How to camp with electric only

[DallasSteve]

Newbie question here.

I have a reservation at a campground with electric hookup only and no water hookup. It was the best I could do over the Memorial Day weekend. At least it's cheap. How do you normally stretch your water in that situation? Can I drive to some station in the park (it's a government park) and fill my fresh water tank? Maybe at the dump station? I know you're not supposed to use the typical water at a dump station, but maybe at these semi-rustic campgrounds they also provide potable water?

[JRscooby]

2oldman wrote:


The flush water at dump stations is the same water you drink, it's just that the hose and/or spigot may be contaminated.

This statement could get some people sick. Sometimes the flush water is pumped out of the middle level of the septic pond.

pasusan wrote:
^ I like to do this before the water goes into the grey tank. After done washing dishes I scoop out water from the sink and pour it down the toilet. Helps sudsify the black tank too. 🙂

Use a dish pan, save the dipping. Better, catch the rinse water in another dish pan. Next time you do dished add boiling water and soap to that slightly soapy water.

[Veebyes]

The frugal owner can run a 50amp RV on a 20amp power source.

No A/C. Leave water heater on propane & only turn it on 15 minutes or so before hot water is needed then turn it off. Leave fridge on propane. Avoid using more than one small AC heater.

I have used the A/C on 20amp however the circuit breakers for everything else, including battery charger, were turned OFF.

[rexmitchell]

If you can’t get away from the heavy water usage get a water tank for your truck. I have a 65 gallon leg tank with a transfer pump mounted on it that we use to fill our trailer and/or off grid water tank setup at our hunting camp. I haul water from home along with the trailer if we are going to be out an extended amount of time.

[Howie3]

Since dishwashing uses up a lot of water, we use the campground water for dishes and wash them in a basin (the basin also fits in the RV sink if washing inside). Then dump the basin in the campground grey water drain (usually located under the campground water tap or next to it).
I start by filling up a 2 gal pail and kettle from the campground tap which lasts for several meals' worth of dishes. Heat the kettle and add about 1/3 to the basin and balance the temp with the pail water for doing the dishes.
Then all the RV water and holding tanks can be reserved for showers and toilet use. With navy showers every other day, the DW and I can go easily 10 days without running out of RV water or filling the waste tanks.
Howie

[pasusan]

^ I like to do this before the water goes into the grey tank. After done washing dishes I scoop out water from the sink and pour it down the toilet. Helps sudsify the black tank too. 🙂

[pnichols]

There's a couple of other things that can be done in an RV to help with water use, and disposing of, when drycamping:

1. Install water restrictors on all faucets in the living area. We have 0.5 gallons per minute restrictors on our kitchen and bathroom sink faucets.

2. When the grey tank is getting near full - but the black tank is not - empty grey water from it's tank drain into a bucket, go inside the coach and empty the bucket into the toilet. We have done this at times when drycamping for several days in order to better balance grey water capacity with black water capacity. Our black tank size is larger than our grey water tank, as is the case in many RVs.

[DrewE]

I figure on about five gallons per person per day with moderate conservation: navy showers, not letting the water run excessively when washing hands, brushing teeth, etc. but still using and washing dishes. Since my motorhome has about a 35 gallon fresh water tank, that means a week when traveling alone.

Usually about the time the fresh water tank is getting empty, the gray water tank is getting full. Every (or at least very nearly every) dump station I've happened upon has had a potable water connection associated with it, beside the usual non-potable rinse hose. Indeed, typically the difference between the two is just labeling and use and cleanliness; the water for both usually comes from the same supply.

[Veebyes]

From our boating days we used about 12 gal per person per day. 4 onboard & we got through 4 night long weekends not running out with our 115gal capacity.

Sounds like alot of use. Yes & no. Yes in that we were in & out of the water, salt water, all day. Anytime we planned to be out for a bit it was a quick hose off with freshwater. No in that the toilet did not use freshwater. It used seawater for flushing. No shortage there.

[wnjj]

DallasSteve wrote:

I definitely plan to arrive with a full tank. Lately we blast through our capacity (black and gray) in one day. I think if we tried we could go 2 or 3 days, but I have a 7-day reservation. Winnebago says my model has 36/42/51 (black, gray, fresh) with 6 for the water heater. Does that mean I have 51+6 in total fresh water? Hopefully, this park has a common water fill. I tried to call this morning, but they didn't answer so I sent them an email.

You can't count the water heater for "use" but t figures in for travelling weight. The only practical way to get water out of the water heater is to push more water into it. So when your main tank runs out, you're out. In an emergency you could go outside and drain the water heater into a container and then use it for something if needed.

Our 46 gallons lasts about 4 days with our family of 5, including drinking from it. We usually don't shower when camping, especially if we're playing in lakes during the day.

[dedmiston]

I agree. Using 51 gallons of fresh water in a day seems impossible to me.

[4x4van]

DallasSteve wrote:

I definitely plan to arrive with a full tank. Lately we blast through our capacity (black and gray) in one day. I think if we tried we could go 2 or 3 days, but I have a 7-day reservation. Winnebago says my model has 36/42/51 (black, gray, fresh) with 6 for the water heater. Does that mean I have 51+6 in total fresh water? Hopefully, this park has a common water fill. I tried to call this morning, but they didn't answer so I sent them an email.

No offense, but if you are burning through 51 gallons of water in one day, you need to take a crash course on RV water use/conservation. Navy showers, navy toothbrushing, navy dishwashing, etc. My last motorhome had only 32 gallons; we could make it at least 2-3 days with a family of 5.

Growing up, we (family of 4) camped in a truck camper with a 10 gallon water tank, and made it fine for 2-3 day weekends (a small hand pump and no toilet/shower helped, obviously).

[Veebyes]

It is nice to have a unit that is setup for glamping no matter the situation.

Water capacity & battery capacity are king. Something learned long ago in the boating world of 100% no hookups.

We have 100gal fresh water capacity & 220AH battery bank.

If we arrive at a CG & all they have is dry or power only, no problem.

[Eric_Lisa]

DallasSteve wrote:
Newbie question here....

A few years ago we went boondock camping with a friend of ours. His new girlfriend was a first time camper. She proceeded to take a home-style shower. She was the new girlfriend, and it was important to look good and all that...

My point is make sure the rest of your camping party knows about water conservation, lest you find yourself in a similar situation. 🙂

[JAC1982]

I'm still wondering how you managed to fill up both a black and gray tank in one day. Are your tanks teeny tiny?

We boondock often. As a female, with hair that needs to be washed every day or two, I Navy shower. Turn water on to get everything wet, turn off water. Then soap up hair, turn water on to rinse hair. Turn off water, put in hair conditioner, and then do body wash. Rinse. Done. Uses very little water, and I never run out of hot water either. A man could do it with even less.

For dishes... well, we use paper plates/utensils for the most part. Not the most eco-friendly, but saves a lot of dish water. Get one of those sponges with a handle that holds soap, so you can wash things little by little instead of a whole sink of dishes.

The toilet is the one thing we don't mess around with. Husband has Crohn's disease. We use it as normal. Easy enough to add more water with a jug to that to flush if things got really dire, but we have yet to be in that position.