Loloho e-books goo.gl/wZDWtZ Loloho on Facebook Facebook.com/LongLongHoneymoon RV camping gear: *Counter Assault Bear Spray amzn.to/1FoY2fk *Oxygenics shower head amzn.to/1Et4Ydr *Antisway bar amzn.to/1BdYHRO *Inverter generator amzn.to/1Et52dg *LED spotlight amzn.to/1vA6qIW *Sean's Tilley hat amzn.to/1vA6sAB Merrell Jungle Moc shoes goo.gl/WxSYgg *Walkie talkies amzn.to/1vA6wjN *Boeshield T-9 lubricant amzn.to/17zGLFa *Weber portable grill amzn.to/1BdV8eo *Air-Dryr amzn.to/1Et5fwX *OBDII code reader amzn.to/1vA6Dfn *Water “jerry can” amzn.to/1FuuSLU *Eye masks goo.gl/aCq3Rm Airstream essentials: *Trailer Aid tire changing ramp amzn.to/17zGXUU *Pink flamingos amzn.to/1LF6Q2U *Sanyo Eneloop batteries goo.gl/Z0TFw9 *RV water filter goo.gl/Qlwy2m *Dry shampoo goo.gl/2OxQS0 *"The Next Exit" goo.gl/bdUsGy *Britta "Bella" water pitcher goo.gl/bJRKrJ AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE: Friends, making a quality Loloho video is kind of like making sausage - only slightly more violent. It's a ridiculous amount of work that typically involves high dollar camera drops, blue-screen-of-death computer crashes, and at least one angry shotgun wielding old man shouting, “Hey! Get the hell outta here!” Once the final video is posted, rewards here on RUclips are few and far between (unless you are a masochist who enjoys being verbally abused by anonymous trolls). One saving grace is our affiliate links. JUST CLICKING THESE LINKS HELPS TO SUPPORT OUR LITTLE SHOW. Think of this clicking as like tipping - except that it doesn't cost you anything extra! If you eventually make a purchase via one of our affiliate links, we will receive a few pennies (and Sean typically invests these pennies towards duct tape which he uses to patch together his camera gear). Again, it doesn't cost you anything extra to click these links, and it's a great help to us. As always, safe travels, happy camping, and THANK YOU!
i live in the north so i live a lot in my RV winterized....so using less water is a must...here are some of my tips...use a bowl in each sink to catch the used water and use it to flush....i use a composting toilet with urine diverter so i still use a bit of water to "flush" ..and this gives me two gray tanks and no black tank.....when waiting for shower water to get hot catch it in a bucket, and use it to wash dishes....for dishes, wipe out dishes with paper towels then spray them with cleaning grade 6% vinegar and wipe clean (no water)....in between showers use baby wipes or foaming soap....i dont like the spray dry shampoos as they are flammable gas....i live with two dogs and we are always clean and use about 1.5 gal of water per day for everything...except laundry, for laundry i use a 5 gal bucket with lid and a wonderwash (fancy toilet plunger) and wash light cloths to dark in the same water then repeat the process for rinsing ....saves on laundry money and water.....hope this helps someone.
An oldie but goodie ! I may be breaking out into the boondocking life in a few months. It's time to get the heck out of RV parks and get moving again. Thanks for all the years of great content.
Great ideas! We use two additional techniques to help save water when showering. First, we run the hot water up into a 1-gallon pitcher until it runs hot, then keep that pitcher in the bathroom and use the water for flushing the toilet. Second, we always shower back-to-back when boondocking so that we only have to run hot water up once. We're lucky that our water heater is directly beneath the shower, so very little water needs to be run to get it hot (less than a quart). The water heater in our first RV was in the very back corner, with the bathroom in the center of the rig, on the opposite side. That filled the pitcher a lot more!
Wow, a quart is a fair amount of water for such a short pipe to your shower. I would have thought it should be more like a cupful. But I like the pitcher for the toilet idea. I think it could also be used for cooking or used in the kettle?
In 2000 my family (3 kids and a 4 month old grandson), my in-laws, 2 cats, a Pomeranian, a 34 ft class C towing a 22 ft trailer was moving from Fairbanks Alaska to Panama City Florida (I had been stationed at Eielson AFB.) After driving for about 16 hrs we were somewhere in the Yukon, I was dog tired and had to pull over to sleep somewhere. It was pitch, pitch black ( early February) but I found what I thought was a little pullout. Long story short.....The next morning I woke up and had to let the Pom go out to do his business...I opened the RV door and started to put him out.........OH MY GOD!!!!! I was literally 2 ft away from a thousand foot drop off!!!! I couldn't see it that night but we were parked on the side of a mountain cliff. I almost had a heart attack! I grabbed him, pulled him back inside, gathered my wits and drove off to a more stable place. The Yukon was a very interesting drive! Took us eleven days to get to Florida.
Lord have mercy!! Just the amount of kids and animals you had along for the trip would have tested my nerves lol let alone the cliff discovery!! I will keep your story in mind when we begin our first journey / vacation in our first RV this fall
Maybe someone else added these tips - there's a lot of responses! 1. Brush teeth with 1/2 cup of water. Dip brush, add paste, brush, rinse with a few sips, rinse brush out in the cup with whatever water is left over. 2. Wash dishes in a plastic basin so you capture the water which can then be used to flush the toilet. 3. Take sponge baths. Two small basins, two wash cloths. One basin and wash cloth with soap to lather. One basin with clear water and wash cloth to rinse. Also can wash hair by dipping a cup to pour over. Use a tiny bit of soap and shampoo. 4. Use baby wipes to freshen up between showers. 5. Don't have to flush after every pee. Old hippie saying: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Can also just wash hair and use a leave in conditioner. I had to do that when I had tubes put in my ears when I was almost 30. (Yes I know that's a kid surgery) 52 years later I still struggle with them) I'm also looking into the igloo water system where the jug goes into the bottom. That'll help with drinking/cooking water and I can have an extra jug in the SUV. Fill up at any Walmart, etc
You can wash your hair by putting 2 plastic "dish" pans, sized to fit in each side of your double kitchen sink. One side for wetting hair and putting in the shampoo, for a first rinse. The other side for the final rinse. While you've got your hair wrapped up in the drying towel (conditioning), put the dirty dishes into the first plastic basin, to soak. Scrub them off and transfer the dishes to the second basin for a rinse. You may need to use a small amount of clean water in another third basin to dip the items you put in your mouth: cups, glassware, and silverware. You can then use the "dirty water" from the first basin for your toilet flushing and move the rinse-water plastic basin into that part of the sink where the "dirty water" was. A game of moving the basins around. You get 3 uses out of each basin of water. Need to be careful not to overfill the plastic basins, so they are light enough to move without spilling.
I can't get enough of you kids. The scenery shots are incredible! I also am starting to change my thoughts about camping. I was always worried about hooking up at a campground before night. You have helped take the pressure off. There is no reason we should be timid about pulling off in a safe area and dry camp. Thanks again for your hard work of putting these together. You have SOOO much talent!!
A retiree from the US Forest Service: 1st and foremost, always extinguish any fire you start until you can put your hand in it. That means mixing and stirring dirt in it for about 20 minutes, and possibly less if you are efficient and practiced. *A quick douse* of water, even 5 gallons worth is *NOT enough,* throwing dirt on top of it is not good enough, it must be completely cool to the touch throughout. Most people do not know when their fire has caused a multi acre wildfire because they are long gone and assume they did a adequate job taking care of their fire.
I love your channel, I just recently purchased a 28ft because I camped all my life in a tent and as much as that was a great experience, I want to open up a new chapter in my life and start to see north america with a little more comfort because I am not getting any younger
Lots of great tips! Thanks! One thing we do to help conserve water while boondocking is keep a couple of 4 litre water jugs full of drinking water and use those for cooking and drinking. They are small enough so they fit into the trailer sinks while travelling and easy to pour, keep on the counter, and can be used over and over. This way, we can use the tank water for flushing and washing. We also find baby wipes are a huge help in freshening up. Great for cleaning your feet before bed after wearing flip flops all day!
Another great vid, thanks! Brita water pitchers don't need to be stored in the fridge. You can transfer the water into any container that fits in your fridge. I would also choose paper plates that are compostable.
We fill a non-potable jug (having used the same in-line filter) and filter it into a Brita dispenser and then fill a potable jug that goes in the Yeti (which functions as an ottoman/coffee table/foot rest for our jackknife couch.
In our 5 years of Camping in our 15ft Travel Trailer, we have yet to camp with water/sewer hock-ups. Normally we have electrical. This past summer we spent 20 days with just electricity and no water. We do your a Jerry Can (20L) so we can get water, whenever we need it. And at several Provincial Camp Grounds we have a tap not far from our site, so I'll go and fill the kettle for dishes, and coffee. Also we will use the Comfort Stations for showers and as our primary bathroom. This way we never run out of waters.
For fresh water, look up atmospheric water generators. Its basically a dehumidifier taking water out of the air, they are small, even come with a solar panel and it can generate up to 3 gallons a day depending on humidity, more water, lower less water. Its just basically a DC dehumidifier ran through a filter, there is your coffee and drinking water or even a solar shower. There are a million different ways to save water, but also make water. I have solar panels and Lithium ion batteries in my Camper and a 2000 watt full sine inverter, so its not big deal just to plug it in and 5 hours later I have 1 gallon of water, If I don't need the water I dump it in my fresh water tank and you can get up to 5 gallons of water per day. Grey water you can dump anywhere. Install a composting toilet and eliminate the whole black water tank experience. Unlimited fresh water, more then you will use per day, just pour what you don't use in the tank. You can also find units that are DC and come with a solar panel so power is not an issue, free unlimited water!!
no they cant unless the found a way to defy the laws of thermodynamics. Even if you were in a 100 % humidity even the most efficient units can only produce a few liters in 24 hours, thats with 1500 watts
"Grey water you can dump anywhere." -- No, you're actually NOT supposed to do that. If you're caught doing so on public land you can be cited and fined.
@@kimthompson5631 I know some campers do release gray water. The main problem is that gray and black exit the same discharge. In my 20 years and two motorhomes, all black water dump valves will leak a little. When you take the cap off, usually an ounce or more will be there. So releasing gray may have a small bit off black with it. Again, releasing gray would not bother me if rv's had a faucet up stream from the dump valve like mine to hook a hose to, then run it down hill from the camp site. But then, you always have the irresponsible few. I've witnessed them too! So! We humans need to be 100% sanitary. But we walk our pets in the campgrounds. But do we take a tray or pan with us and tell fido to urinate and deficate in it, no...
