Toileting and the overnight stay

[Up_north_michig]

We will be taking our first long trip in our motor home soon. For a single overnight stay before we reach our destination, we are staying in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I have heard from others that you don't want to use your toilet while travelling. Am told if I need to use the facilities during the night, I should go into the store and use theirs. By the time I do that at 2am I will be fully awake! Besides, when I gotta go, I gotta go now. I probably wouldn't even make it. So, do I get a 'ladies' urinal funnel and go in a jar to be emptied later? Get a box of heavy duty depends? Or do I just use the darn indoor toilet? Hey, I'm older now and my bladder isn't what it used to be! What do some of you other ladies do? HELP!

[GailS]

You can place a WAG bag in the RV toilet. No need to purchase the bucket or frame to put it in. We don't have a problem with freezing temps but use this method the last day of travel after emptying the tanks.

[toedtoes]

WeBeFulltimers wrote:

bobjogone wrote:
Keep a gallon of water in the bathroom and use it to flush. Don't need to turn on water pump and wake up your partner.

Do you also put your foot into the toilet and pee down your leg so the "tinkle" sound won't wake your partner?

Really? I think there's a huge difference between the noise of a water pump (especially if it's near the bed) and the "tinkle". Some people don't fall back to sleep easily when awoken - being a considerate partner and trying to reduce the chance of waking the other up unnecessarily shouldn't be discounted.

[WeBeFulltimers]

bobjogone wrote:
Keep a gallon of water in the bathroom and use it to flush. Don't need to turn on water pump and wake up your partner.

Do you also put your foot into the toilet and pee down your leg so the "tinkle" sound won't wake your partner?

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I see you have the answer - but I'll add this for others: since we too are Michiganders and often traveled while winterized, we either flushed the toilet with antifreeze; or if the temps were going to be below 20 degrees (um, urine can freeze at 28-degrees), we'd bring along our "Luggable Loo" (basically a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat and lid) which was lined with a WAG Bag (heavy plastic bag) and filled with about a lb of kitty litter, and would not put ANY liquid down the toilet or drain until we got to warmer weather. The nice thing about this setup is that you can simply tie off the Wag Bag and toss it in a dumpster.

Even though our 5er had enclosed/heated tanks - the valves and some piping was still exposed below the bottom shroud. We'd rather be safe than risk splitting a dump pipe.

[Rolin]

Since we are talking about a reality type show here...just have to add my 2 cents.

The answer is "it depends".
OP is UP Michigan where it gets pretty cold, don't know what type of RV they have.

Trailer/5th Wheel: If it has exposed holding tanks and no generator then I might leave the holding tanks dry till we get to warmer temperatures. It is quite possible to use antifreeze for flushing and if temps are not too cold and I left the furnace (assuming 2 batteries) set to 50 degrees, open cupboard doors near plumbing to maximize air flow to those areas...I would carry some fresh water and use all of the facilities except the hot water heater which I would leave empty. I find it a challenge to keep warm at night if the temp in the RV is below about 45 degrees.

MotorHome: (B, B+, C, or A) with a generator and the low temperatures are in the 20's the I see no reason not to use the plumbing. Our MH has tank heaters, we put a gallon of water in the black water tank and add a gallon of RV antifreeze, some deodorizer, and put 1/2 gallon of antifreeze in gray water tank. The fresh water is under the bed and we keep it 2/3 full (would take a long time to freeze that much water inside the MH when we keep the temp above 50 degrees. Empty and bypass the water heater so we don't have to worry about it freezing. We open strategic cupboard doors to maximize air flow to plumbing during the night.

We don't travel where or when temps are in the single digits so can't presume to know what steps to take in those situations.

Its up to the OP to analyze conditions, their RV, and determine what option they chose. Its always a bit more challenging when traveling in temperature extremes. In any case "happy travels".

[Jim_Shoe]

For the single night that you'll be on the road, spring for an RV park with full hookups. They all have restrooms with showers, and at least 30A electric. Don't hook up the water in case the hose might freeze. Put a few gallons of water in your fresh water tank for flushing the toilet that first day but don't fill it so it has room to expand if it drops below freezing the first night. Eat in a restaurant the first night or hit McDonalds, so no dishes to wash. And I always take distilled water along for coffee and cooking because some local water systems "taste funny". I do that whatever the season.

