23 minute dump time?

[pconroy328]

So we're new to this, and have only been out a half-dozen times. Yesterday at the dump station, the fella in front of us took 23 minutes.

Since I'm done in under 5 minutes, I got to wondering. Is that atypical? Did I just happen to find the spot behind a guy with a 1/8" dump pipe?

I'm not sure how much was real dump time either.

He seemed to enjoy walking away to the other side of the trailer and staring off at the mountains. Yeah, they were especially pretty that morning, but still...

[wbwood]

spoon059 wrote:
There seem to be two schools of thought.

Group #1 doesn't care how long it takes, you should enjoy the sights and smells of the dump station.

Group #2 doesn't understand how someone can be that discourteous to take so long when there is a line behind you.

I would imagine the majority of people in group #1 are retired and literally have nothing better to do than stop and watch someone flush poop.

I would imagine the majority of people in group #2 have jobs and have some need to get back home, stow gear and get ready for work the next day.

Just my thoughts; if you feel the need to, and have the time to take 30 minutes to flush your tanks and scrub the inside then you should have the decency to wait until there is nobody else in line. Polish those tanks so they are super clean for the next time you take a poop in there. But have common courtesy and don't do it when there are people behind you waiting.

I take 5-7 minutes at a dump station. There isn't a need to take much longer. We drain the black, drain the gray, rinse out the hose if applicable, put hose away, put fittings away, take off rubber gloves and drove forward. After I have cleared the dump station and given enough room for the guy behind me to dump, I stop and run 5 gallons from my holding tank into the black water tank and drive off.

I keep the process the same whether there is a line or not. Its called common courtesy and respecting those around me. Just like being prepared to pay at the grocery store. Just like knowing what food we want to order when we step up to the counter to order.

I am not retired and we both work. But we plan on being at the dump station (when we go to places without FHU) as part of the camping time. If 15-20 minutes is gonna mess up your time to prepare for work, then pack up and leave 15-20 minutes earlier.

[wbwood]

2oldman wrote:

wbwood wrote:
I don't think it should matter how long they take.

Seriously? Would 45 minutes be ok?

Yes...especially if no one is waiting. It depends on what they are doing for 45 minutes. Are they actively dumping and flushing? Are they just sitting there or doing other things that have nothing to do with dumping/flushing? You gotta look at the whoel situation. But i have never seen (except for a paid dump station) that says you only have a certain amount of time. This is where common sense comes into play. If checkout time is 11am, then don't wait until 1045-1100 to leave and expect not to have to wait to dump. Stagger your time. If you see a bunch of people leaving at a certain time, then wait. You will have to wait either way. Just like there is no "rule" on how long it should take a person to pack/unpack/hitch/unhitch/etc, there is no such thing at the dump station. As long as they are working on dumping, then I see no issue. Now I will say it's nto a time to repair something or anything of that nature, but I be damned if someone is going to tell me I can't take some time to make sure my tanks are emptied to my satisfaction. Nor am I going to work at someone else's pace. Bottom line...if you are in a hurry to leave, get up early and leave.

And people wonder why we are always seeing posts on here about "smells in my RV" or "my tank is clogged up". A lot of the time all this is due to user error. People don't take time to do things they might should do.

[Crowe]

Wow pretty harsh words from some one that does not even use the dump station.

Nope, not harsh in the least. Quite accurate actually. Terryallen is 100% correct. If you are going to stress that much over being delayed, then plan accordingly. Period. It's not someone else's issue if you put yourself on that tight of a time schedule. While I'll agree common courtesy should be used it also extends both ways-patience is a virtue that should be practiced far more often on here than it is. Too much "do as I say and not as I do". I can guarantee many of you are not as quick as you think you are.

[rockhillmanor]

Terryallan wrote:

Even though I don't use the dump station. That is what FHU sites are for. however, ....We use the CG facilities. Why? you ask? Because I DON'T go to the dump station. Just not going to do it.

And in truth. If a person doesn't have time to wait. They should have left earlier.

:?

Wow pretty harsh words from some one that does not even use the dump station.:(

It is RV "common courtesy" at the dump station when there is a line that you get in dump and get out and/or move up so the next person in line can use the station. It really is that simple. Taking 23 minutes to dump and do whatever else that person was doing IS too long period.

[Terryallan]

wbwood wrote:
23 minutes...which tells me you were really impatient. I can see someone saying this guy took about 20 or 25 minutes. But to be precise at 23 minutes, tells me you were watching the clock. What did the guy do to take so long? Did he dump,refill, dump again? Flush it out? Some people like their tanks clean.

Unless there are any rules posted, I don't think it should matter how long they take. You either wait or leave and dump elsewhere. That's part of many sites sharing one dump station. Don't fret, you may come across this again.

I'm gonna have to go with this as well. Even though I don't use the dump station. That is what FHU sites are for. however, IF I was to use the dump station. I would dump, rinse. Fill, dump and rinse again. then put 5 or so gallons of water in the black tank with the chemicals, and then dump the grey. I don't have a dump at home. So it has to be clean before I leave the CG. I figure few others do as well. So take your time, and do it right.

I know what some of you are thinkin. He don't go to primitive campgrounds. But I do. And when I do. We use the CG facilities. Why? you ask? Because I DON'T go to the dump station. Just not going to do it.

And in truth. If a person doesn't have time to wait. They should have left earlier.