Water got real precious to us in Kuwait. There, and in Iraq, for a while, I used 1.5 liters of water to take a bath. It works. Pour it from bottle onto you, lather, rinse. Just pick up other people's cast off water bottles for the purpose. I used a 5 gallon lard can for washing clothes by hand. Go easy on the detergent. Amazon sells water purification stuff. I bought the larger LifeStraw unit if we have to use rain or pond water.
ltcajh Yes, it's amazing what little water you really need to take a bath or shower. I will check out the LifeStraw...looks like a useful camping/hiking gadget for sure. Cheers
just purchased our 1st Airstream 25FB Flying Cloud and your advice is helping a lot.i am an over the Road truck driver so i have pretty extensive knowledge of what road life is about...there will absolutely be no problems backing up this little trailer.
I'm not set-up to make videos like you are, so I thought I'd share what I've done in hopes that you'll make a video about it. On the subject of toilets. We do a lot of boondocking and it's always bothered me that we waste perfectly good potable water just to flush the toilet. So, when I upgraded our potable water pump, I saved the old one. I now use gray-water to flush the toilet. The old pump has its own pressure switch, so I just mounted a dedicated switch and relay. The switch is in the bathroom and the relay is near the pump. There hasn't been a problem with odors (I've always treated our grey tank) or plugging. I tapped into the grey-water drain pipe upstream of the drain valve at the 12 O'clock position so that no debris gets drawn into the line. Since the drain pipe is lower than the tank, it always has a little water.
They have something new to me. My husband was in the hospital for a week can't take a bath at all for 5 days. So they give us the package and tell us to wash yourself with it. So we got back to TN I was looking for the package so I can was him. This stuff is the bomb it's great for camping I'm looking forward to trying it when we go camping but I felt very clean and very refreshed. Here is the name of this Assurance Premium Washcloths Ex large pre-moistened.
One way we use less water is by using foaming soap for hand washing. We can lather up without turning on the water and only turn the tap when it's time to rinse.
Yeah! A fun and informative Video, good job and thanks. My tip for water conservation would be to give Dr. Bronner's castle soap a try. (Biodegradable) I work for an outdoor retailer and we sell it in our camping section where I work. I know Amazon carries it, as you might find it in a health food store. THREE drops of this soap on your hands with about FIVE drops of water and it will clean your hands better than any that I have tried. I use it in the shower, wash my hair, etc, with minimal water. My wife stained a shirt when we were RVin' in Missouri and we used a bit of it to take the stain out. I used it in a small bucket and sponge, and it took the bugs off the front of my car & RV !! It says 18 uses, but I can't see the fine print that well, LOL. Good Luck and Happy RVing!
Just bought an RV. Waiting for it to come in. You have help me to understand the RV travel life. I have been a tent camper for over 50 years with parents and family. Now to old to sleep on the ground. Thanks for all the tips!!!!
In the last half of the 80's, I took my family 0f 5 (parents & 3 kids) on a tour working for a circus where I was the 'commercial' performing in schools about a week before the circus was going to be there. I stayed on the lots where the circus was going to be long before 'boondocking' was thought of. We did this for four years we didn't go home (Wisconsin) in the winter 3 month hiatus except the year I rebuilt our trailer (from the floor up). Would love to tell you how we solved many problems of the road life.
Thanks for all the info, we just purchased our 5th wheel RV last year and your videos have been both informative and fun to watch. Thanks and keep up the good work. Neighbors from Georgia.
After 2 years in the Iraq conflict your tips to conserve water are right on the mark. We received lots of goodie bags from home at the contents Hand sanitizer baby wipes were the #1 and #2 requested items. We used 1 liter bottles of fresh water issued and yeah we stank but all of us did so our sense of smell well, you would have to be rotting to stand out. We were lucky enough to get 1,000 gal bags of non potable water( filled from the euphrates river) that we used for close washing actually using a pump and used washer off the 120 ckt on the gen set finding that each load stole about 50 gal. My experience in black tanks is nill as we dug a hole used the side of a tire or used the nice wooden luxury units as shown in forrest gump, later to actually get the real fiberglass out house. So, thanks for the info on the tanks.
Love the Channel! I grew up with motorhomes and when I got old enough the water and dump became my job. Dad always called it the "The Mother Load"! I think just to piss mom off! Thanks and happy trails!
you can always use those paper plates for the fire pit as a way to light it that's what we did as kids growing up when we were camping then there's no waste and who doesn't like a fire.
My name is Diona and I am brand new to RV'ing. I am actually about to purchase my 1st RV this week. I stumbled on one of your videos and I have been hooked every since!! You always give such useful information and it's entertaining as well!! (sometimes I will sit for 1-2hrs watching RV vids on my phone lol sad but true lol)Thank you so much!!!
as always - great tips! the only thing I can add is that I keep a 5 gallon jug of drinking water in my class B. Then use the holding tank for everything else. I just use an inexpensive hand pump. I have a personal thing about drinking water from campsites and the fresh water tank. When the water gets low I can usually refill it with filtered water at Wal-mart and the like or at least the gallon jugs of drinking water from any grocery. Safe travels
Many Wal-Marts and grocery stores have reverse osmosis water filtering machines that charge around 39 cents per gallon. You can use your container or buy one. The hand pump is a great idea. We use a 3 gallon jug with a built in handle.
We recently purchased a Coleman Cheyenne Pup and after taking it on several short camps plan on making our first epic trek from Sylvania OH to Devils Tower in Wyoming via IA, MN & SD. I have viewed several of your videos and found them extremely helpful. We hope to be able to tap in to a WiFi signal from time to time and check in on your post. Thanks and keep'em coming.
Hi, Bill here. My wife Shirley and I are going full time at the end of July and are very thankful for your tips on RV life. I was an Army Combat motion picture photographer in 1967 and later in 1997 got a BS in TV production. Well, I didn't stay with TV production very long and did some documentary work and then worked in front of the camera as a commercial actor(SAG) for 10 years. I retired from that carrier and went into computer support for a school district and retired out of that. So when I tell you that I love your videos, I come from a place that knows good video production. Well done. I love your stuff. We have a little experience in RV'ing and have decided to take it on fulltime with the help of good people like yourselves. We live in High Springs, FL and will use my daughter's farm in Ft. White as home base. You said you live in the south so hopefully we will run into you all sometime. We had a small budget to get a travel trailer with and were lucky enough to find a roadworthy unit for what we wanted to spend. It goes into the shop tomorrow for a major checkup and wheel bearing lube job. The first of April we will take her out for a shake down and see what we really need to take on the road. We are both so excited and want our adventure to start tomorrow, but I really want the unit to work correctly and water system to be sanitized before we head down the road. Well, keep putting out the videos. They are wonderful, informative and funny.Thanks,Bill and Shirley Macrides,High Springs, FL
thanks Bill & Shirley for your thoughtful post. We've tried our best with these videos to create quality on a super tight budget. We don't have a film crew or editing team or anything of that nature. Of course there have been lots of compromises. But it means a lot when someone such as yourself offers praise. Cheers and hope to see you on the road someday.
Do you have a directory of your videos? Have you done anything on tires? I was told by our service manager that our tires were out of date and because the trailer had been sitting for 3 years I figured that there would be some weathering and rot. So I have new tires. I expected some expense other then a PDI inspection and wheel bearing and brake job and half suspected the tires might be an issue. From some other blogs I see that even on new unites the tires might not be a good match, like you have an 8 ply tire when you should have a 10 ply and the result is blow outs doe to over weight for the tires. Hot tires and over inflation might be another point to bring out. Any way I would like to see what you have. Thanks, Bill and Shirley.
Thank you. I have really enjoyed your channel. My wife and I are about to embark upon our first RV trip, 6 months long, and videos like this are invaluable. I’m sure we are going to make mistakes along the way, but that is part of the process and the adventure.
Great video! We have used most of your hints and also those in the comments. Our record boondocking stay (in our 34 ft class A) is 3 weeks near Lake Havasu. We did use our friends shower in their house a couple times so actually had water to spare at the end. An additional hint for meals: plan ahead and freeze leftovers that can be reheated on paper plates in the MW or in tin foil in the oven or campfire. Looking forward to your next video.
Great video. You shouldn't be so hard on yourselves for dumping grey water. I'm sure your gray water is much cleaner than all the car oil residue that goes on the street drains when it rains, or when the snow is plowed on the side of the roads, and has some oil residue in them, and you watch the snow banks get dirty over time, then melts and goes in the street drains. Sure, if I find a dump station, I dump the grey water there. Otherwise I improvise. In the subject of fresh water and holding tanks, I carry two jerry cans extra for the times when I need the backup, and also I carry a 20 gallon container designed for grey/black water. It has wheels and even a hitch so it can be towed to a dump station instead of moving your rig. I can take a shower in 1.5 Gal of water, I use paper plates, plastic silverware and cups, so I use very little water for dishwashing. I thought about the Brita filter, but I use a filter on the kitchen sink instead, because I'd rather have the room in the fridge for food. I'm planning on a composting toilet, so my black water tank will become a second grey water tank. I live full time without hook ups, with a Honda generator, and 200W solar system with two AGM,house batteries a 2500W inverter, so I can go the distance and not hit the panic button when I can't find a RV park or dump station. In any case, thanks for sharing your video.
I too use the black water tank for dish water. When waiting for the hot water to get to the shower, I use the dish pan to collect that water and it can be used for washing dishes.
Asian shower- fill up 10L bucket, use a large cup/small pot to scoop water, 1st scoop lather up, pretty much the rest is then used to rinse. A bucket of soapy water is enough to wash a car!
You guys are the best! If you think a black water tank getting too full in an rv is bad try it on a boat. Our boating friends have this simple (and slightly un-pc) phrase - "If it's yellow let it mellow, If it's brown flush it down". On average you flush about one out of every 5 or 6 uses. Saves lots of water by not flushing every time. There is usually less "aroma" associated with urine.
Good stuff! As a long time "water RVer" (i.e. Boater) I'm familiar with some of these problems(salt water is not fun to drink). For dishes, having 2 sinks helps. One sink is for washing. Fill the other one for rinsing. Uses lots less than a running water rinse. Also, fill the sink for face washing and "wet shaving" don't use running water.
Another thing you can do, when washing dishes, is use rivers and creeks if any are around. You're going to boil the water any ways so why not. You don't even have to boil if for that long to be germ free.
Another excellent video. Tip: when we are boondocking we put a collapsible rectangular plastic bin in the sink. All dishwashing is done in that bin. When it is about 2/3 full it gets dumped into the toilet. Very little kitchen sink water goes into the grey tank when boondocking. When we pack up that container compresses and stores in the oven.
