Left over fresh water

[tj3829]

Hello everyone. I have a question about what to do with left over fresh water in your tank when leaving the campground.
Is it ok or even legal to open the fresh water drain and drain while you are traveling, getting rid of unused fresh water and also reducing weight?
Or do you just run the pump and fill your grey and black tanks and then dump even more at the dumping station? Thanks in advance.

[clubhouse]

Discharging while driving isn't very polite. Not sure about legality, but have heard complaints from motorcycle and bicycle riders on this and other RV forums. I typically hual it home and drain it in my front yard.

[mcfarmall]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

Discharging while driving isn't very polite.

Really? Mine runs out as a trickle not a firehose...barely makes a wet line on the pavement. To answer the OP's question, I open my freshwater tank drain valve when I leave the dump station and by the time I wander through the state park roads at 15 mph and make it to the main drag, I've completely forgotten about any ill will from others

[Bigmike1461]

I empty mine as I leave the beach campground and it drains out in front of multi million dollar homes on meadow lane in South Hampton.by the time I get to the hwy I am empty.most of the people that camp there do it this way.Sometimes the snob's that live there will complain to the county office that runs the campground and they tell them it's not against the law because it's fresh water.

[Snake Plissken]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

Really? Mine runs out as a trickle not a firehose...barely makes a wet line on the pavement. To answer the OP's question, I open my freshwater tank drain valve when I leave the dump station and by the time I wander through the state park roads at 15 mph and make it to the main drag, I've completely forgotten about any ill will from others

I agree. I actually start draining when I leave the site and am empty when I finish at the dump station.

[clutch]

I always dump the fresh water when I get home. You never know when you may need a few gallons for a pit stop, for your truck, for someone else that may need some. The extra pint of fuel to haul extra water home is nothing compared to needing water and not having it.

[tinlizzie23]

IMHO, it is very impolite to dump your water on the road, in or out of the campground. YOU may know it is only fresh water, but the following motorcycle or car doesn't know that, and probably doesn't want a bath of any kind. Please be courteous, and dump in your own yard, or run the water into your waste tanks and dump it properly.

[edatlanta]

If my fresh water was even half full, it would take a long way down the road for it to trickle out. I think dumping on the road on the way home is terribly rude. While it may not be illegal, I would hope those that do it stop. We don't need or want any more laws in this country.

[tnchuck100]

If you are one of those people who have been dumping your fresh water going down the highway please stop. Please. I ride a motorcycle and have experienced the wet discharge from some inconsiderate jerk doing this. He knows it water....I DON'T!

[RoyBraddy]

The police will not know its water as well - they may pull you over and of course this opens up all the other things they can find wrong... Not good...

I carry mine home with me...

[SkyBound]

LOL @ "experienced the wet discharge"

When I'm packing up, I open up my low point drains, water heater pressure valve, and fresh water tank drain valve. I put a 3 gallon pail under the fresh drain and let it fill up, then pour it down the toilet. I do this over and over again as many times as possible. I use as much of the fresh as I can, and even collect the hot water from the tank and put it down the black tank to help clean it out.

By the time the rest of the campsite is packed up and we're hitched on, it's all drained anyways.

[troutslayer]

I let it drain out when at home. Like others have said, I know it's fresh water but others don't. Besides, who knows, you may need some water for a "flush" on the drive home

[norty1]

It depends on how you use the fresh tank. We don't camp w/o water so I only carry enough for a few flushes or to rinse a plate on the road. I let it out sometimes in my yard, and the same when draining the hw tank.

Please have some consideration and don't drain it going down the road.

[lagman]

Originally Posted by tj3829

Hello everyone. I have a question about what to do with left over fresh water in your tank when leaving the campground.
Is it ok or even legal to open the fresh water drain and drain while you are traveling, getting rid of unused fresh water and also reducing weight?
Or do you just run the pump and fill your grey and black tanks and then dump even more at the dumping station? Thanks in advance.

For me I have to dump my water before getting on the road because I am already close on my towing limits. I try to plan ahead and only fill up the tank with what I think I will need. For our family, we never use more than 2/3 of our tank over a weekend so I keep an eye on the tank level while filling. I have a 6 gallon water jug that can be used to bring more water if we run out. Then if I'm at a campground with large spaces I usually dump the excess at my site while getting packed up. If we're at a campground with tightly spaced sites I usually wait until I'm at the dump station to open the valves so water doesn't drain onto my neighbor's site. We usually leave early in the morning.. I have no doubt the water is soaked into the ground before the next rig pulls in that afternoon. Also, I make sure it is completely drained before driving at highway speeds.

One thing to note, on my first few times out with the new TT I opened the FW tank valves all the way and it took forever to drain. I've since learned not to push the valve handle all the way to the open position. The water drains out much faster that way.

Dan

[Jagiven]

I typically travel with both the H2O heater and the water tank empty. We have a relatively small water fresh water tank of about 22 or 28 gallons (do not recall at the moment). The black and grey tanks are about the same size. When we are packing up I fill the black tank until 2/3 full or more full. When we leave the site the fresh water tank is almost empty. After dumping the sewer tanks, I add my few gallons to the black tank and wash my hands and there is almost nothing left. I do open my low point drain as we leave. By the time we get to the park’s entrance the last few gallons are drained. I prefer to fill my sewer tanks with the water to get a good flush then to pour it out on the road.

[tnchuck100]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

..... I prefer to fill my sewer tanks with the water to get a good flush then to pour it out on the road.

Please tell me I am misunderstanding this and you are not actually dumping black/gray tank rinse water on the road. Strictly by definition of the purpose for rinsing that would be one nasty thing to do for the traveler behind you. Be it car or motorcycle.

The problem may be the word "then" instead of "than". The whole meaning changes.

[ktbarrentine]

Originally Posted by tnchuck100

Please tell me I am misunderstanding this and you are not actually dumping black/gray tank rinse water on the road. Strictly by definition of the purpose for rinsing that would be one nasty thing to do for the traveler behind you. Be it car or motorcycle.

The problem may be the word "then" instead of "than". The whole meaning changes.

Interesting take! I read it the way I "assumed" he meant it (I hope!).... Instead of dumping the water straight out of the FW tank, he uses it in his black water tank to get a better flush at the dump station.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by ktbarrentine

Interesting take! I read it the way I "assumed" he meant it (I hope!).... Instead of dumping the water straight out of the FW tank, he uses it in his black water tank to get a better flush at the dump station.

Yep. I prefer to use the FW to fill the sewer tanks at the CG before I dump at the Dump Station. To many miles on the road camping this past 19 days and I am still recovering.

[thomasmnile]

The two occasions I've been dry camping, didn't have much extra water to drain, at least by the tank level gauge which read empty. Anyway, I wait 'til we get back to the storage facility and open the drain; runs down the asphalt and into a storm drain.

[exjay1]

boats dump water after being pulled from the water and down the road...just saying. Now NEVER dump grey/black water down the road, period.