[navegator]

Granted a few nights will not cause damage, prolonged freezing will, I lived in Sweden close to the Arctic Circle we had weeks of minus 40 degrees Celsius, that is around minus 40 Fahrenheit, I know what freezing is, only the Coastal areas in California get low temperatures at night and not every year.

The OP mentioned that they are going to warmer climate, so some antifreeze and off they go, if going to another area of cold I will say rent a warm hotel room.

navegator

[Dutch_12078]

toedtoes wrote:

I think Bsinmich is addressing the folks who are saying to "just put water in the tank and use the toilet". Many of the comments on this thread are completely ignoring the issue of weather when they say "put water in the tank and use the toilet". Your posts are not ignoring that issue.

I will add that choosing to camp in the Sierras for a few days is not the same as having to deal with those freezing temps just to get from your home to another location with non-freezing nights. Californian's (myself included) are fortunate in that they can enjoy non-freezing nights without having to travel for hundreds of miles.

I posted that we fill up the fresh tank and use all systems normally in our coach when we leave our upstate NY cottage in January. That's a long way from, and usually a lot colder than, California.

[2012Coleman]

"Toileting and the overnight stay" Sounds like the makings of a new reality TV show 😛

[toedtoes]

navegator wrote:
Bsinmich we do have freezing temperatures in California, we have high mountains, Los Angeles gets it's water from the snow pack in the sierras, there is a place called Donners pass,remember what happened there?

Close to San Diego we have the Cuyamacas and the Lagunas there are campgrounds up there that have freezing temps for several days, we also have Mount Palomar, we have the deserts with temps in the 70's during the day and low 20's at night in winter, boondocked for 3 days in the San Jasinto Mountain well over 7,000 feet in elevation in winter no problems using the bathroom in the RV, half a gallon antifreeze in black and grey tanks had no problems at all.

navegator

I think Bsinmich is addressing the folks who are saying to "just put water in the tank and use the toilet". Many of the comments on this thread are completely ignoring the issue of weather when they say "put water in the tank and use the toilet". Your posts are not ignoring that issue.

I will add that choosing to camp in the Sierras for a few days is not the same as having to deal with those freezing temps just to get from your home to another location with non-freezing nights. Californian's (myself included) are fortunate in that they can enjoy non-freezing nights without having to travel for hundreds of miles.

[Walaby]

Five pages to discuss/debate whether or not to use the toilet in your RV when parked in the walmart parking lot? Dang... Everyone must be bored.

Use the toilet.. use it already. I carry about a 1/3 of a tank of fresh water anytime Im on the road. If I have to use it, I will turn on the pump and use it.

Heck, I even used it when it was sitting in the driveway, when I had plumbing problems for a day.

Mike

[navegator]

Bsinmich we do have freezing temperatures in California, we have high mountains, Los Angeles gets it's water from the snow pack in the sierras, there is a place called Donners pass,remember what happened there?

Close to San Diego we have the Cuyamacas and the Lagunas there are campgrounds up there that have freezing temps for several days, we also have Mount Palomar, we have the deserts with temps in the 70's during the day and low 20's at night in winter, boondocked for 3 days in the San Jasinto Mountain well over 7,000 feet in elevation in winter no problems using the bathroom in the RV, half a gallon antifreeze in black and grey tanks had no problems at all.

navegator

[Roy_Lynne]

Before you make plans to stay at WalMart, make sure they allow it. In our area it is not allowed to park overnight. Hate to see you drive hours and hours and then find out you cant park there. Those 2am knocks on the door can really wake you up.

[2gypsies1]

bsinmich wrote:
I am in SW Michigan and there are no CGs open around here. It is nice to hear the California people tell what to do but it is below freezing here now.

I think folks aren't reading the OP correctly...they're going by the subject line which doesn't state traveling in freezing temps which is the OP's question.

We're from Michigan, too and understand about the weather conditions!