We love staying at COE! We get veterans discount and senior discount! Love it! When we stay at places with no sewer hook up, we always shower and use e the toilet at the camps restroom, most of them have showers.
Not full time. We are a couple of senior women, in a small (19') vitage camper w/out a grey tank (wasn't needed in 1964). Our black tank thus holds both grey and black, and just is it that big. We have a trailer, not a fifth wheel, and use an Equalizer hitch -- which is HEAVY. We used to tent camp, so know all the ways to save water, but our bladders have weakened, as well as our knees ...so we appreciate doing dishes inside, using our own toilet,as well as our shower. Using our blue tank is quicker and easier as far as I'm concerned. If we shower, I may need to take it daily, but I've never had a mess and I do it alone. I think it's about 30 mins total ... and not as much work or as back breaking as preparing our trailer to be moved. We are still li.ited to camping where there's a dump site ... which eliminates some USFS sites. 😢 It's the price we pay. But we love are camping trips!
I'm sitting in my RV with my wife watching this. At 8:17 in the video sounds like a smoke alarm chirp. I spent the next ten minutes looking for a problem in my RV before I thought to rewind. LOL
Love your videos! We are seasoned veterans when it comes to boondocking and 'stretching' water to last as we travel in a truck camper with 62 fresh, 38 black and 38 grey tanks. We can get them to last at least 10 - 14 days if we are very careful. We follow a few simple rules as follows: 1. Never hook up to city water without a sewer hookup. Fill fresh tank and use from there as the flow is less and the pump noise reminds you to conserve! 2. Always use paper plates and plastic ware. Less cleanup. 3. Always cook on the outdoor grill/griddle so no pots and pans to cleanup. I use sprays and paper towels to cleanup. 4. If you pee, flush with pump OFF. Saves water. 5. Take military showers - water ON get wet water OFF - soap up then rinse. Take showers every other day. 6. Use Dawn Powerwash to aid is using less water to clean dishes in sink.
I do not even hook up to city water while at full hook ups regardless of the situation. Why? because I do not want full pressure all the time should I have a leak I am unaware of.
We carry a tote. It sits in the back of our truck and never leaves. We have a macerator that we use to pump into the tote. We then dump directly from the back of the truck.
We do the same thing. We are able to flush that tank out while at the dump station and no mess no fuss. We don't have to take the time of packing and unpacking again. With a macerator pump, that tote empties quickly. Never takes us but 20 min. max unless we are at a huge campground and have to wait in line to empty. We just carry our tote in the bed of the truck.
😅This exactly what we do. Yes, the macerator cost a little but it comes on a nice case for storage. The money we save by staying at COE is such a money saver it payed for everything twice over. You could say we are making money......The tank stays in the back of the truck when get to camp and rides on the ladder other times.
@8:00 as a trim carpenter, let me tell you, those staples are only there to hold the joint together while the glue dries. So when you fix it, you need to use glue as well as nails.
For dry camping I suggest the (Camco Rhino 36-Gallon Portable Camper / RV Tote Tank - Features Large Heavy-Duty No-Flat Wheels & Built-In Gate Valve - Removable Steel Tow Adapter, 3’ RV Sewer Hose & More RV Accessories (39006) ) $240. 1 person no mess no fuss.
I got one almost straight away cuz our favorite spots rarely have full hookups available. It is so easy to drain a tank, hook up to the truck, and dump.
yes, We bought the smaller 26 gallon one w/o the built in gate valve. Get the bigger one! Quite a time saver due to the need not to swap adapters etc. They do get quite heavy when full!
Hi Hanks We have a 28 gal Rhino Tank and camp a lot at state parks with little to no hookups. It only takes me 20 to 30 min to bump mine and wouldn't think about camping with out it. Let er rip
We use a waste basket with a lid for TP. A side benefit besides the obvious is that you can use your favorite TP brand without worrying about finding RV TP. WE Empty the waste basket frequently and have no odor issues.
Man. Vids like this make me SOOOO glad I bought a 32ft class A, that is super easy to pack up and unload. I can do so and dump in less than 15mins, and be right back at my cozy spot. You guys with the towables are brave, hard working folk. I'm too lazy for all that. 😂
@@MsQ275 Smart Class A & C owners who do know that it really simplifies things to drop your toad before you try to negotiate the CG and your site since backing one is a nightmare if it's even possible. If you get yourself halfway into a site and need to drop it there you've made it a lot harder than it needed to be.
For your viewers out there that might be retired military and have military ID. We stay on a lot of military bases when traveling. Hubby is retired Army, but makes no difference what branch you were in, military ID will get you a spot on a military base anywhere in the country that has a campground. They are a LOT cheaper (typical fee is $20.00 a night for full hook ups. So, for all you active or retired military out there, take advantage of these campgrounds.
Great video and lots of good feedback in the comments. We’ve boondocked for years and agree with the following: -Use a separate covered trash can for toilet paper -Use camp facilities where available -If you have an extended stay in one place, always dump on the way in -Your meal looked so good! Try making foil packets to steam veggies; they will cook in a fraction of the time and still have that grill taste.
We camped at 2 different campgrounds for 10 years full time and neither one had sewer. We used our "Blue Boy" once a week to empty the tanks and take it down to the dump station. My husband always did it himself with NO problems.
For "old folks" like us with the National Park Lifetime Sr. Pass, we can stay at COE parks for half price! We have a 25 ft. motor home and usually dump midweek and then drive on into town to go out to eat or something touristy. We schedule our dump day when we plan to drive somewhere anyway.
I have a vintage camper with a single small black tank for everything. Like a lot of others have mentioned, use any toilet or facilities instead of your own when possible. I have an outdoor sink and pretty much operate like a pack in\out tent camper while using my rv. It’s a good habit to develop. I’ve had my rig for 6 years and only payed for a full hookup twice. And I always cook outside if possible. I don’t like the smells and condensation it creates. Plus I have to use power and run my fans for every meal cooked inside. I feel that the grey tank tote is good for big families who need something for camping for a week. No showers or tp allowed in the tank. Turn off the water to your toilet unless a number 2 needs to go down. Otherwise pee, flush, spray with watered down cleaner, flush again. Will save soooooo much water and room in tank.
When we dry camp at a campground with showers we dont shower in the rv. We also conserve water and use public toilets if available. Tanks dont fill up a quickly using the water pump as opposed to shore water.
Was going to say the same. Most COE campgrounds have nice facilities and are very quiet during the week. Sounds like they might still have some lingering effects from having FHUDS.
If you’re over 62, you’re missing out if you don’t get a lifetime America the Beautiful Senior Pass for discounts on entrance fees and camping at COE parks, etc. The youngsters can get an annual pass but no discounts for camping.
Younger campers also get the savings. 50% off camping. The senior benifit is the cost of the pass is a one time charge good for life. I bought ours years ago before they raised it to 80.00 for lifetime senior pass. It was 10.00 for a liftime senior pass. The following is an explanation of the annual pass not just the senior pass. Annual Pass Valid for one year from the month of purchase, this pass allows the pass holder and up to three accompanying adults to enter sites that charge day use fees. The pass costs $80 and also offers a 50% discount on campsites at Corps-managed campgrounds. Senior Pass Available to US citizens or permanent residents who are 62 or older, this pass provides free entrance to most federal recreation areas and a 50% discount on use fees.
We bought our pass last year and our reservations at 2 COE's through Oklahoma this coming summer saved us so much money! We are paying $25 for 2 nights at one COE and $20 for 2 nights at another.
We've needed your candid thoughts! We watch you guys all the time. We bought our Solitude mainly because of you! Hopefully we'll run into you on Our Family Routes
Whatever you do, don't run over your spotter. I thought cheap 2-way radios were the solution. They might have worked better with a spotter that wasn't directionally other-enabled. And who couldn't understand not to stand directly behind the trailer as she gave opposite directions.
We just got back from an 8 day trip at Assategue State park in our Winnebago View with electric only and the black tank is 31 gallon. At the end of 8 days the black tank was at 2/3. We used the shower house for showers.
@@cesrushing7319 I never thought of a second valve but I would keep the top one closed also. Whatever you do, do NOT remove the end cap before you verify there is not a blue wave in your near future.
@@cesrushing7319 It's when your black tank valve is open or no longer functioning as intended. You then end up with black tank water all over yourself. External gate valve with a clear elbow is the way to go.
