Boondocking , what to do with gray & black water

[Mikeos]

I see a lot of talk about battery power, but what does one do with the gray & black water tanks when off the grid?
Mike

[Grumpy]

You get a tote tank for the grey. And then head to the dump station when the black is full.

[Seann45]

I use the tote for black and gray.. + I have a 45 gallon fresh water bladder that I can fill and pump into the trailer so it does not have to move till I am ready to leave.

[Mikeos]

And where is that dump station if you are not in a campground??

[MrNiceGuy]

You can start here in looking for dump stations.

http://www.rvdumps.com/

[Seann45]

Originally Posted by Mikeos

And where is that dump station if you are not in a campground??

There are lots of dump stations around if you look for them.. Many areas have them at highway rest stops, tourists info centers, pilot/flyingJ etc

[mcfarmall]

That's what rainy nights and gravel roads are for!! Just Kidding.

[FPM III]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

That's what rainy nights and gravel roads are for!! Just Kidding.

Let me know when you're planning to visit southwestern PA, mcfarmall. I want to have my driveway paved before you come.

[Imnaha.Mansion]

I tote and Dump. I frequently camp with my in laws, they just leave the valves open and the grey runs on the ground.

If you have two grey tanks like some larger trailers, I see nothing wrong with dumping the bathroom grey on the ground, assuming you are in an area that drains well and is not near water.

As I said I tote and Dump. I dig a hole away from camp and bury it. I worry about the smell and vermin. Black gets hauled to a dump station. Black is slow to fill as we dig a pit toilet somewhere near camp.

[Skaling]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

That's what rainy nights and gravel roads are for!! Just Kidding.

It happens.. I just came back from 5 days w/o hook ups.. Being new to the TT world I walked the campground ( after dinner time) to see what others were doing with their grey. Some had portable containers, but lots didn't..I noticed some gate valves were fully pulled out with the sewer hose hooked up draining under their trailer.. Some I noticed just small trickles of water coming directly out of the sewer outlet.

[edatlanta]

I am on a full hookup site while hosting this summer, but have not in past summers at this same park (they only have 3 full hookup sites and I finally paid enough dues to get one). What bothers me is that RV's with holding tanks can't dump anything on the ground (yeah we know what really happens), but campers with no tanks of any kind can. Picture to prove my point.

I'm not advocating dumping black water on the ground obviously, but grey? These folks do. I wonder where they dump their dish washing water?

[Adk Camper]

Your question is a valid one but to answer it one needs to tread lightly so they don't get mowed down by the firing squad.

For example: Be creative Handeling this matter should be taken on using a stealthy approach because the last thing you want is to bring unwanted attention to yourself.With that said after everyone around you is asleep gently relieve the tank from it's full state and if there is a undisireable odor do not worry by morning it will have dissipated and no one will know what hit them.
Again this is only an example for handling the grey tank.
As far as the black tank goes I'm leaving that one alone.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by edatlanta

I am on a full hookup site while hosting this summer, but have not in past summers at this same park (they only have 3 full hookup sites and I finally paid enough dues to get one). What bothers me is that RV's with holding tanks can't dump anything on the ground (yeah we know what really happens), but campers with no tanks of any kind can. Picture to prove my point.

I'm not advocating dumping black water on the ground obviously, but grey? These folks do. I wonder where they dump their dish washing water?

Might the success of those palms in the foreground of that picture have something to do with this?

I think some campgrounds might benefit from relaxing the grey water policy (not publicly of course) especially in our drought stricken region. I would much rather have lush green plant growth from from the responsible discharge of grey water than to just see it dumped down the hole while the nearby trees and bushes wither away and die.

I guess it's a fine line, who knows what some people put in their sinks? I would be willing to switch out my Dawn dish soap and Dove body wash for biodegradable Camp Suds if I were allowed to dump it on the plant life...

[Bobx2]

I carry a 5 gallon bucket onboard at all times. It's main purpose in life is for putting out the campfire. Gray water works well for that. Also, if the grey tank gets full, I can drain it down 5 gallons at a time, and spread the water over a large area. Since it is typically National Forest, there is no shortage of ground to spread it over. The soaps typically found in grey water are actually good for the ground.
The black tank ONLY goes in dump stations. It takes some effort to fill the 45 gallon tank, so waiting until the end of the camp out has not been a problem.

[Jagiven]

My recommendation is to call ahead and ask what their policy is. For example I found many places say put it in a tote/bucket and bring it to a pit toilet and dump it in there. For that reason I have a very small tote that is manageable to pick up and dump down the pit toilet. It may take a few trips, but using the small tote makes it manageable We did this in Yellowstone NP last year.

[Kave&Lucky]

Originally Posted by edatlanta

I am on a full hookup site while hosting this summer, but have not in past summers at this same park (they only have 3 full hookup sites and I finally paid enough dues to get one). What bothers me is that RV's with holding tanks can't dump anything on the ground (yeah we know what really happens), but campers with no tanks of any kind can. Picture to prove my point.

I'm not advocating dumping black water on the ground obviously, but grey? These folks do. I wonder where they dump their dish washing water?

Ed, what is the name of that campground and where is it? A site right on the water like that would be enjoyed very much by us! I might even get a few brownie points from the DW for putting her in a spot like that one!

PS: I'm constantly burning up whatever points I earn. I need all the help I can get!!!

[Seann45]

Too many people wait till the gray tank is full before dumping it on the ground. This causes smell and other problems.

[edatlanta]

Kave&Lucky,

This is site #102 at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, FL.

[edatlanta]

Kave&Lucky,

Correction, it is site #104.

[BNear]

I see no problem with allowing your grey water to run straight to the ground so long as the soaps you use are completely environmentally sound, also be sure that you clear your dishes of any food particles so that you can avoid critters; skunks and coons. As for black water, you're best to carry a tote for those emergency situations where your black tank fills before you do manage to get to a dump station. Dumping your black straight to the ground will create all kinds of unpleasant problems for you but if it is needed while boondocking, be smart enough to dig yourself a basic weeping tile type of drainage, fill it with large enough rocks to allow for the liquids to drain off and then backfill it with dirt to reduce the smells. When you drain, drain slowly to avoid backup.

I once camped next to a field full of cows, I dumped black straight to ground, I was on a hill and the flow went down into the field of cows. I was challenged on this by another camper. He was outraged at me for doing this, while he was giving me the gears, the cows were ten feet away doing what cows do after they eat and drink.... I just didn't see what he didn't understand about my logic!!