RV Holding Tank Treatments: Product Demos vs. Product Testing

You know how you always see the dog food demos from RV toilet treatment companies? Well, we actually started that trend, and it’s kind of funny what it’s turned into. We initially created the demo as a simple way to show how an RV tank treatment works inside of your black tank. 

However, over time, our popular RV black tank treatment demo was adopted by many other brands in the RV market, becoming a viral “litmus test” for RV holding tank treatments. This is problematic because a product demo doesn’t reflect the time and effort required for real product testing. 

In this article, we’re going to quickly cover the difference between RV holding tank product demos and product testing, and explain why controlled testing and real-world results should always outweigh performative product demonstrations. 

Key Points About RV Tank Treatment Product Demos & Testing

• RV product demos are intended to quickly show customers how a product can work in a specific instance, and are not controlled tests. Product demos don’t show the whole picture regarding product performance. 
• RV product testing is a rigorous process that can take months, or years, to complete, and includes numerous in-house testing phases, market research, quality assurance testing, and safety and compliance practices. 
• RV Product demos show a vertical slice of a product’s performance, and do not accurately or completely represent how any product will perform in the real world, while product testing is intended to prove the product’s effectiveness in as many use cases as possible. 
• While RV product demos are fun, flashy, and viral (as they are intended to be), it is important to trust reputable companies that not only deliver the results you are looking for, but are transparent about their products’ capabilities and ingredients, include safety guarantees and warnings, and offer top-of-the-line customer service if issues arise. 

RV Holding Tank Demos vs. RV Holding Tank Product Testing

As a consumer, it is easy to assume that an RV holding tank demo is virtually the same as the testing a company does in-house. Afterall, you can replicate the test at home, giving you the power to see the results for yourself. 

However, there are some major differences between product demos and testing that you should know about. 

What is an RV Holding Tank Demo?

We’ve all seen them, the paper towel commercials where there is a spill on a counter, and the generic paper towel doesn’t absorb the mess the way the name brand paper towel does. What you see in that commercial is a product demo, showcasing why you would buy a product from one brand over another. 

The purpose behind product demos is to highlight one, or a few, major selling points about the product, showing how it works compared to the competition in a short format that consumers can easily digest. 

What product demonstrations do not do, is provide comprehensive information that shows the effectiveness of the product in different environments, interacting with different substances, and more. 

Bottom Line: Product demos aren’t intended to show everything about a product or prove its full capabilities (or lack thereof), they are specifically chosen to quickly highlight the best thing about a product. 

What is RV Holding Tank Product Testing?

Any time you watch a commercial, short, reel, or any other short form promotion for a product, those videos aren’t revealing the brand’s actual testing process for the final product. 

In fact, you probably wouldn’t watch a commercial about the real testing process since it would include months, if not years, of testing. Did you know that reputable RV products typically go through numerous testing phases? 

The product development process varies, and is often very complex including many of the steps below:

• Concept Testing: Determines customer interest in the product. 
• Prototype Testing: Evaluates early versions of the product for feasibility.
• Alpha Testing: Controlled in-house testing to prove product functionality.
• Beta Testing: External testing prior to launch to verify effectiveness. 
• Usability Testing: Shows how customers interact with the product to find any issues. 
• Sensory Testing: Focuses on smell, texture, and feel. 
• Packaging Testing: Tests the packaging design, product instructions, and how easy it is to open and use. 
• Quality Assurance Testing: Staged environments further test the product for quality and functionality. 
• Safety & Compliance Testing: Ensuring the product meets government regulations for human, environmental, and chemical safety. 
• Durability/Stress Testing: Tests the product in extreme environments and situations to make sure it can perform outside of optimal conditions. 

As you can see, short form content, or the quick experiment done in your kitchen, can’t provide a clear picture of all the testing that is carried out behind the scenes for your favorite RV holding tank treatment.

RV Holding Tank Treatments: The Dog Food Demo

Circling back to our famous RV holding tank treatment demo: the dog food test. We’re going to look at what is good about this demo, but also reveal its limitations. 

What is Good About the Dog Food Demo?

The original purpose of the dog food demo was to show consumers how the RV black tank treatment breaks down waste, since it is difficult to see what’s going on inside of your camper’s black tank. 

We chose dog food for the demo because it is a common product in most households, not as gross as actual human waste, and contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and grease — many of the components you would find in an actual RV black water holding tank. 

It is also a demo that you can easily replicate at home, giving you a chance to see how the RV holding tank treatment works for yourself. 

What are the Limitations of the Dog Food Demo?

The problem with using the dog food demo as a definitive test for RV holding tank treatments is that it doesn’t account for most of the variables that actually affect your black tank. 

RV holding tank variables that the dog food demo doesn’t accurately address: 

• Water 
• Holding tank temperature
• Waste volume (40 gallons vs. 2 gallons vs. a jar at home)
• Medications
• Diet
• Probiotics
• Number of people 
• Frequency of RV tank dumping 
• Toilet paper (How much and what type)
• RV holding tank maintenance practices

These variables can significantly affect how well any RV holding tank treatment can perform. Because the dog food demo doesn’t factor in these variables (or even account for different types of dog food and numerous other testing variables), means it shouldn’t be used as the definitive test for any RV holding tank treatment.  

As we’ve learned about product demos, the dog food demo only reveals one aspect of an RV holding tank treatment, and while it is a good starting point in determining a product’s effectiveness, it may not accurately reflect how any RV treatment will actually perform in the real world. 

How to Know if an RV Holding Tank Treatment is Actually Effective 

Rather than trusting influencers, commercials, or at-home science experiments (as fun as they are), the best way to determine if an RV holding tank treatment is effective is with your actual results. 

When using an RV tank treatment, ask yourself these questions when dumping:

• Are you experiencing foul odors?
• Is your tank frequently clogged?
• Are your sensors misreading?
• Does your tank “glug” when dumping?
• Is your tank filling up faster than it used to?
• Do you visually see solids passing through the clear tubing?

When observing what happens when you dump your RV holding tanks, these questions can help you determine whether your RV holding tank treatment is actually doing what it should. 

What Should RV Black Tank Treatments Do?

When you buy an RV black tank treatment, it is important to choose a formula that addresses everything you need to keep your black tank running smoothly. 

RV black tank treatments should do the following:

• Digest and breakdown human waste
• Digest and breakdown toilet paper
• Eliminate odors at the source
• Preventatively clean your black tank 

Some products can only handle one aspect of RV black tank care by effectively breaking down toilet paper without properly breaking down waste or addressing odors, while others mask odors with perfumes without effectively breaking down anything inside the tank. 

Even scarier, some companies aren’t transparent about their ingredients, selling products that may be harmful to your family, your RV, and even the environment. 

The unfortunate truth is that many tank treatments on the market simply don’t work, and can even be harmful. 

Unique: RV Holding Tank Treatments You Can Trust 

Created by industry leaders with over 30 years in the RV and septic wastewater industry, Unique products are proudly made in the U.S.A., and are developed, formulated, and packaged in-house with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. 

While we did invent the now-viral RV holding tank dog food demo, know that the quick and convenient experiment we show you to highlight one aspect of RV holding tank treatment performance doesn’t even come close to the time and effect we put into our product testing process.

We rigorously test each one of our products prior to launch, and then we keep testing. Always innovating, our team never settles. We are transparent with our ingredients, take direct customer feedback, and continuously work to help keep your RV black tank free of foul odors, clogs, and misreading sensors one dump at a time.