I have watched a few of your videos now-they are definitely very well done and are entertaining. I’m assuming that you are ER travel nurses. My hubby and I were ICU travel nurses for 12 years, and we had a 36 ft 5th wheel. We are now retired (thank you, God!), and we have a 27 ft TT and camp frequently. We love COE’s-they’re always nice, especially in our home state of GA, and we get half off with our senior passes. But we often Boondock or dry camp in national forest campgrounds. Regular RV parks are just not our thing. We take short showers every other day, turning the water off and on to wet, soap, and rinse, and we use baby wipes as needed in between showers. Hubby sets up a little table and basin outside at the outdoor shower to wash dishes. We can go 2 weeks without worrying about emptying our tanks. It would be too much trouble for us to leave the site to go dump and return, because when we set up we make quite a living area outside with a rug, chairs, propane fire pit, etc. We had a dump wagon years ago, and hubby hated using it. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Since I found your videos, I have never smiled so much in all the truck and RV videos i have watched. You two are delightful. I think I would like to be a Hankster! I loss my husband six years ago. We had RV’d since 2003. Two diesel pushers later, I lived in our last one 9 months after he passed. I decided I couldn’t live without the RV but after 9,000 in tires, I downside to an Eagle HT 32 foot TT. Now I’m at 25 foot Rockwood Mini Lite. I am a NASCAR super fan. I had to camp and find other things to do with the RV. So last year I started taking short trips around Texas. I love your videos and you two are so helpful and informative. You guys are lots of fun.
White Mustang April 8 COE - 36 gallon Rhino in the bed behind the hitch - never gets moved. Macerator to lift waste to tank. Drive tank to dump and never take it out of the truck bed
We love COEs! On the East Coast we fid mainly W/E sites - we have a ThinkTank composting head & I shower in the bathhouse. In the west, we dry camp a lot. We can go a surprisingly long time without having to dump. Helps that we lived on boats for 30 years, so I know how to conserve water. Also on boats, toilet paper goes in a trash bag - same when we had a standard RV toilet. We are full time in our Imagine 17MKE - love being “small”.
Pull past the turn then back up swinging the nose towards the turn. Gets you past the sharp turn and clears the tail swing of the next turn. 40 years pulling low boys. It takes a few try’s to figure it out but it works
I have saved money my whole life and invested money and I’m spending it all before I die. Wife does not dry camp, she will go with me anywhere as long as we have full hookups. I walked a thousand miles on the Appalachian Trail and I talked wife into going one time, she said never again. It’s great that a lot of campers like to camp without full hookups. I make all the reservations and drive the truck, wife rides good.
We dry camp for 3 months in Key West, at Sigsbee Naval campground. We have our stinky tote 35 gallons and a 65 gallon fresh water bladder. About once a week or sometimes a little longer I have to dump the tanks. Usually our grey water kitchen sink first. I find it's no problem and makes life much easier to hook up the tote to the truck, empty it then rinse and repeat and I don't have to move our perfectly placed 35 foot Reflection. You should invest in one.
I have found some Corps & some State Parks allow you to drain your grey tanks through a water hose around the trees. I was first told this as the park manager was watching me take 4 trips to the dump station with my turd toter. That made it a whole lot better. But you have to ask them if they allow it.
With our truck camper we sometimes use a hose onto the ground near vegetation to deal with the grey tank issues. Being discreet helps with this technique. If we have been parked for three days in one spot, we can notice the bushes get greener! For our toilet in the camper, we use a Thetford Porta Potty - it can be emptied into a vault toilet, down a flush toilet, or at at a sewer dump. Good video content.
You are totally correct about a two person job with the grey tote. We winter in Florida at a campsite that does not have sewer hook up but does have a place to dump. So we have access to a lawnmower which we use to pull the tote to their on site dump station. It takes two people to fill and dump and clean up. A once a week chore. Getting proficient and only takes about 20 minutes total. Being doing for the past 5 years, no smelly errors… lol😂.
I’m on my third rhino. We don’t have to worry about filling the grey’s or black while we’re setup. I average the bathroom grey every two days. Kitchen grey goes a week. Taking all of twenty minutes to drain and hit the dump station is more than worth it. Take a whole lot more time to break down, pack up and pull the whole rig over there. Don’t knock the portable dump tanks 😊
We just used our tote for the first time for a week in Yellowstone, dry camping. We were in a tight pull through just like your video here. The tote worked out AMAZING. Wife and 2 kids. Everyone was able to use the potty when ever needed and shower daily. Yes there were restrooms within walking distance, but who wants to walk over to the restroom in 30 degree weather lol. It took me about 20 mins to dump both black and grey water. There is a gate on the tote, just like the one on the RV that allows one person to use the tote. I was able to dump while everyone else was sleeping. I also didnt wait for the tanks to get filled before dumping, so it made the whole process a lot easier. Great videos!! keep up the good work!
When I was looking to book a campsite for a week at a local campground, they didn’t have one site open for a week. They did have water and electric sites available for a week. My husband said absolutely NOT!! Our solution, book a site for 3 nights, then we could move our camper across the road to the first come sites, which worked out perfectly, because it was during the week day, they had about 8 sites open. We not only got a better, more level site , but we could stay on those sites for up to 2 weeks- but we only stayed 4 more days. So win win. And it was faster than going to the dump station and back! ❤️❤️
Bigger is not better when it comes to campers…we used to have a 44’ toy hauler. With camper hitched, we ere 62’ truck nose to camper bumper. Very stressful to tow. We couldn’t fit into our favorite places. We now have a 29’ fifth wheel and we are 47’ total when hitched. Downsized for sure, but worth it. Easier tow as well….
I enjoy your content. I don't know where you're getting your information from but honey wagons are not as big of an inconvenience as you've been told. A good honey wagon has it's own short hose so you don't have to use your long hose. The same short hose can be used to fill and empty the wagon. My short hose pivots down to empty. No picking up or slanting the wagon . Why put extra wear on your sliders, levelers, risk of backing, fuel and extra time you could be exploring the area. Also, I didn't see you using Dawn Power Wash when doing the dishes. That alone saves on the gray water tanks. I cook outside as often as I can too😊
I’m not a full timer and stay mostly at state parks, without full hookups. I used to hook up and drive to the dump station. I bought and used a Camco 28 for the first time this year (been camping for over 25 years) and was much happier with that setup. I only use it for grey water and will use public restrooms, if needed, to avoid black water dumping, though that has not been needed on week long camping trips. My grey water tank holds 39 gallons so I have to make two trips, but it is towable and easy to handle. It also has a side discharge so no heavy lifting required. If needed I would drive the RV to the dump station for black water dumping, though.
Great job on this episode. Extend your gray tank use paper plastic and one pot meals. COE parks are hit and miss for good bathrooms and showers. We reserve the bathroom in our RV for the ladies and the men use the park facilities whenever possible. COE parks are our go to parks. A little research will find those with full hookups as well. Keep it up Hanks your doing a great job keeping us informed and enjoying your adventures.
A couple suggestions for the grey water situation. We have a add on external gate valve. On long stays we open both grey water gate valves, the bathroom grey fills up obviously faster than the kitchen grey tank. When the bathroom grey gets full it backs up and goes into the kitchen grey where there’s room. Another that I have thought of is have a collapsible water bladder that fits in your truck, have a dump valve cap with the garden hose outlet on it, use a small transfer pump (electric or battery) and pump your grey water into the bladder in the back of the truck. Those bladders can hold a lot more than a turd totter tote and you’re not parading around a campground towing a tote.
I love smaller campgrounds with partial hookup sites! I have a smaller trailer with smaller tanks, 40 fresh, 38 grey, and 28 black. I have a 42 gal Barker waste tote, with a family of 4, not enough tank space, I have a macerator so I just pump into the tank in the truck, less than 45 min to empty tank and get to the dump station, so may not be "faster" but works well and I can do it while the family is still using the RV. Less interruptions and can do while the kids are getting ready for bed.
Many many years ago we purchased a Golden Age card for $10 which gives us a 50% discount at COE. Camping 5 nights this week at Kerr Scott in NC for $15/night. Wish we had kept track of how much that $10 card has saved us over the years!!!
