Sewer Tote - Tote-along - Tote - n - Stor etc. your thoughts, comments etc. before i spend $$$. the problems, convenience, inconvenience, constructive criticism, etc. thanks in advance. Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

I have an older Thetford tote. While on a week long camping trip, I need to empty the gray tank multiple times and the black maybe once. I hook the tote to my bumper ball and tow it to the dump station.The alternative is to break camp and drive your RV or tow your TT to the dump station when needed.It gets me out of helping cleaning up after breakfast or dinner.Get a Barker with pneumatic tires.

General observation from campgrounds from Maine to Florida to Texas to California. Class A/ Class C rigs/folks seem to be able to pull in the slides and drive to the dump. Folks with 5ers and TT seem to be the ones using totes more often.I have a 27 gallon Thetford. Wish I had bought a Barker Blue-Boy due to how dumping the Tote works.Anything over 30-32 gallons is too much for most of us to move easily from the dump on the rig to the truck/ road. 27 gallon tote when full weighs about 230 lbs.It takes three trips to the dump station to empty my 37 gallon black tank and my 37 gallon grey tank. If my rig wasn't such a pain to setup with no automatic levelers and chinese puzzle box packing with slides on both sides - it would be easier to take the TT to the dump than use the tote. A smaller tote than 25 gallons would require a fourth trip, and that would definitely be worth packing up and towing the rig to the dump stationI think a 4 wheel model is much easier to use than a 2 wheel model.We end up using our tote about four to seven times a year. The hassle also forces me to spend $200-400 per year on campgrounds with sewer connections rather than ones without.The COE campground closest to our doctors and grandkids is where we use it the most. There isn't a sewer connection CG with 50amp power which is critical for Texas summer temps (Apr 1 - Oct 31) closer than 40 miles.If I could solve that issue - i.e. get the DW to change doctors, or daughter move - I'd get rid of the tote.

We normally can go a full week without dumping, but for those situations where it doesn't work out, we carry a small 6-gallon Tote-n-Stor and a 7-gallon repurposed water jug. The Tote-n-Stor is normally used for black and/or grey waste, and the ex-water jug only for grey waste. One or two "dump runs" is usually enough to get us to our destination date. The two containers easily fit in one storage bin along with our waste hoses and fittings. If it was more of a problem for us, we would have a larger capacity tank of course, but this setup has worked well for us so far with minimal inconvenience.

I finally broke down and bo9ught one. We do a lot of state parks and few have sewer.You can get a Barker 22 gallon on Amazon for $117 delivered.Its a good unit. Some of the are really poorly made with inadequate tires.

Just be sure the campground actually has a dump station before filling the tote.Many years ago, I bought a 15 gallon tote. I used it once, at home, to clear the tanks while winterizing.After that, it occurred to me that the RV parks/campgrounds we are most likely to use either have full hookups or no hookups, no dump station, and no garbage service.After the tote sat under the workbench for five years, I sold it in a rummage sale for $15 just to get it out of the way.With no place to dump it while camping, IMO the thing was useless.Plan ahead.

To Tote a Tote or not to Tote | Good Sam Community

2oldman
Explorer II
Apr 28, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
One thing you DO NOT want to get is one of those smaller 15 gallon type totes that do not have wheel and you have to pick them up.
That's what I have. No wheels, just move it with a hand truck. Yes, you have to pick it up but only from one side. Most places I dry camp have a dump within walking distance.

With wheels it's too bulky to get in my basement.
2012Coleman
Explorer II
Apr 28, 2017
Here is a link to the 32 gallon with pneumatic tires. It comes in 42 gallon as well.
jaycocamprs
Explorer
Apr 29, 2017
We use a 15 gallon tote-n-store that we got when we had a popup. Use it very rarely, but when you need one it does the job. I have a short 3" hose to fill with. Store it in the storage compartment.
starcraft69
Explorer
Apr 29, 2017
We use ours a few times a year. Ours is primarily for dumping gray water. The wife and I enjoy our hot showers and we have small gray tanks. I also carry a 40 gal water bladder to refill fresh water if I cant get it from a spigot near camp site. I have never had to dump black tank yet we can go over a week before that fills.
Lantley
Nomad
Apr 29, 2017
I have a 42 gallon wheeled barker which is large enough to hold the capacity of my 40 gallon grey tanks. I don't use it often but it allows you to have options.
The option to stay without hook ups for weeks at a time if you like.
The option to choose state,county and COE parks when available vs. private parks. The option to use a W/E or just electric sites if that is all that is available. The option to escape FHU places and take advantage of more spacious and remote public parks. FHU site are very convenient however they can be very constraining as well. It's nice to escape and explore all the great places places that don't have sewers!
Motorized RV's may have the option to just pack up and drive to the dump station.But my 5 slide bunkhouse would be way too much of a pain to take to the dump station.
In general my family can go 3-4 days will no conservation before dumping. Using the blue tote once or twice during a trip for grey water is a nice option to have. THe Blue Tote is a nice option to have.
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Apr 29, 2017
Tote owner here. Lifesaver in many aspects. Won't leave home without it!
time2roll
Nomad
Apr 29, 2017
We had a tote for the pop-up as there is no waste tank for the sink.
Glad to see that go when we traded up to a hard side trailer with tanks.

I would much sooner pull my trailer and dump all tanks (84 gal) and get a water refill (50 gal) before running the tote every day.

Like most things... wait until you need it on three trips before you buy.
bucky
Explorer II
Apr 29, 2017
Our 5er is 38 feet and I have enough trouble getting it into some state park sites without having to do it more than once. They advertise long site lengths but then the approach is screwed by trees, fences, and vehicles parked where they shouldn't.
If we've been there before we already know which sites to reserve, but otherwise our 35 gal tote rides forward of the hitch just in case.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Apr 29, 2017
I got tired of "TOTING" mine around and sold it.
WTP-GC
Explorer
Apr 29, 2017
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I got tired of "TOTING" mine around and sold it.

Someone gave me one 2 years ago. It's been stored in the rafters of our barn ever since.

i can see the need for those with smaller (or fewer) holding tanks. We have grey tanks on our 5er and when not connected to sewer hookup, we have an add-on valve that allows us to open both tanks and mix.

For those times when even that doesn't work out, a slow grey-water drip never hurt anybody ;-)