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Water Usage

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
As I've shared on these forums many times, we use our camper(s) almost full time all year round. If not camping at a park, we are still in the camper at home in the driveway.

I run water exclusively off the fresh tank and water pump. At home, and unless on full hook-up sites, dump our tanks via a 32 gallon blue tote (at home, directly into the septic tank).

After we purchased our current 5er, we started washing dishes in the kitchen all the time. The previous TT had an outside small kitchen with sink, and we almost always dumped dish water on the ground or a fire pit. We really never knew how much water we were actually using that way. Especially just rinsing with hose.

Not so with the 5er. No outside kitchen.

So, that means all dishes are washed inside and the 2nd grey tank gets use all the time now. After a year of owning this camper, I've been able to monitor our water use, mostly because of the blue tote, so as not to overfill it. And here is how our water usage breaks down.

66 gallon fresh water tank
39 gallon black tank
39 gallon grey Kitchen
39 gallon grey Bathroom

I'm dumping into a 32 gallon blue tote on a regular basis. Here's the observation:

17% of water usage is the toilet (black tank)
33% of water usage is shower and bathroom sink (grey #1 tank) (2 people)
50% of water usage is the kitchen sink (grey #2 tank)

That translates to one tank of fresh water:

11 gallons for black (toilet)
22 gallons for shower and bathroom sink (Navy showers, almost always)
33 gallons for dishwashing

With my tote, I always dump black and grey (shower) at the same time. Timing it right, it never overspills.
Grey (kitchen) is always dumped by itself, as it usually almost always fill the tote (but does not spill over.)

Once dumped, I fill the fresh water again.

I suppose there is no real point to this post, except to say, I've pretty much validated our highest water usage is for washing dishes. And to think, most folks think it's the shower! (well, maybe for some it is).
17 REPLIES 17

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
Veebyes wrote:
For dry camping in comfort freshwater capacity & battery capacity is king. Unfortunately RV builders seem to think that everyone camps in FHU CGs these days. Residential fridges are common. Room for batteries is extremely limited. Grey water tankage is inadequate. Fresh water tankage is way inadequate.

Many large class A MOHOs have adequate tankage & house battery capacity but you seldom see these units in dry camping areas. They are too big for most of these CGs & maybe the owners want all of the comforts of home.

5ers typically have loads of unused space under their floors & in their basements for larger tanks & more battery space but this space is seldom used or underused.

Some of us actually like to dry camp in comfort. A TC or TT simply cannot provide the tankage needed to do so.


Doug ... great comments and how right you are!

We're kindof right in between a TC and a Class A with our E450 24 foot Class C, so we have "moderate" tank sizes, battery compartment size, and storage areas. We can drycamp or FHU camp - whatever is best for what we're interested in or where we are, at the time. Also, our grey and black tanks are electrically warmed for travel and drycamping in cold weather.

Some time ago I installed 0.5 GPM water restrictors on our coach faucets, which has really helped cut down FW consumption. Use of paper plates and bowls and bathing with pre-moistened wipes helps conserve FW, too.

For drycamping electrical power in all kinds of conditions we have 3 non-solar ways to top up our batteries. We do occasionally boondock camp well off paved roads, just as if we were in a TC.

If one is well enough informed ahead of an RV purchase, they can find units that are better designed for drycamping ... in which other considerations are king instead of floor plan.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

JimK-NY
Explorer II
Explorer II
RV builders are responding to the clients and giving them what sells. What sells is not solar, or batteries or large tanks. What sells is "style", modern appearance, fabrics, cabinet faces, the kitchen and big easy chairs and couches. Yes, all the comforts of home including the size and weight of a mobile home.

Veebyes
Explorer II
Explorer II
For dry camping in comfort freshwater capacity & battery capacity is king. Unfortunately RV builders seem to think that everyone camps in FHU CGs these days. Residential fridges are common. Room for batteries is extremely limited. Grey water tankage is inadequate. Fresh water tankage is way inadequate.

Many large class A MOHOs have adequate tankage & house battery capacity but you seldom see these units in dry camping areas. They are too big for most of these CGs & maybe the owners want all of the comforts of home.

