So if you do bring along extra fresh water what do you do when your gray tank gets full?My camper has a 40 gal FW tank and a 20 gal gray tank. And if I bring an extra 30 gal FW where does it go?My vintage 1969 Excel TT did not have a gray tank, they were optional back in those days.So I just hooked a garden hose up and let the gray water drain. I usually dug a small hole for it to drain into.I have yet to fill my 20 gal gray tank in my camper but will this coming camping season.Here in Utah all I can find on the US Forest Service websites is they ask you to put a screen over the end of the hose to catch any food particles so they don't attract wildlife which I think is kind of stupid.What do you do with your gray water when you're boondocking and your tank is full??My previous camper was this 1996 Skyline Weekender that I really liked before I found massive wood rot and the cab over started sagging. :MThe biggest thing I hated about this camper was that the shower drained into the black tank which limited how many days I could stay out. Riding ATVs every day means a shower every day.Other than those two things I loved the camper. The interior was a lot nicer than the Lance I have and even though it was 2 ft shorter it only weighed a few hundred pounds less than my Lance.

“ I usually dug a small hole for it to drain into.”How exciting for the camper after you to have your gray water in “a small hole.” What if everyone did this inconsiderate, illegal act? What do you care? You’ve moved on.

My gray is about 18 gallons, with 30 gallons of fresh water, so I bought 15 gallons tote for times when I camp without hookups on campground with dump station. Lot of places in southern states have water and electricity hookup, but you have to worry about carrying the waste. Not too many places where I camp will let you run the hose, but camping in warm places, I use exterior shower a lot.

All you could find? Quote below is from the DIXIE National Forest website...located in your state...Utah. “For those with camp trailers, dispose of waste and grey water at dumping stations.”See:https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/cs/detailfull/!ut/p/z1/jZBPC4JAFMQ_jVffyzSs2waBluQh_NNeQmNbDXVl3fTrJ1qHoMy5zeM3A2-AQgy0StqcJyoXVVL0_kxXF_RNdBch2a5xZxxOVuCaOAqiATBeltjoO054DD18A3ROHn-IzM3_Buh0fQR0QKY--NexB8oLkY5zkSpd2hyoZDcmmdQfsj9nStXNRkMNu67TuRC8YPpVlBp-i2SiURB_klCXQRDj3SpajzwBgjMq4g!!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&pname=Dixie%20National%20Forest-%20Camping%20&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ss=110407&pnavid=110000000000000&navid=110130000000000&ttype=detailfull&cid=stelprdb5137037

Kayteg1 wrote: but you have to worry about carrying the waste. My camper has a 28 gal BW tank. That should last me quite a while.

To the ire of some folks, when gray fills up and I'm parked and not moving somewhere else, I hook up an old garden hose and run it off into the weeds, ditch line, somewhere out of the traveled way. Serously, it doesn't hurt a thing, not stinky, not black water, just 50 gal of relatively fresh soapy water from showers and dishes. We don't wash a lot of food chunks down the drain. No different than people who take outside or solar showers or toss the pan of dishwater into the weeds while camping. The "perception" of it is bad because your draining a "tank" and who knows what's in there..lol. If there are others camping nearby, it's an activity done after the last cocktail as the campfire is dying and everyone else is gone to sleepy land !

extra fresh water | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

specta
Explorer
Nov 29, 2019
bobndot wrote:

I wonder which is more clean ?
The gray water we dump is our 'drinking water' with biodegradable castile soap or the rain falling from the PURE CLEAN sky above us, especially after it drips off our rv's onto the ground. :)

Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it. :B
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 29, 2019
Extended boon docking, we shower and wash dishes outside. We are usually limited by my vacation time off rather than tank capacity.
bobndot
Explorer III
Nov 29, 2019
specta wrote:
AnEv942 wrote:
Nothing worse than pulling into pristine site to find big wet spot with corn floating.

My drain hose is 25' long and I never drain my tank where someone would ever be bothered by it.

I wipe off all my plates into the garbage can with a paper towel so there is literally zero food in my gray water.

Some people just don't care about others. :(

Only take memories.
Leave only footprints.

X2, wipe out plates and cookware and burn it in the fire. We also take advantage of campground wash stations when avl.,

I wonder which is more clean ?
The gray water we dump is our 'drinking water' with biodegradable castile soap or the rain falling from the PURE CLEAN sky above us, especially after it drips off our rv's onto the ground. :)
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Nov 28, 2019
jaycocreek wrote:
I get a kick out of some people and the worries about grey water and dumping..I guess where you camp it might matter but around here it doesn't..

Think about all the backpackers and tent campers,where does there waist water and even pooh go?..Yup,behind a tree or under a rock or log and nobody says a word...

Took me over 30 years of camping, but last summer we stop at state campground, with lot of tents and water faucets every few sites.
They had "sink water" disposal sites for tent-campers.
In Oregon.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Nov 28, 2019
IMO the biggest concern is HOW MUCH you dump at a time in one spot and how many others are doing the same.

Say you have a 40 gal grey tank and dump every 3 days. Now, add 10 other campers who are doing the same during the same time frame. That's a LOT of water getting dumped in camp and will have an effect on the ecology.

In contrast, most tent campers are dumping maybe one or two gallons three times a day. That is only 18 gallons every 3 days and it isn't all in one go nor all in one place. The water has time to soak into the soil and dry out before doing it again - even if all the tent campers are doing so.

My FnR has an 18 gallon grey tank. Cassette toilet. If needed, I will dump the cassette into the campground toilets. I have a 6 gallon grey tote - if needed I will ask the ranger if OK to dump in toilet or on the ground every couple days. If no and there is no dump station in the area, then I will just keep my stay within my tank limits.
specta
Explorer
Nov 28, 2019
jaycocreek wrote:

Think about all the backpackers and tent campers,where does there waist water and even pooh go?..Yup,behind a tree or under a rock or log and nobody says a word...

And they're probably the first ones to think we're disgusting. :B
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Nov 28, 2019
I get a kick out of some people and the worries about grey water and dumping..I guess where you camp it might matter but around here it doesn't..

Think about all the backpackers and tent campers,where does there waist water and even pooh go?..Yup,behind a tree or under a rock or log and nobody says a word...
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Nov 28, 2019
“Kitchen will have some food chunks, but that's mostly good.”

Your opinion? Scientific study? Guess? Backup your statement!
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Nov 28, 2019
I did read quite a bit about gray water, as in California some people converted their house plumbing to dump shower and kitchen water into the flowerbeds.
Shower water, even with regural soap for plants is the same what fresh water.
Kitchen will have some food chunks, but that's mostly good.
It is holding gray water for 48 hr in the tank, that makes it hazardous waste as bacteria will grow.
And you can tell 48 hr gray water stinks.
specta
Explorer
Nov 28, 2019
AnEv942 wrote:
Nothing worse than pulling into pristine site to find big wet spot with corn floating.

My drain hose is 25' long and I never drain my tank where someone would ever be bothered by it.

I wipe off all my plates into the garbage can with a paper towel so there is literally zero food in my gray water.

Some people just don't care about others. :(

Only take memories.
Leave only footprints.

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extra fresh water

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