The totes are super easy to use. You don't have to worry about a mess anymore than you do dumping from the RV. It takes maybe 15 minutes for me to empty the grey tanks with a tote. We stay at partial hook up regularly and have never had issues using a tote
I have the same trailer you do. The wife and I can do a complete week on electric only without running out of water or filling the tanks. The biggest thing to control is shower length, and after that, dish water consumption.
Been full-timing for a couple months now. I ripped the trim off one of my slide-outs the very first time out. Ever since then I religiously check the slideouts before fully extending.
My helpful hint is to get a maserator to use with your blue/grey portable tank. Tie the blue tank down in the bed of your truck and use the maserator to fill it. Haul to the dump station in the truck bed then gravity dump from there. MUCH better. Those blue tanks can get away from you on the way to the dump station. They are HEAVY if you get a large one.
We are full timers and we don't do the Pooh Porter. And we stay almost exclusively at state parks or COE's. If they have a clean shower house, you're all good. We stayed at a COE in FL this last winter for 14 days and didn't have to dump. Everybody has to do what works for them.
Always keeping it real Hanks, delightfully real. 😊 I've had a bump out crunchy in the previous camper with the stored broom flipping up. Now we always bump out a bit, squeeze through to check out the situation so we can avoid a shituation, and then complete the task. But I love how cool you two kept it as you assessed it all. And your gentle chiding and complimenting each other reminded me of us and how we try to be. Thanks again! And I wish we had more COE in our area.
Most campgrounds I’ve been to usually has some industrious kids that go site to site offering to dump your tank totes for you, gather fire wood, cut your lawn or other small tasks. Usually charge 10$ - 15$. I generally swing by the campground store or vending area and see kids nearby and say who wants to make some quick cash. LoL
Another great video. Very informative. You mentioned that your valve got plugged on your tank. We never put toilet paper in our Black Tank. So we never have a problem with clogging the valve, tank or sewer hose. And before you say "that's gross" Here's what we do. We have a small garbage can next to the toilet and we empty it daily. And we never have a problem with bad odors. PS: And you can use your favorite TP and not the cheap RV toilet paper.
I love how modest y'all are! And super funny! I could watch you two all day! I just wanted to say thank you for all the information you are putting out about rv'ing full time. My husband and I aren't planning on moving from campground to campground (or boondocking), but if we do your videos have helped so much! Thank you guys!!
We use one of those totes for our camper with no grey or black tanks and no full hookups. . It works great. It came with sewer connections and hose and it's never an issue to dump it. Yes we drag it to the dump station via the back of our truck, but it's no big deal because you have to drive slowly and the campground speed limits are low anyway. Thumbs up from us.
Hilarious, entertaining and informative as usual! Still our favorite RV content creators! I’m really confused why you guys don’t have 1 million subs by now… your content is so professionally done, thumbnails on point and you deliver above and beyond expected from thumbnail and title. We definitely have FHUDS!! 😅😂
Some of the State Parks in Idaho near us actually put in gray water dumps scattered throughout the campground. Its just a culvert pipe burried in the ground, pretty nice. They make caps with hose fittings.......
I think the folks that do the blue boy totes well are the ones that use them with a macerator pump. Then you can just leave the tote in the truck bed, pump it in and let gravity drain it out.
We have been camping in our 24 foot travel trailer for 10 years. I have the sewer tote you showed in the intro. And have the same rhino hose and the gate valve on the end of the pipe as security when the other valves decide not to work. We usually camp 2 weeks at a time. And only empty tote once a week. Its never been a problem. If the camp ground showers are nice and clean. We take super quick showers in the camper then 2 days a week we shower longer in camp showers. It helps save water. If you go to kentucky. Check out Baileys Point COE. Its absolutely beautiful. Just be warned of hills and dips.
We stay at a lot of COE Campgrounds and get the Veterans Discount. We have a 21-foot travel trailer and try to stay close to the Bathroom / Showers and use the campgrounds facilities. It saves a lot of tank space. Keep up the great videos we truly enjoy them every week.
We used to have a tote. Worked great. We kept ours strapped to the roof ladder. That was when the kids were small and we used more water. We don't have one now but go on shorter trips with just two of us. We only use the black tank after dark and we shower in the campground showers unless it is too cold or too hot. the convivence of the tote would, for me, would be well worth not striking camp just to dump.
Go for the back up camera! I am a solo traveler with a trailer and having a back up camera has made traveling with another person obsolete! Oh… Wait… Maybe that’s not such a good idea for you guys! I love you just the way you are! Both of you! Together!
It's a one man Job, and simple. We are full-time too and it's great to have it as an option. Also I switched to Compost toilet a year ago in our 40' Redwood. Love it, no more black ink drama. Just change out the compost every 3 weeks to a month and can drop in any dumpster and no smell for real!
Thanks Hanks for a fun video. Refreshing to see you take a week off to go Camping. Cooking outside at a real campground (not a paved park). I think many of us subscribers are part time or weekend campers who don’t carry brick & sticks amenities needed for full timing but just the three day necessities. We ALL love you both & enjoy your journey videos. Be safe be well see you in a week.
We have the black tank you put on your ladder for our 5th heel. We dry camp in NY Adirondack mountains. We have never had a problem with it. It seems to work fine.
Camco portable tank for the win!!As I was watching this video when you guys hit 20 minutes on hooking up I would’ve had one camco tank emptied and back at the rv. So 40 minutes and my tanks are empty. And it’s not a two person job at all. You can hook the tank to your bumper hitch and drive it to location. It’s the best. It doesn’t even look bad on the ladder when mobile.
There are more non horror stories on the portable tanks. I used our 28gal for years by myself without one problem. NO WAY would I take the trailer and set it up all over again. There is a bunch of used ones for sale and put it on the ladder or the back of your truck and you could get a pump if you want and never remove it from your truck Thanks for all the videos
We used the heavy duty Barker Tote and for black and gray water. Towed behind truck to dump and then tossed in the bed to go back to site. Never had a problem. I would recommend you don't buy the cheap lightweight versions...that's probably where the issues come in...too much weight. Water is heavy....keep up the informative episodes and keep on traveling!
Hello Hanks😊. Just wanted to say Thank you for the videos! I’m about to venture into the RV world. I’m from AZ and my parents live in WA. I’m relocating there soon and selling all my possessions. Your videos are awesome! Hank and Renee you are such a cute couple! I like how down to earth you guys are! I think Renees facial expression are hilarious! Yours too Carl! You guys were made for this! All the information you guys have been giving is much appreciated. I’ve definitely been binge watching. Right now I’m watching a video where you guys are in AZ and it makes me want to leave the state even more. Canada and Alaska are so much more beautiful in comparison. Anyway please keep it up. I’ve learned a ton! Cheers! Scott
We’ve stayed in a campground with hookups 4 times in our 25 years of camping. We boondock or stay at the campground that has no hook ups at all. Most times we are in National Forest or the lake with no designated sites. I really love your videos, showing me the country I’ve not seen! Keep 'em coming, you do a great job!
We have a grey tank tote. I don’t use it all that much, but I’ve also never had a problem with it. Ours lives on the RVs rear bumper 24/7/365 and goes on every trip whether we’re planning to use it or not.
Absolutely.....about the checklist. We've been rv'ing for decades, and we still forget stuff that causes damage. Just the other day I was moving our travel trailer in the yard and I got distracted and forgot to put the pin in the receiver hitch draw bar. All was well for a little ways. Then the front of the camper just flopped down on the ground, and drug by the chains for a foot or two. Whooopee! Luckily....no damage, other than to my ego.
Hanks. We’ve been camping out of a truck camper for over 20 years. Never once been even close to filling our gray or black tanks. Why, you might ask? Well, because we camp. We wash dishes outside and dispose of the dish water in approved ways (not unlike tenters). We have a rule of no number 2 in the camper. We’re not afraid of pit toilets (not unlike tenters). If a flush toilet is available in the partial hookup campground we use that. Showers…. We’re masters of the sailer shower or use shower rooms if provided. Don’t forget about your outdoor shower in your rig. They all have them, don’t they? If I can make a suggestion, try running your camper resources as if you are tenting. That would be fun content to watch. Based on your camp fire cooking excitement I’d say you need to get out of the FT park mode to fully appreciate the 5th wheel experience. You’d be surprised how long you can go between trips to the dump stations if you start to minimalize. Just saying.
