A Guide To RV Sewer Pipe Fittings

RV Life

How To Use RV Sewer Pipe Fittings

Emptying out your wastewater tanks may not be the most exciting part of RVing, but it is essential. When you arrive at the dump station, you’ll need the right RV sewer pipe fittings for the job.

RV pipe fittings are an important item to have in your RV. Fittings facilitate easily emptying your RV wastewater tanks. Let’s take a closer look at RV sewer pipe fittings, how they work, and the best ones you can buy right now.

What are RV sewer pipe fittings & who needs them?

RV sewer pipe fittings are used to create a seal between your sewer hose and the dumping station. The fittings connect to the ends of your drain hoses and come in a variety of forms to help drain your tanks.

Different dump stations and drains will have different designs and sizes. The common sizes are 3”, 3.5”, and 4”. Dump stations may have different heights and angles as well.

Having a variety of adapters (or fittings that can fit multiple sizes) ensures you never run into trouble emptying your tanks.

RV fitting connection types

There are two different connection types that are typically used for RV sewer pipe fittings: threaded and bayonet.

Threaded fittings are much like a bottle cap and twist on and off.
Bayonet fittings are like a camera lens, using small pins which slide into L-shaped slots on the receptor.

RV pipe fitting styles

There are different styles of RV sewer pipe fittings that ensure you can always make an easy connection. The different types of fittings include:

Standard fittings: Also called “rigid” fittings, these go on the end of the sewer hose to attach it to your tank or the inlet. Your waste hose will commonly already have one, but you can also buy replacements.
Elbow fittings: Elbow fittings provide an angled connection from your hose to the inlet, useful for when you have to connect at an awkward angle.
Y-shaped fittings: These let you connect two different tanks to a single hose or multiple hoses to a single inlet, which is useful if you have multiple wastewater tanks.
Hose couplers: These fittings are used to connect two different sewer hoses and are useful if you’re far from the dump station.
Rinse attachment: These are fittings that also have a place where you can attach a hose. Rinse attachments are used to rinse out your wastewater tanks.

Having the proper RV sewer pipe fittings for different situations is highly recommended for nearly any RVer. If you have a wastewater tank you need to drain, you’ll want to have RV sewer pipe fittings.

What are the best RV sewer pipe fittings?

Now that we know about RV sewer pipe fittings and how they work, let’s take a look at the best ones you can get. We’ve assembled a list of the five best RV sewer pipe fittings that you need in your RV.

Camco RhinoFlex Clear RV Sewer Hose Elbow With 4-in-1 Adapter

Camco’s RhinoFlex RV Bayonet Elbow Fitting with 4-in-1 Adapter provides tons of utility. The 45-degree elbow lets you easily connect to dump station inlets (even if the angle isn’t quite right). To make draining easier, the elbow is clear, allowing you to see when your tanks are empty.

The 4-in-1 adapter fits 4” NPT, 3.5” NPT, 3” NPT, and 3” slip sewer inlets. A swivel bayonet fitting ensures the elbow will be compatible with any lug fittings, and it can move 360 degrees for more maneuverability. A built-in gasket ensures no unpleasant odors can escape.

Valterra 45-Degree HydroFlush Attachment

If you want easier cleaning for your wastewater tanks, the Valterra 45-Degree HydroFlush Attachment is a great choice. With this attachment, you can flush and rinse your tank sand hoses–all without changing fittings!

The HydroFlush plastic fitting is angled at 45 degrees for a better fit and is clear to help you see when the tank is clean. The attachment point for a spigot allows for easy cleaning and features a backflow preventer.

Camco 39319 Flexible 3-in-1 Sewer Hose Seal With RhinoExtreme Hose

Angled elbow fittings are handy, but sometimes you’ll find dump stations that put even those to the test. Camco’s flexible RV sewer pipe fitting aims to fix that problem by providing maximum flexibility.

Instead of a hard plastic fitting, this fitting features a length of flexible RhinoExtreme hose. This can be moved however you need to in order to make a connection.

The Camco Flexible 3-in-1 Sewer Hose Seal fits 3”, 3.5”, and 4” inlets. It has a swivel fitting for an odor-tight connection. A pull handle makes for easy removal.

Camco RhinoFLEX RV Wye Sewer Hose Fitting

If you have multiple holding tank valves, the Camco RhinoFlex RV Wye Sewer Hose Fitting is perfect for you and your RV. With three separate ends, you can easily connect multiple tanks to a single hose or multiple hoses to a single inlet. The 360-degree swivel ends make the connection even easier.

The Wye sewer hose fitting is made with translucent plastic, so you can see when wastewater stops flowing and your tanks are empty. Gaskets built into the fitting provide odor protection while emptying the tanks.

Camco Easy Slip Internal Hose Coupler With Slip-Lock Rings

The Camco Easy Slip Internal Hose Coupler lets you combine two separate hoses to provide extra length when you’re far from the dump station or your campsite is a less-than-ideal configuration.

This hose coupler is installed between the two hoses, with tapered ends that fit all 3” hoses and slip-over fittings. Patented spin-lock rings secure the hoses in place and provide a secure, leak-proof connection.

See what other RVers are saying

If you have a wastewater tank, you need RV sewer pipe fittings. These go between your waste hose and the inlet to provide a secure, odor-free connection to make emptying your tanks a breeze.

Forums such as iRV2.com and blog sites like RV LIFE, Do It Yourself RV, and Camper Report provide all the information you need to enjoy your RV. You’ll also find brand-specific information on additional forums like Air Forums, Forest River Forums, and Jayco Owners Forum.