Camping at electric only sites.

[Willie & Bev]

We have some parks that only have electric at the site. There is water available and a dump station. I've been thinking of putting a tank in the truck bed for fresh water with a pump to transfer to the TT. I also would like to put a gray/black tank with a marcerator pump in the truck bed to dump if necessary.
I really don't want to move the trailer to dump or refill the fresh water tank while camping.

Anyone ever done this or have any recommendations?

Thanks,
Willie

[JRTJH]

I would recommend NOT to try to handle black tank waste in any secondary tank. Either hire a "honey wagon" to empty your black tank when it's full (most campgrounds with a significant number of "non-sewer sites" usually has this service available for a fee). Dealing with the odor and possible health issues associated with a dirty container just makes it very unpleasant as well as unhealthy. Hauling such a tank home, trying to clean it and store it will convince you, after the first time, that it's not the best idea for black tank waste.

As for gray water, a "blue tote" is what most people use. A 20 gallon blue tote will work well for any size gray tank. Just use a Valterra garden hose cap on your sewer outlet and open/close the gray tank valve as needed to fill the blue tote, take it to the dump station, return and repeat until your gray tank is empty.

Fresh water is also "easy to manage". We have two 6 gallon WalMart water containers, haul 12 gallons at a time, pour it into the trailer and return for more water. Actually, we fill the containers while we're doing other tasks like making a grocery run, etc. When the fresh water tank is about half full, I pour in that 12 gallons and the next time we're out and about, I refill them so we have water available when needed.

There's no reason to make it difficult or unpleasant, stay ahead of the screams that the shower won't drain and it's never a "crisis"...

Just don't try hauling black waste in a portable container. If you must, hitch the trailer, haul it to the dump station, dump the black tank and return to the campsite. After all, it should only be a "once a week" kind of task if you are diligent in how you fill the black tank.

[EagleandFox]

When we had our camper parked as a seasonal, we had electric only. For fresh water, we bought a big plastic container from a fleet store that had a sprayer attached - maybe 20 gallon size container (I have no clue)? Hubby took off the sprayer end and we'd fill our camper with that by hooking it up to the car or truck battery so it'd pump the water out. We didn't use our fresh water for drinking or cooking because I think that container was for spraying pesticides - we'd bring that water up in a 5-gallon jug that is safe for drinking water. We had the "honey wagon" periodically come by for the black and grey tanks.

[kjohn]

We have some parks that only have electric at the site. There is water available and a dump station. I've been thinking of putting a tank in the truck bed for fresh water with a pump to transfer to the TT. I also would like to put a gray/black tank with a marcerator pump in the truck bed to dump if necessary.
I really don't want to move the trailer to dump or refill the fresh water tank while camping.

Anyone ever done this or have any recommendations?

Thanks,
Willie


I have done exactly what you ask about. I had to pack up and move 25+ miles one time, then come back to the site and set up again. I swore that would be the last time.



I bought a new 25 gallon plastic tank, hooked up a 12v whizzer pump with its own battery for pumping to the trailer. I plumbed it so I can fill it with pressure from the source, so I have two taps to allow the whole setup to work.

I scavenged a used 45 gallon DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) plastic barrel for the black/grey stuff, bought a macerator and powered it off the trailer. When I pump the stuff off the trailer, I used the whizzer pump to flush everything. There is a little valve on the macerator to allow water in. It all works like a charm.



I have a cap on our truck, so nothing shows. I strapped the barrels to the inside so they can't roll around. I use el cheapo garden hoses for the whole setup.



I am lucky to have a Co-op Farm Store right next to my little shop downtown, so I was able to get some decent plumbing supplies. I got the whole thing hooked up with a minimum of magic words. :angel:



The little water tank I have standing up at the front corner of the box, and the DEF tank is laying on its side at the opposite back corner. The DEF tank has threaded openings so it was simple to find a fitting to screw in so a garden hose would work for the drain. A vent hole at the top is necessary. A garden hose is fitted to the top bung hole when filling



The macerator comes in its own container, and is hooked to the trailer dump outlet. With care and common sense, there is no need to think that the world will come to and end. I keep the hoses marked, bagged and separated. I mix plenty of water with the outgoing stuff, plus we use generous amounts of cheap laundry soap to dump in the toilet as we "go along".

[Willie & Bev]

Thanks for the replies. For the short time we would be at one site the black tank probably wouldn't be a problem. Last year I tried adding fresh water with a five gallon container and at my age I can't hold the jug high enough or long enough to be successful.

[kjohn]

Thanks for the replies. For the short time we would be at one site the black tank probably wouldn't be a problem. Last year I tried adding fresh water with a five gallon container and at my age I can't hold the jug high enough or long enough to be successful.


On our Jayco 197, I could add water with a jug. Now, with our Cougar 21 RBS, I haven't noticed any way to add water with a jug. The water tank in the truck with the whizzer pump works good. :)

[MattE303]

I bought a 35 gallon "Horizontal Leg Tank" at Tractor Supply for about $100. I keep it in the toy hauler garage, mainly to feed my pressure washer for the dirt bikes, but I also keep extra hoses and a small utility pump so I can pump it into the fresh water tank if needed. They sell a 65 gallon model as well if you really want to be prepared!

[cjm]

I have a 40 gallon fresh water bladder from Camping world. It goes on the roof of the truck or canopy and is filled up there - then drive slow back to the site, and gravity fills the tank. Works like a charm, and folds up nice and small when not needed - so that it's there when you do.

[sourdough]

I have a 40 gallon fresh water bladder from Camping world. It goes on the roof of the truck or canopy and is filled up there - then drive slow back to the site, and gravity fills the tank. Works like a charm, and folds up nice and small when not needed - so that it's there when you do.

You put 320 lbs. of "roley poley" on the roof of your truck?? Is the roof bent in yet? Note the use of the word "yet"??:D