Just want to let you know how much I am enjoying your posts. We are beginners - have a new Tab 400 and have done only one weekend so far. All of the issues with a large trailer are the same ones we have in a small one. The learning curve is very steep. I'm learning so much from your videos; thank you. Hope we run into you (not literally) someday "on the road".
I love your videos! There are so many RV videos out there but you guys add a personal touch to all of your shows that, after watching several, I feel like I am watching some old friends. My wife and I bought our first RV a few weeks ago (a 1995 class C) and we are planning a few local and semi local trips before we go from Texas to Mount Rushmore this summer. There is no substitute for actual experience, but your videos are the next best thing. Keep it up and thank you!
Very useful information. What you didn't mention though is that using different soap makes a lot of a difference. I use those Method Foam dispenser soaps (don't like the soap itself, but the dispensers are great and you refill them with a 50/50 mix of water and your favorite liquid soap - in my case Peppermint from Dr Bronners or African Black Soap - Whole Foods has that one). If you foam the soap using a foam dispenser it rinses off a lot quicker. You can basically wash your hands with less than 3 oz of water. The African Black Soap rinses off real well and is perfect for showering. So it does make a difference what type of products you use. The basic potassium based liquid soaps rinse off easier than shower gel, same goes for the good old soap bar vs. some fancy stuff (Trader Joe's has great soap bars for cheap). Let alone, the good old products cost a lot less.
Agreed, and great point about the different soaps! It makes a big difference with regard to how easily they rinse off (and therefore how much water is consumed).
I got this tip from watching another RUclips video on boondocking. If you coat your plate with Glad Press 'n Seal you can just peel it off and throw it away, instead of having to wash the dish.
We enjoy your informative videos so much. We started RVing when we were 70 so it is a new adventure for us and you have helped us learn the ropes. Thanks so much! Tom and Joanne
Thank you guys for all the work you're putting into this. My Wife, 3yo daughter, grandmother in law, and two lab puppies just embarked on our own journey. I travel for work 3 weeks out of the month and we just pulled the trigger on buying a toy hauler. We are total RV camping noobies and i think your Chanel is really going to make a difference for us . We haven't been "boondocking" yet but I'm sure it will be a challenge with this crew. * I should add that we are on our second week of the whole crew traveling with me in the rig for work. It has been... what's the word.... Exciting? Yea that's it.* Thanks Again
Another thing you can do if you are in short supply of water is to do what the boy scouts do. Dig a whole put a cup or something to hold water, make a tent over the top of your hole and than put a rock in the center so that the recycled water will collect on the underneath side of the plastic and drop into the cup or tall clean can etc., check out any boyscout hand book for drinking water. You can also put plastic bag in your toilet and use that to collect your Restroom Habit, I would recommend two bags. After you use it a couple of times collect the bag up and tie it off and put it into a dump station site, if you are short of water.
I have had full solar for the past year. It has changed our camping experience totally. Because I did not do the installation myself it was expensive so after 90 FREE nights it has cost more than twice what that number of park stays would have cost. The difference has been worth the freedom. I no longer consider ‘camping’ to be ‘parking’ 10 feet from another ‘camper’.
Another great informative video with lots of information. Even though I been camping for over 45 years, it is always nice to get other viewpoints on how to do things out there. Thanks. As for showering. My wife is from the Philippines and they use minimum water to shower by using a small bucket and a scoop. Poor a small amount of water over their body, soap up and rinse the same way. It can be done with around 2 Gallons of water if done properly. We done it many times.
For dry shampooing, I use a mixture of corn starch an baking soda. It works and it’s cheap. I put my mix in a lidded parmesan cheese container. Using a natural bristled brush is best whichever product you use.
To fill my fresh tank any time I am close to a pond, creek, or river, I got a submersible pump, whole-house water filter to filter silt and sediment, and the blue RV filter to filter all the other stuff. With 100 foot of hose and 100 foot extension cord, I don’t have to get that close. For dry areas and backup, I also have a 6 gallon and 7 gallon plastic water can. The 6 gallon has a long spout which is handy for putting water into the fresh tank. The 7 gallon has a short spout with a valve. When laid on its’ side on an outside table, it’s great for washing hands, filling the coffee pot, etc.
I'm introducing myself because I have been watching for about a year and I am beginning to feel like a lurker. :) my husband and I bought an airstream, gutted it and are now trying to put it back together. Keep the videos coming! They are informative and keep us inspired to keep working towards getting on the road.
I am a full timer by myself. Saving water is important when boondocking. I am older so usually defecate once a day. Flushing a toilet would use a lot of my fresh water. So my solution. If I urinate in the evening instead of doing it outside as usual I use the toilet and leave the urine in the bowl (it is just water) I may or may not urinate during the night but usually urinate in the morning so the bowl now has a fair amount of liquid in it. Under the best of circumstances I have managed to flush the result down and since I use a hose with a garden sprayer with tip to wash the bowl clean I have used as little as about a half cup of fresh water for the morning flush. I like skillet breakfasts. So I boil my half cooked potatoes. I save the water. Cook my meal then use the potato water which is usually still pretty warm to wash the frying pan, dish and silverware.
Boondocking is the main ideal we have for living full time in our RV with our three big dogs :) We avoid people at the best of times. We might go for an RV place once a week (long shower, wash clothes, fill up, dump, etc).
thanks for those nice tips! here's one for you. We use it a lot in our small winnebago Rialta. To clean our hand we use baby wipes and to clean the rv, counter top, etc... we use lysol wipes. For "small jobs" they are trowable and don't use water at all. Thanks again.
Re using alcohol-based hand sanitizers: though these can be generally effective using proper technique (which includes scrubbing your finger tips in the palms of your hands), they are NOT effective against "cooties" that originate in your gut (colon). Hand washing with soap and water is the minimally effective method (better using Hibiclens or Betadine soap) to sanitize your hands after they become, shall we say, 'contaminated.' And, this from an RN with a lot of experience dealing with nasty cooties.
Jim Piper Thank You!!! I'm a frequent cruise ship traveler. Princess Cruises now has very nice hand washing stations outside each buffet entrance PLUS an attendant who motions you to the station, then gives you a squirt of alcohol based sanitizer before you enter.
been "Urban Boondocking" for awhile now. 2 adults, 1dog, 1 hamster & 1 Guinea Pig. I have a vintage (& rare) class A 23ft RV. onboard 10 gal propane tank, 40 gal fresh water tank, & a 40 gal BW tank. no GW tank. to conserve water & conserve BW capacity (since not many dump sites nearby or are expensive), we do dish-tub bathing. We wash hair using as lil water as possible, then use the soapy water from the dish tub to bathe in with a wash cloth. we rinse as good as possible with the soapy water, then dump it in the toilet. then rinse a 2nd time with fresh water, n dump that in the toilet. we have it down to a science now. We can both bathe & wash our hair using as little as 2 -3 gal of water. we can also stretch out 7 gal of water for all of us for 3 days. and that is with washing up, cooking, & drinking for all of us. we have this conservation thing down! lol
I’ve been known to dump all my tanks before going over steep mountain passes, but only if my destination is not far away on the other side of the pass. I’m not sure if dropping that weight made a big difference, but in my mind it did. Again, I only did that when I knew I could obtain water again that day.
Thanks for that glimpse into your travels and the great boondocking info! We really enjoy boondocking when we can. We've been out for 3-5 days at a time, but usually with 2-3 teenagers in addition to ourselves. The water goes down quick as the tanks fill up. I usually have to be the water Nazzi. No fun. Our class-c has a water tank about the size of yours and I have been thinking of picking up a couple 6 gal auxiliary water containers to carry around this year. We'll see. Thanks for the tip on the shower head also. I just added one to my Amazon wishlist. Love that scenery up north and those cool drone shots. We enjoy your channel!
When the wife and I travel, we normally carry about 1/3 of a tank of fresh water(12 gallons) to save weight and, indirectly, gas. Our normal way of travelling is one or two nights either dry camping or, if available without going out of the way, partial hook up with full hook up the third. If we know there's not going to be water available in an area, we'll fill the water tank the morning prior and make sure the holding tanks are empty before hitting the road the morning before arriving. I almost had to laugh at the comment about paper plates. While we carry nice plastic dishes and metal silverware, we seldom use them due to the water issues. One thing I would recommend is, if you're going to use paper plates, use plastic silverware as well. We normally use heavy duty plastic from restaurant supply outlets or Costco Business Centers so we can reuse them several times or, if we don't want to/can't wash them, we can throw them away.
We use paper plates but regular silverware. We clean it with a biodegradable paper towel, using a spray bottle of half and half ammonia and water. The same thing works great for cleaning our pots and pans.
I noticed that you use a filter on your hose just before the tank fill. An old friend who has been RVing for many years gave me this tip: Use a Sediment Filter going into the tank to keep out dirty water. Don't use a carbon filter at this point. Carbon filters remove any chlorine in the water. This leads to a build-up of algae and other micro-bugs in the tank. It is fine to use the chlorinated water for showering, washing dishes, flushing, etc. I put a carbon filter under my kitchen sink which leads to a dedicated drinking water faucet. The whole thing cost less than $50 and you get great tasting drinking water. Basically, if it goes into your mouth, use the dedicated faucet.
I have a 50 gallon tank of extra water in the truck bed, right behind the cab, doesn't really take up that much space. A small 12 volt transfer pump simply doubles our water capacity when needed. We only fill the extra tank if we know we will be doing an extended dry camp so we rarely have to transport the extra weight very far. Works out quite well. Between what we & the pets consume (& hosing off muddy dog feet occasionally), what goes in the black tank & dousing our fires with plenty of gray water, our gray tank capacity handles it very well.
I noticed that you mentioned Camping World as a possible dump location. Free dump service is a selling point for their Good Sam Club. They claim to offer this service at their “super centers”. The CW near me dumped my tanks once and then six months later refused to do it claiming they would have to take a tech off of a more important job and that they had never done that before. Most Flying J and Pilot truck stops have them and you get a discount with Good Sam card. KoA campgrounds will also allow you to dump. Prices may vary. The two I visited charged $10 & $15 respectively.
