Question about gray water...?

When we used to camp with a pop-up the bucket was used to water the nearby plants when it was full. Keep in mind that the bucket only contained the water from the sink and was usually less than 12 hours old so did not have time to ferment or develop any bad smell - unlike the water from the gray tank of a normal RV. We never dumped it onto the grass or on anybody's site. Some campgrounds had designated sites for gray water dumping so we used those.
Barney

Yes,and tent campers have noway to dispose of their grey.That is why regulations have changed a bit,over the years, not every camp ground has a place to dump, and is not wanted to be dumped in the toilets. However, should never be dumped near any water,and could get you a big fine.

Thanks.

I may be in the market for a smaller camper than one I previously owed... those had gray tanks, hence my interest is asking.

On my previous TCs, there were two separate tanks- one back and the other gray. Many times I would drain some of the gray to douse my fire before retiring. If I do get a different TC, some of the water I retain would be for the same purpose.

d3500ram wrote:
Thanks.

I may be in the market for a smaller camper than one I previously owed... those had gray tanks, hence my interest is asking.

On my previous TCs, there were two separate tanks- one back and the other gray. Many times I would drain some of the gray to douse my fire before retiring. If I do get a different TC, some of the water I retain would be for the same purpose.

My TC has no grey,and the black is too small. I have 2 camco plastic tubs,that fit in my kitchen double sink. When full,take them out and dump them. BUT,I have not stayed in a "tight" campground in over probably 12 years, where you can spit and hit your neighbor.

When we had a PUP I wouldn't let the bucket get more than half full because it was easier to deal with a lighter bucket. I would sling it into the trees or shrubs trying to disperse it the best I could. The next bucket went a different direction.

We used disposable items as much as possible so not to wash dishes. Bacon grease went into a coffee can and into the trash. I've seen many dead trees from ppl dumping their grease at the trunk.

Tent camping before that all washing took place at the hose bib where there was a gravel pit below it. Again, grease went into the trash.

I don't know why these threads keep getting closed because this is a legitimate, important discussion.

Here's an example from my personal experience.

This happened at one of our favorite spots out in the desert. It's wide open BLM land, but the camping spots are limited because it's only practical to camp where the brush has already been beaten down over the years and there's already a ring of rocks for the fire.

We pulled up to our favorite spot where we had told the group to meet us. I picked that spot because of the location and size. In that area, it's an unwritten rule that groups should pick a spot that fits the size of the group, so that you don't have a solo camper in a space that would fit twenty rigs. (We also don't "share" spots. We try to keep at least a football field length away from each other so that dust, kids, dogs, generator noise, music, etc. doesn't bother anyone else.)

So I pulled up to our agreed-upon spot and started to unhitch, but the campers who left that morning and dumped their gray tank right there in camp. There was a huge puddle that wrecked that area, and it was full of food particles (bits of salad, pasta, etc.) because the dumpers didn't know how to do dishes in an RV. The smell was horrendous and there were flies everywhere.

We had to pick a different spot and then drive out to the highway to contact everyone in our group and tell them the new location.

All this, just because the jerkwad before us wanted to shed a few pounds for his drive home.

d3500ram wrote:
Not trying PO the mod, but rather a real question about gray water practices. To folks who choose to reply, don't be a troll. Mod closed two threads on the topic and I was trying to glean information...

Quoted from one of the threads that got closed is my real question on best practices regarding gray water:

ReneeG wrote:

d3500ram wrote:
Don't some campers not have gray tanks such that they MUST drain onto he ground?

Perhaps not the larger RV's but I believe there are some smaller TCs that do not have a gray tank.

Tent Trailers don't have tanks for gray so they use a hose to the outside and into a bucket.

Aha!
But lemme' ask as I am ignorant in this type of set-up... what is one supposed to do when the bucket is full? I cannot imagine a person putting a bucket of gray in their vehicle to pack out?

Perhaps one can carry it to a latrine, but depending on the distance I can envision a person not going that far to dispose. But many camping spots may not have a latrine.

Even with a bucket as a catch, I am guessing it ends up on the ground anyway???

For those types of RV's that do not have a gray tank (and subsequently use a bucket) what ends up with the retained water?

I use a pop-up that does not have on-board waste water tanks. I do dishes outside. I catch the dishwater in a aquatinter, and have a laundry soap jug to catch the wash water that drains from inside. And yes, I carry or haul them to dump station.
Tent camping I once had to use a site after somebody had let grey water drain for at least a weekend. After that I carried a 5 gal bucket with lid to catch the waste.
While some CGs may allow waste dumped in bushes, most places I have seen have rules against it. The probability of getting caught is low, but I hope if caught I hope the punishment is enough to prevent a repeat.

2112 wrote:
When we had a PUP I wouldn't let the bucket get more than half full because it was easier to deal with a lighter bucket. I would sling it into the trees or shrubs trying to disperse it the best I could. The next bucket went a different direction.

We used disposable items as much as possible so not to wash dishes. Bacon grease went into a coffee can and into the trash. I've seen many dead trees from ppl dumping their grease at the trunk.

Tent camping before that all washing took place at the hose bib where there was a gravel pit below it. Again, grease went into the trash.

I don't know why these threads keep getting closed because this is a legitimate, important discussion.

We have a tent camper with a water tank and do as you said. In our FW (and tent camper too), we still use paper plates to cut down on water use, but even with cooking pots and utensils, we wipe them with a paper towel before dropping them into the biodegradable organic soapy water. We have very few, if any, food particles and along with that frequently put an organic digester and deodorizer tablet down the kitchen sink. I NEVER cook pasta because there is no way to dispose of that water and using grain free pasta is worse as far as the state of the cooking water - it's thick and slimey.

dedmiston wrote:
Here's an example from my personal experience.

This happened at one of our favorite spots out in the desert. It's wide open BLM land, but the camping spots are limited because it's only practical to camp where the brush has already been beaten down over the years and there's already a ring of rocks for the fire.

We pulled up to our favorite spot where we had told the group to meet us. I picked that spot because of the location and size. In that area, it's an unwritten rule that groups should pick a spot that fits the size of the group, so that you don't have a solo camper in a space that would fit twenty rigs. (We also don't "share" spots. We try to keep at least a football field length away from each other so that dust, kids, dogs, generator noise, music, etc. doesn't bother anyone else.)

So I pulled up to our agreed-upon spot and started to unhitch, but the campers who left that morning and dumped their gray tank right there in camp. There was a huge puddle that wrecked that area, and it was full of food particles (bits of salad, pasta, etc.) because the dumpers didn't know how to do dishes in an RV. The smell was horrendous and there were flies everywhere.

We had to pick a different spot and then drive out to the highway to contact everyone in our group and tell them the new location.

All this, just because the jerkwad before us wanted to shed a few pounds for his drive home.

AND this is why there are regulations on not dumping waste water. Had they responsibly adhered to rules and respect for the environment, we all would probably not be talking about this.

ReneeG wrote:
AND this is why there are regulations on not dumping waste water. Had they responsibly adhered to rules and respect for the environment, we all would probably not be talking about this.

Amen to that.

I put this in the same category as running the gen all night. It's a symptom of people only thinking about themselves.