Spending time in your RV can be an edifying adventure or even a lifestyle. But with every adventure and lifestyle also comes the unpleasant, unavoidable aspects of the modus operandi which we have to contend with. For instance, of course, solid and liquid wastes that accumulate inside of your RV during periods of travel and habitation do not just magically disappear. That’s what the black and gray water tanks are for. But just because you’re out on the open road or chillin’ at a campsite doesn’t mean you can just dispose of this wastewater anywhere. In fact, you can’t even dispose of it in your own home, if you have a stationary residence, without first checking with your local government to make sure such is permissible.
So in this particular article, we’re going to be looking at how to dispose of your black and gray water via specifically designated RV dumping stations, as most RVers tend to do. These can be found at numerous locations across the country, as listed in the Dump Site Near Me database. And no, doing so isn’t particularly a pleasant experience for any of us. But once again it is a necessary part of RV living, and this post will highlight the easy-to-follow steps in getting rid of your waste effectively and cleanly, as intended.
1. PREPARATION
First off, there are four basic items that will be needed on your part to not only clean out the tank but also keep yourself clean in the process, since we are after all dealing with sewage. These would be your sewer hose (to connect from the RV to the sewer), another like a conventional garden hose, plastic gloves, and some appropriate disinfecting wet wipes. Some people may also opt to wear something like a plastic apron or smock over their clothes to keep them from potentially being exposed to waste. This is advisable at first but once you become more experienced in following the procedure, may not really be necessary.
2. PUT ON THE GLOVES
You will be wearing gloves plastic throughout the whole procedure, once again in the name of safety. The heavy-duty type may be recommended by some, especially once again in regard to newbies, but many campers just use those of the disposable, albeit quality, variety.
3. PROPER CLOTHING (NEWBIES)
Step 3 is especially geared towards newbies. If you aren’t experienced in RV dumping, then you should perhaps put on clothing that you don’t intend to wear beyond the site. Or as mentioned above you can wear something over your clothing which is better suited to the task at hand.
4. CONNECT THE SEWER HOSE TO THE SEWER INLET
We are first going to connect the sewer hose to the sewer inlet itself. This stage is very important because, in the name of avoiding any catastrophe, you want to make sure that the hose is properly and firmly connected to the inlet. Indeed some campers may actually carry around metal weights or something similarly heavy to use to keep the connected hose in place.
5. CONNECT THE SEWER HOSE TO THE RV OUTLET
And the same advice goes for Step 5. You would want to really, really make sure the sewer hose is probably attached to the RV’s black-water tank’s outlet before moving on to Step 6.
6. RELEASE THE BLACK-TANK WATER VALVE
This is the stage in which we actually commence the process of draining out the tank. In some cases you may have separate tanks for black water and gray water, meaning that you would have to do Step 6 again (though later on) to clean out the gray-water tank. If you do have two separate tanks, it is always recommended that you clean the black-water tank first. Then that way you can use the soapy gray water as a further means of cleaning the sewer pipe after the black water has already passed through it.
7. CONNECT THE GARDEN HOSE TO THE DUMP STATION FAUCET
The RV dump station will feature a faucet that emits white water that you can use for cleaning purposes. It usually has a hose connected to the nozzle that you can use to connect to your own garden hose.
8. FLUSH OUT THE BLACK-WATER TANK
Next, you connect the other end of the garden hose into the inlet of the black-water tank. Then comes turning on the facet, so that the whitewater can flow through and clean out the tank itself. This is done while the waste is simultaneously flowing out through the sewer hose and into the sewer.
9. TURN OFF THE WATER FAUCET
Once you’re convinced that the black-water tank has been properly cleaned out (if time allows), then you can turn off the dump station facet.
10. DISCONNECT THE GARDEN HOSE
Next, you would want to disconnect the garden hose from the dump station facet.
11. DISCONNECT THE SEWER HOSE FROM THE BLACK-WATER OUTLET
If you have a dual-tank vehicle, then you would now disconnect the sewer hose from the black-water tank outlet and connect it to the gray-water outlet, open the valve and allow that tank to drain out also.
12. FLUSH OUT THE SEWER HOSE
Before packing the sewer hose up for transport, it would be advisable to use the dump station’s whitewater to flush it out. This is an important step because ultimately a clogged hose (in the future) can prove to be just as problematic as a loose connection.
13. DISCONNECT THE SEWER HOSE
Now finally comes the stage where you can disconnect the sewer hose from the sewer inlet.
14. PAY THE PIPER
Perhaps we should have put this one first. But usually, there is some type of fee involved, within the $20 range, that you must pay to the dump station. In the long run you can bring this cost down though by purchasing membership at dump stations that offer such deals to patrons.
CONCLUSION
Getting rid of the waste water inside your RV is a multi-task necessity. And by all accounts, it isn’t necessarily an activity which any of us enjoy. However, if you follow the proper steps, as detailed above, doing so via a RV dump station is safe and easy. And the dump stations themselves have done their part by being outfitted with the basic amenities to allow you to clear out your black/gray water tanks as expeditiously as possible.