Hi there. First, thanks for a nice post. I've been following RVgeek , and seems they have many good videos about RV . I come from Norway , and have long wanted to go with my wife to the United States to experience the beautiful nature + to rent an RV to drive around the United States . When I saw the video here , it reminded strongly about how we camp here in Norway . Norway has campsites at different places. And when I was little , I was with my parents on vacation and we camped at different places. In the early 70 's, we used the tent . Later in the 80's we went over to the camp wagon. So as you, but in Norway we has much smaller camp wagons that are narrower and lighter than you. In Norway you can camp freely, except on private property. We have an law that says, you can freely camp 48 h. on the same spot. After that, you have to move. There are many Europeans who comes to Norway to experience the beautiful scenery we have. ( We have a very similar nature in New Zeland, so the movie Lord of the Rings could just as well have been recorded here) . What is sad is that Norway is an expensive country . And the tourists who come here are not interested in using campsites . They bring a lot of supplies from their own country, and camps out in nature. Although it is set out garbage cans, they throw down trash in the bushes and empty the gray water directly in nature. In addition, they fill up the freezer with fish that they have fished here , and sell it in their home countries. So we have some challenges in this regard . In Europe it is different. There are more structured and separate spaces for RV and it is made maps where they are allowed to run and camp. Back to tips and tricks. You are doing much the same as we do when we camp. We use paper plates, paper cups, plastic knives and forks. It is also poppular to use disposable barbecue. Drinking water we buy at the store, and the bottles can we mortgage afterwards. Water for washing and the other, we have the plastic tanks, and since there is plenty of water in Norway in the form of rivers and streams, you can fill this for free at gas stations and campgrounds. Norway is not as large as the U.S., so it does not take long to drive to a place to refuel, water or buy propane tanks at gas stations. It is very nice to see how accessible it is with you in the United States regarding the RV. We have much to learn from you and maybe we have something to learn from you as well? :-) Good luck on your trip. Enjoy the nature, silence and freedom. Greatings from Norway.
We are are relative newbies to airstream, got our 30 bunkhouse last year, my wife, my two small kids (1 year and 3.5 years) and we are planning on doing some bits of boondocking so this is all excellent review! We plan on hitting elkmont campground in great smok. mtn national next year and it has no hookups electric or water, and a dump station some 7 miles away...we waste TONS of water washing dishes I noticed right off the bat since we have been camping...its unreal. A cool additional tip covered Ive seen before is to when getting ready for your shower and waiting on hot water, collect the cold water as it comes out in a 1 gallon pitcher and re-use it, for flushing or whatever....really good idea. Ive also heard of people washing their dishes outside in a basin with the outdoor shower to not generate as much grey water, but I imagine many would frown on that. The reason grey water is nasty is because all the bits of stuff in the tank while being stored ages and bacteria do their thing...it is rather nasty, especially in summer
Oddly enough, we've not yet camped in the Great Smokies - we need to do so soon! Yes, cleaning/washing/showering are the major water usage culprits. It makes sense to focus on those aspects of RV camping for water conservation.
Hey Guys! Great video! I don't believe I have introduced myself before but I have been a fan for a little over a year now. My wife and I are finishing up grad school and plan to RV full-time for a while after graduation. We are currently rebuilding/remodeling a Class C and take every opportunity to learn and implement boondocking tips as we go. Thanks again for another great video and we hope to meet you both someday soon!
Thanks for your comment! I think you are wise to start doing the RV thing now as you finish grad school. In the past, we paid a lot of money for apartment rent that could've instead gone towards a nice rig. Since you have the inclination, it makes sense to go ahead and pursue it.
We installed a composting toilet in our 5th wheel. Our black tank is never used. No water usage for flushing. "Gone with the Wynn's" have it all covered on RUclips.
I hope you don’t mind if I make a notation in order to clarify things for your viewers. I can clearly see in the video you are connecting the filter on the "City Water" connection at the trailer. The filter should always be at the campground faucet so the sediments and contaminants are filtered before they reach the hose. Otherwise, once dirty water runs through the hose, you will never be able to remove it. Doing it the way you did it, it will also cause your fresh water hose to become contaminated with lead and other solid contaminants and will start collecting calcification at the fittings as well, which is exactly what you want to avoid by using the carbon activated filter you just shown in the video.
For long term boondocking water preservation you might check the latest in survival purification technology, both ceramic filtration and UV devices. Thanks for your informative and fun videos.
Something I've been investigating is a composting toilet. The compost is the solids and needs to be emptied a couple of times a month or so depending on usage. However on the liquid side, if you have a separating toilet you can probably run for weeks or months on the black tank you already have installed. You need to modify the toilet but from talking to the supplier it's not too hard. The long and the short of it is that you can extend your black tank capacity for a long time and it eliminates the water usage of flushing. Now the down side it that composting toilets are around $1,000 to $1,200 to get set up. Not cheap but for most folks probably doable, especially if it saves you $500 a month on a camp site.
Take a look at the Sawyer line of water filtration products. They are very effective in removing contaminants as well as bacteria and viruses. One thing you have to watch out for in washing is that you can still ingest enough water to be a problem. A small quantity of regular (non-scented etc) bleach can go a long way in killing the bugs if you are in an area without safe water.
Hello, from Catonsville, Maryland. Studhubs and I became empty nester two weeks ago and went to our 1st RV show yesterday. Ready to upgrade from tent camping. Starting from nothing - need a tow vehicle first. Stumbled across your channel last night and have watched a few videos already. thanks for content that is so helpful!
We use clean up disposable sheets that are inexpensive and very handy! No water required in between uses. Clean up sheets for face or body, or general use are available right in those Walmarts you are overnight parking in!
I have tons of friends who are backpackers. I live in Peru and host Couch Surfers. One friend carries extra large wet wipes. He uses them for "bathing" in between being able to use a real shower. He uses one for his face and body then one for the southern regions. By doing that you should be able to stretch your water usage.
I put my soapy dishes in a rack in the sink then use my tea kettle with hot water to rinse all the dishes at once. A water saving trick from my grandmother that also sanitizes the dishes.
I like to clean up every AM. I have a treasured 2qt Revere ware stainless pot. I fill it 1/2 full of water, heat to a boil and take it to the bathroom. I pour 1/2 the hot water in the basin, dilute to "hot", not "ouch", shave first, then sponge bathe. The second 1/2 is similarly diluted and used to rinse. I can use about half as much water in a pinch, but I like to splurge. I make coffee by boiling our filtered drinking water, pour it in a measuring cup and pour it on the ground coffee in a filter in our Mr. Coffee maker. Easy coffee without 110V !
You two have been so helpful, I really appreciate being able to just go to YT and find a wealth of information. Practical and sensible, with a dash of humor....... I am just getting set up and ready to go. RV is in the shop and being 'gone over' in preparation. Thank you, I will be following you two, great information and advice. Happy Trails (:
With your experience with water rationing, which water saving shower head is best to use that has good pressure and aeration, because our lightweight trailer has a 9 gallon holding tank. I will eventually have a tank less water heater installed!
I camp in the Western Sahara in Egypt and use one 1.5L non drinking quality water per day for washing, including rinsing my bits as no toilet paper used. We have one melamine platter which we share and eat with your right hand only. I wear my long hair up, it seems to be cooler, and does not get in my eyes during khamsin. I wet a wash cloth and drape it over the outside of drinking water bottles to keep them cooler.
We now have 2 each 30 gallon propane and 2 deep cycle batteries. Our roof has a factory 160 watt solar panel, and we carry 26 gallons of spare water so we are set for boondocking.
Enjoyed your video ..... And yes I will be more than glad to carry my water with me I know it's a little poundage to drag around but Nancy and I have been caught twice and thunderstorms and no water connections and we are so glad our tanks were full
We camp a lot in Colorado where the sun always shines. We use the solar showers and set up a shower curtain For modesty. Water in one for a few hours and it’s almost too hot by itself. We can do 1 1/2 to 2 showers per bag if you are water frugale.
TY! Great info.We are just planning moving up from a small teardrop to a T@B CS-S (small trailer with a wet bath, and sink). The tips will come in very handy as we make this transition.
We have always used a dishpan to wash our dishes. When we are finished, we dispose of the dishwater into our toilet. This helps when we dump the black tank as often there is not enough water in the black tank otherwise.
I've often wondered about dumping grey water when boondocking. We've been next to tenters that do dishes in a wash bin and then dump the wash bin in the trees or grass on the side of the campsite, so what's different about RV grey water (other than volume)? Would anyone look at us sideways if we did our dishes outside and then dumped the water? For us the limiting factor is grey tank capacity not freshwater capacity. As you state, a water container can be used to add water to the tank if needed and we have done that from time to time. We carry a collapsible container for that purpose to save space. Great video, been watching for years, miss the sound of Seemore at the end, lol.
Ha! You are right about the sound of SEEMORE at the end. I tried to work the same sound into the new show "intro" sequence. It's in there if you listen close. With regard to the grey, personally I think washing dishes outside is fine - but if you are in a national park or forest, you need to check the rules (bear safety issues, etc.). Bear safety may be the driving factor in many places - the parks don't want any loose bits of discarded food lying around that could attract bears.
Howdy folks, Good job on video. Thanks. My wife and I, in those years, went with a Toyota cab-over camper 20'. You get used to small-small. Don't make 'em anymore (too bad). But now a 25' RV-Ford (Bt. used RV Cruise Am -better made unit). Can't disagree with anything. Keep up the good work.
Great point on paper plates (bowls too)! They can be composted, btw. Paper towels can be composted, especially. I use used paper towels in my composting container to coat the bottom (keeps cleaning down to minimal) & it minimizes stink, in my opinion. In regard to gray water, I don't know why it's such a big deal. It seems it could be disposed discreetly, maybe in a curb/gutter or where ever. But maybe you can't say anything due to liability ;-) Another thing about gray water... I think if you are rinsing washed dishes, you could use that water to wash hands or feet or between neck & waist... Just a thought.
+Kate Hare McIntosh I absolutely agree with you about gray water disposal - we are a little too uptight about such things in this country. OTOH, it wouldn't be wise of me to use my RUclips platform to openly advocate violation of the law. 😜 Maybe I should advocate modifying the law to be a little more reasonable.
Here is a tip for saving grey water tank space, use an outside shower. This is much cleaner than dumping grey water which can have much more bacteria after sitting for days.
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Would you cover your rv during storage? Possible mildew?
i live in the north so i live a lot in my RV winterized....so using less water is a must...here are some of my tips...use a bowl in each sink to catch the used water and use it to flush....i use a composting toilet with urine diverter so i still use a bit of water to "flush" ..and this gives me two gray tanks and no black tank.....when waiting for shower water to get hot catch it in a bucket, and use it to wash dishes....for dishes, wipe out dishes with paper towels then spray them with cleaning grade 6% vinegar and wipe clean (no water)....in between showers use baby wipes or foaming soap....i dont like the spray dry shampoos as they are flammable gas....i live with two dogs and we are always clean and use about 1.5 gal of water per day for everything...except laundry, for laundry i use a 5 gal bucket with lid and a wonderwash (fancy toilet plunger) and wash light cloths to dark in the same water then repeat the process for rinsing ....saves on laundry money and water.....hope this helps someone.