We do EXACTLY the same thing. Only use camp showers & no #2 unless necessary. Then we put a bag & diaper into toilet. Wrap it up & throw away in a dumpster. We use baby wipes in winter & don’t even care if we are carrying water. Just bring 3-4 gallons of water for coffee, etc. make food ahead of time & freeze. We barely cook! I did use my really nice rv shower a few months before selling it, and regretted not using it more. Oh well! Some fellow friends use puppy pads with a garbage bag for their toilet. Since We toss dog poop into dumpster w bags, w think of it as the same thing. We are not full timers but the channel “Lulu’s way” addresses the bathroom issue quite maturely! I prefer campsites with zero hookups & only electric when necessary We dump grey tank on the way out! If we need to….
@@mikeecker146 I only use 5-10 a year. I deliberately chose to have 2 children so as to not pollute the Earth anymore and THankfulky those 2 beautiful adult children do not want any kids. Curious how much waste you are your offspring will create in a lifetime? In the END, nothing impermanent is real. A COURSE IN MIRACLES
@@mikeecker146 what I personally kept to myself is that one of my children is SEVERELY handicapped….. with his 3rd handicap being massive OCD. If you believe for one second that a mentally handicapped person is “capable” of using a composting toilet then you might want to volunteer at a state mental facility🤣🤣🤣🤣 Some might be able to learn, but we are forever grateful that he uses a toilet period. Hence the diaper during the WIINTER MONTHS! Otherwise he would clog a black tank each & everytime on every trip on every day on every single visit to the toilet. On days that we have water, he will pee in the toilet but has been trained to put the paper in a can next to it Enjoy your easy life
We love COEs. Because we're old farts, we stay for half off 😊. Some of the most difficult parking situations though, mostly because these parks were built with much smaller RVs in mind. We can last ten days before we need to empty the gray tanks (2x 30gal). We boondock often so we've got the whole judicious water useage down pat.
I don't know what the blue boy is going to be like but I'm going to find out. I'm at a park right now with only electricity and water, but I have a blue boy and I'm going to try it. The good thing is if it's too much of a pain they have a honey wagon service available for $15 a time. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
We have the rhino tank for black service, we are weekend warriors 4 days at a time, and you can check your area, but in a lot of places it's legal to dump grey. We have the camco sewer caps with water hose fitting and leave grey open in places like that. Water hoses attached, run off into the woods away from the campsite, and our neighbors. Been doing it for 4 years. Never had anyone say and thing. Look around and I bet you start to notice others doing.
Love COE campgrounds. We are senior citizens, use the America the Beautiful pass, cost are usually half the nightly rate not to mention discounted admissions to lots of federal sites. We use the bathhouse if they are good, and we have found many that are. FT going on 5 years & still learning.
I've been watching some RVers on UA-cam, and you two won me over. I grew up camping a lot with my parents in an RV in the 70's. Than after I got married, we tent camped and also had a pop up for awhile. Now we are getting close to retirement age, and have seriously considered hitting the road when that happens. I supposed if our dream comes true, we will get used to having all those amenities inside the camper, but even growing up with my parents RV, we rarely cooked indoors. If the campground had a bathroom, we used it most of the time, and also used the campground showers. Those were the rules. I'm sure hubby and I will enjoy being pampered in todays' RVs. We'll see how it goes! Happy camping to you both!
Carl, using your black tank, do you use camping toilet paper or residential paper? You're learning man! On the dump valves it can also happen more when people dump into those Rhino tanks especially if they have to stop dumping to prevent over filling them. Thats when it gets messy.
I use a 28 gallon tote with a side outlet. The purpose is not to empty your tank but simply to make space in your grey tank. I do strap it to the ladder but removing it not an issue for me. We use C.O.Es often. But we’ve gone seven days on our tank boondocking on a mountain top in Moab.
Completely agree with the external valve. Cost of replacing internal black valve way more than a cheap external. Plus waiting for my internal valve to be replaced at the service shop was a month. Then they damaged the gray valve so had to take it back and get that serviced.
We are at Payne nd have been here almost two weeks. Carefully managing the tanks is the key unless you want to dump in the middle. Another solution is to book one site for a week and another site for the next week. Then dump when you move. Also having the senior pass, we only paid $15 a night. Leaving Monday for Gunter Hill, another great COE campground.
In a COE campgrounds do yall not use the bathhouse on sight. I worked for the Corp of Engineers and I know they cleaned the bathhouse with disinfectant everyday.
I'm pretty shocked that you couldn't last a whole week 😂 My family of four has done at least a week of boondocking with an old trailer with small tanks! We used the campground bathrooms most of the time, and only showered in the campground showers. But it wasn't that bad.
Wow, props to you and your family for making it work! We definitely have room to improve our boondocking game, haha. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙂
We have a rino Macerator Pump, works amazing! I put the tote empty in the back of my truck, (no 2 mph to the dumping station) it pumps everything into the tote, bring it to the dump station and empty it! Simple and so easy!! Hope this helps
My grey and black tanks are 32 gallons each. I use a Camco 28 gallon tote. Yes it's a pain to carry around, but I'll do that any day over taking my rig to the dump station
Last year we had a back-in site along the Colorado river and we had to back in so pretty much our entire rear end was hanging over a cliff, the rear tires were about two feet ahead of the cliff, we stayed hitched and prayed for no strong winds!
Greetings, I have spent several months in my RV with only water and electric. We started out with a macerator pump that attaches to the RV outlets and pumped into a Port a Potty. Last summer we were in a position where we had a grey water drain but not a black tank. Our fix was with a Tote McGoat. I would place the tote in the back of my cargo van with the dump valve facing the back door. Then pump the black tank into the tote (black tank for 1 week was less than 28 Gal.). I had to drive 7 miles to a dump station once there I hooked up the tank and Let-R-Rip rinsed and return. Total time was about 40 min. Currently macerator pumps prices have come down as my first one was close to $300 and lasted about 4 years, the replacement was less than $100.
FHUDS is serious. After a lot of therapy I’ve been able to boondock. I’ve learned when camping on my own I can last about a week without dumping the tanks. I agree, just packing up and dumping makes more sense to me. Thanks for the video!
Use a waste basket for TP. That stuff takes up so much space! I do compost 5g bucket for solids and a separate one for liquid. Only change my solids bucket once every 4-6 weeks!
We started camping in tents 50 years ago. COE and NP have always been our choice. Back then we washed our dishes with the "green" detergents and put the wash water in an area away from us on our site. The rangers had no problem with that. We did use paper plates and wiped out the cooking items well with paper towels first. What do tenters do now? Anything different? As far as the fifth wheel, we've done the RV dump at several NPs we went to before we left. Not too difficult and you can top off you water tanks too. Happy travels to you.
We love our tote. No way would we want to pack up and move our motorhome and reset up. What a pain!
If you loosely put foil over the broccoli it will cook faster with the water moisture within the broccoli.
We love staying at COE! We get veterans discount and senior discount! Love it!
When we stay at places with no sewer hook up, we always shower and use e the toilet at the camps restroom, most of them have showers.
Exactly what we do! Works great! But we are not full time.
When anywhere is the next meet and greet? I really want to hang out with you guys. ❤
🤫
@@sherriegunn3718🤫
Not full time. We are a couple of senior women, in a small (19') vitage camper w/out a grey tank (wasn't needed in 1964). Our black tank thus holds both grey and black, and just is it that big.
We have a trailer, not a fifth wheel, and use an Equalizer hitch -- which is HEAVY.
We used to tent camp, so know all the ways to save water, but our bladders have weakened, as well as our knees ...so we appreciate doing dishes inside, using our own toilet,as well as our shower. Using our blue tank is quicker and easier as far as I'm concerned. If we shower, I may need to take it daily, but I've never had a mess and I do it alone. I think it's about 30 mins total ... and not as much work or as back breaking as preparing our trailer to be moved. We are still li.ited to camping where there's a dump site ... which eliminates some USFS sites. 😢 It's the price we pay. But we love are camping trips!
I'm sitting in my RV with my wife watching this. At 8:17 in the video sounds like a smoke alarm chirp. I spent the next ten minutes looking for a problem in my RV before I thought to rewind. LOL
😂😂😂 omigosh I'm so glad it wasn't just me
Love your videos!
