, and the RV portable waste tank easily takes the rigors of camping.
Pros
- Large capacity to deal with many RV holding tanks
- Heavy-duty wheels
- 2-year manufacturer’s warranty
Cons
- Heavy when full
- Doesn’t cope with prolonged sun exposure
With a guide price of $225, you get a solid performer in the Barker brand 31342 Tote Tank. It comes with a decent capacity to deal with gray water tanks or black water when RV camping. It may not offer many features for RV owners, yet keep it out of the sun, and it could deliver years of the black tank and gray water tank emptying use.
Best RV Portable Waste Tank Buying guide
A portable waste tank probably may not appear anything special; however, there are things to know for finding the best portable waste tank for your RV.
What Size Portable RV Waste Tank
Size does matter for RV portable waste tanks for gray water or portable black water tanks, and one factor being portability.
How big a tank you want to carry around as it quickly becomes a big deal when full. Water can weigh around 8-pounds per gallon.
Wheels need to be strong and offer lots of support. In the same way, you need to fasten the hose when not in use.
Many use straps or mechanical fasteners to hold hoses in position and the mobile cart base. Others are all in one units where you have the wheels and then the handle.
One thing to be wary of is matching your wastewater tank to the same size as your black water tank on your RV; if you have a 20-gallon RV portable waste tanks, it is a big factor to make sure your entire RV tank isn’t larger than this as you will need a smaller tank on your sewer tote.
Flush Valves
RV portable sewer tanks that don’t have a flush valve will need to be manually purged. Tanks that do tend to be a lot easier to use, as you can simply insert the drain hose in the sewer connection and let gravity do its thing in the dump site.
Build Quality
Polyethylene or polypropylene are the best materials for portable RV waste tanks. Polypropylene RV waste tanks are usually lighter than polyethylene RV waste tanks of comparable size.
When they fill, some have a reputation for sometimes releasing foul odors. The easiest way to start is to get a simple portable sewer tank and gradually add water, and you will find the right size you need and what meets your RV portable waste needs.
Storage
Large RV portable waste tanks are fitted to the RV ladder, although it depends on the size of the sewer tote and the weight.
Final Verdict
In testing, it was easy to find the winner in the Camco Rhino Heavy Duty 21 Gallon Portable Waste Holding Hose and Accessories-Durable Leak Free and Odorless RV Tote Tank.
It was smaller than the others, yet it is built like a tank. You get all you need to carry any wastewater from your RV, and hoses are color-coded Rhino hoses. (Find the Best RV Surge Protector)
It came into its own were the no flat tires as they dealt with the roughest terrain without issue. For any RVer who needs a portable waste water tote, the Camco Rhino has to be the best brand on the market today.