Great tips for RV winterized water usage! I've been looking for this specific situation. Thank you, Cindy!
The wonder wash is a brilliant idea!
An oldie but goodie ! I may be breaking out into the boondocking life in a few months. It's time to get the heck out of RV parks and get moving again. Thanks for all the years of great content.
Great ideas! We use two additional techniques to help save water when showering. First, we run the hot water up into a 1-gallon pitcher until it runs hot, then keep that pitcher in the bathroom and use the water for flushing the toilet. Second, we always shower back-to-back when boondocking so that we only have to run hot water up once. We're lucky that our water heater is directly beneath the shower, so very little water needs to be run to get it hot (less than a quart). The water heater in our first RV was in the very back corner, with the bathroom in the center of the rig, on the opposite side. That filled the pitcher a lot more!
Reminds me of the old saying "Help save water, shower with your steady." :D
Wow, a quart is a fair amount of water for such a short pipe to your shower. I would have thought it should be more like a cupful. But I like the pitcher for the toilet idea. I think it could also be used for cooking or used in the kettle?
Whats so great about your videos is it draws participation from other experienced travelers which really helps me a ton
This is a very charming couple. And they have a lot of practical advice delivered short and sweet. I am enjoying their videos.
In 2000 my family (3 kids and a 4 month old grandson), my in-laws, 2 cats, a Pomeranian, a 34 ft class C towing a 22 ft trailer was moving from Fairbanks Alaska to Panama City Florida (I had been stationed at Eielson AFB.) After driving for about 16 hrs we were somewhere in the Yukon, I was dog tired and had to pull over to sleep somewhere. It was pitch, pitch black ( early February) but I found what I thought was a little pullout. Long story short.....The next morning I woke up and had to let the Pom go out to do his business...I opened the RV door and started to put him out.........OH MY GOD!!!!! I was literally 2 ft away from a thousand foot drop off!!!! I couldn't see it that night but we were parked on the side of a mountain cliff. I almost had a heart attack! I grabbed him, pulled him back inside, gathered my wits and drove off to a more stable place. The Yukon was a very interesting drive! Took us eleven days to get to Florida.
Boss this is the most awesome story of situational awareness.
Lord have mercy!! Just the amount of kids and animals you had along for the trip would have tested my nerves lol let alone the cliff discovery!! I will keep your story in mind when we begin our first journey / vacation in our first RV this fall
Had to be AF, Army would have tied a rope to the dog and let him out. Then trained the kids. Great story
I live just down the road from PCbch, how did you do through Hurricane Michael !!!
Gonna call the ol B.S. card on that story.
Maybe someone else added these tips - there's a lot of responses!
1. Brush teeth with 1/2 cup of water. Dip brush, add paste, brush, rinse with a few sips, rinse brush out in the cup with whatever water is left over.
2. Wash dishes in a plastic basin so you capture the water which can then be used to flush the toilet.
3. Take sponge baths. Two small basins, two wash cloths. One basin and wash cloth with soap to lather. One basin with clear water and wash cloth to rinse. Also can wash hair by dipping a cup to pour over. Use a tiny bit of soap and shampoo.
4. Use baby wipes to freshen up between showers.
5. Don't have to flush after every pee. Old hippie saying: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Can also just wash hair and use a leave in conditioner. I had to do that when I had tubes put in my ears when I was almost 30. (Yes I know that's a kid surgery) 52 years later I still struggle with them)
I'm also looking into the igloo water system where the jug goes into the bottom. That'll help with drinking/cooking water and I can have an extra jug in the SUV. Fill up at any Walmart, etc
You can wash your hair by putting 2 plastic "dish" pans, sized to fit in each side of your double kitchen sink. One side for wetting hair and putting in the shampoo, for a first rinse. The other side for the final rinse. While you've got your hair wrapped up in the drying towel (conditioning), put the dirty dishes into the first plastic basin, to soak. Scrub them off and transfer the dishes to the second basin for a rinse. You may need to use a small amount of clean water in another third basin to dip the items you put in your mouth: cups, glassware, and silverware. You can then use the "dirty water" from the first basin for your toilet flushing and move the rinse-water plastic basin into that part of the sink where the "dirty water" was. A game of moving the basins around. You get 3 uses out of each basin of water. Need to be careful not to overfill the plastic basins, so they are light enough to move without spilling.
Instead of toothpaste, I use baking soda. No funny taste.
I can't get enough of you kids. The scenery shots are incredible! I also am starting to change my thoughts about camping. I was always worried about hooking up at a campground before night. You have helped take the pressure off. There is no reason we should be timid about pulling off in a safe area and dry camp. Thanks again for your hard work of putting these together. You have SOOO much talent!!
When boondocking, gray water can be used to douse your campfire. Just catch it in a bucket from the dump fitting. Saves using fresh water.
A retiree from the US Forest Service: 1st and foremost, always extinguish any fire you start until you can put your hand in it. That means mixing and stirring dirt in it for about 20 minutes, and possibly less if you are efficient and practiced. *A quick douse* of water, even 5 gallons worth is *NOT enough,* throwing dirt on top of it is not good enough, it must be completely cool to the touch throughout. Most people do not know when their fire has caused a multi acre wildfire because they are long gone and assume they did a adequate job taking care of their fire.
I love your channel, I just recently purchased a 28ft because I camped all my life in a tent and as much as that was a great experience, I want to open up a new chapter in my life and start to see north america with a little more comfort because I am not getting any younger
Thanks, we have tent camped and enjoyed it also, but owning an RV takes things to a different level! Safe travels!
Lots of great tips! Thanks! One thing we do to help conserve water while boondocking is keep a couple of 4 litre water jugs full of drinking water and use those for cooking and drinking. They are small enough so they fit into the trailer sinks while travelling and easy to pour, keep on the counter, and can be used over and over. This way, we can use the tank water for flushing and washing. We also find baby wipes are a huge help in freshening up. Great for cleaning your feet before bed after wearing flip flops all day!
Another great vid, thanks! Brita water pitchers don't need to be stored in the fridge. You can transfer the water into any container that fits in your fridge. I would also choose paper plates that are compostable.
We fill a non-potable jug (having used the same in-line filter) and filter it into a Brita dispenser and then fill a potable jug that goes in the Yeti (which functions as an ottoman/coffee table/foot rest for our jackknife couch.
In our 5 years of Camping in our 15ft Travel Trailer, we have yet to camp with water/sewer hock-ups. Normally we have electrical. This past summer we spent 20 days with just electricity and no water. We do your a Jerry Can (20L) so we can get water, whenever we need it. And at several Provincial Camp Grounds we have a tap not far from our site, so I'll go and fill the kettle for dishes, and coffee. Also we will use the Comfort Stations for showers and as our primary bathroom. This way we never run out of waters.
For fresh water, look up atmospheric water generators. Its basically a dehumidifier taking water out of the air, they are small, even come with a solar panel and it can generate up to 3 gallons a day depending on humidity, more water, lower less water. Its just basically a DC dehumidifier ran through a filter, there is your coffee and drinking water or even a solar shower. There are a million different ways to save water, but also make water. I have solar panels and Lithium ion batteries in my Camper and a 2000 watt full sine inverter, so its not big deal just to plug it in and 5 hours later I have 1 gallon of water, If I don't need the water I dump it in my fresh water tank and you can get up to 5 gallons of water per day. Grey water you can dump anywhere. Install a composting toilet and eliminate the whole black water tank experience. Unlimited fresh water, more then you will use per day, just pour what you don't use in the tank. You can also find units that are DC and come with a solar panel so power is not an issue, free unlimited water!!
Wow.
no they cant unless the found a way to defy the laws of thermodynamics. Even if you were in a 100 % humidity even the most efficient units can only produce a few liters in 24 hours, thats with 1500 watts
"Grey water you can dump anywhere." -- No, you're actually NOT supposed to do that. If you're caught doing so on public land you can be cited and fined.
Colorme Dubious the video states they were out of the country but that it was not acceptable in the US
@@kimthompson5631 I know some campers do release gray water. The main problem is that gray and black exit the same discharge. In my 20 years and two motorhomes, all black water dump valves will leak a little. When you take the cap off, usually an ounce or more will be there. So releasing gray may have a small bit off black with it. Again, releasing gray would not bother me if rv's had a faucet up stream from the dump valve like mine to hook a hose to, then run it down hill from the camp site. But then, you always have the irresponsible few. I've witnessed them too! So! We humans need to be 100% sanitary. But we walk our pets in the campgrounds. But do we take a tray or pan with us and tell fido to urinate and deficate in it, no...
Water got real precious to us in Kuwait. There, and in Iraq, for a while, I used 1.5 liters of water to take a bath. It works. Pour it from bottle onto you, lather, rinse. Just pick up other people's cast off water bottles for the purpose. I used a 5 gallon lard can for washing clothes by hand. Go easy on the detergent. Amazon sells water purification stuff. I bought the larger LifeStraw unit if we have to use rain or pond water.
ltcajh Yes, it's amazing what little water you really need to take a bath or shower. I will check out the LifeStraw...looks like a useful camping/hiking gadget for sure. Cheers
Look at the larger capacity LifeStraw. We lost power (and well) for three days. We used water out of our rain barrels, but didn't use it for drinking.
just purchased our 1st Airstream 25FB Flying Cloud and your advice is helping a lot.i am an over the Road truck driver so i have pretty extensive knowledge of what road life is about...there will absolutely be no problems backing up this little trailer.
I'm not set-up to make videos like you are, so I thought I'd share what I've done in hopes that you'll make a video about it. On the subject of toilets. We do a lot of boondocking and it's always bothered me that we waste perfectly good potable water just to flush the toilet. So, when I upgraded our potable water pump, I saved the old one. I now use gray-water to flush the toilet. The old pump has its own pressure switch, so I just mounted a dedicated switch and relay. The switch is in the bathroom and the relay is near the pump. There hasn't been a problem with odors (I've always treated our grey tank) or plugging. I tapped into the grey-water drain pipe upstream of the drain valve at the 12 O'clock position so that no debris gets drawn into the line. Since the drain pipe is lower than the tank, it always has a little water.
They have something new to me.
My husband was in the hospital for a week can't take a bath at all for 5 days.
So they give us the package and tell us to wash yourself with it.
So we got back to TN I was looking for the package so I can was him.
This stuff is the bomb it's great for camping I'm looking forward to trying it when we go camping but I felt very clean and very refreshed.
Here is the name of this Assurance Premium Washcloths Ex large pre-moistened.