We are seasoned veterans when it comes to boondocking and 'stretching' water to last as we travel in a truck camper with 62 fresh, 38 black and 38 grey tanks. We can get them to last at least 10 - 14 days if we are very careful. We follow a few simple rules as follows:
1. Never hook up to city water without a sewer hookup. Fill fresh tank and use from there as the flow is less and the pump noise reminds you to conserve!
2. Always use paper plates and plastic ware. Less cleanup.
3. Always cook on the outdoor grill/griddle so no pots and pans to cleanup. I use sprays and paper towels to cleanup.
4. If you pee, flush with pump OFF. Saves water.
5. Take military showers - water ON get wet water OFF - soap up then rinse. Take showers every other day.
6. Use Dawn Powerwash to aid is using less water to clean dishes in sink.
Some great tips.
I do not even hook up to city water while at full hook ups regardless of the situation.
Why? because I do not want full pressure all the time should I have a leak I am unaware of.
We carry a tote. It sits in the back of our truck and never leaves. We have a macerator that we use to pump into the tote. We then dump directly from the back of the truck.
This is my solution!
We do the same thing. We are able to flush that tank out while at the dump station and no mess no fuss. We don't have to take the time of packing and unpacking again. With a macerator pump, that tote empties quickly. Never takes us but 20 min. max unless we are at a huge campground and have to wait in line to empty. We just carry our tote in the bed of the truck.
😅This exactly what we do. Yes, the macerator cost a little but it comes on a nice case for storage. The money we save by staying at COE is such a money saver it payed for everything twice over. You could say we are making money......The tank stays in the back of the truck when get to camp and rides on the ladder other times.
Yup, that's what we do, too!
That’s what I do works great macerator pump is the way to go.
@8:00 as a trim carpenter, let me tell you, those staples are only there to hold the joint together while the glue dries. So when you fix it, you need to use glue as well as nails.
I agree but from my experience I’d be amazed if there was any glue used on that joint in the first place.
@@robertpearson8798 I was just about to say that LMAO
For dry camping I suggest the (Camco Rhino 36-Gallon Portable Camper / RV Tote Tank - Features Large Heavy-Duty No-Flat Wheels & Built-In Gate Valve - Removable Steel Tow Adapter, 3’ RV Sewer Hose & More RV Accessories (39006) ) $240. 1 person no mess no fuss.
I got one almost straight away cuz our favorite spots rarely have full hookups available. It is so easy to drain a tank, hook up to the truck, and dump.
yes, We bought the smaller 26 gallon one w/o the built in gate valve. Get the bigger one! Quite a time saver due to the need not to swap adapters etc. They do get quite heavy when full!
yeah, I bought one of those and the first time I used it, the wheels fell off. 😒
we have the same set up. I like the fact it holds everything from 1 tanks
Hi Hanks
We have a 28 gal Rhino Tank and camp a lot at state parks with little to no hookups. It only takes me 20 to 30 min to bump mine and wouldn't think about camping with out it. Let er rip
We use a waste basket with a lid for TP. A side benefit besides the obvious is that you can use your favorite TP brand without worrying about finding RV TP. WE Empty the waste basket frequently and have no odor issues.
I have a portable handheld bidet and wet wipe towelettes that dispose in waste basket.
We do the trash can also
We do too
There is no such thing as RV toilet paper its just a marketing thing.
So easy to put TP in a waste basket instead of the toilet. Saves problems.
Man. Vids like this make me SOOOO glad I bought a 32ft class A, that is super easy to pack up and unload. I can do so and dump in less than 15mins, and be right back at my cozy spot. You guys with the towables are brave, hard working folk. I'm too lazy for all that. 😂
do you tow a vehicle?
@@MsQ275 Smart Class A & C owners who do know that it really simplifies things to drop your toad before you try to negotiate the CG and your site since backing one is a nightmare if it's even possible. If you get yourself halfway into a site and need to drop it there you've made it a lot harder than it needed to be.
Agreed. I do the same. You can unhook, leaving all connections in place. Auto leveler retracted and go. Simple !!! Spare hose for the dump
For your viewers out there that might be retired military and have military ID. We stay on a lot of military bases when traveling. Hubby is retired Army, but makes no difference what branch you were in, military ID will get you a spot on a military base anywhere in the country that has a campground. They are a LOT cheaper (typical fee is $20.00 a night for full hook ups. So, for all you active or retired military out there, take advantage of these campgrounds.
Agreed! We've camped at 2 in WA and 1 in CO.
Great video and lots of good feedback in the comments. We’ve boondocked for years and agree with the following:
-Use a separate covered trash can for toilet paper
-Use camp facilities where available
-If you have an extended stay in one place, always dump on the way in
-Your meal looked so good! Try making foil packets to steam veggies; they will cook in a fraction of the time and still have that grill taste.
Back up camera has saved our rig, our sanity and our relationship. It is the confidence to “Back’er up!”
We camped at 2 different campgrounds for 10 years full time and neither one had sewer. We used our "Blue Boy" once a week to empty the tanks and take it down to the dump station. My husband always did it himself with NO problems.
For "old folks" like us with the National Park Lifetime Sr. Pass, we can stay at COE parks for half price! We have a 25 ft. motor home and usually dump midweek and then drive on into town to go out to eat or something touristy. We schedule our dump day when we plan to drive somewhere anyway.
I have a vintage camper with a single small black tank for everything. Like a lot of others have mentioned, use any toilet or facilities instead of your own when possible. I have an outdoor sink and pretty much operate like a pack in\out tent camper while using my rv. It’s a good habit to develop. I’ve had my rig for 6 years and only payed for a full hookup twice.
And I always cook outside if possible. I don’t like the smells and condensation it creates. Plus I have to use power and run my fans for every meal cooked inside.
I feel that the grey tank tote is good for big families who need something for camping for a week. No showers or tp allowed in the tank. Turn off the water to your toilet unless a number 2 needs to go down. Otherwise pee, flush, spray with watered down cleaner, flush again. Will save soooooo much water and room in tank.
When we dry camp at a campground with showers we dont shower in the rv. We also conserve water and use public toilets if available. Tanks dont fill up a quickly using the water pump as opposed to shore water.
Was going to say the same. Most COE campgrounds have nice facilities and are very quiet during the week. Sounds like they might still have some lingering effects from having FHUDS.
If you’re over 62, you’re missing out if you don’t get a lifetime America the Beautiful Senior Pass for discounts on entrance fees and camping at COE parks, etc. The youngsters can get an annual pass but no discounts for camping.
Younger campers also get the savings. 50% off camping. The senior benifit is the cost of the pass is a one time charge good for life. I bought ours years ago before they raised it to 80.00 for lifetime senior pass. It was 10.00 for a liftime senior pass. The following is an explanation of the annual pass not just the senior pass.
Annual Pass
Valid for one year from the month of purchase, this pass allows the pass holder and up to three accompanying adults to enter sites that charge day use fees. The pass costs $80 and also offers a 50% discount on campsites at Corps-managed campgrounds.
Senior Pass
Available to US citizens or permanent residents who are 62 or older, this pass provides free entrance to most federal recreation areas and a 50% discount on use fees.
We bought our pass last year and our reservations at 2 COE's through Oklahoma this coming summer saved us so much money! We are paying $25 for 2 nights at one COE and $20 for 2 nights at another.
We've needed your candid thoughts! We watch you guys all the time. We bought our Solitude mainly because of you! Hopefully we'll run into you on Our Family Routes
Hack for if the driver needs another set of eyes or backup camera: spotter facetime the driver and spotter uses their phone camera so driver can see
Whatever you do, don't run over your spotter.
I thought cheap 2-way radios were the solution. They might have worked better with a spotter that wasn't directionally other-enabled. And who couldn't understand not to stand directly behind the trailer as she gave opposite directions.
We find that the COE campgrounds are very narrow, lots of bugs/insects and campsites un even. Not much to do at COEs but fish.
We just got back from an 8 day trip at
Assategue State park in our Winnebago View with electric only and the black tank is 31 gallon. At the end of 8 days the black tank was at 2/3. We used the shower house for showers.
We use a 4 wheel tote tank. It's so much easier than a 2 wheeler. No heavy lifting.
when it comes to gate valve ...two is one , one is none...always have an external gate valve
Question:
When you add the new valve at the gate of your black tank, do you leave the other open all the time? Or just remove it all together?
