I live 1 mile from a State Park and for years I had the luxury of simply pulling into the park and dumping my gray/black tanks as needed. When I drove a Motorhome this was awesome because we could use the "facilities" on the trip home with no worries. (I've moved back to a Travel Trailer recently).Anyway, the State Park has recently started charging $10 to dump (for non-guest). I actually don't mind supporting them, but this could get expensive if we have to dump a lot. Any good words of advice on how/where to dump from home? Obviously, the goal may be to dump before we head home, but what if we still need to dump once we get back home?Anybody have any luck with dumping into a tote and releasing into septic? Maybe I just want to pay the $10 and be done with it.

nagel wrote: Maybe I just want to pay the $10 and be done with it.I think that's your best bet. In the grand scheme of things, $10 is pretty cheap.

Use the clean out for your septic tank. If you don't have one, have a plumber put one in. Should pay for itself after 20 or 30 dumps.Just curious, why not dump at the park you just left?If you're camping regularly, dump every other time, unless you really use a lot of water.

nagel wrote: Any good words of advice on how/where to dump from home?Get yourself a Waste Macerator (11 pics) and service your tanks at home. :B

install a macerator pump. I ran a 1 inch line to my sewer in basement. Works great.

Be careful dumping into your septic system if you use chemicals in your tanks, you may just kill the bacteria in your system. JMHO

Where / How to Dump? | Good Sam Community

64 Replies

nagel
Explorer
Feb 01, 2018
drsteve wrote:
TNGW1500SE wrote:
nagel wrote:
Macerator pump".......do those handle "solids"? I have boys.

FYI, girls poo too.

I think nagel is talking about other sorts of solids...

Lol. Don't even go there.
drsteve
Explorer
Feb 01, 2018
TNGW1500SE wrote:
nagel wrote:
Macerator pump".......do those handle "solids"? I have boys.

FYI, girls poo too.

I think nagel is talking about other sorts of solids...
SDcampowneroper
Explorer
Feb 01, 2018
Atlee wrote:
I either dump at the camp ground or usually dump at the university where we tailgate 6 times a year. The camping is strictly boondocking, but the university does have a dump station we can use. That's always a "quickie" deal. Can't take time to flush out the black tanks. But that doesn't usually matter. We'll be using the trailer again the following week.

If I need to really flush out the black tank because we will not be using the TT for a while, or we've boondocked somewhere dumping is not available, we will drop by a local campground. So far, they let us dump for free. Of course, anytime I need propane, I go there to buy it.
.

Hear Hear! These folks and the camp 'get it'. Patronize the business, develop a relationship. Quality businesses provide free services to attract patrons. Respect the property, they will remember you as quality patrons.
patbac
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
Really, I'm not gloating. But, oh how I love living in a 55+ community with free RV parking and its own dump station...
nagel
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
TNGW1500SE wrote:
nagel wrote:
Macerator pump".......do those handle "solids"? I have boys.

FYI, girls poo too.

Yea. You enter into a whole new realm when you are traveling with 5 teenage boys. Enough said"......
Atlee
Explorer II
Jan 31, 2018
I either dump at the camp ground or usually dump at the university where we tailgate 6 times a year. The camping is strictly boondocking, but the university does have a dump station we can use. That's always a "quickie" deal. Can't take time to flush out the black tanks. But that doesn't usually matter. We'll be using the trailer again the following week.

If I need to really flush out the black tank because we will not be using the TT for a while, or we've boondocked somewhere dumping is not available, we will drop by a local campground. So far, they let us dump for free. Of course, anytime I need propane, I go there to buy it.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
BCSnob wrote:
Plus our discussion of possible shortcomings for the use of a macerator (which you did not offer) may be of use for the OPs (or other readers) situation.

Since I own and have been successfully using a macerator for a dozen years now I can't say I've come across these "shortcomings" of which you speak so how I could I "offer" them? :h Perhaps you can enlighten us based on your own experience. ;)

As for my replies to the OP they were in direct response to his request in his first post -

"Any good words of advice on how/where to dump from home? Obviously, the goal may be to dump before we head home, but what if we still need to dump once we get back home?"

This is exactly what I do - service my waste tanks at home using a FloJet Waste Macerator. :)
BCSnob
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
And the untility of a macerator pump applies to your situation or ones like it.

Without all of the information from the OP how would you know if a macerator will be as an excellent choice as it is for your situation? However my recommendation of using the pay dump site has a proven record of working for the OP. Plus our discussion of possible shortcomings for the use of a macerator (which you did not offer) may be of use for the OPs (or other readers) situation.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
... 'though I do wonder why you have to "turn around your rig multiple times to dump" if using a macerator ... what difference does how the trailer is oriented make? :h

BCSnob wrote:
... the lean of the trailer when pulling into drive in front of house makes emptying the tanks difficult without significant lift of the opposite side of the trailer from the dump valve and raising the tongue of the trailer.

So in other words your earlier comment applies only to your particular situation ...

"Macerator set-up is too complicated at home to be worth the effort; parking location closest to clean out requires turning rig around for dump followed by turning around again to get to storage location plus needing to pump 75’-100’ uphill to clean out."

... and therefore isn't relevant to the OP nor to anyone else who may be interested in using a macerator for servicing their rig's waste tanks. In fact, your situation has nothing to do with whether you use a macerator or not but rather the fact that the lean of your rig doesn't allow proper gravity draining of the tanks. As one who has been using a waste macerator for more than a dozen years now I can absolutely say it can be an excellent method of servicing one's waste tanks, specific situations such as yours notwithstanding. :)
bikendan
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
nagel wrote:
Great info. Free dump stations at rest stops in Iowa. Wow. We don't see that in Missouri. I talked to flying J and they also want $10 so might wait until I get home.

Washington State also has free dumps at rest stops. we are able to dump at one that's on our way home, only 10 miles away.

Forum Discussion

Where / How to Dump?

64 Replies

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Dump Station near Ft Myers FL

Dump Station Observations

Dump stations

Dump Station Etiquette???

Dumping tanks