Need Grey Water advice, starting with nothing in my Scamp

[lisantica]

I was turned away from a state park yesterday due to the fact that I have no grey water tank. I actually have no water.

I have purchased the water tank from Scamp that goes to my hand pump on my sink, but I have no grey water storage at all.

Here is what is on my trailer:


Inside, under the sink, is a green hose about 2 feet long, it is just on the floor under there, not hooked up to anything.

My question is, which tank and fittings do I need to buy? My first thought is buy something that will just fit under the sink area. Or would I be better off having something dangle on the outside of the trailer as it seems to be intended to do from the factory, based on the build of my 1992 Scamp.

Thank you for any help, suggestions, links, shopping lists.

[John in Michigan]

Here is the hardware that you likely need for external grey water collection. It attaches to the bottom of your sink and to the hole in the side of the camper. Here is the link:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-37420-F...mco+sink+drain

It is a Camco 37420 Flexible Camper Drain.

[John in Michigan]

Our Trillium 4500, and previously our Boler 13, have a grey water drain (sink drain) on the side of the camper near the sink similar to yours. This works fine for us and it allows us to use a fairly large grey water container. An under the sink collection tank would also work but it would be small. In that case, you would want to patch the hole in the side of your camper.

[Kevin A]

Sorry to here about your water issues on your first trip. Our UHaul had a similar external drain and no internal tanks of any kind. We hooked up a hose to the external drain and ran into a 5 gallon water jug, which we emptied into the privy/bathroom in the park. If we didn't have city water hookups, we used a 2 gallon jug in the camper. We also had a Porta-Potti that we emptied every couple days, again in the local toilets. I'm sure the park authorities were worried you would just let any used water run on the ground since you had no way to collect it. We've never been asked about having tanks anywhere except a fancy RV resort in FL. I wonder if our external collection system would have passed muster at the park you visited. Did they give you any feedback other than "go away?"

[tractors1]

Some parks will not allow gray water discharge into an open container (aka a bucket) as it will overflow.

You can buy drainage containers that accept a garden hose thread in the lid. Guarantees you'll know when it's full!

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by John in Michigan

Here is the hardware that you likely need for external grey water collection. It attaches to the bottom of your sink and to the hole in the side of the camper. Here is the link:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-37420-F...mco+sink+drain

It is a Camco 37420 Flexible Camper Drain.

It seems I do have that white part that attaches to the bottom of the sink already. Perhaps I should just replace it?

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

Did they give you any feedback other than "go away?"

They said that I need to go and buy some type of sealed system and that I can come back with it installed and they will inspect it.

[John in Michigan]

Originally Posted by lisantica

It seems I do have that white part that attaches to the bottom of the sink already. Perhaps I should just replace it?

You can disassemble the assembly and just replace the through-hull connection if you want. Then replace the rest of the assembly later as necessary. Depends on how much time you want to spend on it right now.

[John in Michigan]

Its possible the previous owner was draining into a jug inside the camper.

I would get agreement from the state park on what is acceptable before making the changes. Hopefully other California residents will provide feedback on this. We have camped in MI, IN, NE, IA, CO, AR, TX, LA, FL, and AL and park employees did not even look at the grey water setup.

[k corbin]

You can purchase thick walled poly water tanks from quite a few online sources. They come in different sizes. Get a blank one and have the company put fittings into it that match the locations you need.

1. One in the top for the sink to drain into. If you are going to have a tank under the sink you nned to have a P trap or a Hepvo trap to keep the dirty water odors from coming up into the space. I am using the Hepvo as it has some good advantages for use in an RV versus a traditional, water filled, P trap. http://hepvo.com/

2. A smaller second fitting goes into the tank top with a barbed fitting which connects via a tube to a fitting in the side of your RV allowing the tank to vent. You need that air vent so that liquid will both flow into and drain back out of the tank. The fitting on the side of the RV for the vent line should be fairly high up in the under-sink cabinet. I am using one of these little tank vents through the sidewall of my trailer to connect with a tube to the under-sink grey water tank. It has a screen in it to keep bugs out and the opening faces down to keep rain out. https://www.fisheriessupply.com/sea-...lon-tank-vents

3. Then a third fitting at the base for draining the tank. On that drain line you should put a shut off valve you can reach from under the sink with the tank in place. The line going out from that valve will hook to the evacuation port that goes through the shell of your trailer. The evacuation ports are externally threaded so you can hook a garden hose to it. You will want to elevate your tank up off the floor high enough so gravity can drain the water in the tank if your evacuation port in the sidewall is too high. Or else install the evacuation port underneath the trailer.


