08/20/2025
Because we all need a laugh with the end of summer approaching!
Question for the seasoned RV pros…
Has anyone ever had their black tank swell up like a tick on a hound because of high altitude and excessive heat? I’m talking weird popping and cracking noises like it’s trying to communicate in Morse code. If so… did it end in a catastrophe that still haunts your dreams?
Here’s why I ask.
We’re camping high in the mountains, hotter than a jalapeño in a sauna, and I keep hearing these strange crackling sounds at night. Thought maybe my camper was “settling.” Turns out, it was my black tank… slowly inflating like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon from hell.
Meanwhile, we keep smelling something that could only be described as “a dead raccoon who made bad life choices.” Couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, but it had a presence.
Then comes the perfect storm: I eat Taco Bell and, because God has a sense of humor, accidentally take Ex-Lax thinking it’s a vitamin. About an hour later, the urgency hits me like a SWAT team breaching a door.
I dash to the RV bathroom, put some water in the bowl like a responsible camper, and… take care of business. When it’s time to flush, the pedal is tight. I push harder, and that’s when the gates of hell opened.
The seal popped, the back pressure exploded, and the contents of the black tank made a bid for freedom. I’m talking splash zone, ceiling art, and a smell so powerful I’m convinced it altered my DNA. My eyes watered, my soul left my body, and I’m pretty sure nearby wildlife evacuated the campground.
Cleanup took hours. Therapy will take years.
Moral of the story:
• High altitude + heat = black tank balloon of doom
• Always check your seals
• Never flush under pressure… especially after Taco Bell
• And for the love of all things holy, keep Ex-Lax away from your vitamins
So… has anyone else experienced “black tank expansion” or am I the proud new owner of the world’s most disgusting merit badge?