[Reader1]

We often talk about writing a book called, "Dump Station Stories," but don't know who would read it. We have waited that long for people before also. The strangest was when a TT was finished and the hose was put away a lady must have filled a 5 gallon bucket of non potable water a couple dozen times taking it into the camper. The funniest was the guy who put both hands on the side of his 5th wheel and pushed back and forth so hard I thought the unit would fall over..."DH said he was shaking the sh.. out of it.". I'll stop there are just too many stories. We have a system. He starts dumping when he is finished with the black, I go in run some into the toilet and put in the sanitizer. I am out before he finishes, he cleans the hose and we go. In the fall he flushes the system when no one is behind us.

[Crowe]

Now imagine your 4th in line and the other 3 all do the same thing. that`s 69 minutes waiting in line to do something that can and should be done in 10 min. tops!

Exactly why we always used full hook-up sites. Keeps us on OUR schedule without being delayed by someone else.

I don't agree. We've done that "Just for fun". If you have a long drive ahead of you, 25 minutes is a LONG time!

Then plan ahead and assume someone is going to tie up the line. If you are running late, it's not the other person's fault. Worst case scenario is you wind up on time. Best case is you hit the road a little early. I suspect that some of you might be the same people you see that show up at a site before check-in time and then complain when they can't get on it.

[bluie5]

My DW will tell you if I have a magazine I can take 23 minutes to dump. Oh wait. Wrong kinda dump. If there are people waiting behind me I try and be as quick as I can. If no one waiting I take as long as I want until I'm satisfied the job is done.

[cyntdon2010]

After camping I am so relaxed, I don't wanna go back to the real world.

[bsinmich]

I try to avoid dumping when leaving if I am going home. I go to Holland Motor Homes and dump the next morning. The extra sloshing of driving gives a bit of circulation and breaks up everything. We never have had a problem with anything in the tanks building up.

[BTPO1]

Mr. Camper wrote:
He must be related to the guy I got behind in Corbin, KY. As we pulled up to the dump he kept backing up and pulling forward and every time his wife kept bending over and although we couldn't see what she was doing this was taking way too long. Finally, I got out of my truck to offer help. Apparently she was measuring the distance from pipe to hole so that when they pulled the emptying valve the waste would shoot out and go right to the dump hole. I explained to her that they had to hook up a sewer hose to have the waste go directly into the waste tank. She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "This is how we've always done it." I walked into the office to let them know what they were about to deal with. Never saw a campground employee move that fast before or since.

Great story, I hope that I never get behind them. I have got behind some slow people, but normally dump when there is no line. Being retired I have lots of time (Hopefully) to do it at will. JMO

[Wavesprite]

Crowe wrote:
Timing the campers in front of you will lead to nothing but aggravation.

Bingo. Too many other important things to worry about.

I don't agree. We've done that "Just for fun". If you have a long drive ahead of you, 25 minutes is a LONG time!

[Wavesprite]

pconroy328 wrote:
Good news is that there was no one behind us, so the line length was "just me" and I wasn't in any hurry. I genuinely wanted to know if I should expect about 5 mins a vehicle or more.



He just reminded me of those folks we all get behind in the grocery store. The ones that wait until all of their groceries are bagged and *then* they'll put out their checkbook.

Me, I have everything on the check filled in, and ready except the amount. Driver's license ready to go. 🙂

This is us. When we are almost ready to go, my DH pulls out the rubber gloves, gets the wire out of the bumper where the slinky is....etc.

We have seen some HORRIBLE stuff at the dump site. OMG. The best was the guy that was back flushing his tanks in flip flops and it was going EVERYWHERE!

[2oldman]

pconroy328 wrote:
..some folks lack "situational awareness". These folks will have their impromptu meetings in the middle of the hall

Chat with friends they run into in the doorway of a store.

[pconroy328]

spoon059 wrote:
There seem to be two schools of thought.

Group #1 doesn't care how long it takes, you should enjoy the sights and smells of the dump station.

Group #2 doesn't understand how someone can be that discourteous to take so long when there is a line behind you.

I would imagine the majority of people in group #1 are retired and literally have nothing better to do than stop and watch someone flush poop.

I would imagine the majority of people in group #2 have jobs and have some need to get back home, stow gear and get ready for work the next day.

Just my thoughts; if you feel the need to, and have the time to take 30 minutes to flush your tanks and scrub the inside then you should have the decency to wait until there is nobody else in line. Polish those tanks so they are super clean for the next time you take a poop in there. But have common courtesy and don't do it when there are people behind you waiting.

I take 5-7 minutes at a dump station. There isn't a need to take much longer. We drain the black, drain the gray, rinse out the hose if applicable, put hose away, put fittings away, take off rubber gloves and drove forward. After I have cleared the dump station and given enough room for the guy behind me to dump, I stop and run 5 gallons from my holding tank into the black water tank and drive off.

I keep the process the same whether there is a line or not. Its called common courtesy and respecting those around me. Just like being prepared to pay at the grocery store. Just like knowing what food we want to order when we step up to the counter to order.

I think we're cut from the same cloth. 🙂

I noticed the time because it was past lunch time and the kids were hungry. So I glanced at the clock when I arrived.

I'm old - and I too have noticed that some folks lack "situational awareness". These folks will have their impromptu meetings in the middle of the hall, stop their cars in the middle of the road so they can chat with a neighbor, run their shopping cart down the middle of the aisle, drive 45 mph in the left hand lane...

Of all of Group 2, I don't think they're all discourteous. I think the thought that they might be "in the way" just doesn't cross their mind.


Macerator? Perhaps, but this gentlemen pulled his stinky slinky from his bumper, fiddled with the hose to get it into the dump, walked to the other side of the trailer to get his clear plastic adapter, then reached down to pull a valve and then walked off. 😉