A good quality sewer hose is necessary for draining the gray tank and the black tank of the RV. Twelve feet is a standard length of hose, however, shorter hoses are easier to handle. For convenience you may want to stow a couple of sewer hoses in different lengths. Use a quality hose that will continue to adequately compress over time. Never use duct tape to repair a damaged hose. Immediately replace a worn or broken hose to prevent spillage. Include a hose end repair kit in your onboard RV toolbox.

If the RV provides storage space specifically designed to house the sewer hose remember to regularly wash this area to clear away residual bacteria. In the event the sewer hose resides in a storage bay with additional cargo, consider keeping the hose in a large plastic lawn bag. Tie the bag closed to prevent spillage from escaping the hose, and discard the bag after each use.

When handling the sewer hose wear protective clothing, rubber boots and rubber gloves. Use a non-potable garden hose for clean up. Keep the valve to the black tank closed until it is time to empty the tank. Allowing the black tank to drain freely can cause solids to back up in the tank and create clogging. Prior to emptying the black tank, fill the gray tank to half to use for flushing out the hose.

Before removing the cap to dump the tank, double check that road vibration hasn't caused the slide valve to open. To dump the tanks, connect the sewer hose to the tank dump on the RV. Remove the dump cover on the ground. After checking to confirm the drain is clear, connect the free end of the sewer hose to the drain. If necessary, use the drain cover or a rock to hold the hose in place. Open the valve to the black tank. Once the tank is empty, open the valve to the gray tank to flush out the hose.

After dumping the tanks, store the hose. Clean up any spills and hose off the surrounding ground area. With ammonia based cleaner and paper towels, disinfect surfaces on the RV you may have touched while dumping the tanks.

While dumping the tanks, a slight slope in the hose is fine, but be cautious of too much slope that can cause liquids to rapidly escape without flushing away solids. Hose supports are a good idea to keep the sewer hose off of the ground when parked at a campground.

During hot weather insects may cluster around the sewer hose in an attempt to gain entry into the RV. To repel pests, wipe the hose end with petroleum jelly or spray the hose end with ammonia based cleaner. Following a sudden summer storm, carefully inspect the hose for damage. When camping in winter temperatures, only connect the hose when dumping the tanks to prevent frost build up.

While the RV is parked during ambient weather conditions, fill the black tank with fresh water to loosen solids that may have built up over time.