Total noob question: grey water dumping? - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-13-2011, 08:38 AM   #1
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Total noob question: grey water dumping?

Hi

We have a 13 ft Trillium trailer and we only have a sink (no shower, no toilet, no holding tank). Being completely new to Rving, it occurred to us that we don't know what the procedure is for letting our sink drain where there is no sewer hookup (which is the type of site we are typically given).

Should we let the hose drain on the ground under the trailer or should we collect it in a bucket (and then what)?

We are always careful to wipe our plates clean with paper towel before we wash them so there is very little food going down the drain.

Tips? Experiences?
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2011, 09:01 AM   #2
Raz
Senior Member
 
Raz's Avatar
 
Trailer: Trillium 2010
Posts: 5,193
End of an old garden hose into a container. You can dump the container at the dump station, toilet, etc. It's a good way to keep track of your water usage too. Raz
Raz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2011, 10:40 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Byron Kinnaman's Avatar
 
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
Registry
You'll find that it's not only a bad practice to dump gray water on the ground in a park or campground, but that it's also illegal in most places. You have several options. An external gray water container can be purchased in several sizes. That is the best way to keep out of trouble. The cheaper way is a bucket with lid and a hose through the lid and sealed, a vent would also be needed.
Disposal is at dumping stations, sink water disposal stations, or campground toilet. One can always ask the campground host as to where to dispose of gray water.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
Byron Kinnaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2011, 10:40 AM   #4
Moderator
 
Frederick L. Simson's Avatar
 
Trailer: Fiber Stream 1978 / Honda Odyssey LX 2003
Posts: 8,223
Registry
Send a message via AIM to Frederick L. Simson
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCPaul View Post
Should we let the hose drain on the ground under the trailer or should we collect it in a bucket (and then what)?

Experiences?
A lot will depend on each location where you camp.
The answer can run the gamut from
  • Do that and you'll be in serious trouble.
  • Dispersed on the ground is OK.
Note that I said "dispersed". Repeated dumping on the ground directly at your campsite is always frowned upon, in my experience. However, you should assume that it is NOT allowed unless told otherwise at that campground. If there is no signage prohibiting it, ASK a Host or Ranger first.
Food particles are not the only contaminant authorities have trouble with... Soap and Detergents are possibly of greater concern.

If you do collect it, dumping the vessel in a Toilet is usually what you do.
__________________
Frederick - The Scaleman
Frederick L. Simson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2011, 03:21 PM   #5
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Seems a bit odd because they use grey water to water the golf courses where I'm from. But I guess rules are rules.
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-15-2011, 07:52 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
KevinWA's Avatar
 
Trailer: Trillium 4500 1978
Posts: 114
if you gotta ask the answer is usualy no......that being said, it is easyier to beg forgivness than to ask permission!!

all jokes aside...just get a old bucket and drain away...... maybe a small hole in the bottom???
KevinWA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2011, 11:43 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,800
About the time you beg forgiveness is about the same time the officer asks you to hold out your hand so he/she can place a citation on it.... seriously, a bucket with a lid and hose is the easiest, buying a tote (on wheels) the most expensive and then there's this:

Homemade Blue Tote
blue_tote.pdf

I created this a couple of years ago, so the numbers may be wrong.. but you get the idea.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2011, 12:10 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Byron Kinnaman's Avatar
 
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
About the time you beg forgiveness is about the same time the officer asks you to hold out your hand so he/she can place a citation on it.... seriously, a bucket with a lid and hose is the easiest, buying a tote (on wheels) the most expensive and then there's this:

Homemade Blue Tote
Attachment 38025

I created this a couple of years ago, so the numbers may be wrong.. but you get the idea.

This looks pretty good for dumping an on-board gray water tank without the need to move the trailer. For collection directly from the sink I believe you need a hose attached to the vent that ends above the sink drain. I tried to find the web page that showed what needs to happen to be legal, but I failed.

There was a web site that diagrammed the system requirements for here in Oregon. NOTE: for direct collection, Not transfer.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
Byron Kinnaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2011, 06:34 PM   #9
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
I just have a sink drain (grey, no black water) so a bucket seems fine.

I find that any "ups" in the drain hose makes it just about impossible for the sink to drain so my drain-to-bucket line needs to be pretty much a continuous downhill slope, i.e. short hose and low bucket.
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2011, 06:52 PM   #10
Junior Member
 
Name: Joe
Trailer: Scamp 16 - floor plan #4
Minnesota
Posts: 27
Registry
I've been using one of those 7-gallon collapsible translucent plastic water carriers as my grey-water tank, and had trouble with using a cut-off piece of garden hose - might have been from the far end going under the water level in the water carrier and getting a bubble lock of sorts from that - at any rate, for whatever reason, the water would always back up in the sink. I replaced the hose with a garden hose connector, a 90-degree PVC elbow (threaded to take the garden hose connector), a vertical piece of PVC pipe, a 45-degree elbow to angle the pipe under the trailer, and another piece of PVC pipe (in that order, top to bottom). This lets me put the water carrier under the trailer, and the end of the pipe doesn't get submerged until the carrier is full. No bubble lock, and the grey water drains from the sink with no problems at all.
Joe in MN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 07:30 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 13 ft Trillium
Posts: 293
Hi Paul,
I have an older Trillium and the first mod I made when I bought my trailer was to disconnect the sink drain to the outside and installed a new hose that drains into a container (bucket with lid) in the adjacent storage in the dinette seat. I can then empty the bucket as necessary. I lost very little storage space and I don't have the inconvenience of having the external container. (which you have to store somewhere anyway).
Enjoy!
Barrie
HikeSticks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 09:02 PM   #12
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Interesting idea - my wife got all excited over that idea. What do you do for overflow?
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2011, 02:39 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 13 ft Trillium
Posts: 293
Hi Paul,
I don't have overflow. I carry my own water rather than hook to services. My gray water container has the same capacity as my fresh water container; if I'm empty I'm full... Since you can't have overflow, because that would mean an unacceptable discharge, you have to manage your gray water regardless of wether you use an exterior or interior gray water container.
Barrie
HikeSticks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2011, 06:00 AM   #14
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Here is what we've done so far:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ure-47438.html
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2011, 07:35 AM   #15
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Today I am off to look for a "Hydroller" water tote or equivalent for grey water. Walmart has them but so do other hardware stores.
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2011, 08:27 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
Registry
There is always the "Airstream bucket"- an aluminum bucket into which your tank hose drains but the bucket never fills because it has holes in the bottom. This was a standing joke on the Airstream forums.
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2011, 08:34 AM   #17
Junior Member
 
