The one mistake I made when I bought my Casita, was getting the...

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

It is remarkable how the standard for cleanliness varies .
We camp with another couple who have a large 5th wheel trailer.
Their trailers fresh water tanks hold over 100 gallons of water, yet they can't go more than 2 days before they run out of water.
They feel it is necessary to shower twice a day (Morning & Before Bed) even though they spend 90% of their day sitting in a lawn chairs in the shade.
Yet as ZachO says many are content to shower / bathe twice a week.

Us Hillbilly's stick to a strict shower code .

we shower once a week weather needed or not. LOL

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by lewisma9

Question for Jann Todd:
You seem to say that you can dump your GRAY WATER in places other than a dump station. Please help a newbie with some details?

Now you have done it! Another hot topic...

You see, it some places you are allowed to dump gray water in the bushes or some other designated location. In drought parched areas it might even be encouraged. But IHMO, people often dump gray water on the ground when they should not. It often contains food scraps, grease, etc. that attracts bugs and animals. And I have had to walk through mud to get to the fresh water spigot because someone thought it was fine to dump their gray water at their site.

It's a sometimes lively discussion however so you will hear different things, but I am always reminded of the large trailer in the site next to me at a State Park in NY. They set up a large wash basin at the back of the trailer that drained onto the ground, and they washed all their dishes there even though there was a very nice dish washing station with running hot water at the bathhouse literally 50 feet away from them.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

Us Hillbilly's stick to a strict shower code .

we shower once a week weather needed or not. LOL

Mike, I was not attempting to criticize your bathing or lack thereof regiment . From my viewpoint bathing twice a day could be deemed as excessive / compulsive and once a week may well be at the other end of the scale. . As long as you stay down wind everything should be fine.

I think some of the hysteria over dumping gray water is not based in scientific fact but in an illogical phobia. There is an 80 acre field just north of us where the local septic pumpers spread their effluents on the ground especially in winter when the ground is frozen. They are licensed and the dump site is monitored by the State DNR. After 20 years of dumping on this site there has been no environmental damage. Dumping 10 gallon of gray water around a tree that needs moisture to survive does not qualify as the end of the world as we know it IMHO
If we took this to its' illogical end we would have to cover the earth with Porta potties so people won't pee behind the closest tree.

[brian m.]

With a small portable grey water tank we extended our stay in Yellowstone by dumping it in the campground vault toilet.

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

Cleaning up with just wipes means you must get a little nasty smelling. You can't clean up good enough with them. We use them for a clean up once in a while but not for over 2-3 days. You must not have a toilet. Sounds like you can make it in a tent. Most of us use our trailers for comfort not for roughing it hard.

I started using this product because I had acne problems on my back:
https://shop.motherdirt.com/product/ao-mist-2/

I apply it to my back only once a month and when I shower I don't soap my back since it would kill the beneficial microbes. The thing is, ever since I started using it, I can go 4 days without showering and not stink to high heaven. Supposedly there are people who use this product all over, shower occasionally with just water and claim they don't have unpleasant BO. By the way, it did wonders for the acne on my back.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Mike, I was not attempting to criticize your bathing or lack thereof regiment . From my viewpoint bathing twice a day could be deemed as excessive / compulsive and once a week may well be at the other end of the scale. . As long as you stay down wind everything should be fine.

I think some of the hysteria over dumping gray water is not based in scientific fact but in an illogical phobia. There is an 80 acre field just north of us where the local septic pumpers spread their effluents on the ground especially in winter when the ground is frozen. They are licensed and the dump site is monitored by the State DNR. After 20 years of dumping on this site there has been no environmental damage. Dumping 10 gallon of gray water around a tree that needs moisture to survive does not qualify as the end of the world as we know it IMHO
If we took this to its' illogical end we would have to cover the earth with Porta potties so people won't pee behind the closest tree.

Yes i just thought i throw a joke in there.

As far as dumping a little grey water I don't see a problem.

[Donna D.]

Water in... water out. It's not just about the fresh water capacity, it's also about how you get rid of the gray/black water.

But right about now, I bet the folks at Dome Rock are grateful for large tanks as the closest "campground spigot" to get fresh water is about 5 miles away.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by lewisma9

Question for Jann Todd:
You seem to say that you can dump your GRAY WATER in places other than a dump station. Please help a newbie with some details?

We use the blue 5 gallon portable dump tank we bought at an RV store, fill it with the hose attached to the valve cap that has a hose outlet on it by pulling the gray handle slowly until the water comes out slowly, fill the tank, close the handle and then take the blue dump tank to a dump station. You might get by with dumping in a bathroom toilet but we never have. There is only soapy water in the gray tank. We have had to do this in parks where there is only electric but is a dump station. It is against the law in all places to dump on the ground or any other place not connected to a sewer.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

If you really want to save on water you could install one of these
RV Grey Water Recycling Made Easy - RV Life

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

If you really want to save on water you could install one of these
RV Grey Water Recycling Made Easy - RV Life

That is almost $300 just for the parts and it is out of stock today.

