Newbs question about dump stations

[drumz]

Hey guys,
My Wife and I like to vend at music festivals, so we're always boondocking with our motorhome. Our last motorhome had broken holding tanks so we used a portable toilet with those double doody bags. Now we have a new ride with working tanks so I'm going to have to dump those puppies.
My question is, for those of you that boondock, where do you go to dump your tanks? Do you have a preferred place to go? How much does it cost to dump??

[Harvey51]

I had a home dump pipe for a while but lost it when we demolished a little old house on our property. The choices nearby are a free park dump about 4 miles away and a $5 one 4 blocks away. I prefer the $5 one because it is kept clean with very little smell and no flies. I don't miss the home one.

[j-d]

I absolutely believe in Dish Soap, and lots of Water. We don't have one of those tank rinsing spray features. I don't always to this, but when there's time:

Dump the Tanks. Black then Gray. Water supply to toilet OFF. Block toilet "flush" gate Open. Pour water from a big bucket, down the toilet, trying to get it to go down fast but in a stream. Do this two or three times. I thought I was going to have to replace the Black Tank Valve. It was hard to operate and had a slight leak. It's all MUCH better with Soap and a Bucket Flush!

I added one of these because I was worried about leaked "stuff" in the long run from tanks/valves out to the sewer connection cap. There hasn't been leakage since I started the soap/bucket routine.

[Lwiddis]

"Quirky neighbor didn't like me dumping in the sewer,"

Klutch, same things the neighbor was dumping from his/her house!

[Bordercollie]

Scarcity of RV dump facilities has gotten worse as number of RV's has increased. Got to keep track on internet sites and hope that info is up to date.
We have a local Elks lodge that has short term RV parking facilities and a dump site.

[Community Alumni]

klutchdust wrote:
look for the video regarding the ice scraping idea, you may find you are wasting your ice.

I watched it. I saw that it helped some but not as some people claim.
I just dump the remaining ice I have left from the camping trip down the toilet. It's either dump it on the ground or in the black tank. I classify it under "it can't hurt" category. lol

The biggest help (my opinion) is water, water, and more water. As long as there is more liquid than solid in the tank, it should clean up nicely when dumping. After a weekend trip, our black tank is about 1/3 full. I fill it up to 2/3 using water "bombs" from the toilet and then dump at home. If I feel it needs it, I'll use the wand to clean even more.

[klutchdust]

drumz wrote:

DrewE wrote:
If you have a sewer or septic cleanout on your property that's somewhat conveniently located, you can dump into that.

What an awesome thought! I've never considered this!! If free and convenient. Thank you!!!!

When my home was built 12 yrs ago i had a "clean out" installed near the end of the property by the road. Very convenient and the first item on the list when I come home. Quirky neighbor didn't like me dumping in the sewer, a call to the city and was told by all means dump in the sewer just please don't dump in the storm drain.

other post:
"I add some dish soap to the black tank and some ice prior to leaving the campsite. The drive home helps knock some of the crud loose on the walls and the dish soap helps keep it from sticking to the sides."

look for the video regarding the ice scraping idea, you may find you are wasting your ice.

[tobydad]

If you travel to eastern Mass., you will find public dump stations far and few between and mostly in state parks. Some campgrounds allow it but charge almost as much as a night's stay. The Camping World store nearby has a dump station, but every time I go there I find a sign on the door that reads dump station closed. I usually book in one night at a campground close by with sewer hookup and really clean out the tanks thoroughly before I leave.

[Community Alumni]

We dump at our house at the sewer flush out. We did that last camping trip even though the park had a dump station (no sewer at the site). We also had a 30 amp service installed near our water spigot. And our sewer flush out is right there. While the wife and kids are cleaning and taking out perishables not used and restocking RV items, I'm handling the dump duties.

I add some dish soap to the black tank and some ice prior to leaving the campsite. The drive home helps knock some of the crud loose on the walls and the dish soap helps keep it from sticking to the sides.

No reason to get the stinky slinky out at the campsite if you don't need to. One less thing to do during setup and take down.

[rockhillmanor]

Look for CG's. Many CG's allow anyone to use their dump station sometimes for a small fee.

AND

Keep an eye out and start looking for this sign along the roadside usually at rest stops on interstates, and sometimes CG's that have dump stations for the public use. Sign Denotes dump station.



Congrats on your new RV. :C

[Dusty_R]

drumz wrote:

DrewE wrote:
If you have a sewer or septic cleanout on your property that's somewhat conveniently located, you can dump into that.

What an awesome thought! I've never considered this!! If free and convenient. Thank you!!!!

We have our own septic tank, and I have added our own dump station. PM me if you want details on how.

Dusty

[fitznj]

I use state parks - they usually charge $5 or $10 for dump station use.
I've also seen dump stations at fuel/food stops along the PA Turnpike and
other major highways.

[1320Fastback]

Download RV Parky and look for RV resorts near or along your path.
Pretty much any RV resort will allow you to dump your tanks even if your not staying there. Is $15-$20 and since resorts are usually full hookups there isn't usually a wait.

[drumz]

samven1 wrote:
I recommend getting one of those collapsing garden hoses 50' long if you need to get the hose into the RV to rinse the black tank. They are soft and dont scratch anything and collapse into a walmart plastic bag for storage.

This is good too! Thanks!!

[drumz]

DrewE wrote:
If you have a sewer or septic cleanout on your property that's somewhat conveniently located, you can dump into that.

What an awesome thought! I've never considered this!! If free and convenient. Thank you!!!!