So I just bought my first travel trailer, a 22' Jayco Jayflight and I have a question about toilet usage and boondocking. We are going on our first trip next weekend for two days and we want to be able to use the toilet for liquids only but I read that it is not a good idea to travel with water in your trailer. Is there any way we can use the toilet without having water stored in the fresh water tank? Like bringing a large jug of water or a hand sprayer to rinse the bowl?

I NEVER travel w/o my fresh water tank FULLRVs are 'self contained' and I use ALL of its facilities.That includes pooping in the toilet.Its a toilet not a urinal.Flush a couple of full toilet bowls into black tank so bottom stays wet....Use toilet like home.When pooping fill bowl full prior to flushing and then let water run '1000 and 1;

Old-Biscuit wrote:I NEVER travel w/o my fresh water tank FULLRVs are 'self contained' and I use ALL of its facilities.That includes pooping in the toilet.Its a toilet not a urinal.Flush a couple of full toilet bowls into black tank so bottom stays wet....Use toilet like home.When pooping fill bowl full prior to flushing and then let water run '1000 and 1;+1If t is yellow it can mellowIf it is brown flush it downand mama don't like pit toilett

Welcome to the forum birish21 I'm not sure why you want to go the liquids only route but that's your business. It's your camper, your rules.I have no need to carry a full fresh water tank but I always have at least 5 gallons or so in the tank to flush the toilet and hand washing while on the road. You could carry water containers to pour into the toilet and hand washing if you wish but that defeats the purpose of having the system you purchased.ALWAYS keep a little water in the toilet bowl in order to keep the seal wet. About an inch or so. This is while on the road, camping or during storage. NEVER let the bowl seal dry out.Enjoy your first trip. You'll learn a lot and maybe change a few rules as you go.

DEFINITELY use your toilet and your water. That's the entire point of having a trailer.I remember when I bought my first trailer, a new Scamp from the factory in Minnesota, and I was pulling it home across the country. I got deathly ill in the middle of the night going across the Ozarks in the freezing rain. We were all sick...even our dog. The best thing I have EVER purchased was that full bathroom in that Scamp. SURE came in handy that first night...and every single time I've needed it.Carry a good amount of water and don't be afraid to drop a fragrant floozy pa-two-zy in the e-coli oven when you need to. Don't be afraid to use it.Again...that's the point of having a self-contained RV.

To be clear, the reason so many say not to travel with water in the tank is just to save weight. Water weighs a lot. If you're well within your weight limits, you're absolutely fine carrying all that water. If your close to limits, see if there is a place to fill the water close to where you're going.

Toilet usage | Good Sam Community

birish21
Explorer
Jul 25, 2017
fallsrider wrote:
Huntindog wrote:
2112 wrote:
Welcome to the forum birish21

I'm not sure why you want to go the liquids only route but that's your business. It's your camper, your rules.

I have no need to carry a full fresh water tank but I always have at least 5 gallons or so in the tank to flush the toilet and hand washing while on the road. You could carry water containers to pour into the toilet and hand washing if you wish but that defeats the purpose of having the system you purchased.

ALWAYS keep a little water in the toilet bowl in order to keep the seal wet. About an inch or so. This is while on the road, camping or during storage. NEVER let the bowl seal dry out.

Enjoy your first trip. You'll learn a lot and maybe change a few rules as you go.
Caution! If you leave water in the bowl when on the road, it can end up on the floor! If the road is bumpy enough, or steep enough, or you have to brake hard, or any combination of them.... Don't ask me how I know this.
The bowl seals will be fine without water for a few hours while you are under tow...

We have never had this problem...yet. You may prove us wrong some day.

To the OP, put some water in your FW tank and enjoy the benefits of it. It is nice to turn on the pump and use your own toilet while traveling.

We use our toilet just like the ones at home. I only have 1 rule...the only thing that goes in it is human waste and toilet paper. Nothing else. No sanitary products, etc.

