23 day trip - fresh and waste water management

[Restcure]

We just got back from a 23 day at Pinery Provincial Park In Ontario, Canada, on the shores of Lake Huron. 23 days is the maximum stay length on an Ontario Parks campsite.

Before going I considered how we were going to resupply fresh water and offload waste water. The latter was fairly straightforward as we have a 26-gallon waste tote . But it was a long way from the campsite to the dump station - too long to drive at a walking pace with my precious cargo rolling behind me... and 26 gallons of water at 8.3 lbs per gallon = too heavy to lift into the bed. So I brought along my FloJet Macerator Pump. Put the tote in the bed of the truck, pump the waste into it, drive it to the dump station, dump from the bed of the truck, rinse and you're good.





Waste management worked very well. I would dump the tanks every few days, always finishing with the cleanest (bathroom grey).

For the fresh water, I bought an adapter for the outside shower. I would use the pump to draw water through the RV antifreeze port into the plumbing system, out the shower and into the gravity fill. No separate pump or wiring needed - just set a couple of valves, and reset them after.



We've got two water bags we were planning to use, but they're a bit of a pain. After a couple of trips we started using this blue bin, towed on our handy bike trailer. I sanitized the bin first, kept it stored upside down on a rack, and put a screen in the line to trap anything that got in. We don't drink water from the tank anyway, so I wasn't too worried.

So I'd bike to the tap, connect my hose, and fill the bin.



If I was relatively smooth, nothing would slop out on the ride back to the site. The bin fills the tank about halfway, and it takes about 7 minutes to pump the contents into the fresh water tank.

These methods served us perfectly for our stay.

[5picker]

Good ideas for sure. Looks like it worked well for you.

We have purchased a bladder for additional fresh water and then just hook the antifreeze suction hose to that and draw from it. No need to pump it into the fresh tank if you don't want to (double pumping... into the tank, then back out) and the pump doesn't care where it draws from. This can be important if you don't have electric and are trying to conserve battery.

Also on your macerator method... I've read in other forums where long term use of these allows some solids to build up in the tank as there is no big SWOOSH like when opening the blade valve while using a typical sewer hose. Might be a good idea if you have available a dump place, to fill the black tank and give it a good flush.

[divers6926]

Excellent ideal!! I use a 25 gallon tank that I bought from Tractor Supply Co. and recently added a 12 volt pump (had to buy a new one for the camper, the old one started leaking) to the drain on the 25 gallon tank to pump fresh water into the tank on the trailer from the bed of the truck. I wired the pump with a 7 pin connector so I could hook the same place where you would connect the fifth wheel while driving.

[Restcure]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Good ideas for sure. Looks like it worked well for you.

We have purchased a bladder for additional fresh water and then just hook the antifreeze suction hose to that and draw from it. No need to pump it into the fresh tank if you don't want to (double pumping... into the tank, then back out) and the pump doesn't care where it draws from. This can be important if you don't have electric and are trying to conserve battery.

First thing is, we never camp without electricity so that's not a concern... Secondly, any water bladder big enough to be useful would have to stay in the truck, and would have to be disconnected any time the truck moved. And if people are still at the campsite while the truck is not, they would have no water.

For those two reasons I plan to stick with the tank refill method...

Also on your macerator method... I've read in other forums where long term use of these allows some solids to build up in the tank as there is no big SWOOSH like when opening the blade valve while using a typical sewer hose. Might be a good idea if you have available a dump place, to fill the black tank and give it a good flush.

I hear you. We flush solids down with LOTS of water, but I get your point. Luckily we can dump at home, taking all the time and water we need. I've just acquired a Sewer Solution and love it! Of course, there's still no big SWOOSH through a 3/4" ID drain hose, But we use the tank flush and I wand the tank once or twice a season.

Atypically for us we've stayed at full hookup sites twice this season... an excellent opportunity to do extra flushing.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Restcure

First thing is, we never camp without electricity so that's not a concern... Secondly, any water bladder big enough to be useful would have to stay in the truck, and would have to be disconnected any time the truck moved. And if people are still at the campsite while the truck is not, they would have no water.

For those two reasons I plan to stick with the tank refill method...

Yep... in that scenerio, a bladder isn't the best option. And if you always have electric, the battery isn't a concern either.

Our boondocking usually consists of being way out in the country. No hook-ups, no electric, no dump station, no where to get water and no where to go with the truck. (which is why we went there in the first place) LOL!

Thanks for sharing your ideas.
It helps everyone gather thoughts on what they might/might not need.

[Restcure]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Yep... in that scenerio, a bladder isn't the best option. And if you always have electric, the battery isn't a concern either.

Our boondocking usually consists of being way out in the country. No hook-ups, no electric, no dump station, no where to get water and no where to go with the truck. (which is why we went there in the first place) LOL!

Thanks for sharing your ideas.
It helps everyone gather thoughts on what they might/might not need.

Thanks for shedding light on your camping preferences. I can understand how your setup is perfect for you... and the bigger the water bladder, the better! I'll delicately avoid the question of what you do when your waste tanks get full...

[itat]

Thanks for the post Restcure.