@@cesrushing7319 I never thought of a second valve but I would keep the top one closed also. Whatever you do, do NOT remove the end cap before you verify there is not a blue wave in your near future.
@@feoxorus what is a blue wave?
@@cesrushing7319 It's when your black tank valve is open or no longer functioning as intended. You then end up with black tank water all over yourself. External gate valve with a clear elbow is the way to go.
I have watched a few of your videos now-they are definitely very well done and are entertaining. I’m assuming that you are ER travel nurses. My hubby and I were ICU travel nurses for 12 years, and we had a 36 ft 5th wheel. We are now retired (thank you, God!), and we have a 27 ft TT and camp frequently. We love COE’s-they’re always nice, especially in our home state of GA, and we get half off with our senior passes. But we often Boondock or dry camp in national forest campgrounds. Regular RV parks are just not our thing. We take short showers every other day, turning the water off and on to wet, soap, and rinse, and we use baby wipes as needed in between showers. Hubby sets up a little table and basin outside at the outdoor shower to wash dishes. We can go 2 weeks without worrying about emptying our tanks. It would be too much trouble for us to leave the site to go dump and return, because when we set up we make quite a living area outside with a rug, chairs, propane fire pit, etc. We had a dump wagon years ago, and hubby hated using it. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Since I found your videos, I have never smiled so much in all the truck and RV videos i have watched. You two are delightful. I think I would like to be a Hankster! I loss my husband six years ago. We had RV’d since 2003. Two diesel pushers later, I lived in our last one 9 months after he passed. I decided I couldn’t live without the RV but after 9,000 in tires, I downside to an Eagle HT 32 foot TT. Now I’m at 25 foot Rockwood Mini Lite. I am a NASCAR super fan. I had to camp and find other things to do with the RV. So last year I started taking short trips around Texas. I love your videos and you two are so helpful and informative. You guys are lots of fun.
White Mustang April 8 COE - 36 gallon Rhino in the bed behind the hitch - never gets moved. Macerator to lift waste to tank. Drive tank to dump and never take it out of the truck bed
We love COEs! On the East Coast we fid mainly W/E sites - we have a ThinkTank composting head & I shower in the bathhouse. In the west, we dry camp a lot. We can go a surprisingly long time without having to dump. Helps that we lived on boats for 30 years, so I know how to conserve water. Also on boats, toilet paper goes in a trash bag - same when we had a standard RV toilet. We are full time in our Imagine 17MKE - love being “small”.
Pull past the turn then back up swinging the nose towards the turn. Gets you past the sharp turn and clears the tail swing of the next turn. 40 years pulling low boys. It takes a few try’s to figure it out but it works
I have saved money my whole life and invested money and I’m spending it all before I die. Wife does not dry camp, she will go with me anywhere as long as we have full hookups. I walked a thousand miles on the Appalachian Trail and I talked wife into going one time, she said never again. It’s great that a lot of campers like to camp without full hookups. I make all the reservations and drive the truck,
wife rides good.
Thank you for the humor, humbleness and reminding how to have fun without spending beaucoup bucks. You’re the best!
We dry camp for 3 months in Key West, at Sigsbee Naval campground. We have our stinky tote 35 gallons and a 65 gallon fresh water bladder. About once a week or sometimes a little longer I have to dump the tanks. Usually our grey water kitchen sink first. I find it's no problem and makes life much easier to hook up the tote to the truck, empty it then rinse and repeat and I don't have to move our perfectly placed 35 foot Reflection. You should invest in one.
I have found some Corps & some State Parks allow you to drain your grey tanks through a water hose around the trees. I was first told this as the park manager was watching me take 4 trips to the dump station with my turd toter. That made it a whole lot better. But you have to ask them if they allow it.
With our truck camper we sometimes use a hose onto the ground near vegetation to deal with the grey tank issues. Being discreet helps with this technique. If we have been parked for three days in one spot, we can notice the bushes get greener! For our toilet in the camper, we use a Thetford Porta Potty - it can be emptied into a vault toilet, down a flush toilet, or at at a sewer dump. Good video content.
You are totally correct about a two person job with the grey tote. We winter in Florida at a campsite that does not have sewer hook up but does have a place to dump. So we have access to a lawnmower which we use to pull the tote to their on site dump station. It takes two people to fill and dump and clean up. A once a week chore. Getting proficient and only takes about 20 minutes total. Being doing for the past 5 years, no smelly errors… lol😂.
I’m on my third rhino. We don’t have to worry about filling the grey’s or black while we’re setup. I average the bathroom grey every two days. Kitchen grey goes a week. Taking all of twenty minutes to drain and hit the dump station is more than worth it. Take a whole lot more time to break down, pack up and pull the whole rig over there. Don’t knock the portable dump tanks 😊
We just used our tote for the first time for a week in Yellowstone, dry camping. We were in a tight pull through just like your video here. The tote worked out AMAZING. Wife and 2 kids. Everyone was able to use the potty when ever needed and shower daily. Yes there were restrooms within walking distance, but who wants to walk over to the restroom in 30 degree weather lol. It took me about 20 mins to dump both black and grey water. There is a gate on the tote, just like the one on the RV that allows one person to use the tote. I was able to dump while everyone else was sleeping. I also didnt wait for the tanks to get filled before dumping, so it made the whole process a lot easier. Great videos!! keep up the good work!
When I was looking to book a campsite for a week at a local campground, they didn’t have one site open for a week. They did have water and electric sites available for a week. My husband said absolutely NOT!! Our solution, book a site for 3 nights, then we could move our camper across the road to the first come sites, which worked out perfectly, because it was during the week day, they had about 8 sites open. We not only got a better, more level site , but we could stay on those sites for up to 2 weeks- but we only stayed 4 more days. So win win. And it was faster than going to the dump station and back! ❤️❤️
Bigger is not better when it comes to campers…we used to have a 44’ toy hauler. With camper hitched, we ere 62’ truck nose to camper bumper. Very stressful to tow. We couldn’t fit into our favorite places. We now have a 29’ fifth wheel and we are 47’ total when hitched. Downsized for sure, but worth it. Easier tow as well….
At least you guys are younger to deal with all problems of RVing! Stuff like deal with gets harder when you're older!! Keep up the great videos
I enjoy your content. I don't know where you're getting your information from but honey wagons are not as big of an inconvenience as you've been told. A good honey wagon has it's own short hose so you don't have to use your long hose. The same short hose can be used to fill and empty the wagon. My short hose pivots down to empty. No picking up or slanting the wagon . Why put extra wear on your sliders, levelers, risk of backing, fuel and extra time you could be exploring the area. Also, I didn't see you using Dawn Power Wash when doing the dishes. That alone saves on the gray water tanks.
I cook outside as often as I can too😊
Gray tank, why not use garding hose adapter and dump on th ground with hose you can move arrround?
The learning curve never fully straightens.
I’m not a full timer and stay mostly at state parks, without full hookups. I used to hook up and drive to the dump station. I bought and used a Camco 28 for the first time this year (been camping for over 25 years) and was much happier with that setup.
I only use it for grey water and will use public restrooms, if needed, to avoid black water dumping, though that has not been needed on week long camping trips.
My grey water tank holds 39 gallons so I have to make two trips, but it is towable and easy to handle. It also has a side discharge so no heavy lifting required.
If needed I would drive the RV to the dump station for black water dumping, though.
Great job on this episode. Extend your gray tank use paper plastic and one pot meals. COE parks are hit and miss for good bathrooms and showers. We reserve the bathroom in our RV for the ladies and the men use the park facilities whenever possible. COE parks are our go to parks. A little research will find those with full hookups as well. Keep it up Hanks your doing a great job keeping us informed and enjoying your adventures.
A couple suggestions for the grey water situation. We have a add on external gate valve. On long stays we open both grey water gate valves, the bathroom grey fills up obviously faster than the kitchen grey tank. When the bathroom grey gets full it backs up and goes into the kitchen grey where there’s room. Another that I have thought of is have a collapsible water bladder that fits in your truck, have a dump valve cap with the garden hose outlet on it, use a small transfer pump (electric or battery) and pump your grey water into the bladder in the back of the truck. Those bladders can hold a lot more than a turd totter tote and you’re not parading around a campground towing a tote.