One way we use less water is by using foaming soap for hand washing. We can lather up without turning on the water and only turn the tap when it's time to rinse.
Thanks, nice tip! We also use foaming soap.
I have foaming soap as well, thanks for the tip!
Yeah! A fun and informative Video, good job and thanks. My tip for water conservation would be to give Dr. Bronner's castle soap a try. (Biodegradable) I work for an outdoor retailer and we sell it in our camping section where I work. I know Amazon carries it, as you might find it in a health food store. THREE drops of this soap on your hands with about FIVE drops of water and it will clean your hands better than any that I have tried. I use it in the shower, wash my hair, etc, with minimal water. My wife stained a shirt when we were RVin' in Missouri and we used a bit of it to take the stain out. I used it in a small bucket and sponge, and it took the bugs off the front of my car & RV !! It says 18 uses, but I can't see the fine print that well, LOL. Good Luck and Happy RVing!
Castile soap! Rubbing alcohol (70% plus it could probably be diluted farther for just rubbing off sweat & dirt) is a consideration.
You two have DEFINITELY been married for a while now... your finishing each others sentences & thoughts!!!!! :)
Love the videos!!!! #Loloho4Ever
Ha! Great observation - you are right about that. BTW, LOVE the hashtag!!! Thanks for your post.
Just bought an RV. Waiting for it to come in. You have help me to understand the RV travel life. I have been a tent camper for over 50 years with parents and family. Now to old to sleep on the ground. Thanks for all the tips!!!!
In the last half of the 80's, I took my family 0f 5 (parents & 3 kids) on a tour working for a circus where I was the 'commercial' performing in schools about a week before the circus was going to be there. I stayed on the lots where the circus was going to be long before 'boondocking' was thought of. We did this for four years we didn't go home (Wisconsin) in the winter 3 month hiatus except the year I rebuilt our trailer (from the floor up). Would love to tell you how we solved many problems of the road life.
One thought I had is to wash all fruit and vegetables like apples, potatoes, etc. at home before leaving or a stop at a camp ground w fresh water.
Thanks for all the info, we just purchased our 5th wheel RV last year and your videos have been both informative and fun to watch. Thanks and keep up the good work. Neighbors from Georgia.
After 2 years in the Iraq conflict your tips to conserve water are right on the mark. We received lots of goodie bags from home at the contents Hand sanitizer baby wipes were the #1 and #2 requested items. We used 1 liter bottles of fresh water issued and yeah we stank but all of us did so our sense of smell well, you would have to be rotting to stand out. We were lucky enough to get 1,000 gal bags of non potable water( filled from the euphrates river) that we used for close washing actually using a pump and used washer off the 120 ckt on the gen set finding that each load stole about 50 gal. My experience in black tanks is nill as we dug a hole used the side of a tire or used the nice wooden luxury units as shown in forrest gump, later to actually get the real fiberglass out house. So, thanks for the info on the tanks.
Love the Channel! I grew up with motorhomes and when I got old enough the water and dump became my job. Dad always called it the "The Mother Load"! I think just to piss mom off! Thanks and happy trails!
lol... Mother load!
you can always use those paper plates for the fire pit as a way to light it that's what we did as kids growing up when we were camping then there's no waste and who doesn't like a fire.
+Casey Taylor Yes, good point! We do the same.
hello
My name is Diona and I am brand new to RV'ing. I am actually about to purchase my 1st RV this week. I stumbled on one of your videos and I have been hooked every since!! You always give such useful information and it's entertaining as well!! (sometimes I will sit for 1-2hrs watching RV vids on my phone lol sad but true lol)Thank you so much!!!
Diona Strong How was your first year? I’m purchasing a MH very soon.
as always - great tips! the only thing I can add is that I keep a 5 gallon jug of drinking water in my class B. Then use the holding tank for everything else. I just use an inexpensive hand pump. I have a personal thing about drinking water from campsites and the fresh water tank. When the water gets low I can usually refill it with filtered water at Wal-mart and the like or at least the gallon jugs of drinking water from any grocery. Safe travels
Thanks! Yes, the 5-gallon jug of drinking water sounds like a good idea.
Many Wal-Marts and grocery stores have reverse osmosis water filtering machines that charge around 39 cents per gallon. You can use your container or buy one. The hand pump is a great idea. We use a 3 gallon jug with a built in handle.
We recently purchased a Coleman Cheyenne Pup and after taking it on several short camps plan on making our first epic trek from Sylvania OH to Devils Tower in Wyoming via IA, MN & SD. I have viewed several of your videos and found them extremely helpful. We hope to be able to tap in to a WiFi signal from time to time and check in on your post. Thanks and keep'em coming.
Hey Tom! My cellphone works as a "hotspot" so I can have wifi for my puter anywhere I go...…. that is if I can get phone signal.
That’s what we’re doing also. 👍
Hi, Bill here. My wife Shirley and I are going full time at the end of July and are very thankful for your tips on RV life. I was an Army Combat motion picture photographer in 1967 and later in 1997 got a BS in TV production. Well, I didn't stay with TV production very long and did some documentary work and then worked in front of the camera as a commercial actor(SAG) for 10 years. I retired from that carrier and went into computer support for a school district and retired out of that. So when I tell you that I love your videos, I come from a place that knows good video production. Well done. I love your stuff. We have a little experience in RV'ing and have decided to take it on fulltime with the help of good people like yourselves. We live in High Springs, FL and will use my daughter's farm in Ft. White as home base. You said you live in the south so hopefully we will run into you all sometime. We had a small budget to get a travel trailer with and were lucky enough to find a roadworthy unit for what we wanted to spend. It goes into the shop tomorrow for a major checkup and wheel bearing lube job. The first of April we will take her out for a shake down and see what we really need to take on the road. We are both so excited and want our adventure to start tomorrow, but I really want the unit to work correctly and water system to be sanitized before we head down the road. Well, keep putting out the videos. They are wonderful, informative and funny.Thanks,Bill and Shirley Macrides,High Springs, FL
thanks Bill & Shirley for your thoughtful post. We've tried our best with these videos to create quality on a super tight budget. We don't have a film crew or editing team or anything of that nature. Of course there have been lots of compromises. But it means a lot when someone such as yourself offers praise. Cheers and hope to see you on the road someday.
Do you have a directory of your videos? Have you done anything on tires?
I was told by our service manager that our tires were out of date and because the trailer had been sitting for 3 years I figured that there would be some weathering and rot. So I have new tires. I expected some expense other then a PDI inspection and wheel bearing and brake job and half suspected the tires might be an issue. From some other blogs I see that even on new unites the tires might not be a good match, like you have an 8 ply tire when you should have a 10 ply and the result is blow outs doe to over weight for the tires. Hot tires and over inflation might be another point to bring out. Any way I would like to see what you have. Thanks, Bill and Shirley.
Thank you. I have really enjoyed your channel. My wife and I are about to embark upon our first RV trip, 6 months long, and videos like this are invaluable. I’m sure we are going to make mistakes along the way, but that is part of the process and the adventure.
Great video! We have used most of your hints and also those in the comments. Our record boondocking stay (in our 34 ft class A) is 3 weeks near Lake Havasu. We did use our friends shower in their house a couple times so actually had water to spare at the end. An additional hint for meals: plan ahead and freeze leftovers that can be reheated on paper plates in the MW or in tin foil in the oven or campfire. Looking forward to your next video.
Great video. You shouldn't be so hard on yourselves for dumping grey water. I'm sure your gray water is much cleaner than all the car oil residue that goes on the street drains when it rains, or when the snow is plowed on the side of the roads, and has some oil residue in them, and you watch the snow banks get dirty over time, then melts and goes in the street drains. Sure, if I find a dump station, I dump the grey water there. Otherwise I improvise. In the subject of fresh water and holding tanks, I carry two jerry cans extra for the times when I need the backup, and also I carry a 20 gallon container designed for grey/black water. It has wheels and even a hitch so it can be towed to a dump station instead of moving your rig. I can take a shower in 1.5 Gal of water, I use paper plates, plastic silverware and cups, so I use very little water for dishwashing. I thought about the Brita filter, but I use a filter on the kitchen sink instead, because I'd rather have the room in the fridge for food. I'm planning on a composting toilet, so my black water tank will become a second grey water tank. I live full time without hook ups, with a Honda generator, and 200W solar system with two AGM,house batteries a 2500W inverter, so I can go the distance and not hit the panic button when I can't find a RV park or dump station. In any case, thanks for sharing your video.
+javacup912 Thanks much for your thoughtful comment and advice!
I too use the black water tank for dish water. When waiting for the hot water to get to the shower, I use the dish pan to collect that water and it can be used for washing dishes.
Asian shower- fill up 10L bucket, use a large cup/small pot to scoop water, 1st scoop lather up, pretty much the rest is then used to rinse. A bucket of soapy water is enough to wash a car!
You guys are the best! If you think a black water tank getting too full in an rv is bad try it on a boat. Our boating friends have this simple (and slightly un-pc) phrase - "If it's yellow let it mellow, If it's brown flush it down". On average you flush about one out of every 5 or 6 uses. Saves lots of water by not flushing every time. There is usually less "aroma" associated with urine.
haha, yes i'm familiar with that phrase! i've said it in jest to my wife and she just shakes her head. ;) thanks much for your kind words!
Good stuff! As a long time "water RVer" (i.e. Boater) I'm familiar with some of these problems(salt water is not fun to drink). For dishes, having 2 sinks helps. One sink is for washing. Fill the other one for rinsing. Uses lots less than a running water rinse. Also, fill the sink for face washing and "wet shaving" don't use running water.
Another thing you can do, when washing dishes, is use rivers and creeks if any are around. You're going to boil the water any ways so why not. You don't even have to boil if for that long to be germ free.
I hope you use a safe soap when dumping grey water,especially in a river
Another excellent video. Tip: when we are boondocking we put a collapsible rectangular plastic bin in the sink. All dishwashing is done in that bin. When it is about 2/3 full it gets dumped into the toilet. Very little kitchen sink water goes into the grey tank when boondocking. When we pack up that container compresses and stores in the oven.
Just want to let you know how much I am enjoying your posts. We are beginners - have a new Tab 400 and have done only one weekend so far. All of the issues with a large trailer are the same ones we have in a small one. The learning curve is very steep. I'm learning so much from your videos; thank you. Hope we run into you (not literally) someday "on the road".
I love your videos! There are so many RV videos out there but you guys add a personal touch to all of your shows that, after watching several, I feel like I am watching some old friends. My wife and I bought our first RV a few weeks ago (a 1995 class C) and we are planning a few local and semi local trips before we go from Texas to Mount Rushmore this summer. There is no substitute for actual experience, but your videos are the next best thing. Keep it up and thank you!
