Uh oh. Gray water tank ?

[realgranola]

Hi, I'm taking my boys camping monday and the campsite requires holding of gray water. I'm new at this , and don't even want to say what I did with the gray water on our last two camping trips. What do I need and where do I get it ? I don't think I have time to order anything and also, I need to be able to lift it myself. I saw these blue 10 gallon (and up) containers with wheels but what kind of hose do I need to hook it to the Scamp? Anything else I need ? Nothing like waiting til the last minute. :/

[Frederick L. Simson]

If you have a portable tote tank, then you need just enough plain old garden hose to reach from your trailer's gray water outlet to it.

When I dry camp, I connect a 5-gallon water tote (mine is called a "Port-a-way'st") to my dump outlet.
I do not use this set-up for black water.
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I also have a portable 2nd battery that I connect to an inverter shown in this pic.

[realgranola]

Thank you ! I don't have any kind of tank at all. Would I be able to lift that thing you have ? How much does 5 gallons of water weigh ?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by realgranola

Hi, I'm taking my boys camping monday and the campsite requires holding of gray water. I'm new at this , and don't even want to say what I did with the gray water on our last two camping trips. What do I need and where do I get it ? I don't think I have time to order anything and also, I need to be able to lift it myself. I saw these blue 10 gallon (and up) containers with wheels but what kind of hose do I need to hook it to the Scamp? Anything else I need ? Nothing like waiting til the last minute. :/

Since you have a 2007 Scamp, are you sure you don't already have an onboard graywater tank? Look behind the portside wheel for the drain valve and coupler.
Does your sink drain to the outside through a hose connection? If so just get a 5gal bucket with a lid or a large used liquid laundry detergent bottle and run a short length of hose from the trailer to the bottle, then check it regularly. If your site has a sewer hook-up you can drain the hose directly into the sewer instead of the bottle.

[rgrugg]

Water weighs around 8.3 pounds per gallon. Most of those portable tanks have wheels.

[Bob Miller]

Most RV stores have wheeled tanks in stock ranging from 5 gallons and up. I have even seen a few in the RV section at WalMart.

[realgranola]

I don't have an onboard graywater tank. My sink drains outside,but there's no hose. The previous owner had been using a bucket to catch the sink water. That's what I've been doing and then dumping it in the dirt when no one's looking(shhh), and that's only because I really wasn't sure of what I was supposed to be doing.This place I'm going Monday says graywater must be contained so that won't work anymore. I have lots of 5 gallon buckets so that will do the trick ! I didn't even realize there were sites with sewer hook-ups.
Thanks !

[BCDave]

Now THAT is going to depend on the definition of "contained" - which may mean covered, sealed and impossible for squirrels & chipmunks to fall into.

In that case a hose will be needed to direct water into a bucket with a lid and the hose going into the lid!

[realgranola]

Thank you everyone. I saw the wheeled tanks on Amazon and in the RV catalog but at the campground I came home from today the dump site was out of walking distance so I will need to be able to lift the tank and put it in my van myself. I think the 5 gallon bucket will be manageable for me. I'll just make the kids eat out of one bowl so there aren't many dishes to wash. teehee

[Donna D.]

There's always this: Walmart.com: Reliance Products Hydroller 8 Gallon wheeled water container: Camping

[Nancy]

Julie,

I have two things I use. One is a laundry soap bottle that fits where most people have a heater. We use this when we are traveling and can not put out our other bottle. That one is a plastic oil jug that we got enroute once. That one gets hooked up to a hose and the hose goes in the neck of the bottle.

I have two plumbing hoses and need to switch the hose depending on if it drains inside or outside.

When I first tried the outside tank I did have to play with length of hose and distance to jug. Until I got the venting right it did not work properly.

I bought a 7 gal blue water jug to use, but it would be too heavy for either of us and it has never been used. Our 5 gal oil jug (free from restaurant)) is even too heavy if we let it get too full.

I just switched my inside hose today and was lusting after a proper grey water tank. I go through that every year. Should have my husband do my switch, maybe we would get the real thing after a few switches.

