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Grey Water Tank

fpoole

fpoole

Junior Ranger
Donating Member
Best way to empty the Grey Water Tank is...??

Since I'm going to start using the Water tanks, new faucet/pump upgraded, I was wondering what's the best way people use to maintain and drain the Grey water tank.

Initially when I was outfitting "Le Droppe". I got a black hose thinking I'd just hook it up and put other end in the Water Dump openings on the "Connected" sites.

Just seemed like a hassle and thought well, just drain into a plastic dish tub and then pour that into the site's drain. Then you had the problem of pouring into the drain and keeping the drain opened, some are curved. So I got the Big Boys connectors, the corner adapter and then a 3 gallon Water bottle, the blue ones, and cut the bottom off. That way I can just put on the "Bottle Funnel" neck going into the drain, hold the flap cap open and pour. Again, it works but enh??? :confused: not the best solution me thinks...

So before I try to "Reinvent the Wheel" thought I'd check to see how others work it. It helps eliminate the "Doh!!!" factor of "Yeah, Geeezzee that makes sense"...

Thoughts???

Thanks...
 
Typically I pump remaining fresh water into grey tank so it is full, gets a good flush. Shh, don't tell anyone, remove the plug when hitting the road, drains on the way home. Same with fresh water.

Once home I typically leave the gray water tank cap off so can dry out. Issue will be build up of small food particles. WOuld be a good idea to leave some water in gray tank while driving so particles can be sloshed around, then drained.

I do not leave fresh water in tanks between trips.

Jean
 
Heheh, yah, I thought of, did it once, that "Driving semi Un-Plugged" but figured I'd get pulled over (line of water) and maybe ticket.. course it drains fairly quickly so probably don't have to worry about it after 15-25 miles. Plus, I'd probably loose the plug..

I was also thinking of unplugging while I'm washing it at the hand wash stations, but the angle isn't quite right. It's just simple dish soap so didn't figure it would be a problem.

I had my tanks flushed at the RV place and received 2 bottles of Sanitizer (RV-Big Boy Rigs w/bigger tanks) so have enough for a lifetime.

If I'm just an over night of course, won't need to, so maybe the Black Hose (to keep it from fresh water) might be easier and less "Iffy" heheh, if you know what I mean.

Also, opened it up wish a dish tub under it to drain directly and dump when needed.

Thanks...
 
When I am on my big trips and my tank gets full I grab my wash basin and fill that up and then dump it in the sink waste spots at the campgrounds. That grey water tank can get stink and wafted ever so delicately into the cabin (ewwwww). I carry a small container of bleach with me and pour just a little down the drain with a bunch of water, make sure m jacks are up and give the trailer a good shake. Then drain again. That usually takes care of that. Then refill the fresh water and keep on trucking. When I get home, I just open it up in the driveway and it drains into my rainwater garden (aka our gravel) and filters back into the earth. The bleach will be gone and it is organic matter in the water, so I don't feel too bad about it. If it stinks, I give the driveway a hose down.

That has worked for us at least! Never have driven with it open.
 
I've heard that since it is gray water and not black water, it is perfectly legal to leave a little water trail behind you as you go. I'm not 100% sure that this is true, so I am discreet about it.
 
When we had the rental 560, I'd just take a bucket, drain the grey water tank into it a little bit at a time, then pour it down the sink. That tank must be huge! I never seem to get the thing fully drained!

;)
 
I also let it drain slowly while on the trip home. Every year (the end of the camping year, before the gunk has a chance to really harden) I'll put a bit of fabric softener down the sink drain, get the gray tank about 1/2 full, and either drive around or shake the trailer a bit to be sure it gets sloshed around real good. This helps loosen the gunk that may accumulate over time. Then be sure to drain it completely. It helps to shove a wire hanger up the drain a couple times to dislodge anything that might be blocking the exit.
As for the clean water tank, I always keep it full. Once we get home from a trip I empty it and then re-fill it. I think it helps to stop things from 'growing' in a damp, dark, 'just about empty' tank. Then, before leaving on the next trip, I empty it and again re-fill it with fresh water.
 
Like others, I just drain on the way home... think about it - if you were camping and using the wash basins.. you would be throwing the water into the woods (BTW - I alway use a strainer when pouring water either into the sink or into the woods... the chucks in the strainer go into the garbage - its a small strainer).

I also use the RV solution to keep the bad stuff from growing in the gray tank.

We had the same attitude in scouts... leave no trace so we would strain anything we drained and pack it out.

Dave K
 
Frank,

Like you I first tried hoses. I bought two ten foot blue hoses (easy to distinguish) so I could reach near or further drains.
A trash bag isolates them. I found they don't work too well since things are usually too flat.
Anyway flow stops when something plugs or gums up the works.
Putting a pot of hot water down the sink just before draining seems to help clean stuff out, but...

Has anyone tried a "brand new/unused" oil drain pan/jug with spout for grey water disposal during longer stays?
Maybe low capacity but a possibility? It fits under flat unlike pails, but can you see when it gets close to full?
It also has a spout to make pouring down a drain hole neater.
Big sticky labels with bold "Grey Water" in marker should help avoid people thinking you were dumping oil :o.
Even without the label NO ONE would think about putting clean water in it like a bucket.

