dumping at camp grounds

Get a tote similar to this one. You will most likely need to dump the gray water a few times during a 5 - 7 day stay. You can tow this to the dump station with your TV - just put the handle over the ball.

Don't spare the water when flushing the toilet in an effort to keep the tank from filling. It is important that stuff floats, and does not settle on the bottom. I have used my tote to empty the black tank many times, really not any different that emptying the gray.

When leaving the camp ground, stop at the dump station and empty the black first, then the gray top flush out the hose.

Conserve tank capacity by taking Navy showers, and wipe food off plates with paper towels - don't put food particles in your gray tank. Better yet, use paper/plastic products.

You may have a sewer clean out at home. Look for a white pipe with a threaded cap sticking up near the house - behind a hedge for instance. If you have one of these, you can connect your hose to it.

You will do just fine - happy camping!

I'll admit DW & I take daily showers in the TT and use real dishes for meals. On a 35 gallon tank that means dumping every 2 days. But - I have a pump and 30 gallon barrel in the truck bed. I can pump out the gray tank then run to the cg dump station.

"Also, where are dump stations that are not connected to camp grounds? "

A variety of places... highway rest stops, some stores (Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, etc), local town dump (check with your town hall), etc.

"And, along that same line of question, what is the road etiquette for dumping at camp grounds? "

Call ahead is probably best - so you know if you can or not. Many campgrounds will allow non-campers to dump, BUT there will probably be a fee, sometimes that fee is only $5, sometimes it may be the same as a night's stay or even more. My local state park allows non-campers to dump, but the fee is the same as an overnight stay.

"Do you have to have stayed there? or can you just use their facilities? "

I may have answered this above if you mean just dumping when you say "facilities", if you also mean using their showers, bathrooms, laundry, etc just ask at the office. It will certainly depend on the campground, and probably the mood of whoever happens to be at the front desk at the time you pull in. Some campgrounds will allow it (possibly with a fee), some are very strict. You won't know until you ask... which is why it is usually better to call ahead before you get off the highway and pull into a campground.

With careful use, your camper's black and grey tanks should easily last for 3 days, more like a week when you get used to things. Take "Navy showers" (turn on water to wet down, shut off water, soap up, turn on water to rinse off as quickly as possible, shut off water) - you may be surprised at how little water you actually need for a shower. Paper plates and plastic ware that you can throw out so you reduce dish washing. Lots of ways to reduce water usage as you will find out with experience.

We routinely camp for 4 day weekends (Friday thru Monday) with no hookups and don't run out of water or fill our waste tanks.

"Full hookup" campsites will seem like a big luxury - use all the power you want, and take nice long showers! But... you may find that once you get into the habit of using less, you will do it all the time.

There is tons of information on these forums. Use the search feature. When you post questions, remember to give as much detail as possible to allow people to give better answers.

And see you on the road!

Rangerman40 wrote:
I carry a tote with me so I can empty my grey tank when it fills. I refuse to use the tote on the black tank and can usually go a week before it needs emptied and by then I'm on my way anyhow.

same here, Tote for gray water. for wife and I.. 3 to 4 days on gray..

black 7 to 12 days. by then leaving .. stop at dump station on the way out.

40 gallon Gray, 40 gallon Black, 40 gallon Fresh water. 32 gallon Tote.

I carry a tote with me so I can empty my grey tank when it fills. I refuse to use the tote on the black tank and can usually go a week before it needs emptied and by then I'm on my way anyhow.

The frequency of dumping depends on how big your tanks or and how many people are using the RV. Every 2 days must be very small tanks. We could go 12-14 days.

I just bought a travel trailer today. I have never camped a day in my life.

Since your are new I would look for CG's with 'full hookups'. I.E. water, sewer and electric.

That way you can get to know your trailer and how everything works while parked with full hookups, instead of worrying about where you are going to find a dump station.

Most let the black tank get almost full and the gray tank almost full when parked. That way when you dump it rushes out cleaning out everything in the black tank close that one and then pull the gray tank valve and that cleans out the sewer hose.

One thing I think ALL OF US agree on is when you are parked at a CG with full hookups, DO NOT put your sewer hose in the sewage hole and LEAVE YOUR VALVES OPEN. Keep the valves CLOSED and dump when almost full.

Otherwise you will end up with one big mess in your black tank commonly referred to as a mountain of poop on the bottom of your tank. Because sewage NEEDS water to run out.

Welcome to the forum.:C

DBabylon wrote:
I just bought a travel trailer today. I have never camped a day in my life. But I was reading some posts and people stated they dumped their tanks every 2 days when camping. Does this mean hitching your trailer to your vehicle and driving to the dump station and the returning to your spot and setting up again?

Also, where are dump stations that are not connected to camp grounds? And, along that same line of question, what is the road etiquette for dumping at camp grounds? Do you have to have stayed there? or can you just use their facilities?

Thanks for your help.

All depends on the type of CG you are in. Primitive, or electric, and water only you will need to either take the TT to the dump or use a tote.

However. IF you are in a full hook up CG. You only need hook up to the sewer at your site. Then you can dump as often as you want. That is my preference, to have full hookups.

However. I do dry camp, in primitive CG that have no electric, or water, or sewer. When I do. I don't use the bathroom in the TT. I walk to the CG bathroom, and use theirs. Why? Because I don't want to go to the dump station. So I don't

Every two days is not necessary unless your tanks are getting full. When you need to empty yes. You can go to the bump or use a wagon that is made for this.
If your campground does not have a dump you will normally need to pay outside you CG.

Some camp areas have dump stations, some do not. Usually they are for paid campers only; sometimes they are open to others for a fee.

Some people use a portable "blue tote" to haul their waste to the dump station; some take the whole rig. Your time between dumps will vary depending upon the amount of waste you and your family produce and how large your TT's tanks are.

There are lists of dump stations online. Sanidumps.com is one. Several years ago I bought a downloadable list from them because I often cannot be online when I travel. I don't know if they still sell that list. Explore their site.

Best wishes for enjoying your new TT!