We stayed at the Pinery a couple years ago. We really liked it. We were on Site 811 in the Riverside 4 campground - also a very long way from the dump station. I have a 32 US gal. Barker tote with 4 pneumatic tires so I pulled it to the dump station on the paved campground roads, but its heavy when its full and you need to make sure the attachment to the hitch is secured! I don't have a macerator pump. That's a great tool to have and would come in really handy up in Algonquin PP (we like Mew Lake campground) where the dump station is a few miles down Hwy. 60.

I refill the FW tank using a couple 6 gal jugs that I carry on a folding hand truck unless the tap is too far from our site. We find 12 gallons is good for about 2.5 to 3 days if we use the showers at the comfort station. I rigged up my old 12V water pump to use for filling the FW tank via the gravity fill port. Our TT doesn't have an external antifreeze port and its just easier filling it outside rather than hauling the jugs through the trailer to the water pump in the rear bathroom. With my luck I'd accidentally spill it all over the place.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Restcure

Thanks for shedding light on your camping preferences. I can understand how your setup is perfect for you... and the bigger the water bladder, the better! I'll delicately avoid the question of what you do when your waste tanks get full...

We've been fortunate. We've had it full a time or two at the end of the stay but that was after about 8-10 days. Any more than that and we'll need to be doing what you do and pump into some kind of vessel.

We run out of fresh water way before anything else.

[itat]

Restcure, where did you buy your Flojet macerator pump? They show it on Amazon.ca for about CAD$319 with free shipping. I checked RVPartShop.ca and they want $414.62 for it!

Also, how loud is it? I've watched a couple YouTube videos and it seems kinda loud. Did you get any complaints from neighbors that its too loud?

[Restcure]

Originally Posted by itat

Restcure, where did you buy your Flojet macerator pump? They show it on Amazon.ca for about CAD$319 with free shipping. I checked RVPartShop.ca and they want $414.62 for it!

Also, how loud is it? I've watched a couple YouTube videos and it seems kinda loud. Did you get any complaints from neighbors that its too loud?

Hey Itat, we bought it years ago from Amazon.com and picked it up in the US - Pretty sure it was under USD 200. Definitely not cheap in Canada.

We were spaced well apart in Pinery and had no comments on its use. It's a bit loud but no more than those cheap compressors people use to inflate air mattresses or beach toys (and without the high pitched whine). And I only used it every three or four days for about five minutes at a time.

I was able to find the main assembly for a Valterra Sewer Solution from an RV parts store in BC and I plumbed it for home use with my own 3/4" drain hose. No noise, no wiring and no worries about overheating. It needs a constant source of water to operate so it's not much good on the road, but it will be our new method at home.








Please note that this is a FRESH WATER SPILL... hose clamp on the green hose needed tightening!

[itat]

Originally Posted by Restcure

Hey Itat, we bought it years ago from Amazon.com and picked it up in the US - Pretty sure it was under USD 200. Definitely not cheap in Canada.

We were spaced well apart in Pinery and had no comments on its use. It's a bit loud but no more than those cheap compressors people use to inflate air mattresses or beach toys (and without the high pitched whine). And I only used it every three or four days for about five minutes at a time.

Thanks, Restcure. That gives me a good idea of what it actually sounds like. It's hard to know just from a YouTube video.

[Restcure]

Originally Posted by itat

Thanks, Restcure. That gives me a good idea of what it actually sounds like. It's hard to know just from a YouTube video.

My pleasure. One of the reasons I'm glad to have the Sewer Solution for home use is that the noise is almost imperceptible. When I'm draining my tanks at home with the Flojet I'm thorough and for 30 or 45 minutes it's frequently being turned on and off, and while our next door neighbour never complains I know she must hear it.

I can best describe the sound of the Flojet as a contented grizzly bear gargling with vigour.

[Halfmast]

Restcure, I followed the links and was able to see the camping pictures that you have posted on Flickr. REALLY enjoyed them... esp The Pinery and (more so) Wellesley Island State Park.

I grew up in Ottawa and when I was a teenager in the early/mid-sixties, we were a tenting family. We camped at The Pinery once and enjoyed it but what I really remember are the Detroit/Windsor radio stations playing rock and roll that sure wasn't available in stuffy Ottawa. I'm surprised that the park, some fifty years later, still offers only 115v sites no water/sewer... especially given their rates.

Wellesley Island State Park was our favorite. The park looks unchanged, save the State Park's investment in FHU. Shopping in Watertown for our back-to-school clothes when many (most) retailers offered Can$ at par. I had to smile at the adult beverages being consumed on the tailgate. Sure didn't need a flag to determine your nationality!

I remember my brother and I having to lug those 5 gallon water cubes back from the community faucet. We grumbled at the time but it makes for great memories today!!

Enjoy!

[Restcure]

Thanks Halfmast, I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing the memories! In my opinion (be it ever so humble) I think camping is the best kind of family time.

As for the services at Pinery, they're typical of Ontario Parks... electricity only. And I was surprised to see full hookups at Wellesley - this has not been the norm at the NYSPs we've camped at, and it was and is much appreciated.

- - -

Back to the topic at hand... my enthusiasm for the Sewer Solution has been misplaced. Certainly the water that is directed into the drain hose will flow the 3 feet uphill to our sewer cleanout, but the water in the tank will not. Come to think of it, that makes sense. So we're back to using the FloJet, which pumps everything uphill with vigour.