Very useful information. What you didn't mention though is that using different soap makes a lot of a difference. I use those Method Foam dispenser soaps (don't like the soap itself, but the dispensers are great and you refill them with a 50/50 mix of water and your favorite liquid soap - in my case Peppermint from Dr Bronners or African Black Soap - Whole Foods has that one). If you foam the soap using a foam dispenser it rinses off a lot quicker. You can basically wash your hands with less than 3 oz of water. The African Black Soap rinses off real well and is perfect for showering.
So it does make a difference what type of products you use. The basic potassium based liquid soaps rinse off easier than shower gel, same goes for the good old soap bar vs. some fancy stuff (Trader Joe's has great soap bars for cheap). Let alone, the good old products cost a lot less.
Agreed, and great point about the different soaps! It makes a big difference with regard to how easily they rinse off (and therefore how much water is consumed).
I got this tip from watching another RUclips video on boondocking. If you coat your plate with Glad Press 'n Seal you can just peel it off and throw it away, instead of having to wash the dish.
We enjoy your informative videos so much. We started RVing when we were 70 so it is a new adventure for us and you have helped us learn the ropes. Thanks so much! Tom and Joanne
Thank you guys for all the work you're putting into this. My Wife, 3yo daughter, grandmother in law, and two lab puppies just embarked on our own journey. I travel for work 3 weeks out of the month and we just pulled the trigger on buying a toy hauler. We are total RV camping noobies and i think your Chanel is really going to make a difference for us . We haven't been "boondocking" yet but I'm sure it will be a challenge with this crew.
* I should add that we are on our second week of the whole crew traveling with me in the rig for work. It has been... what's the word.... Exciting? Yea that's it.*
Thanks Again
Another thing you can do if you are in short supply of water is to do what the boy scouts do. Dig a whole put a cup or something to hold water, make a tent over the top of your hole and than put a rock in the center so that the recycled water will collect on the underneath side of the plastic and drop into the cup or tall clean can etc., check out any boyscout hand book for drinking water. You can also put plastic bag in your toilet and use that to collect your Restroom Habit, I would recommend two bags. After you use it a couple of times collect the bag up and tie it off and put it into a dump station site, if you are short of water.
Thanks for the great tip!
I have had full solar for the past year. It has changed our camping experience totally. Because I did not do the installation myself it was expensive so after 90 FREE nights it has cost more than twice what that number of park stays would have cost. The difference has been worth the freedom. I no longer consider ‘camping’ to be ‘parking’ 10 feet from another ‘camper’.
Another great informative video with lots of information. Even though I been camping for over 45 years, it is always nice to get other viewpoints on how to do things out there. Thanks. As for showering. My wife is from the Philippines and they use minimum water to shower by using a small bucket and a scoop. Poor a small amount of water over their body, soap up and rinse the same way. It can be done with around 2 Gallons of water if done properly. We done it many times.
For dry shampooing, I use a mixture of corn starch an baking soda. It works and it’s cheap. I put my mix in a lidded parmesan cheese container. Using a natural bristled brush is best whichever product you use.
To fill my fresh tank any time I am close to a pond, creek, or river, I got a submersible pump, whole-house water filter to filter silt and sediment, and the blue RV filter to filter all the other stuff. With 100 foot of hose and 100 foot extension cord, I don’t have to get that close. For dry areas and backup, I also have a 6 gallon and 7 gallon plastic water can. The 6 gallon has a long spout which is handy for putting water into the fresh tank. The 7 gallon has a short spout with a valve. When laid on its’ side on an outside table, it’s great for washing hands, filling the coffee pot, etc.
I'm introducing myself because I have been watching for about a year and I am beginning to feel like a lurker. :) my husband and I bought an airstream, gutted it and are now trying to put it back together. Keep the videos coming! They are informative and keep us inspired to keep working towards getting on the road.
I am a full timer by myself. Saving water is important when boondocking. I am older so usually defecate once a day. Flushing a toilet would use a lot of my fresh water. So my solution. If I urinate in the evening instead of doing it outside as usual I use the toilet and leave the urine in the bowl (it is just water) I may or may not urinate during the night but usually urinate in the morning so the bowl now has a fair amount of liquid in it. Under the best of circumstances I have managed to flush the result down and since I use a hose with a garden sprayer with tip to wash the bowl clean I have used as little as about a half cup of fresh water for the morning flush.
I like skillet breakfasts. So I boil my half cooked potatoes. I save the water. Cook my meal then use the potato water which is usually still pretty warm to wash the frying pan, dish and silverware.
Boondocking is the main ideal we have for living full time in our RV with our three big dogs :) We avoid people at the best of times. We might go for an RV place once a week (long shower, wash clothes, fill up, dump, etc).
Well I guess I won't ever have to worry about the dry shampoo... being bald 'does' have it's perks lol :P
thanks for those nice tips!
here's one for you. We use it a lot in our small winnebago Rialta.
To clean our hand we use baby wipes and to clean the rv, counter top, etc... we use lysol wipes. For "small jobs" they are trowable and don't use water at all.
Thanks again.
Thanks, and you make a good point about the baby wipes. We also carry Clorox wipes (similar to Lysol). They really are helpful. Cheers!
Re using alcohol-based hand sanitizers: though these can be generally effective using proper technique (which includes scrubbing your finger tips in the palms of your hands), they are NOT effective against "cooties" that originate in your gut (colon). Hand washing with soap and water is the minimally effective method (better using Hibiclens or Betadine soap) to sanitize your hands after they become, shall we say, 'contaminated.' And, this from an RN with a lot of experience dealing with nasty cooties.
Jim Piper
Thank You!!! I'm a frequent cruise ship traveler. Princess Cruises now has very nice hand washing stations outside each buffet entrance PLUS an attendant who motions you to the station, then gives you a squirt of alcohol based sanitizer before you enter.
grill as much as possible and drink lots of beer
been "Urban Boondocking" for awhile now. 2 adults, 1dog, 1 hamster & 1 Guinea Pig. I have a vintage (& rare) class A 23ft RV. onboard 10 gal propane tank, 40 gal fresh water tank, & a 40 gal BW tank. no GW tank. to conserve water & conserve BW capacity (since not many dump sites nearby or are expensive), we do dish-tub bathing. We wash hair using as lil water as possible, then use the soapy water from the dish tub to bathe in with a wash cloth. we rinse as good as possible with the soapy water, then dump it in the toilet. then rinse a 2nd time with fresh water, n dump that in the toilet. we have it down to a science now. We can both bathe & wash our hair using as little as 2 -3 gal of water. we can also stretch out 7 gal of water for all of us for 3 days. and that is with washing up, cooking, & drinking for all of us. we have this conservation thing down! lol
I’ve been known to dump all my tanks before going over steep mountain passes, but only if my destination is not far away on the other side of the pass. I’m not sure if dropping that weight made a big difference, but in my mind it did. Again, I only did that when I knew I could obtain water again that day.
Thanks for that glimpse into your travels and the great boondocking info! We really enjoy boondocking when we can. We've been out for 3-5 days at a time, but usually with 2-3 teenagers in addition to ourselves. The water goes down quick as the tanks fill up. I usually have to be the water Nazzi. No fun. Our class-c has a water tank about the size of yours and I have been thinking of picking up a couple 6 gal auxiliary water containers to carry around this year. We'll see. Thanks for the tip on the shower head also. I just added one to my Amazon wishlist. Love that scenery up north and those cool drone shots. We enjoy your channel!
When the wife and I travel, we normally carry about 1/3 of a tank of fresh water(12 gallons) to save weight and, indirectly, gas. Our normal way of travelling is one or two nights either dry camping or, if available without going out of the way, partial hook up with full hook up the third. If we know there's not going to be water available in an area, we'll fill the water tank the morning prior and make sure the holding tanks are empty before hitting the road the morning before arriving.
I almost had to laugh at the comment about paper plates. While we carry nice plastic dishes and metal silverware, we seldom use them due to the water issues. One thing I would recommend is, if you're going to use paper plates, use plastic silverware as well. We normally use heavy duty plastic from restaurant supply outlets or Costco Business Centers so we can reuse them several times or, if we don't want to/can't wash them, we can throw them away.
Bamboo cutlery is the way to go, or new ones made of cornstarch. 100% biodegradable!
We use paper plates but regular silverware. We clean it with a biodegradable paper towel, using a spray bottle of half and half ammonia and water. The same thing works great for cleaning our pots and pans.
I noticed that you use a filter on your hose just before the tank fill. An old friend who has been RVing for many years gave me this tip: Use a Sediment Filter going into the tank to keep out dirty water. Don't use a carbon filter at this point. Carbon filters remove any chlorine in the water. This leads to a build-up of algae and other micro-bugs in the tank. It is fine to use the chlorinated water for showering, washing dishes, flushing, etc. I put a carbon filter under my kitchen sink which leads to a dedicated drinking water faucet. The whole thing cost less than $50 and you get great tasting drinking water. Basically, if it goes into your mouth, use the dedicated faucet.
I was impressed to hear that your favorite campground is our favorite as well. That was the best camping experience ever.
I have a 50 gallon tank of extra water in the truck bed, right behind the cab, doesn't really take up that much space. A small 12 volt transfer pump simply doubles our water capacity when needed. We only fill the extra tank if we know we will be doing an extended dry camp so we rarely have to transport the extra weight very far. Works out quite well. Between what we & the pets consume (& hosing off muddy dog feet occasionally), what goes in the black tank & dousing our fires with plenty of gray water, our gray tank capacity handles it very well.
Off topic question: how do you choose safe boondocking locations?
Safe boondocking locations? I'm more worried about the police then the crooks the police show up I'm screwed the crooks show up there screwed.
I drove through Canada and saw those areas by the road. I didn't know what they were for. Learn something new everyday.
I noticed that you mentioned Camping World as a possible dump location. Free dump service is a selling point for their Good Sam Club. They claim to offer this service at their “super centers”. The CW near me dumped my tanks once and then six months later refused to do it claiming they would have to take a tech off of a more important job and that they had never done that before. Most Flying J and Pilot truck stops have them and you get a discount with Good Sam card. KoA campgrounds will also allow you to dump. Prices may vary. The two I visited charged $10 & $15 respectively.