Nancy

[DaveK]

For the past few years with the Little Bigfoot i used a plastic 5 gallon water jug. Looked like a jerry can. Similar to this but only about $10. NRS Heavy-duty 5 Gallon Water Container (20L) - FREE SHIPPING at Altrec.com

Stable outside the trailer and much easier to carry to the dump station than a bucket . Also easy to close up for the trip with the screw top. Many campgrounds require the outside drain tank to be enclosed and a bucket won't qualify unless the lid is on and fastened.

[realgranola]

Donna, I was looking to buy that exact Reliance container but to haul clean water to my site ! Hadn't thought of using it for gray water.
I just emptied out that last bit of dishsoap from the 5 gallon bucket and it's got a nice tight fitting lid a where the pump goes will be just right to put a hose in.

[realgranola]

Nancy, I wonder why our Scamps don't have holding tanks ? At least a small one would be nice.

[realgranola]

I guess I was lucky I didn't get kicked out the last two times I went camping with the water sploshing out everywhere from my little bucket. :0

[Jeff Richardson]

I bought a Thetford 12 gallon waste water holding tank at Camping World last year on the way to a vintage trailer camp. Here's a link to that tank:

Tote Tanks | Honey Wagon | Smart Tote | Portable RV waste water tanks | blue holding tanks | black water holding tank Camping World - Tote Tanks | Honey Wagon | Smart Tote | Portable RV waste water tanks | blue holding tanks | black water holding tan

I liked having a waste water tank so much that I ordered the 21 gallon tank from Scamp that they permanently install under the floor below the rear dinette area. The Scamp web site says it holds 26 gallons but the manufacturer says it holds 21.

I'm sure Scamp would install the grey water tank on any trailer a person orders. I don't think a lot of people do. It makes sense to me. I did several camps last year where there were no hook ups.

Here's a picture of the 12 gallon tank that I made a short hose for. I used garden hose-type fitting I got at ACE hardware, a hose clamp and a piece of 3/4-inch I.D. hose. I just ran it into the opened drain outlet. There is a garden hose-type fitting on the other end of the tank. I eventually shortened the hose and installed the same threaded fitting on that end, too.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by realgranola

Nancy, I wonder why our Scamps don't have holding tanks ? At least a small one would be nice.

Graywater tanks are available on all 13 Scamp models, but many people don't feel the need with just a sink.
I did an early Scamp 13 which is too low to accept a standard graywater tank, by placing a small tank under the portside dinette bench. the sink drained into it and the tank drained through the standard hose outlet with a ball valve under the sink for draining it. I then supplied a garden hose for draining to the sewer or dumpstation, with one end cut off to prevent accidentally using it for fresh water supply.

[john warren]

mine has one, so i assumed they all did.

[Joy A]

Originally Posted by realgranola

Nancy, I wonder why our Scamps don't have holding tanks ? At least a small one would be nice.

On board holding tanks have been an option on Scamps for years. I was always puzzled why you wouldn't want one if you have a sink. Collecting outside or in a small container under the sink just wasn't something I was willing to do.

You know 5 gallons of water can be heavier than you think. Considering your trailer, I'd get a rolling blue tote with a handle. Then you can hook it to your tow vehicle's ball and tow it to the dump station to dump the water.

I was sitting in a SP in Illinois some years ago and in the evening I kept hearing a funny sound. I finally looked out and saw several vehicles creeping slowly through the campground with their blue totes in tow. For some reason I'd never thought about people towing them before, but then liquid is heavy.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by realgranola

Nancy, I wonder why our Scamps don't have holding tanks ? At least a small one would be nice.

On your 2007
the original owner decided that the tank was not worth the cost for just sink water, the good news is that it is a simple matter to install one which can be purchased from Scamp as a complete kit for $155 plus shipping, which in my case was $60. As for installation, contact me direct if you would like some instruction.

If you have an early 13 Scamp,it may be too close to the ground for a graywater tank to be practical.