Finding places to dump tanks

[philh]

Looks like our 1st excursion is going to be pure dry camping. Going to a friends farm and their septic system is virtually impossible to get to, so I need to find a place to dump.

2nd and somewhat related question, how long can I go without dumping the tank?

[1320Fastback]

Wish that worked with Toy Haulers. We have 70 something gallons of fresh available and 40 total Black/Grey.

[wanderingbob]

When to dump? If you are ' dry camping ' the capacity of your fresh water tank is all that you need know . I carry 36 gallons of fresh , both my waste tanks are 36 gallons , I should never overfill my waste tanks while dry camping .

[Roy_Lynne]

I usually google RV dump stations near me and that some times work, but if not, RV parks will usually let you dump for a fee, and in our area, rest stops have free dump stations.

[doxiemom11]

Sanidumps.com is a good site for finding dump stations.

[avoidcrowds]

"can I leave the sh!t (pun intended) sit there until our next trip"

As with most questions, the answer begins with "it depends". How much water is also in the tank? How long until you can dump? How hot is it going to be in the meantime?

If you travel far enough, and have enough water in the tank, the sloshing around will likely help liquify the solids (you do use chemicals, right?). If you drive far enough before dumping, you should agitate any settled sediment, so it should flush when you dump.

[1320Fastback]

For Dumping download the RVParky app and simply call every campground between your friends place and your place. Someone will offer their clean out for a small fee, usually $10.

[philh]

Not the first time in a camper 🙂 It's our 2nd travel trailer, just never dry camped. Our park model has a teeny tiny water heater, very familiar with hot water shortage!

How much was more of a question, can I leave the sh!t (pun intended) sit there until our next trip to a campground that has sewage services?

Thanks for the sanidump site, found a dump station a mile down the road from where I store the trailer.

Going to be interesting, this is our first trip in this camper, and it's going to be pure dry camping... we'll find out how self sustainable I've made us for other future trips.

[eubank]

Your first time in a camper? Ah, you may be in for a surprise. Here's the advice: Be very water spare. Your waste tanks are directly related to your water use: What comes out of the outlet goes down to the tank. Further, your water heater tank is itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeney compared to your home wather heater, so navy showers. Don't let the water run in any sink while you're not actually using putting that water to work. So, for example, wet your hands, turn off the water, soap up your hands, turn it back on and rinse quickly. And wet your toothbrush, turn off the water; brush your teeth, then turn the water back on for a quick rinse. THe less you use, the longer your tanks will hold out.
🙂
Lynn

[midnightsadie]

we live in a small town our local sewer plant has a spot set up for rv,s call yours.

[the_bear_II]

Look into getting a maceration pump which allows you to use a garden hose to run the waste to the septic tank, toilet or dump station.

RV repair shops, gas stations/truck stops with propane, RV parks if equipped with a dump station will let you dump for a fee. Most roadside rests along the highways will have dump stations.

Make sure your guests or any kids learn the proper way to use an RV toilet. No need to fill the bowl before doing your duty.

Navy showers to save gray tank space.

Some RVers keep a small trashcan next to the toilet and put their toilet paper in there instead of flushing it. This helps to extend the time between dumps.

[Janss]

Sanidumps and RVParky websites/apps.

Impossible to tell someone else how long their tanks will last. Depends on tank size, how many people are using them, how many showers, how many dishes you wash, how many times a day you pee and poop, how conservative you can be with water, etc. etc. Sometimes your tank level lights do not work. You will just have to learn by experience. As an example, we have a motorhome and two of us can go about 7-10 days for the blank tank and 4-5 days for the gray tank. In our case, we can look directly down the toilet to see how full the black tank is. For our gray tank, it first overflows into the shower. You need to learn where that low point is in your RV. But our tanks may be bigger than yours.

[2oldman]

Perhaps your friend doesn't need to know you're dumping gray water on the ground.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

Pilot and Flying J can oftentimes have dumps -- for a fee.

You will know when it's overdue to be emptied. Flushing will bring the sewer back up and into the floor, lol.

Joke, most RV has light indicators. The rule of thumb is to empty it at 3/4 full. In my RV, that's 3 out of 4 lights are showing red.

[bpounds]

There are a few websites/apps dedicated to finding dump stations. Rather than me linking them, just Google for "finding RV dump stations". I've used the Sanidump one quite a bit.

As for how long you can go without dumping, I would first need to know how long is a piece of rope?