Excellent thank you we are first timers in Canada a lot of helpful information
Hi there. First, thanks for a nice post. I've been following RVgeek , and seems they have many good videos about RV . I come from Norway , and have long wanted to go with my wife to the United States to experience the beautiful nature + to rent an RV to drive around the United States . When I saw the video here , it reminded strongly about how we camp here in Norway . Norway has campsites at different places. And when I was little , I was with my parents on vacation and we camped at different places. In the early 70 's, we used the tent . Later in the 80's we went over to the camp wagon. So as you, but in Norway we has much smaller camp wagons that are narrower and lighter than you. In Norway you can camp freely, except on private property. We have an law that says, you can freely camp 48 h. on the same spot. After that, you have to move.
There are many Europeans who comes to Norway to experience the beautiful scenery we have. ( We have a very similar nature in New Zeland, so the movie Lord of the Rings could just as well have been recorded here) . What is sad is that Norway is an expensive country . And the tourists who come here are not interested in using campsites . They bring a lot of supplies from their own country, and camps out in nature. Although it is set out garbage cans, they throw down trash in the bushes and empty the gray water directly in nature. In addition, they fill up the freezer with fish that they have fished here , and sell it in their home countries. So we have some challenges in this regard . In Europe it is different. There are more structured and separate spaces for RV and it is made maps where they are allowed to run and camp.
Back to tips and tricks. You are doing much the same as we do when we camp. We use paper plates, paper cups, plastic knives and forks. It is also poppular to use disposable barbecue. Drinking water we buy at the store, and the bottles can we mortgage afterwards. Water for washing and the other, we have the plastic tanks, and since there is plenty of water in Norway in the form of rivers and streams, you can fill this for free at gas stations and campgrounds. Norway is not as large as the U.S., so it does not take long to drive to a place to refuel, water or buy propane tanks at gas stations.
It is very nice to see how accessible it is with you in the United States regarding the RV. We have much to learn from you and maybe we have something to learn from you as well? :-) Good luck on your trip. Enjoy the nature, silence and freedom.
Greatings from Norway.
We are are relative newbies to airstream, got our 30 bunkhouse last year, my wife, my two small kids (1 year and 3.5 years) and we are planning on doing some bits of boondocking so this is all excellent review! We plan on hitting elkmont campground in great smok. mtn national next year and it has no hookups electric or water, and a dump station some 7 miles away...we waste TONS of water washing dishes I noticed right off the bat since we have been camping...its unreal.
A cool additional tip covered Ive seen before is to when getting ready for your shower and waiting on hot water, collect the cold water as it comes out in a 1 gallon pitcher and re-use it, for flushing or whatever....really good idea. Ive also heard of people washing their dishes outside in a basin with the outdoor shower to not generate as much grey water, but I imagine many would frown on that.
The reason grey water is nasty is because all the bits of stuff in the tank while being stored ages and bacteria do their thing...it is rather nasty, especially in summer
Oddly enough, we've not yet camped in the Great Smokies - we need to do so soon! Yes, cleaning/washing/showering are the major water usage culprits. It makes sense to focus on those aspects of RV camping for water conservation.
Hey Guys! Great video! I don't believe I have introduced myself before but I have been a fan for a little over a year now. My wife and I are finishing up grad school and plan to RV full-time for a while after graduation. We are currently rebuilding/remodeling a Class C and take every opportunity to learn and implement boondocking tips as we go. Thanks again for another great video and we hope to meet you both someday soon!
Thanks for your comment! I think you are wise to start doing the RV thing now as you finish grad school. In the past, we paid a lot of money for apartment rent that could've instead gone towards a nice rig. Since you have the inclination, it makes sense to go ahead and pursue it.
We installed a composting toilet in our 5th wheel. Our black tank is never used. No water usage for flushing. "Gone with the Wynn's" have it all covered on RUclips.
I hope you don’t mind if I make a notation in order to clarify things for your viewers. I can clearly see in the video you are connecting the filter on the "City Water" connection at the trailer. The filter should always be at the campground faucet so the sediments and contaminants are filtered before they reach the hose. Otherwise, once dirty water runs through the hose, you will never be able to remove it. Doing it the way you did it, it will also cause your fresh water hose to become contaminated with lead and other solid contaminants and will start collecting calcification at the fittings as well, which is exactly what you want to avoid by using the carbon activated filter you just shown in the video.
THE NEXT EXIT is my travel bible, too. For hand washing you can also use the waterless jells that mechanics use.
For long term boondocking water preservation you might check the latest in survival purification technology, both ceramic filtration and UV devices. Thanks for your informative and fun videos.
Something I've been investigating is a composting toilet. The compost is the solids and needs to be emptied a couple of times a month or so depending on usage. However on the liquid side, if you have a separating toilet you can probably run for weeks or months on the black tank you already have installed. You need to modify the toilet but from talking to the supplier it's not too hard. The long and the short of it is that you can extend your black tank capacity for a long time and it eliminates the water usage of flushing. Now the down side it that composting toilets are around $1,000 to $1,200 to get set up. Not cheap but for most folks probably doable, especially if it saves you $500 a month on a camp site.
Take a look at the Sawyer line of water filtration products. They are very effective in removing contaminants as well as bacteria and viruses. One thing you have to watch out for in washing is that you can still ingest enough water to be a problem. A small quantity of regular (non-scented etc) bleach can go a long way in killing the bugs if you are in an area without safe water.
Hello, from Catonsville, Maryland. Studhubs and I became empty nester two weeks ago and went to our 1st RV show yesterday. Ready to upgrade from tent camping. Starting from nothing - need a tow vehicle first. Stumbled across your channel last night and have watched a few videos already. thanks for content that is so helpful!
We use clean up disposable sheets that are inexpensive and very handy! No water required in between uses. Clean up sheets for face or body, or general use are available right in those Walmarts you are overnight parking in!
I have tons of friends who are backpackers. I live in Peru and host Couch Surfers. One friend carries extra large wet wipes. He uses them for "bathing" in between being able to use a real shower. He uses one for his face and body then one for the southern regions. By doing that you should be able to stretch your water usage.
I put my soapy dishes in a rack in the sink then use my tea kettle with hot water to rinse all the dishes at once. A water saving trick from my grandmother that also sanitizes the dishes.
I like to clean up every AM. I have a treasured 2qt Revere ware stainless pot. I fill it 1/2 full of water, heat to a boil and take it to the bathroom. I pour 1/2 the hot water in the basin, dilute to "hot", not "ouch", shave first, then sponge bathe. The second 1/2 is similarly diluted and used to rinse. I can use about half as much water in a pinch, but I like to splurge. I make coffee by boiling our filtered drinking water, pour it in a measuring cup and pour it on the ground coffee in a filter in our Mr. Coffee maker. Easy coffee without 110V !
You two have been so helpful, I really appreciate being able to just go to YT and find a wealth of information. Practical and sensible, with a dash of humor....... I am just getting set up and ready to go. RV is in the shop and being 'gone over' in preparation. Thank you, I will be following you two, great information and advice. Happy Trails (:
With your experience with water rationing, which water saving shower head is best to use that has good pressure and aeration, because our lightweight trailer has a 9 gallon holding tank. I will eventually have a tank less water heater installed!
Oxygenics shower kit is hands down the winner! I barely crack my faucets and get a great shower with good pressure. Using less and saving water.
I camp in the Western Sahara in Egypt and use one 1.5L non drinking quality water per day for washing, including rinsing my bits as no toilet paper used. We have one melamine platter which we share and eat with your right hand only. I wear my long hair up, it seems to be cooler, and does not get in my eyes during khamsin. I wet a wash cloth and drape it over the outside of drinking water bottles to keep them cooler.
We now have 2 each 30 gallon propane and 2 deep cycle batteries. Our roof has a factory 160 watt solar panel, and we carry 26 gallons of spare water so we are set for boondocking.
Enjoyed your video ..... And yes I will be more than glad to carry my water with me I know it's a little poundage to drag around but Nancy and I have been caught twice and thunderstorms and no water connections and we are so glad our tanks were full
I am about to take delivery of my first RV and found this video very useful. Thanks for making it for us that are new to the hobby.
+Scofco Thanks for your kind comment - enjoy your first RV!
We camp a lot in Colorado where the sun always shines. We use the solar showers and set up a shower curtain For modesty. Water in one for a few hours and it’s almost too hot by itself. We can do 1 1/2 to 2 showers per bag if you are water frugale.
TY! Great info.We are just planning moving up from a small teardrop to a T@B CS-S (small trailer with a wet bath, and sink). The tips will come in very handy as we make this transition.
We have always used a dishpan to wash our dishes. When we are finished, we dispose of the dishwater into our toilet. This helps when we dump the black tank as often there is not enough water in the black tank otherwise.
I've often wondered about dumping grey water when boondocking. We've been next to tenters that do dishes in a wash bin and then dump the wash bin in the trees or grass on the side of the campsite, so what's different about RV grey water (other than volume)? Would anyone look at us sideways if we did our dishes outside and then dumped the water?
For us the limiting factor is grey tank capacity not freshwater capacity. As you state, a water container can be used to add water to the tank if needed and we have done that from time to time. We carry a collapsible container for that purpose to save space.
Great video, been watching for years, miss the sound of Seemore at the end, lol.
Ha! You are right about the sound of SEEMORE at the end. I tried to work the same sound into the new show "intro" sequence. It's in there if you listen close.
With regard to the grey, personally I think washing dishes outside is fine - but if you are in a national park or forest, you need to check the rules (bear safety issues, etc.). Bear safety may be the driving factor in many places - the parks don't want any loose bits of discarded food lying around that could attract bears.
To wash our hair we used cornstarch. Pu tin and brush it out. The negative thing I remembered, it left our hair a little white but did brush out.
Howdy folks, Good job on video. Thanks. My wife and I, in those years, went with a Toyota cab-over camper 20'. You get used to small-small. Don't make 'em anymore (too bad). But now a 25' RV-Ford (Bt. used RV Cruise Am -better made unit). Can't disagree with anything. Keep up the good work.
Great point on paper plates (bowls too)! They can be composted, btw. Paper towels can be composted, especially. I use used paper towels in my composting container to coat the bottom (keeps cleaning down to minimal) & it minimizes stink, in my opinion.
In regard to gray water, I don't know why it's such a big deal. It seems it could be disposed discreetly, maybe in a curb/gutter or where ever. But maybe you can't say anything due to liability ;-)
Another thing about gray water... I think if you are rinsing washed dishes, you could use that water to wash hands or feet or between neck & waist... Just a thought.
+Kate Hare McIntosh I absolutely agree with you about gray water disposal - we are a little too uptight about such things in this country. OTOH, it wouldn't be wise of me to use my RUclips platform to openly advocate violation of the law. 😜 Maybe I should advocate modifying the law to be a little more reasonable.
Here is a tip for saving grey water tank space, use an outside shower. This is much cleaner than dumping grey water which can have much more bacteria after sitting for days.