I love smaller campgrounds with partial hookup sites! I have a smaller trailer with smaller tanks, 40 fresh, 38 grey, and 28 black. I have a 42 gal Barker waste tote, with a family of 4, not enough tank space, I have a macerator so I just pump into the tank in the truck, less than 45 min to empty tank and get to the dump station, so may not be "faster" but works well and I can do it while the family is still using the RV. Less interruptions and can do while the kids are getting ready for bed.
Many many years ago we purchased a Golden Age card for $10 which gives us a 50% discount at COE. Camping 5 nights this week at Kerr Scott in NC for $15/night. Wish we had kept track of how much that $10 card has saved us over the years!!!
The totes are super easy to use. You don't have to worry about a mess anymore than you do dumping from the RV. It takes maybe 15 minutes for me to empty the grey tanks with a tote. We stay at partial hook up regularly and have never had issues using a tote
I have the same trailer you do. The wife and I can do a complete week on electric only without running out of water or filling the tanks. The biggest thing to control is shower length, and after that, dish water consumption.
Been full-timing for a couple months now. I ripped the trim off one of my slide-outs the very first time out. Ever since then I religiously check the slideouts before fully extending.
My helpful hint is to get a maserator to use with your blue/grey portable tank. Tie the blue tank down in the bed of your truck and use the maserator to fill it. Haul to the dump station in the truck bed then gravity dump from there. MUCH better. Those blue tanks can get away from you on the way to the dump station. They are HEAVY if you get a large one.
We are full timers and we don't do the Pooh Porter. And we stay almost exclusively at state parks or COE's. If they have a clean shower house, you're all good. We stayed at a COE in FL this last winter for 14 days and didn't have to dump. Everybody has to do what works for them.
Always keeping it real Hanks, delightfully real. 😊 I've had a bump out crunchy in the previous camper with the stored broom flipping up. Now we always bump out a bit, squeeze through to check out the situation so we can avoid a shituation, and then complete the task. But I love how cool you two kept it as you assessed it all. And your gentle chiding and complimenting each other reminded me of us and how we try to be. Thanks again! And I wish we had more COE in our area.
Most campgrounds I’ve been to usually has some industrious kids that go site to site offering to dump your tank totes for you, gather fire wood, cut your lawn or other small tasks. Usually charge 10$ - 15$. I generally swing by the campground store or vending area and see kids nearby and say who wants to make some quick cash. LoL
Another great video. Very informative. You mentioned that your valve got plugged on your tank. We never put toilet paper in our Black Tank. So we never have a problem with clogging the valve, tank or sewer hose. And before you say "that's gross" Here's what we do. We have a small garbage can next to the toilet and we empty it daily. And we never have a problem with bad odors. PS: And you can use your favorite TP and not the cheap RV toilet paper.
I love how modest y'all are! And super funny! I could watch you two all day! I just wanted to say thank you for all the information you are putting out about rv'ing full time. My husband and I aren't planning on moving from campground to campground (or boondocking), but if we do your videos have helped so much! Thank you guys!!
We use one of those totes for our camper with no grey or black tanks and no full hookups. . It works great. It came with sewer connections and hose and it's never an issue to dump it. Yes we drag it to the dump station via the back of our truck, but it's no big deal because you have to drive slowly and the campground speed limits are low anyway. Thumbs up from us.
Why do you need a tote if you don’t have tanks?
Because....we don't HAVE tanks?
Hilarious, entertaining and informative as usual! Still our favorite RV content creators! I’m really confused why you guys don’t have 1 million subs by now… your content is so professionally done, thumbnails on point and you deliver above and beyond expected from thumbnail and title. We definitely have FHUDS!! 😅😂
When next in Atlanta try McKinney COE. It’s way larger than Payne and has far more large rig sites. It’s only about five miles from Payne.
Some of the State Parks in Idaho near us actually put in gray water dumps scattered throughout the campground. Its just a culvert pipe burried in the ground, pretty nice. They make caps with hose fittings.......
I think the folks that do the blue boy totes well are the ones that use them with a macerator pump. Then you can just leave the tote in the truck bed, pump it in and let gravity drain it out.
Liked the channel. FYI.- grilling = smoke on food. Please consider holes in the foil, or clean the grill. It’s worth the trouble.
We have been camping in our 24 foot travel trailer for 10 years. I have the sewer tote you showed in the intro. And have the same rhino hose and the gate valve on the end of the pipe as security when the other valves decide not to work. We usually camp 2 weeks at a time. And only empty tote once a week. Its never been a problem. If the camp ground showers are nice and clean. We take super quick showers in the camper then 2 days a week we shower longer in camp showers. It helps save water.
If you go to kentucky. Check out Baileys Point COE. Its absolutely beautiful. Just be warned of hills and dips.
We stay at a lot of COE Campgrounds and get the Veterans Discount. We have a 21-foot travel trailer and try to stay close to the Bathroom / Showers and use the campgrounds facilities. It saves a lot of tank space. Keep up the great videos we truly enjoy them every week.
🤫
We used to have a tote. Worked great. We kept ours strapped to the roof ladder. That was when the kids were small and we used more water. We don't have one now but go on shorter trips with just two of us. We only use the black tank after dark and we shower in the campground showers unless it is too cold or too hot. the convivence of the tote would, for me, would be well worth not striking camp just to dump.
Go for the back up camera! I am a solo traveler with a trailer and having a back up camera has made traveling with another person obsolete! Oh… Wait… Maybe that’s not such a good idea for you guys! I love you just the way you are! Both of you! Together!
It's a one man Job, and simple. We are full-time too and it's great to have it as an option. Also I switched to Compost toilet a year ago in our 40' Redwood. Love it, no more black ink drama. Just change out the compost every 3 weeks to a month and can drop in any dumpster and no smell for real!
Two beautiful people living a happy life. ❤❤❤❤
Thanks Hanks for a fun video. Refreshing to see you take a week off to go Camping. Cooking outside at a real campground (not a paved park). I think many of us subscribers are part time or weekend campers who don’t carry brick & sticks amenities needed for full timing but just the three day necessities. We ALL love you both & enjoy your journey videos. Be safe be well see you in a week.
Love your videos even after all these years!!
We have the black tank you put on your ladder for our 5th heel. We dry camp in NY Adirondack mountains. We have never had a problem with it. It seems to work fine.
Camco portable tank for the win!!As I was watching this video when you guys hit 20 minutes on hooking up I would’ve had one camco tank emptied and back at the rv. So 40 minutes and my tanks are empty. And it’s not a two person job at all. You can hook the tank to your bumper hitch and drive it to location. It’s the best. It doesn’t even look bad on the ladder when mobile.
There are more non horror stories on the portable tanks. I used our 28gal for years by myself without one problem. NO WAY would I take the trailer and set it up all over again. There is a bunch of used ones for sale and put it on the ladder or the back of your truck and you could get a pump if you want and never remove it from your truck
Thanks for all the videos
We used the heavy duty Barker Tote and for black and gray water. Towed behind truck to dump and then tossed in the bed to go back to site. Never had a problem. I would recommend you don't buy the cheap lightweight versions...that's probably where the issues come in...too much weight. Water is heavy....keep up the informative episodes and keep on traveling!
Hello Hanks😊. Just wanted to say Thank you for the videos! I’m about to venture into the RV world. I’m from AZ and my parents live in WA. I’m relocating there soon and selling all my possessions. Your videos are awesome! Hank and Renee you are such a cute couple! I like how down to earth you guys are! I think Renees facial expression are hilarious! Yours too Carl! You guys were made for this! All the information you guys have been giving is much appreciated. I’ve definitely been binge watching. Right now I’m watching a video where you guys are in AZ and it makes me want to leave the state even more. Canada and Alaska are so much more beautiful in comparison. Anyway please keep it up. I’ve learned a ton! Cheers!
Scott
We’ve stayed in a campground with hookups 4 times in our 25 years of camping. We boondock or stay at the campground that has no hook ups at all. Most times we are in National Forest or the lake with no designated sites.
I really love your videos, showing me the country I’ve not seen! Keep 'em coming, you do a great job!
We have a grey tank tote. I don’t use it all that much, but I’ve also never had a problem with it. Ours lives on the RVs rear bumper 24/7/365 and goes on every trip whether we’re planning to use it or not.
