# Tips For Permanent Campsites



## aleximom (Mar 31, 2009)

We bought our TT (2010 Outback 270BH) for the sole purpose of using it at a lake where we own property. The lake has campgrounds (not allowed to camp on your property) and up until now we've moved our TT from a storage spot to a campsite and back whenever we've used it. We've been on the waitlist for a permanent site and it now looks like we'll be getting one shortly. Once we move onto our site the goal would be to never move the TT again. The site has electrical and water -- we use a service for pump out of the waste tanks. I'm looking for tips any of you might have for permanent camping. I'm especially interested in how to ensure that the waste tanks stay clean. Thanks everyone!


----------



## Chuggs (Jun 8, 2010)

I think I'd ask the locals...

How does the service for dumping tanks work? >>> How do they know when they're full/empty?

Sounds to me like a software engineer could design a microprocessor based system which could monitor your tank levels...electrically OPEN the dump valves at a pre-determined level...electrically OPEN the water valves to Tornado Tank Rinser(s)...then after a time interval passes...CLOSE the dump valve...and next turn OFF the Tornado rinser. Finally, a doser pump could INJECT a metered ammount of Poti-chem into the holding tanks. But this would all require a fixed connection to a waste chute.

Wish I knew how to do all that...seems like a marketable idea


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

IMO, there's no perfect solution for this. What I do is to make sure to give the black tank an extra dose of treatment (I use the bacteria type, not the blue chemicals). Then I fill it up pretty full. Then, we pay for a dumpout and they do it mid week. We've never had a real problem with the pump out not getting done. No high tech at our campground. They have a 12V macerator pump that they connect and then pump it into a big tank. When the liquid stops flowing they shut off the pump, close the valve and re-cap the line. Now I also move ours, so a couple times a season, the tornado rinses things out....









As for gray water, it isn't technically allowed anywhere I know of, but about every seasonal at our campground has a gray water pit. Start by digging a big hole in the ground. Then take a 20-30 gallon rubbermaid tub. Punch some slits in the sides and bottom and cut a hole in the top to run a garden hose into. Finally, bury it in the hole. Connect the garden hose to your trailer via a cap that has a hose attachment and then leave the gray tank open while washing and showering. Amazingly enough, the gray tank never seems to fill up.









Now, BEFORE you do this you need to figure out if you will be ejected for doing it. In our case, everyone seemed to have one, and the cap with hose connection was even sold at the camp store. (We also had a little discussion in private with the owners first.) With the gray water pit, we don't have to worry about water useage and have the black tank pumped out every couple weeks.


----------



## aleximom (Mar 31, 2009)

I schedule the pump out and they take care of both the black and grey tanks. We're only there for weekends so I've not had a problem with running out of tank space (grey). If that did happen I've got one of those portable units to empty some of the grey waste and take it to the pump out station. There's also a shower house that's quite nice so that helps. The service comes midweek so it really does work well even if you're there for an entire week.

I've also started adding calgon water softener to all my tanks and plan to add bleach every soft often to the black tank to help sanitize.



Nathan said:


> IMO, there's no perfect solution for this. What I do is to make sure to give the black tank an extra dose of treatment (I use the bacteria type, not the blue chemicals). Then I fill it up pretty full. Then, we pay for a dumpout and they do it mid week. We've never had a real problem with the pump out not getting done. No high tech at our campground. They have a 12V macerator pump that they connect and then pump it into a big tank. When the liquid stops flowing they shut off the pump, close the valve and re-cap the line. Now I also move ours, so a couple times a season, the tornado rinses things out....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## swanny (Oct 31, 2007)

IF you have two gray tanks you can do this. IF you find one tank fills quicker than the other you can place a valve at the discharge pipe ( where the hose is hooked up). Then open both gray tank valves. This will allow both tanks to fill. So if the shower fills up faster than the galley tank it will allow shower water into the galley tank for more capacity.

kevin


----------

