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Old 05-09-2011, 09:23 AM   #1
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Tips on drycamping for newbs

Howdy all,

Trying to get ready for our first shakedown run which will be a dry run taboot. Need all the tips we can get as far as reserving battery power, holding tank space...ive already gotten a tip from the previous owner to open the grey watet house run it out onto the ground...anyways lookin for tips like that to help make our first trip a success...we have a 96 16' Scamp.
Thanks in advance!
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Old 05-09-2011, 10:54 AM   #2
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Howdy all,

Trying to get ready for our first shakedown run which will be a dry run taboot. Need all the tips we can get as far as reserving battery power, holding tank space...ive already gotten a tip from the previous owner to open the grey watet house run it out onto the ground...anyways lookin for tips like that to help make our first trip a success...we have a 96 16' Scamp.
Thanks in advance!
Careful, most places it's not legal to dump gray water on the ground. At best it's highly frowned upon.
You didn't say how long this first trip was to be. That does make a difference.
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Old 05-09-2011, 11:09 AM   #3
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Thanks for that heads up...it would mainly be dishwater or handwashing...so if u do this outside it goes on the ground aswell..no? Unless there is a wash station at the campground of course...the place we are going is very primitive...we are planning on 3 nights or as long as our 8month old daughter can go haha, might only end up being one night, we shall see how she does...
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Old 05-09-2011, 11:16 AM   #4
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I don't know how your sink drains, but mine drains straight out through a garden hose, I run a short piece of garden hose into a five gallon bucket with a lid and a hole in the lid for the hose.
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Old 05-09-2011, 12:01 PM   #5
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Good idea Greg, thanks! My sink runs into my grey water holding tank. There is a hose connection coming off the bottom of the tank where the previous owner would run a hose off of and run the hose over the bank so it had good run off. He didnt just run it on the ground beside the trailer making a puddle or anything like that...
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Old 05-09-2011, 12:26 PM   #6
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I carry a dedicated container and short hose for draining the grey water holding tank - the container is sealed so if there is no place close at hand to dump the grey water I can take it away with me and dump it when I dump the main trailer tanks.

Don't forget to bring along a portable water carrier in case you need to top off your water tank. BTW the grey water tank will hold all thats in your water holding tanks so you will not need to drain the grey water tank unless you refill the water tank.

Run the fridge on propane and avoid running the heater.

Have changed most of my lights over to LED but I also have a number of those small LED Dot lights stuck in various spots on the trailer including the bathroom and on the rear overhead bins for reading at night - I use those rather than the 12V lights if Im dry camping for more than a couple of days.

Have fun!
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Old 05-09-2011, 12:34 PM   #7
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Good idea Greg, thanks! My sink runs into my grey water holding tank. There is a hose connection coming off the bottom of the tank where the previous owner would run a hose off of and run the hose over the bank so it had good run off. He didnt just run it on the ground beside the trailer making a puddle or anything like that...
Your grey water discharge will contain soap residue and food bits etc. It just isn't appropriate to 'dump' anything randomly, especially in the wilderness. You may need to transfer your grey water to another container to dispose of it when you get home if you don't have access to a grey water dumping station.
We all learn as we go and if you're just getting started everything is new. You are absolutely doing the right thing by asking for advice before going on your first trip.
Welcome! Good luck.
Barrie
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Old 05-09-2011, 12:45 PM   #8
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Thanks you Carol, great tips! Does the heater really drain the propane fast?
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Old 05-09-2011, 12:46 PM   #9
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Thanks Barrie! Definately got lots to learn :P
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Old 05-09-2011, 01:55 PM   #10
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First -- I think it's been pretty well pointed out that draining gray water is no-no. The trick here is to NOT create a lot of gray water. You don't need a full sink to wash dishes, you don't need a lot of showers. Hygiene can be accomplished with "Wet Ones" or the like, hand washing with waterless stuff. Look for ways to reduce water usage and reduce the filling of gray water tank. Typical Scamp has 12 gallons of fresh water and 26 gallon gray water tank. We can go for week or more on 12 gallons of fresh water.

Propane -- Propane usage can be small or large depending on weather and you. If use a lot of hot water and it's cold propane usage will be high. For 3 days and current weather I wouldn't concern myself too much.

Battery usage -- Keep light usage to a minimum. Keep showers to a minimum, water pump uses battery. I put in cold cathode florescent lights, same light that back light your laptop computer screen, The current draw is very low. I don't have a shower or electric water pump. In moderate weather, nights 45, days 70+ I can go about 5 days without recharging. Colder days I have to recharge more often. Here I spent my money on good solar panel. But for 3 days with a bit of care you shouldn't have a problem.
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Old 05-09-2011, 02:17 PM   #11
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Great info Byron! Thank you! Do know if the furnace uses up the propane fast? I've been told where we are going camping it can get close to freezing at night due to the elevation(5280ft) and will need heat for our daughter....
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Old 05-09-2011, 02:23 PM   #12
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We have had the same 20# tank of propane for going on 4 years. Our furnace, a Cat Wave 5, is used before we go to bed or in the morning when we get up, so the propane use is very low. We don't use much for internal cooking, either. A lot of folks would suggest that you heat up the trailer, then turn off the furnace during sleep just to avoid CO2 or other such problems. With our WAVE 5, I don't want any bedclothes possibly touching the front of the heater while we're asleep. However, with a little one, you may need heat all night. We use a small ceramic electric heater for that when electricity is available. That can run all night on our front table.

