Clean water, gray water & black water

[Pappy3393]

I’m about to venture out on my first AS journey soon and I have some basic questions about what to do with the above. Under the assumption that a RV site has 30 or 50 amp electric, clean water access and I want to carry as little water as possible for the return to home journey what do you do under these 2 scenarios:
(1) the RV site has septic services. Can I drain my black water and gray water both into the septic system? What can I do with the clean water in the tank under this scenario?

(2) The RV site does not have a septic system or a dumping station. I assume I will have to find a dumping station somewhere to get rid of the black water but what options do I have to get rid of the fresh water and gray water before leaving the RV site?

I realize that these are very basic questions but I’ve only camped in a tent and a basic pop up camper that didn’t have these water tank facilities.

[Shiny16]

Black and grey tanks empty through the same hose. Both must be dumped into a septic system. The fresh water tank can be emptied into the grey by simply running the kitchen faucet. There is also a valve under the trailer and you could dump it on the ground. If you were at a site with a sewer hookup it would also have a fresh water supply and there would be no need for water in your fresh water tank.

So example 1 ..yes both grey and black
2.. black and grey in the same place as well

[AnnaBelle33]

Pappy - welcome to the family. Congrats on the new rig and now not sleeping on the ground.

The answer is the same for both questions - you can dump your black & grey into the full hook up site with included sewer OR at the dumping station before you leave the campground.

However, ALWAYS dump Black tank first then follow with Black tank flush then Grey tank to clean out sewer hose; regardless of where you are dumping.

In regard to your fresh water tank - you can let that go anywhere, it’s just fresh water. I never do mine at the campsite so the next person staying at my site doesn’t have to come into a wet area. Unless it’s raining, then I do it.

We usually leave fresh water in the tank in case we need to use the restroom on the way home and my wife won’t use the gas station ones. LOL. Then we dump it at our storage place.

[InsideOut]

Yeah, we always travel with a couple gallons of fresh for potty-stops & hand washing. Also a gallon or so to swish around in the black tanks as "things" tend to settle when parked for awhile...

Shari

[Daquenzer]

Just remember that when you dump the black water tank you should try to have the tank about 80% full. Same is true for the grey water tank. One way to get there without using the facilities is to add water by using a 5 gallon bucket. Also I typically put about 4 or 5 gallons into the black water tank before I leave the campground. It sloshes around and the solids don’t get as sludgy while using it. Some put ice cubes in. You don’t need to do that for the grey water tank, and you will find that it is easy to get that grey water tank full. You really need to keep an eye on that.

Also I recommend a clear connector that you can use to hook up to the hose by the AS connection. That will help you to determine when you flush the system if you are getting the solids out of the tank as you flush it. I typically try to flush the system until that is pretty clear coming out; especially before I winterize.

[Doc Foster]

The others have covered dumping the black and grey well so far. I usually leave water in my fresh water tank, as said before, for stops on the way home. On my last stop before home, I open the fresh water drains and let the fresh water drain on the last part of my trip home, that way they are empty by the time I get home.

[BayouBiker]

Comments pretty much cover everything. You can also dump fresh water while traveling but for most towing combinations if you're not towing near weight limits, they handle better with fresh water since it is centered between the axles and as was mentioned, you have your own rest stop on wheels. Grey and Black, not so much, though I generally travel with 3 - 5 gallons in the black tank to slosh it around and keep it clean, then dump that at the next stop or at the rest area on the way home.

[aftermath]

Fresh Water. We always have about 1/3 to 1/2 of a full tank when traveling. One of the best things that a trailer provides when traveling is the ability to stop, have lunch, use the bathroom without having to use public facilities. I also consider an emergency stop. In the summer it is nice to know that we can get fresh water and ice if we get stuck somewhere.



Those who travel with "2 or 3" gallons in the FW tank might have a problem if they have to stay put while on the road. The trailer actually does ride a little nicer with some water in the tank as mentioned earlier. Water weighs 8 lbs/gallon. You can do the math on the impact of loading 20+ gallons on. Almost negligible, in my opinion. Much safer though.

[Krikati]

Hi Pappy3393,

Welcome to the club of waste transporters. The comments you received pretty much cover the issue when you have a dump station or sewer at your campsite. But what if you don't? Some campsites lack these amenities, and when you are boondocking, there are no services at all. So what do you do?

You may need to drive away from the campsite with your waste tanks full. You may find a public dump station (check google). Some major service stations let you dump waste for a fee (e.g Love's, Pilot, @$5 or $10). In my case, if I couldn't dump at the. campsite, I haul the stuff home. My septic tank is conveniently located near the driveway so I can pry off the tank cover and empty the waste into it. Many homes have a sewer cleanout where you can safely dump waste if you can get your rig close enough to dump into it. If your rig has a macerator pump, you don't even need to be at a higher elevation to dump.

Be sure to flush out your black tank thoroughly because solids can accumulate and block the outflow. You can buy a wand with a spinning spray gizmo on the end that works with your garden hose that you lower down into your toilet.

In any case, DO NOT dump grey or black water into storm drains. It is illegal because storm sewers usually drain directly into waterways such as rivers and streams.

HAPPY CAMPING, Kirikati