Full hookup questions

[paullac]

We generally don't do full hookups so just work off the fresh tank (50 gallons) & gray tank (39 gallons) with navy showers.

This will be our first real full hookup weekend so curious what others do for the two things below:

When others are on full hookups, do they still do "navy showers" or leave the shower water on (albeit quickly - so as to not drain the water heater that's only 6 gallons)?

Also, I am planning to leave the gray tank valve closed & dump as needed (vs leaving the valve open all the time). Is that typical?

[MitchF150]

I turned my shower into a 'closet', so it's not an issue for me.. 🙂

I keep very clean with sponge baths, and having the wife do me and I her works out pretty good too.. 😉

Anyway............. Each to their own and whatever works for you is what you should do!

Mitch

[Bird_Freak]

After my sewer fly issue we always close valves.

[pennysmom09]

When sitting in FL for several weeks, we keep both tanks closed. Initially we left the gray tank open, but bad smells filled the camper. So we always keep both tanks closed all the time now. We took navy showers, but our soon to be delivered new rig will have a 12 gallon water heater. (Yaay)

[tenbear]

I still take navy showers, but not as extreme as when dry camping. Sometimes I will leave the grey tank open until the day before we are going to leave, but usually I leave it closed. I have seen several posts about people getting bugs in their tank from the sewer system. The black tank always stays closed until I am ready to dump.

[et2]

Winged One wrote:
Somewhere on here someone just had a catastrophe with sewage being pushed back through their trailers system when they left the gray tank open, and the campground had a major problem. I will leave mine closed till dumping.

Yuck

Exactly ^^^^^^^^^ . Leave it open and you're taking a big risk. I can't fathom the mess and stench if it backed up into a trailer while being away. Honestly it won't kill you to pull the grey valve every other day.

Now if I can just remember to shut the water off when we leave. And yes, I've seen water flowing out of a camper while the owner was gone. I shut it off from the main. It was running like a waterfall out of every possible place near the floor line. I didn't bother the guy to see the damage when he return, the look on his face was enough. I felt sorry for him.

[Gjac]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

koda55 wrote:
When camping with fhu we open the gray tank but keep the black tank closed until it is full or we are leaving. The grey tank we close a day or two before we leave. We have a 10 gallon water heater and we always have plenty of hot water for showers. When I retired from the Navy, I quit taking Navy showers.

I never took a 'Navy' shower when I was in the Navy. On board ship I was the 'water king' and I always had plenty of water or knew where I could get some when others where taking salt water showers. It is good to be King :B

I hated the saltwater showers and salt water soap that was supposed to make you feel clean. Now I know who used up all the FW. Depending on outside temperature, if it is hot I will take a cool shower no propane heat, water is tank is 80 degrees anyway. In the fall I will take long hot showers 6 gallons seems to give plenty of water for 2 hot showers.

[kroghville]

When on FHU on our own "private" spot, we usually stay for 7 or 8 days at a time and leave every thing closed until we are ready to leave, then dump the tanks. We have a 12 gallon heater and take full showers and never run out of hot water. We probably use more water than many, but we're hooked up to a new septic system and the only water it gets is when we are using it, so we want it to stay wet.

[Jim_Shoe]

I took Navy showers when I was on a ship in the Navy because I didn't have a choice. No knobs to turn. Just a chain to pull, and when you let go, the water stopped. I take Navy showers in the MH because the shower is so tiny (or I'm so big) that I can't leave it running without being in the stream. My shower head is on a hose with a shut off button, so its easy enough to do.

[Dutch_12078]

It isn't necessary to have a full gray tank to rinse the slinky when dumping. Even a quarter tank will get the job done adequately.

[K3WE]

I suggest you keep the gray tank closed- especially with the navy shower business.

Murphy's law-but it can be hard to get the gray tank full when you need it to rinse out the slinky.

[stugpanzer]

I will admit that I do take more time in the shower on FHU's. Also, I leave the grey open until about a day before we leave so there will be some to rinse after dumping the black tank.

[lakeside013104]

Shower together. She soaps me and I soap her. We rinse each other by taking turns with the hand held showerhead. Ten gallon HW heater works great. The dog gets a bath by herself ( cool water only). Works for us as we are high school sweethearts with lots of wrinkles and aching parts, but we still like each other. Dump gray tanks when nearly full.

Lakeside

[Terryallan]

GordonThree wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Don't know how y'all do it. 6 gal of hot water won't get me a good shower unless I use the cut off, soap up, and rinse. Any other way. I'm our before half way.

i've found it makes a difference in how the hot/cold mixer is set - at least in my KZ it's not very efficient.

example 1: turn the hot full on and turn up cold until the water is comfortable, result: a short shower before the hot runs out

example 2: turn the cold on to 50-75%, turn up hot until the water is comfortable, result: a long shower before the hot runs out

Done it both ways. Still have to be quick, or will run out.

[Tootall58]

We take Navy showers either way, fhu or not. Leave the Grey water closed and drain it every couple days. Drain the blackwater either end of stay or every 3 days maybe 4.