In short, your tank of propane should last quite a while.
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Old 05-09-2011, 02:32 PM   #13
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Great info Byron! Thank you! Do know if the furnace uses up the propane fast? I've been told where we are going camping it can get close to freezing at night due to the elevation(5280ft) and will need heat for our daughter....
I camped in the northeast last November and temps were around the freezing mark through the night. I found if I used the furnace all night I would use about 25% of a 20 lb tank. I usually ran the furnace before bed, turned it off while I was sleeping, (very warm sleeping bag) and then started the furnace again in the morning about a half hour before climbed out of the sleeping bag. While there may be a bit more discomfort... it's camping. LOL, and you'll save propane.
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Old 05-09-2011, 02:34 PM   #14
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Thanks Kevin n Barrie!


Also looking for all other tips n secrets to drycamping/boondocking you all have picked up along the way...
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Old 05-09-2011, 02:40 PM   #15
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Great info Byron! Thank you! Do know if the furnace uses up the propane fast? I've been told where we are going camping it can get close to freezing at night due to the elevation(5280ft) and will need heat for our daughter....
Close to freezing should be OK. You're 16' is a bit bigger than my 13' so in very cold weather you'll probably use a bit more propane than I. When I was in Big Bend National Park the temperatures got down to 5 degrees at night and near freezing during the, I keep the thermostat set at 55 at night and at about 67 during day. Under those conditions a full tank lasted about 3 1/2 days. If you're just getting down to freezing at night and warmer during the day you shouldn't have any problems.

I know that some people turn off the furnace at night, but not me. I have the furnace to keep my trailer warm day and night. Not as warm at night, but I don't allow it to freezing or below either.

We do us sleeping bags. Individual bags are warmer than blankets and provide both top and bottom insulation.
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Old 05-09-2011, 02:44 PM   #16
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I camped in the northeast last November and temps were around the freezing mark through the night. I found if I used the furnace all night I would use about 25% of a 20 lb tank. I usually ran the furnace before bed, turned it off while I was sleeping, (very warm sleeping bag) and then started the furnace again in the morning about a half hour before climbed out of the sleeping bag. While there may be a bit more discomfort... it's camping. LOL, and you'll save propane.
Barrie

I think that Scamp trailers have a bit more insulation than older Trillium Trailers, which would account for the difference between your experience and mine. I bring the temperature up to around 65 before crawling out the sleeping bag.
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Old 05-09-2011, 04:04 PM   #17
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Thanks you Carol, great tips! Does the heater really drain the propane fast?
Nope but its fan with drain the battery depending how often it comes on during the night - its a battery hog or at least the orginal built in one in my scamp is! If you are planning on doing a lot of camping where the heater is needed you might want to think about picking up a solar panel which will let you keep using the heater. It will also come in handy in a year or so when you need to keep a DVD player or computer going for movies for the child at night! :-)

The fridge also does not use a great deal of propane - not sure how many days mine will actually go - but I do know that I have had it off the grid a number of times for 5 days at a time and I also use the inside stove top and hot water tank (but not the heater) and I haven't run out of propane using a 20lb tank.
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Old 05-09-2011, 06:19 PM   #18
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Before we go on a long trip I charge the battery and install a full tank of propane. I make sure my connection to the truck is in good shape. Using propane for the fridge and stove, coffee and toast in the morning and the occasional dinner, we are fine for several weeks. Use the furnace a couple nights/morning and I usually run out. We never run the furnace on the thermostat. We just turn it on as needed. As far as grey water is concerned, leaving any yuk for others to deal with is not appropriate. We once camped at a BLM campground in Utah where we were encouraged to water the plants with it. I think it depends on where you are. Our set up is like Gregs, in a jug next to the trailer so it is easy to deal with. When i dump the porta pot, I dump the jug. Raz
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Old 05-09-2011, 06:23 PM   #19
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We let or gray water out right on to the ground. We use a nylon stocking as a filter, biodegradable soap, limit our water use, and pretty much always boondock. This wilderness ethic that is way more stringent than those used by most backpackers and river runners I know.
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Old 05-09-2011, 07:43 PM   #20
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We let or gray water out right on to the ground. We use a nylon stocking as a filter, biodegradable soap, limit our water use, and pretty much always boondock. This wilderness ethic that is way more stringent than those used by most backpackers and river runners I know.
In Oregon you'd get a big fat fine for allowing gray water to just run onto the ground. There's a reason it needs to be dispursed even in BLM or our forests. And don't even think about it in any park, improved or not.

Donna D. proud to be a tree hugger and steward of Oregon
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