I am planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park with my A213HW. From their websites, all campgrounds do not allow external water containers and buckets at all time.
Anyone knows if its ok to use a bucket or mobile waste water tank to hold the grey water from the inside sink?
I am planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park with my A213HW. From their websites, all campgrounds do not allow external water containers and buckets at all time.
Anyone knows if its ok to use a bucket or mobile waste water tank to hold the grey water from the inside sink?
Thanks.
Even if you could, you would not want to use a bucket to hold grey water. It would be impossible to transport without spilling and disposing of grey water anywhere except at a dump station is prohibited everywhere.
A portable waste tank, such as a Barker, Camco and others make them, is the solution. They come in various capacities. They are wheeled and can be towed slowly (under 5 mph) to the campground dump station. Some people keep them in the bed of their trucks.
Know where and how you will store a portable waste tank. In the bed of your truck, if that's your TV, or a bumper mount which can be purchased. Camco makes a bumper mount that holds the biggest Barker. Know that your bumper can support 50lbs. If not look at reinforcing.
Understand your sewer outlet height and compare to the height of the portable waste tank you are considering. If there's not enough drop then you'll have to milk your sewer line once it's full into the portable tank. It's not a deal breaker but you probably should practice emptying your grey tank (with fresh water) at home if possible
Make sure your campground has a dump station.
You can find dump station information on the Yellowstone website or you can call the Park Ranger Station and ask.
I am planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park with my A213HW. From their websites, all campgrounds do not allow external water containers and buckets at all time.
Anyone knows if its ok to use a bucket or mobile waste water tank to hold the grey water from the inside sink?
Thanks.
This is a great question, this being an A-frame forum.
Others may not realize that most A-frames do not have internal gray water tanks. The gray water exits from the sink via a pipe fitting on the side of the camper. It's up to the user how to deal with it from there.
I'm not familiar with the Yellowstone rules, but we are planning a future visit.
I believe we were just trying to help the op get accurate answer. Just because somebody else did it doesn’t mean it was ok. Calling those that enforce the rules will result in a more accurate answer in theory. I drove 2 hours with family and dog to hike in the Guadalupe mountains bought a park pass. Headed to the trail from parking lot. Saw other dogs around knew a co worker took her dog here for hiking. Before I got to main trail I see a sign no dogs on trail. Get to trail head see worker he confirms no dogs. If I had called the park or read website I would have known.
I'm pretty sure there are rules about dumping gray water on the ground. So just attaching hose might not be a good idea.
I can't find any specific rules about "water containers and buckets". There is some verbiage about leaving "smelly" things outside when you are not around. The suggestion is to put them in the TV or in a provided bear proof locker.
I'd think if you deployed the gray water jug just while in use and then put it away you would be OK.
You could just leave the stopper in the sink and drain it when full.
You learn something every day, never imagined campers in A frames having to deal with no tanks.
So since it’s just a sink can you just not use a container to follow the rule but drain the hose in the grass?
Imagine having a small tub on the picnic table outside, washing your dishes. Some of us would dump it in the woods or grass.
Many popups have no gray or black tanks either.
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I'm pretty sure there are rules about dumping gray water on the ground. So just attaching hose might not be a good idea.
I can't find any specific rules about "water containers and buckets". There is some verbiage about leaving "smelly" things outside when you are not around. The suggestion is to put them in the TV or in a provided bear proof locker.
I'd think if you deployed the gray water jug just while in use and then put it away you would be OK.
You could just leave the stopper in the sink and drain it when full.
Not sure I would go with the last. When we had our popup group camping at Lake Tahoe (where bears are almost as bad as Yellowstone), bears broke into popups when condiments were left out on the dinette table. You had to put ALL smellables (including candy bars!) into the bear box at night.
Our first year at Lake Tahoe (still in a tent) I failed to put our dry goods in the bear box one night. They were stored in a tightly closing pickup bed plastic tote. The black bear came into camp and tossed that tote around until he finally broke it open. Sampled EVERY packet of hot chocolate, opened every package of marshmallows, cookies, and any other sweets he could find. We could not drive the bear away until HE was finished. Resulted in us buying a popup for the following year, and being a LOT more careful.
Similar events, including bears ripping tents due to candy bars in sleeping bags, happened to others when I took our Scout troop to Great Sand Dunes NP and Philmont Scout Ranch (NM mountains). My Scouts did learn from me and others, instead of the hard way.
I wash dishes outside with the A-frame. Dishes are wiped with paper towels into garbage before washing. All garbage (in plastic bags) goes to bear-proof garbage bins prior to bed. Wash water is carefully poured at the base of tree at least 30ft from tent/camper, and hot rinse water on top of the wash water to dilute any smells. All food is inside totes inside the car or in the A-frame fridge. Only sealed drinks in the outside cooler. So far, no bear attacks in 8 years of A-framing, mostly out West.
Bears around Yellowstone and many other places know that vehicles with coolers have bear munchies in them. If a bear sees/smells a cooler in a vehicle, he will normally peel windows off to get at the cooler. Happens every year at Yellowstone. Coolers have to go in bear boxes at night in Lake Tahoe.
When bears can't be bothered with your campsite, raccoons can and will. I have had coolers stored outside opened by raccoons, and small totes with bread removed from the campsite by raccoons. Friends have had their tents and sleeping bags gnawed into by squirrels and/or raccoons.
As we used to say in Alaska, "Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you." On this website in the humor section, "Human beings in sleeping bags are the soft tacos of the bear world!"
Yellowstone is a wonderful place to camp and visit. Just be mindful that bears and bison are not scared of humans, and don't mind hurting you if you interfere with what they are doing. Please take proper precautions with ALL foodstuffs.
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade
Part of what they are trying to avoid is attracting bears into the campgrounds.
I’m confused last time I was in Yellowstone people drove all day hoping to see a bear. Now your saying all I had to do is hang out in the campground. LOL
Hi all,
I am planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park with my A213HW. From their websites, all campgrounds do not allow external water containers and buckets at all time.
Thanks.
I think they are pretty clear that you can't have any "EXTERNAL water containers or buckets". They are probably trying to reduce critters being attracted to a water container or bucket. A bear could tear through any external tank to get to water, especially if it's got a food smell.
You could empty grey water into a covered bucket and keep that inside the rig. There are dump stations that you could take the bucket to when leaving the campground for the day.
It still would be a good idea to call and see what they allow.
I did called the park but couldn't get through maybe due to high call volumes from the recent flood. Just want to see if anyone has experience dealing with the same or similar situations.
Attaching a screenshot of the verbiage from their website if anyone is interested. Might be a bit of hassle but it sounds like it's ok to just store the water container inside the car or camper after use.
Actually the Fishing Bridge RV Park has sewage hookup. So I am also thinking of a way to hookup the grey water line from outside of the camper directly to the dump using PVC connectors/pipes, then this HepvO valve below, then ends with the usual sewer hose.
Actually the Fishing Bridge RV Park has sewage hookup. So I am also thinking of a way to hookup the grey water line from outside of the camper directly to the dump using PVC connectors/pipes, then this HepvO valve below, then ends with the usual sewer hose.
We’ve hooked up to sewer at RV parks a few times. Just use a garden hose with a 90 degree fitting at the trailer end and a Camco 39322 to connect to the park drain.
We’ve hooked up to sewer at RV parks a few times. Just use a garden hose with a 90 degree fitting at the trailer end and a Camco 39322 to connect to the park drain.
Perfect and affordable solution!
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