5ers typically have loads of unused space under their floors & in their basements for larger tanks & more battery space but this space is seldom used or underused.

Some of us actually like to dry camp in comfort. A TC or TT simply cannot provide the tankage needed to do so.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter

2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel

Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
I have 60 gals of FW and have come to the same conclusion as you have. I used to think it was the showers that used the most water also. 60 gals would last us 7 days if we were careful. When I started washing dishes outside from a 5 gal portable tank our FW tank lasted much longer. FW has always been the limiting factor for me not battery power and I dry camp almost 100% of the time now.

JimK-NY
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have a small (30 gallon) tank, rarely have hook ups and often camp where it is difficult to obtain water. Since I often camp in desert areas or do a lot of hiking, a daily shower is all but a requirement.

For camping by myself, water use is about 3 gallons/day. About 1 gallon goes for a shower: wet down, soap up, rinse off. About 1 gallon or more is for drinking. The remaining gallon goes for cooking and cleaning dishes. Typically cleaning dishes would be about a cup of soapy water in a dirty frying pan or cooking pot. Use a paper towel to wipe down and clean the pan, silverware, dish(es). Rinse with a trickle of water. When water is really scarce I use disposable paper plates but still use the regular flatware.

BarabooBob
Explorer III
Explorer III
Don't get caught dumping any grey water on the ground in a National Park. Yellowstone and Glacier will escort you out for that because greywater attracts bears. As their posters say--"A fed bear, is a dead bear." Even Badlands NP does not allow dumping dishwater on the ground.
Bob & Dawn Married 34 years
2017 Viking 17RD
2011 Ford F150 3.5L Ecoboost 420 lb/ft
Retired

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
DutchmenSport wrote:
As I've shared on these forums many times, we use our camper(s) almost full time all year round. If not camping at a park, we are still in the camper at home in the driveway.

I run water exclusively off the fresh tank and water pump. At home, and unless on full hook-up sites, dump our tanks via a 32 gallon blue tote (at home, directly into the septic tank).

After we purchased our current 5er, we started washing dishes in the kitchen all the time. The previous TT had an outside small kitchen with sink, and we almost always dumped dish water on the ground or a fire pit. We really never knew how much water we were actually using that way. Especially just rinsing with hose.

Not so with the 5er. No outside kitchen.

So, that means all dishes are washed inside and the 2nd grey tank gets use all the time now. After a year of owning this camper, I've been able to monitor our water use, mostly because of the blue tote, so as not to overfill it. And here is how our water usage breaks down.

66 gallon fresh water tank
39 gallon black tank
39 gallon grey Kitchen
39 gallon grey Bathroom

I'm dumping into a 32 gallon blue tote on a regular basis. Here's the observation:

17% of water usage is the toilet (black tank)
33% of water usage is shower and bathroom sink (grey #1 tank) (2 people)
50% of water usage is the kitchen sink (grey #2 tank)

That translates to one tank of fresh water:

11 gallons for black (toilet)
22 gallons for shower and bathroom sink (Navy showers, almost always)
33 gallons for dishwashing

With my tote, I always dump black and grey (shower) at the same time. Timing it right, it never overspills.
Grey (kitchen) is always dumped by itself, as it usually almost always fill the tote (but does not spill over.)

Once dumped, I fill the fresh water again.

I suppose there is no real point to this post, except to say, I've pretty much validated our highest water usage is for washing dishes. And to think, most folks think it's the shower! (well, maybe for some it is).


You might want to consider adding flow restrictors onto your RV's sink faucets. I installed 0.5 GPM restrictors on our RV's faucets. We don't notice any difference in effectiveness at the lower flow rate - but it sure cuts down on fresh water usage ... especially for washing dishes.

The restrictors are not expensive and they just screw onto the end of each faucet.