Trailer: Trillium 4500
Posts: 16
We camp without hydro hook-up. When we've taken the trailer, I normally have my soapy water in the sink and a water jug with spout set up right next to the sink to rinse. We have a garden hose that attaches to the outside drain vent. It's cut off to about 3 feet. We just put the hose in a bucket on the ground outside and then dump in the toilets or sink. Some places it's not that big of a deal to dump gray water in the bushes a good distance away from your site, but if you are camping in bear country you don't want to be dumping anywhere near the sites.
BarbT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2011, 09:47 AM   #18
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
There is always the "Airstream bucket"- an aluminum bucket into which your tank hose drains but the bucket never fills because it has holes in the bottom. This was a standing joke on the Airstream forums.
That is soooooo tempting. I have a dollar store bucket with a crack on the bottom...

Besides, it keeps the campground dust down. ;-)
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2011, 12:29 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Jane P.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: Bigfoot 19 ft
Posts: 719
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCPaul View Post
Hi

We have a 13 ft Trillium trailer and we only have a sink (no shower, no toilet, no holding tank). Being completely new to Rving, it occurred to us that we don't know what the procedure is for letting our sink drain where there is no sewer hookup (which is the type of site we are typically given).

Should we let the hose drain on the ground under the trailer or should we collect it in a bucket (and then what)?

We are always careful to wipe our plates clean with paper towel before we wash them so there is very little food going down the drain.

Tips? Experiences?
There have been other threads regarding grey water dumping. The issue is what it does to the environment. And, although I am not an environmental ideologue, I do believe that we have to act responsibly - regardless of the odds of getting "caught".

I am lucky to have a grey water tank, and have come to appreciate one of the major advantages of a fiberglass trailer: it is so very easy to hook up and drive off to a area where you can dump you gray H2O as well as fill up on fresh H2O.

I spent last winter dry camping in a private dog training area. One of the first things I asked the property manager was:
  1. Where is the nearest fresh water source?
  2. Where is the nearest dump station?
  3. Can I dump my grey water tank at my campsite?

Surprisingly, he gave me permission to dispose of my grey water tank at the campsite. The trailers are parked alongside an embankment and it is an easy thing to place the sewage hose down a bank into a covered field with trees. There didn't seem to be any concern regarding the environment ...

Thinking about this situation, I think that what I'll do this winter is use "green" camp soap. I do shower at the site, and hopefully Dove body soap will do no harm. If it does, I'll shop around for a "green" body soap and shampoo.

I regularly dry camp at other spots that do not allow for grey water dumping. I do acknowledge that and am prepared to travel to a dumping area.

Fresh water is my biggest problem when dry camping. And I need to hook up and take the trailer to a fresh water source every few days. That usually conforms with my need to empty the grey water tank.

If I did not have a grey water tank installed in my trailer, I'd find a way to get one. If there simply is no way to install a grey water tank, I would use a portable holding tank or bucket. I have seen them advertised.

As I said, I'm not an ideologue. But I do think we need to be responsible about what we are doing to the environment.
__________________
'02 Bigfoot 21’ | '07 Chevy Tahoe
Jane P. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2011, 07:16 PM   #20
Member
 
BCPaul's Avatar
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: Trillium Outback
British Columbia
Posts: 96
Registry
Here is a pic of my new easy grey water tote made from a Hydroller water container (Canadian Tire or Walmart US). I made a female to female hose - the free spinning female connectors avoid having to twist the hose around when attaching - and used a male to male connector to change the sex of the Hydroller spigot hole.

$40 for the Hydroller - maybe half that in the US.

I added an inline valve (not in pic) to allow sink use while the tote is being emptied (fills the sink until reconnected - attach then open the valve - no mess).

As for reports of the air vent having to be as high as the sink in Oregon, that just seems a little over the top for me (pun intended). If Oregon truly enforces that rule then that is a state I just won't camp in. ;-)

It holds 8 gallons/30 litres, has wheels and a folding handle.

I hope the pic posted ok - first time I post an attachment using my Android phone. If not, I will the phone's browser to attach.

PS: Sorry for the lousy pic!
Attached Thumbnails
Hydroller.jpg  
__________________
I RV therefore I am.
BCPaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Black water dumping Gina D. Plumbing | Systems and Fixtures 63 11-28-2012 11:21 AM
Help a total noob with an axle problem. ronin149 Towing, Hitching, Axles and Running Gear 13 07-20-2011 09:46 PM
help! clueless about dumping gray and black water tanks joy mccalla Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 12 04-18-2010 08:13 PM
Water supply hose to the holding tank - grey water Kathy L Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 2 08-26-2009 04:52 PM
Black water-Grey Water ROIDON L Plumbing | Systems and Fixtures 3 07-23-2009 06:09 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:21 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.