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Yellostone Fishing Bridge RV park - raised sewer connection

RinconVTR
Explorer
Explorer
Why does Yellowstone's Fishing Bridge RV park have all their sewer connections 8-12" above ground level and encased in concrete?

Being above ground they probably are protecting the pipe from damage, animal and human. But why would they not make them flush to the ground as normal?

The newest sites had the same situation, but had an additional port, lower but still above ground level on an angle, on the side of the concrete surround.

22 REPLIES 22

RinconVTR
Explorer
Explorer
Read the whole thread not just the first and last post!

Allworth
Explorer II
Explorer II
SNOW!!!
Formerly posting as "littleblackdog"
Martha, Allen, & Blackjack
2006 Chevy 3500 D/A LB SRW, RVND 7710
Previously: 2008 Titanium 30E35SA. Currently no trailer due to age & mobility problems. Very sad!
"Real Jeeps have round headlights"

mlts22
Explorer
Explorer
I have wound up in worse places. The dump port was about 30 inches off the ground at a place where my RV was going to be for a festival. I could put my rig up on blocks, deal with "walking" the sewage via the hose... or the third option...

I bought a macerator pump, and it made is quite easy to empty uphill, nothing fancy needed, other than making sure the oversize water hose was something obvious (rubber, black, stamped with "NOT FOR POTABLE USE"), so it would never be used for anything but sewage.

kedanie
Explorer II
Explorer II
First, they get a lot of snow there. In the spring they come in with plows and front end loaders to remove most of the snow. Then, they hand dig out the connections. The concrete and all the posts prevent the connections from being ripped out in the snow removal process.

Second, you were parked on the wrong side of your space. It worked for you but you were backwards. Sometimes you just have to make it work with what you have.

Keith
Keith and Gloria
2013 Tiffin Phaeton 36GH
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
USAF 1968-1976 Vietnam Veteran

RinconVTR
Explorer
Explorer
DSDP Don wrote:
LOL....Yes you were parked wrong. Been there many times. They're weird sites and because they're old sites, they're small when it comes to width. By parking opposite of what you did, it allows both RV's on both sides of the double row to back in a little farther. They were not designed to have large patio areas. By doing what you did, you blocked your patio with your car. The proof is in how much hose you had to use. If in the site properly, you would have needed about 5' of hose, not 20'.


Better look again there bud.




I was absolutely parked the only logical way to park in that site. The other side would have my camper door opening directly into the grass and trees.

Not to mention where the SUV is shown was more shallow, it made no sense to even consider placing the camper there.

DSDP_Don
Explorer
Explorer
LOL....Yes you were parked wrong. Been there many times. They're weird sites and because they're old sites, they're small when it comes to width. By parking opposite of what you did, it allows both RV's on both sides of the double row to back in a little farther. They were not designed to have large patio areas. By doing what you did, you blocked your patio with your car. The proof is in how much hose you had to use. If in the site properly, you would have needed about 5' of hose, not 20'.
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 - All Electric
2019 Ford Raptor Crew Cab

RinconVTR
Explorer
Explorer
2012Coleman wrote:
RinconVTR wrote:
As far as the raised connection, I'm really only hearing guesses and I'm really surprised by that!


From your research, looks like downtheroad nailed it - did you read the responses to your own question?

downtheroad wrote:
They would flood and over whelm the septic system if they were at ground level.


There was more than one correct response. But what makes one response correct and the other guys wrong with no reference that gives one more weight than the other?

Yellowstone Fishing bridge is by far NOT the only campground in mountains nor the snow belt. Every state has campgounds with full hook ups that can flood. And how about down south and any coastal campgrounds where hurricanes and tropical storms are not uncommon. They do not all have raised connections.

Its clear (to me anyway) this is a rare measure of prevention for a possible...even assumed problem. If Fishing Bridge for example, tightly capped all their connections before they closed for the winter (which I know they do anyway, as not to attract animals)...would that not provide the same result?

2012Coleman
Explorer II
Explorer II
RinconVTR wrote:
As far as the raised connection, I'm really only hearing guesses and I'm really surprised by that!


From your research, looks like downtheroad nailed it - did you read the responses to your own question?

downtheroad wrote:
They would flood and over whelm the septic system if they were at ground level.
Experience without good judgment is worthless; good judgment without experience is still good judgment!

2018 RAM 3500 Big Horn CTD
2018 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS

RinconVTR
Explorer
Explorer
My question went thru 3 managers at NPS in Yellowstone until one of them forwarded it to a the civil engineering contractor hired by NPS;

...from our memories the connections were raised to keep infiltration from surface water runoff from entering the services, the maintenance staff wanted to keep them up off the ground to keep rocks and debris out if possible, there was also some talk from maintenance about putting the bends in the wyes above ground because garbage was getting placed down the pipes directly into the mains. The connections are actually more like 6-8โ€ except for the couple of sites at the far east end where the mains are shallow and there wasnโ€™t enough room between mains and the fittings required. Hope this answers the question.

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
Look at the class C behind them, that connection looks to be almost 18" above ground!
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!

campigloo
Explorer
Explorer
I see that set up at most places we camp. I think it's easier for the installers, therefore cheaper for the CG owner.

RinconVTR
Explorer
Explorer
DSDP Don wrote:
I don't know if you looked around at other campers, but you parked in the wrong spot. We've been to Fishing Bridge several times. You're suppose to park where your truck is parked. That puts all the connections at the rear and driver's side of the RV. Your truck is suppose to be where your trailer is. This is why you had to use such a long hose on your sewer.

It also puts all the connections for the RV behind you, in the middle between the two of you. I would guess that snow and freezing is the main reason for the lifted platform.


This was the first time I had needed the long hose and found out the hard way I didn't have the right connections. So after this pic was taken I removed one end from my short hose and put it on the long one. No more extra connection.

I was parked wrong? LOL. No. Had I parked on the other side of the pad, my door would open to a line of trees and the aweing could not be used. Not to mention had I parked on the other side of the 2 place pad, I would have the nearly the same length sewer run (if not longer) and it would run were I needed to park, unless I routed it straight back then over. Same with water.

It was clear to me, looking around, people parked how they felt best suited for their given site and setup.

As far as the raised connection, I'm really only hearing guesses and I'm really surprised by that!

Snow and ice? In case of flood? I thought that as well, with the river being near by, and snow melt overflowing the area and or river and lake.

Problem is, nothing else on the grounds was prepared for flooding either, and this would also mean the ranger station and store nearby would flood worse than the campground.

There must be something specific to Fishing Bridge regarding these connections, cause its clearly done with reason, and only found there to my knowledge.

campigloo
Explorer
Explorer
The plumbers missed the day explaining what runs downhill and when payday is.

DSDP_Don
Explorer
Explorer
I don't know if you looked around at other campers, but you parked in the wrong spot. We've been to Fishing Bridge several times. You're suppose to park where your truck is parked. That puts all the connections at the rear and driver's side of the RV. Your truck is suppose to be where your trailer is. This is why you had to use such a long hose on your sewer.

It also puts all the connections for the RV behind you, in the middle between the two of you. I would guess that snow and freezing is the main reason for the lifted platform.
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 - All Electric
2019 Ford Raptor Crew Cab