That sounds like a good rule. The wide finally bought off on using it for what it's meant for lol. I am sure I would have snuck a few in there anyway!
RandomAbstract
Explorer
Jul 25, 2017
If you are a guy and a really good aim (although those might be mutually exclusive), you don't need to flush for #1. :)
RandomAbstract
Explorer
Jul 25, 2017
wrenchbender wrote:
I plan ahead with water quantity always Cary 3 days of emergency rations. Learned the hard way

Yeah, that one!
siamese
Explorer
Jul 24, 2017
A full tank(s) on my 26 ft. trailer weighs close to 800 pounds. I carry only about 20 gallons to keep the weight more manageable, but still have a little water onboard for nature calls, etc.. Like so many things, it's a compromise.
wrenchbender
Explorer
Jul 24, 2017
I plan ahead with water quantity always Cary 3 days of emergency rations. Learned the hard way
fallsrider
Explorer
Jul 23, 2017
Huntindog wrote:
2112 wrote:
Welcome to the forum birish21

I'm not sure why you want to go the liquids only route but that's your business. It's your camper, your rules.

I have no need to carry a full fresh water tank but I always have at least 5 gallons or so in the tank to flush the toilet and hand washing while on the road. You could carry water containers to pour into the toilet and hand washing if you wish but that defeats the purpose of having the system you purchased.

ALWAYS keep a little water in the toilet bowl in order to keep the seal wet. About an inch or so. This is while on the road, camping or during storage. NEVER let the bowl seal dry out.

Enjoy your first trip. You'll learn a lot and maybe change a few rules as you go.
Caution! If you leave water in the bowl when on the road, it can end up on the floor! If the road is bumpy enough, or steep enough, or you have to brake hard, or any combination of them.... Don't ask me how I know this.
The bowl seals will be fine without water for a few hours while you are under tow...

We have never had this problem...yet. You may prove us wrong some day.

To the OP, put some water in your FW tank and enjoy the benefits of it. It is nice to turn on the pump and use your own toilet while traveling.

We use our toilet just like the ones at home. I only have 1 rule...the only thing that goes in it is human waste and toilet paper. Nothing else. No sanitary products, etc.
birish21
Explorer
Jul 21, 2017
DE88ROX wrote:
wanderingbob wrote:
I do not understand why to save weight that you would carry water in a jug !Does it weigh less in a jug !
2112 said it , always leave enough water in the bowl to cover the seals , for several reasons . as the seals dry out they will sometimes seize together . These seals are usually not rubber but some magical , mystical, expensive compound .

i get the OP's logic. A couple gallons of water in a jug weigh a lot less than 40-50 gallons in the tank. In lieu of jugs, i just throw about 5 gallons in the tank and fill up whenever i reach my destination.

Yea it was more of way to just rinse out the bowl after going #1 instead of filling up the tank with water. I have never done this before so just trying to get my facts straight before we leave next weekend. But if rolling with 1/3 of a tank is not a problem then we will do that. I really appreciate the responses.
Atlee
Explorer II
Jul 21, 2017
I use the black tank/toilet for what it's intended for. The bathroom in my trailer is used like the bathroom in my house.

As for carrying fresh water, I've always had at least 1/3 tank, which, in my old trailer, amounted to at least 13-15 gallons. And if I were boondocking at football games where there was no water source, I carried a full tank of 40 gallons.

My new trailer, Jayco 23RB, has 84 gallons of fresh water capacity. It will be rare when I have a full tank of water. However, I will always still have between 1/3 and 2/3 tank of fresh water.

I haven't seen any warnings from Jayco about traveling with water in the tank. And I hope I don't. If I had, I would not have bought the Jayco.

A warning from the manufacturer to not carry fresh water when traveling tells me that manufacturer knowingly makes and sells an inferior product.
FrankShore
Explorer
Jul 21, 2017
Yep, keep some RV antifreeze or olive oil in the tank when in non-use, or you can do what you want.
Huntindog
Explorer
Jul 21, 2017
2112 wrote:
Welcome to the forum birish21

I'm not sure why you want to go the liquids only route but that's your business. It's your camper, your rules.

I have no need to carry a full fresh water tank but I always have at least 5 gallons or so in the tank to flush the toilet and hand washing while on the road. You could carry water containers to pour into the toilet and hand washing if you wish but that defeats the purpose of having the system you purchased.

ALWAYS keep a little water in the toilet bowl in order to keep the seal wet. About an inch or so. This is while on the road, camping or during storage. NEVER let the bowl seal dry out.

Enjoy your first trip. You'll learn a lot and maybe change a few rules as you go.
Caution! If you leave water in the bowl when on the road, it can end up on the floor! If the road is bumpy enough, or steep enough, or you have to brake hard, or any combination of them.... Don't ask me how I know this.
The bowl seals will be fine without water for a few hours while you are under tow...

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