The dimensions of the tank depend on how much space you have under the sink. If you can't figure it out then hire the work out.

A lot of places are now requiring that trailers be "self contained" and are not allowing the use of the external portable waste tanks that remain hooked up for constant use as a waste tank while you are camping. Just go with the flow ..but in this case they are the ones who want you not to go with the flow

[lisantica]

Thank you all for the suggestions.
I may end up going with this item:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085KGOD4...b65fd5245551_S
Or an Aqua Tainer (seems the most inexpensive way to hopefully be approved).
Most times I plan on paying for a full hook-up, drive through spot, so I don't need to buy an elaborate system.

[John in Michigan]

We use a generic version of Aqua Tainer. It has a hole in the lid to screw in the end of the hose. But we've never camped in CA. As you mentioned, first check with CA state park system before purchasing this and going camping.

EDIT: Very few of the campgrounds that we've used have sewer hookups. Most
have either just electric or electric and city water.

[lisantica]

Here is what the California Park System said about the place I wanted to stay and I didn't read it before going,

"Minimum requirement is a built-in sink with an enclosed gray water drain system and a portable toilet with a black water tank."

I have a built-in sink, and portable toilet. I just need that enclosed grey water drain system.

[Terry in Fowler]

There are several Ca state parks that don't alow external free standing holding tanks. One is near Ventura. As has beensaid check with the camp ground before reserving self can tainted sites. When using the Compact jr I just don't use those locations. Self-contained sites harder to come by so if they are what you want start reserving now. I've had some pretty rough trips and I would not give anyone of them to stay at home.
Enjoy.

[Mike Magee]

For CA use I would put in a little gray water tank under the sink. A catch bottle outside might be cause for another rejection. In almost any other state no one would say anything.

I am reminded of my first time towing a 13' egg (UHaul) in, I think, 1985. We rented it and traveled from MI to CO and back, 2 adults and 2 small children, towing with a Dodge Omni. I was letting the gray water go onto the ground, not knowing any better. In MO another RVer told me I should have a pail or something. I had no idea. I thought, I surely would never want to buy a trailer without a holding tank... why did they design a TT this way?

We can't learn without making a few mistakes.

[lisantica]

I did order the Aqua Tainer and fittings for a possible under the sink solution.
I will need to order the other part that doesn't let odors sneak in, but have to figure out if I buy the 1.25 or the 1.50.
http://hepvo.com/buy-now/

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by John in Michigan

Its possible the previous owner was draining into a jug inside the camper.

I would get agreement from the state park on what is acceptable before making the changes. Hopefully other California residents will provide feedback on this. We have camped in MI, IN, NE, IA, CO, AR, TX, LA, FL, and AL and park employees did not even look at the grey water setup.

You are lucky because in Colorado if they see something amiss they will put a stop to it. Found out the hard way when we didn't have holding tank for grey water.

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

You are lucky because in Colorado if they see something amiss they will put a stop to it. Found out the hard way when we didn't have holding tank for grey water.

Wow, good to know. At least I am now taking care of it, have had the Scamp for 9 days.

[John in Michigan]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

You are lucky because in Colorado if they see something amiss they will put a stop to it. Found out the hard way when we didn't have holding tank for grey water.

Jann, good point. Not really luck. We have an external gray water container with a screw top. I believe our camper is compliant in most campgrounds in the US. However, some campgrounds (apparently some in CA) and some RV parks do not allow external gray water containers.