Sewage Follies

[bpounds]

Well, not really follies, just stuff that was new to me and might be to others too.

First, Nevada has dump stations at several of their rest stops along I-80. We used this one near Winnemucca. First of its kind that I have seen. Instead of a hole with a clamshell brass cover, this was a concrete trough that you pull up next to and let'r rip. A pushbutton opens a spray of water to flush the trough. I used a hose to keep splashing to a minimum, and it was super windy too. I don't get the reason really. It seems more complicated, because there is electrical needed for the water wash pushbutton, and I don't think it keeps itself cleaner, although that might be the reasoning. Definitely more smelly and overall, not a pleasing system IMO. Best thing I can say is that it is free to use.



The other event I have been aware of, but never actually observed it in person before, is the "honey wagon" sewage pumping service. It's been discussed here before. Some were afraid of waste tanks being collapsed from the suction. Some said they dumped into, and sucked out of, a bucket. I'm happy to say none of that was an issue. The pump is engine drive, seems to be like any other sewage/waste style pump. Simply hooked up a hose to the camper outlet and started pumping. The hose was about a 2.5" dia, so a little smaller than the outlet. There was an adapter that I think was probably a back-flow preventer but I'm not positive on that. A young lady was providing the entire service and didn't know much about the equipment design, but was very efficient at doing what she was trained to do. Cost was $30 - $35 depending on the size of your trailer length, not the size of your tanks.

[Corkey05]

rk911 wrote:
my guess is the trough was in response to the mental midgets who couldn't manage to connect their 3" hoses to the sewer connection.

Close to whats happening around here (WA State) ... I've found everything from rocks to diapers plugging the 3" waste dump. I've used my awning rod to fish stuff out so I could use it. In response the Road Dpt has started adding cross rods a couple of inches into the connector. Trouble is rocks still manage to get past the rods and pile up in the first elbow or trap out of reach.

It seems to be a lot worse where roadside rest stops have a large population of homeless. The rest stops in rural areas are seldom plugged or shut down.

[belairbrian]

Shearwater wrote:
The "honey wagon" style waste disposal system is widely used to empty boat tanks. It works extremely well and I find it far superior to the standard methods used for RV's.

Also common at Talladega. Most of the camping is dry. A truck provides water and another hauls the waste away. Both for a price. I think there is even a propane guy.

[Shearwater]

The "honey wagon" style waste disposal system is widely used to empty boat tanks. It works extremely well and I find it far superior to the standard methods used for RV's.

[gbopp]

rk911 wrote:
my guess is the trough was in response to the mental midgets who couldn't manage to connect their 3" hoses to the sewer connection.

X2. Most people are respectful, appreciate the free dumpsite, and clean up after themselves.

Then there is the handful of entitled human hogs who ruin it for everyone else.

[rk911]

when we return home from a trip i dump the tanks at our local water treatment plant. the first time there i couldn't find the "hookup" despite a sign indicating it was there. i flagged down an employee who removed a small metal plate in the road revealing the "hookup". i repositioned the MH, connected my short hose and just let the hose end dangle in the hole. that was a first for me.

[bpounds]

rk911 wrote:
my guess is the trough was in response to the mental midgets who couldn't manage to connect their 3" hoses to the sewer connection.

Yeah, probably. I kinda figure it was an effort to minimize the mess, and minimize maintenance staff cleanup effort. The area around it was very clean, at least at the moments we were there.

In that first photo you can see just the edge of a metal grate, which covers where the actual drain is located. It had TP and stuff hanging from the grate. I suspect someone pulled up very close to that curb, which meant jumping their tires over the trough, and dumped directly onto the grate. And I guess I can't blame them for that, because there wasn't any kind of direction as to how you were supposed to use the thing. As it was, I could have pulled a lot closer to the edge of the trough, but I had no idea what I was pulling up to, and it wasn't worth backing up and relocating. It would have shortened the "river" of waste and if I ever use such again I will know.

[rk911]

my guess is the trough was in response to the mental midgets who couldn't manage to connect their 3" hoses to the sewer connection.