BTW, we are heavy users of disposable paper plates and bowls when camping with the RV so as to minimize washing of dishes. Trash receptacles are easier to find than tank filling and dumping places.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

maddog348
Explorer
Explorer
dieseltruckdriver ~~ YOU DUMP ALL WASTE ON GROUND??

dieseltruckdriv
Explorer II
Explorer II
DutchmenSport wrote:
As I've shared on these forums many times, we use our camper(s) almost full time all year round. If not camping at a park, we are still in the camper at home in the driveway.

I run water exclusively off the fresh tank and water pump. At home, and unless on full hook-up sites, dump our tanks via a 32 gallon blue tote (at home, directly into the septic tank).

After we purchased our current 5er, we started washing dishes in the kitchen all the time. The previous TT had an outside small kitchen with sink, and we almost always dumped dish water on the ground or a fire pit. We really never knew how much water we were actually using that way. Especially just rinsing with hose.

Not so with the 5er. No outside kitchen.

So, that means all dishes are washed inside and the 2nd grey tank gets use all the time now. After a year of owning this camper, I've been able to monitor our water use, mostly because of the blue tote, so as not to overfill it. And here is how our water usage breaks down.

66 gallon fresh water tank
39 gallon black tank
39 gallon grey Kitchen
39 gallon grey Bathroom

I'm dumping into a 32 gallon blue tote on a regular basis. Here's the observation:

17% of water usage is the toilet (black tank)
33% of water usage is shower and bathroom sink (grey #1 tank) (2 people)
50% of water usage is the kitchen sink (grey #2 tank)

That translates to one tank of fresh water:

11 gallons for black (toilet)
22 gallons for shower and bathroom sink (Navy showers, almost always)
33 gallons for dishwashing

With my tote, I always dump black and grey (shower) at the same time. Timing it right, it never overspills.
Grey (kitchen) is always dumped by itself, as it usually almost always fill the tote (but does not spill over.)

Once dumped, I fill the fresh water again.

I suppose there is no real point to this post, except to say, I've pretty much validated our highest water usage is for washing dishes. And to think, most folks think it's the shower! (well, maybe for some it is).


Excellent post and good job figuring out what you can do. We can do two full fresh water tanks before we have to worry about dumping, and we have 75 gal fresh. Our black is around 68 gals, the same as our bathroom grey. The kitchen tank is 38 gallons, and we don't fill it very fast. We did start in truck campers though, so we haven't really gotten past the water conservation mode. We can usually go nearly 10 days on one fresh tank.

I have tried to get my best friend to figure their 5er out, but they get scared and start using the campground toilets and showers. They do not boondock or dry camp nearly as much as we do, so it works for them. I want to know what we are able to do.

By the way, we never use water hookups either. I want to know how our waste tanks are doing without looking at a monitor that might or might not work.
2000 F-250 7.3 Powerstroke
2018 Arctic Fox 27-5L

Veebyes
Explorer II
Explorer II
My basics for water usage came from 20 years of boat weekending. There are no hookups when you are out on the hook. We averaged 12 gal per person per day not being real careful. The boat had a 115gal fw capacity. Our 5er has a 100gal capacity & we can do 7days without trying very hard to conserve.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter

2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel

Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995

PartyOf_Five
Explorer
Explorer
You'd be surprised how effectively even a trickle of water will do the job- dishes, toothbrushing, sometimes even a quick rinse shower to feel fresh. Our culture of running water at high pressure is changing- some hotels have separate knobs so you can adjust in the tubs nowadays. But we don't have to wait till it's mainstream.
PartyOf5 appreciating our Creator thru the created. 5 yrsL 50k, 49 states & 9 provinces.

May you find Peace in all you endeavor.

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
I use dishwater to flush the toilet.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

doxiemom11
Explorer II
Explorer II
When we don't have sewer hookup and are watching our water usage trying not to fill tanks (we only have 2) I use a dishpan to wash dishes, starting with a small amount of water and then rinse holding the item with the hot water. That goes into the dishpan gradually adding more volume and keeping the water hot. When done we dump into the grass. None of it goes into the tank.

jfkmk
Explorer
Explorer
naturist wrote:

Back in my youth, our scout troop always had that pot of rinse water boiling to give the dishes just washed by young boys a scalding rinse for hygienic reasons.

Yup, I remember those days!:B