Its much easier and cheaper to recycle gray water with a sink basin, a pail and or a jug.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by gordon2

...Its much easier and cheaper to recycle gray water with a sink basin, a pail and or a jug.

How do those things allow you to reuse the water?

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

How do those things allow you to reuse the water?

It basically using the grey water for toilet, so you save on fresh water because none is used in the toilet. the end result is the water gets used twice. once for grey and then reused for black.
I sure you could cut the cost down installing your own system

[David Tilston]

Or you could use a solar still:
https://sustainability.stackexchange...to-fresh-water

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

How do those things allow you to reuse the water?

What Mike said. Capture the gray water in whatever way works for you (I use a sink basin), then pour it into the commode instead of normal flushing. Works great and no fancy added plumbing and pumps required, although it does tend to fill the relatively small black water tank faster while leaving the gray water tank nearly empty.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by brian m.

With a small portable grey water tank we extended our stay in Yellowstone by dumping it in the campground vault toilet.

We were at a small State Park on a Sunday morning and the line at the dump station was long as would be expected . There was a guy in a large motor home who could not wait so he backed his rig up to the closest pit privy and decided to dump . Guess what happened when he dumped over 100 gallons of water in the privy ?
He ended up paying for the cleanup plus he got fined.
I was told by the Park Ranger that waste water is supposed to be dumped at the dump station NOT in the public restrooms or pit privies.
If you've ever gone into a pit privy where some one has dumped their greasy dishwater all over the floor and seat you would understand the problem.

[Kai in Seattle]

As for bathing, did you know that Elvis Presley, according to one of his biographers, NEVER BATHED or showered? He took what are called "whore baths," that is, you half-fill a small sink with hot water and wipe yourself with a washcloth. I assume he occasionally washed his hair, but maybe he only did oil changes.

If NEVER bathing or showering was good enough for The King...almost any bathing schedule or method one prefers while camping ought to be good enough.

BEST
Kai

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I think some of the hysteria over dumping gray water is not based in scientific fact but in an illogical phobia. There is an 80 acre field just north of us where the local septic pumpers spread their effluents on the ground especially in winter when the ground is frozen. They are licensed and the dump site is monitored by the State DNR. After 20 years of dumping on this site there has been no environmental damage. Dumping 10 gallon of gray water around a tree that needs moisture to survive does not qualify as the end of the world as we know it IMHO
If we took this to its' illogical end we would have to cover the earth with Porta potties so people won't pee behind the closest tree.

I don't care if it is legal, common courtesy dictates that you ask either the campground staff, the park rangers or the property owner if you can dump your grey water on the grounds. In you're example the owner of the field probably gave his permission to have the septic guys dump. I'm sure they didn't just drive onto the property one day and let loose. You may dump your 10 gallons, but then the next 100 do the same, then multiply that by the number of campsites and the next thing you know you've got thousands or tens of thousands of gallons dumped in the area. Just because something isn't illegal, doesn't mean you should do it without permission. I was raised to treat other people's things better than I would my own.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

I don't care if it is legal, common courtesy dictates that you ask either the campground staff, the park rangers or the property owner if you can dump your grey water on the grounds. In you're example the owner of the field probably gave his permission to have the septic guys dump. I'm sure they didn't just drive onto the property one day and let loose. You may dump your 10 gallons, but then the next 100 do the same, then multiply that by the number of campsites and the next thing you know you've got thousands or tens of thousands of gallons dumped in the area. Just because something isn't illegal, doesn't mean you should do it without permission. I was raised to treat other people's things better than I would my own.

The owner of the field is the septic pumper.
Whose permission would you like him to get in order to dump on his own land besides the DNR ?
Alex , I do not know what you are mad about or why , but I hope you calm down.

[Alex Adams]

I'm not mad, I just don't buy the argument that if it isn't illegal its OK to do it. If the septic company wants to dump on their land that is fine as long as they aren't adversely impacting their neighbors. That can include smell, pollution, traffic, etc. On the other hand if you buy a lot next to this property, build your house right next to where the dumping is happening and then complain about the smell then I have no sympathy for you at all.

[Kai in Seattle]

May I add, I understand in the Southwest, where the land is mostly desert, many campgrounds really, really don't want you so much as emptying a pet bowl of leftover water on the ground, since the native plants are used to a certain amount of drought and too much water can damage or kill them. We haven't camped in any such area yet, and would have to find out. I don't know how they want you to smother a campfire--if you can even have one. Sand or dirt, maybe.

We ask park personnel before we put any liquid out. Many places are fine with dog water remnants, etc., and some have rock-filled gray-water dump sites, sometimes at each site and sometimes between every few sites. You can always take things to the park restroom and if it's just liquids you can flush it or put it in an outhouse type toilet. But they don't want you putting paper towels, plastic bags, or anything like that in toilets that have to be sucked clean as it clogs the sucker.

That said, if I'm having a glass of water or coffee and spill it, I'm not going to report myself and hold my hands up for the cuffs.