Frank, if you want to drain on the road, the grey tank has Cap AND Valve unlike fresh. Take the cap off completely and
store it so you won't lose it. At the highway entrance ramp open the valve part way. Highway speed air
should dispurse the stream blurring the "line". Stoplight puddle? Not ME. The cap in a punctured ziplock slid over the
sink faucet or obvious place in TV helps remember to close the valve and install the cap before using the sink.
 
As always, I love the diversity of responses here. I especially like Dan's solution of dumping the gray water into the sink.

In my case, most of my gray water is just plain water and a bit of soap. This is due to my incessant "Howard Hughs like" washing of the hands through out the day. I don't put much food matter down the drain. In the past, I have just let it drain down my driveway. However, this thread is causing me to re-think this, as I want to be mindful of where my gray water ends up (storm sewers.) I like Sara's idea of draining in the yard.

I do remember Cary saying at check-out that it was legal to let the gray water tank "weep" onto the pavement once you left the campground so long as it would evaporate off the pavement and not run off the sides of the road. (Yes - Cary most certainly did use the work "weep" in describing a draining gray water tank.) However, like Evan, I've been reluctant to test this with local law enforcement. (But Officer, my tank was merely "weeping!")

Regarding fresh water, Cary also did recommend keeping the fresh water tank full in between camping trips. As Ken said, it minimizes the chances of things growing.
 
Kewl,
Good ideas... As Dave mentioned, no food particles go in the sink, strained out, so Grey Tank is just soapy, probably should use the Blue-ish camping soap.. Sometimes yes, others just "Joy".

If I am out dry camping for a few days, I'll dump into the fire pit thinking fire will burn out anything, but guessing that too is a bad idea as the water just goes into the ground. Thought maybe the Ash/Charcoal might help diffuse it..

The Oil pan is a good idea and with the spout might eliminate the Cut water bottle I'm using...

The drip method sounds about the best I guess... Glad to hear the issues on the hose, flat and gunk makes sense and carting it around too.

Good conversation, thanks...
oh? and Coffee grounds? French presses?? heheh, I understand the grounds "Used? to be?" good for plants. Dunno, but they rinse out in the fire pit.. to be burned out.. might give a coffee sent to it??

Fun..

oh, and i keep the water in the Fresh tank. I have fresh water in the 5Gal blue bottles and they keep for what? 6 months or more? so I figure I'll be filling recycling/adding fresh water enough to keep it circulated and the teaspoon of bleech. heheh, also with my new water pump, it could empty the 8-Gal quickly...
 
Most of the water going down the drain in Dottie is either from hand washing or rinsing dishes. On very rare instances do we use it for teeth brushing. I wash the dishes in a seperate basin and that eliminates the majority of the food particles going down the drain, but there is a little that gets missed and ends up in the water during the rinse in the sink (especially coffee grounds...those buggers stick to everything). I also use a biological camping soap that doesn't hurt nature (it breaks down and is non-toxic). I don't worry too much about things going down the storm drains. First, we don't have them in my neighborhood (at least none that come off the roads...that is a long story) and everything in there is organic matter and non-toxic. Should be ok for the birds and bees and raccoons and squirrels and coyotes that roam our neighborhood. :)
 
I also use a biodegradeable camp soap, so I have no concerns about dumping my grey water. We don't use the sink to wash dishes, so the only thing in our grey water tank is from handwashing or veggie rinsing.

I just drain into my plants at home, and they don't seem to mind.

I've used the dump station at a campground, but I'd rather avoid that. Remember that the hose you use to drain your tank at the campground is now dirty, as it has touched a drain that people use to drain black water. Do NOT let that hose anywhere near anything you might touch. Veteran RVers have likely learned how to manage that, but some of us are not veterans.

Is it legal to dump the grey water on the roadway? That would depend on an analysis of each state's law. Probably illegal in Cali and most states with "complicated" regulatory schemes. Probably legal in North Dakota, for example, where they still let you spray used motor oil for dust suppression. (no offense to North Dakota)

-Al
 
Ha Ha Ha ha ha AsheWolf!!!!

Sara and AlCat - I am curious about what kind of biodegradable soap you use. Is it just that all purpose "camp soap" that is universally available in the camping section of any store that carries camping equipment? Or is there something else that you each buy?
 
I use Campsuds. It's totally biodegradable and is VERY concentrated.

I also use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap when washing myself (as rare as that may be). Again, totally degradable and refreshing. Bears love that minty fresh flavor as well.
 
I grew up using Campsuds, and especially like to use it when it is buggy (it has lavender, citronella and peppermint oils in it that help fend them off, although I still find a lot of them in the water. I also use the Wilderness Wash, but prefer the Campsuds (made in USA and I haven't found Sodium Laureth Sulfate in the research I have done. Wilderness Wash has it and I try to avoid all of that stuff. Plus wilderness wash s made in China...just trying to support UScompanies if I can!). I get both of these a REI, but I am sure either a Cabelas, outdoor store, or online store would have them. Both are biodegradable, super concentrated (a little goes a long way), and you can use both for body washing too (they are all purpose camp soaps). Campsuds even works with salt water. I too use Dr Bronners for hand washing. We get the little travel bottles and I have two of them (one peppermint which Laddy loves, and I need the unscented because I have become sensitive to fragrance). They are small and fit perfectly in the little shelf I have suction cupped to the wall right by the sink, so it is easy to wash hands.

Here are the links on the bottles so you can see what they look like and maybe they have places where you can purchase them on their site too:

Www.campsuds.com
Www.seatosummit.com
 
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