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One of the more feared areas of camping for those new to RVing is having to dump your tanks at a public dump station. I have to admit that even after many years of RVing, this can still be somewhat stressful at times. The key is to reduce your stress by having a good repeatable process. The Dump Station Basics video on the channel will help with this. In this blog, let’s cover some basic topics.
Tank Monitoring. After a while of normal use, the black tank monitoring system usually becomes inaccurate given the sensors are inside the tank and wastepaper can cover the sensors. This can give a misreading (sometimes showing full even after dumping tanks). One solution is to flush the black tank regularly when at a dump station, but sometimes this is difficult to do when there is a line of people waiting behind you at the dump station. Again, the Dump Station Basics video talks more about dump station etiquette and you should watch this video if you haven’t already.
Time to Dump. How do you know when it’s time to dump your tanks? From experience, given 30-gallon tanks and full use each day, generally two people can go 8 or so days before needing to dump the black tank. The gray tank is less than this, especially if you rinse dishes with a medium water stream and take showers.
So, here are a few tips to lowering black tank volume: First, if possible, occasionally use the campsite bathrooms. This will obviously reduce tank usage. You can also buy and bring a portable waste tote tank with you as you travel. This means you can dump part or all of your black tank without having to drive your entire RV to the dump station. This is especially helpful if you are camping in one place without a sewer hookup for longer periods.
Camco Rhino Tote 21 Gallon Tank*
One issue to be careful of is your black tank accumulating solids overtime. If all you ever do is do a quick dump and never flush the black tank, solids will likely accumulate overtime and actually shrink the size of your tank. It is almost always a good idea to use your black tank flush when you have opportunity. This pushes freshwater into the tank while dumping to loosen any solids. A product like Happy Campers is also great way to help with dissolving solids after you flush, but there really is no substitute for flushing your black tank. So, if you can exit your campsite at a less busy time, you’ll be better positioned to flush your tanks and keep them cleaner over time. If you do happen to be at a full hookup site, then take the opportunity to do a thorough flush before departing.
Happy Campers Holding Tank Treatment*
As far as the gray water tank, using disposable biodegradable plates, cups and bowls will greatly reduce the amount of fresh water used to rinse dishes. You should also consider reducing your water stream when washing pots and pans, and utilize a plastic sink insert to catch rinse water. All of these will reduce the amount of water going into the gray wastewater tank. On the shower side, learn to take “Navy” showers. We have a video on taking showers in a wet bath that may help here. You may also consider using your outdoor shower at times and using the campground showers if available. All of these will allow you to go longer on your gray tank.
All the best on your camping endeavors!
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