I have 36 gal it’s awesome, my tanks are 34gal no worries about over filling 😎👌🏼
Absolutely.....about the checklist. We've been rv'ing for decades, and we still forget stuff that causes damage. Just the other day I was moving our travel trailer in the yard and I got distracted and forgot to put the pin in the receiver hitch draw bar. All was well for a little ways. Then the front of the camper just flopped down on the ground, and drug by the chains for a foot or two. Whooopee! Luckily....no damage, other than to my ego.
Hanks. We’ve been camping out of a truck camper for over 20 years. Never once been even close to filling our gray or black tanks. Why, you might ask? Well, because we camp. We wash dishes outside and dispose of the dish water in approved ways (not unlike tenters). We have a rule of no number 2 in the camper. We’re not afraid of pit toilets (not unlike tenters). If a flush toilet is available in the partial hookup campground we use that. Showers…. We’re masters of the sailer shower or use shower rooms if provided. Don’t forget about your outdoor shower in your rig. They all have them, don’t they? If I can make a suggestion, try running your camper resources as if you are tenting. That would be fun content to watch. Based on your camp fire cooking excitement I’d say you need to get out of the FT park mode to fully appreciate the 5th wheel experience. You’d be surprised how long you can go between trips to the dump stations if you start to minimalize. Just saying.
We do EXACTLY the same thing. Only use camp showers & no #2 unless necessary. Then we put a bag & diaper into toilet. Wrap it up & throw away in a dumpster. We use baby wipes in winter & don’t even care if we are carrying water. Just bring 3-4 gallons of water for coffee, etc. make food ahead of time & freeze. We barely cook! I did use my really nice rv shower a few months before selling it, and regretted not using it more. Oh well!
Some fellow friends use puppy pads with a garbage bag for their toilet. Since We toss dog poop into dumpster w bags, w think of it as the same thing. We are not full timers but the channel “Lulu’s way” addresses the bathroom issue quite maturely!
I prefer campsites with zero hookups & only electric when necessary
We dump grey tank on the way out! If we need to….
@@melissal3383A diaper? What waste! Look up composting toilets. Get some sawdust or pet bedding. That diaper will be in a landfill for 10,000 years.
@@mikeecker146 I only use 5-10 a year. I deliberately chose to have 2 children so as to not pollute the Earth anymore and THankfulky those 2 beautiful adult children do not want any kids.
Curious how much waste you are your offspring will create in a lifetime?
In the END, nothing impermanent is real.
A COURSE IN MIRACLES
@@mikeecker146 what I personally kept to myself is that one of my children is SEVERELY handicapped….. with his 3rd handicap being massive OCD.
If you believe for one second that a mentally handicapped person is “capable” of using a composting toilet then you might want to volunteer at a state mental facility🤣🤣🤣🤣
Some might be able to learn, but we are forever grateful that he uses a toilet period. Hence the diaper during the WIINTER MONTHS! Otherwise he would clog a black tank each & everytime on every trip on every day on every single visit to the toilet.
On days that we have water, he will pee in the toilet but has been trained to put the paper in a can next to it
Enjoy your easy life
We love COEs. Because we're old farts, we stay for half off 😊. Some of the most difficult parking situations though, mostly because these parks were built with much smaller RVs in mind. We can last ten days before we need to empty the gray tanks (2x 30gal). We boondock often so we've got the whole judicious water useage down pat.
I don't know what the blue boy is going to be like but I'm going to find out. I'm at a park right now with only electricity and water, but I have a blue boy and I'm going to try it. The good thing is if it's too much of a pain they have a honey wagon service available for $15 a time. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
We have the rhino tank for black service, we are weekend warriors 4 days at a time, and you can check your area, but in a lot of places it's legal to dump grey. We have the camco sewer caps with water hose fitting and leave grey open in places like that. Water hoses attached, run off into the woods away from the campsite, and our neighbors. Been doing it for 4 years. Never had anyone say and thing. Look around and I bet you start to notice others doing.
Love COE campgrounds. We are senior citizens, use the America the Beautiful pass, cost are usually half the nightly rate not to mention discounted admissions to lots of federal sites. We use the bathhouse if they are good, and we have found many that are. FT going on 5 years & still learning.
I've been watching some RVers on UA-cam, and you two won me over. I grew up camping a lot with my parents in an RV in the 70's. Than after I got married, we tent camped and also had a pop up for awhile. Now we are getting close to retirement age, and have seriously considered hitting the road when that happens. I supposed if our dream comes true, we will get used to having all those amenities inside the camper, but even growing up with my parents RV, we rarely cooked indoors. If the campground had a bathroom, we used it most of the time, and also used the campground showers. Those were the rules. I'm sure hubby and I will enjoy being pampered in todays' RVs. We'll see how it goes! Happy camping to you both!
Carl, using your black tank, do you use camping toilet paper or residential paper? You're learning man!
On the dump valves it can also happen more when people dump into those Rhino tanks especially if they have to stop dumping to prevent over filling them. Thats when it gets messy.
I use a 28 gallon tote with a side outlet. The purpose is not to empty your tank but simply to make space in your grey tank. I do strap it to the ladder but removing it not an issue for me. We use C.O.Es often. But we’ve gone seven days on our tank boondocking on a mountain top in Moab.
Completely agree with the external valve. Cost of replacing internal black valve way more than a cheap external. Plus waiting for my internal valve to be replaced at the service shop was a month. Then they damaged the gray valve so had to take it back and get that serviced.
When you were dumping your tanks, my watch heard you and started a 5 minute timer, lol
We are at Payne nd have been here almost two weeks. Carefully managing the tanks is the key unless you want to dump in the middle. Another solution is to book one site for a week and another site for the next week. Then dump when you move. Also having the senior pass, we only paid $15 a night. Leaving Monday for Gunter Hill, another great COE campground.
In a COE campgrounds do yall not use the bathhouse on sight. I worked for the Corp of Engineers and I know they cleaned the bathhouse with disinfectant everyday.
I'm pretty shocked that you couldn't last a whole week 😂 My family of four has done at least a week of boondocking with an old trailer with small tanks! We used the campground bathrooms most of the time, and only showered in the campground showers. But it wasn't that bad.
Wow, props to you and your family for making it work! We definitely have room to improve our boondocking game, haha. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙂
We have a rino Macerator Pump, works amazing! I put the tote empty in the back of my truck, (no 2 mph to the dumping station) it pumps everything into the tote, bring it to the dump station and empty it! Simple and so easy!! Hope this helps
My grey and black tanks are 32 gallons each. I use a Camco 28 gallon tote. Yes it's a pain to carry around, but I'll do that any day over taking my rig to the dump station
To save some space in the grey tank by doing dishes in a tub and dumping it into the black tank. The grey will always fill up faster than the black.
Last year we had a back-in site along the Colorado river and we had to back in so pretty much our entire rear end was hanging over a cliff, the rear tires were about two feet ahead of the cliff, we stayed hitched and prayed for no strong winds!
Greetings, I have spent several months in my RV with only water and electric. We started out with a macerator pump that attaches to the RV outlets and pumped into a Port a Potty. Last summer we were in a position where we had a grey water drain but not a black tank.
Our fix was with a Tote McGoat. I would place the tote in the back of my cargo van with the dump valve facing the back door. Then pump the black tank into the tote (black tank for 1 week was less than 28 Gal.). I had to drive 7 miles to a dump station once there I hooked up the tank and Let-R-Rip rinsed and return. Total time was about 40 min.
Currently macerator pumps prices have come down as my first one was close to $300 and lasted about 4 years, the replacement was less than $100.
FHUDS is serious. After a lot of therapy I’ve been able to boondock.
I’ve learned when camping on my own I can last about a week without dumping the tanks. I agree, just packing up and dumping makes more sense to me.
Thanks for the video!
Use a waste basket for TP. That stuff takes up so much space! I do compost 5g bucket for solids and a separate one for liquid. Only change my solids bucket once every 4-6 weeks!
We started camping in tents 50 years ago. COE and NP have always been our choice. Back then we washed our dishes with the "green" detergents and put the wash water in an area away from us on our site. The rangers had no problem with that. We did use paper plates and wiped out the cooking items well with paper towels first. What do tenters do now? Anything different? As far as the fifth wheel, we've done the RV dump at several NPs we went to before we left. Not too difficult and you can top off you water tanks too. Happy travels to you.