Full Hookups for the First Time Out

Cyclonic

This discussion was created from comments split from: Campground memberships.

Playc

Hi PXLated - Thanks for the update.  As my wife and I are new to RV and camping, we are just nervous and want to stay at site with full hookup.  Still like to read and learn more from you folks on camping and survivor if no hookup.

bgualtieri

Hey playc -- I'm new to camper camping with my new T@b bought in May this year. You don't need "full" hookup. You just need water and electric unless you're gong to be out for a long time - maybe longer than a week. Full hookup means your grey OR black water hose connects to an icky sewer drain at your campsite. We had that at a KOA place over Memorial Day and didn't use it. You do need to learn how to do the dump station thing but that's not too bad if you get gloves and watch the how to videos

http://www.sanidumps.com/howtoemptyyourtanks.php

BBchBum

a full hookup site could be advantageous to begin with.  you could work out your dump procedure without worrying if someone is or may be waiting. maybe get one after you have been using both tanks and they are ready to be dumped. you can then take your time and gain confidence in how to dump efficiently. 

Nomad

I should note - I do have solar (120watts) so I'm not dependent on elect. hookups and all the NP campgrounds have had central water so I could replenish my supply. They also had bathrooms so I generally don't have to hit the dump station until I leave. Most of my stays are 5 days max.
If you don't have solar, everything will depend of what size battery you have and what you're running.

gilbutler

Playc, my experience agrees with PX.  I have not found electric, water connections at the national parks I've visited. Also, no showers so far.

I've been disappointed with the California State Parks for the $35/night minimum charge and recently found two with electric hookups ($50/night or $65/night for "premium" location).
'm doing more federal camping, $10/night with senior pass, but usually no showers.

Nomad

I've found pay showers at some NPs and one with really nice free showers (eastern NM) - Showers at all COE campgrounds.
CA state parks seem expensive - only stayed at one and it was $50 with elect/water hookups. New Mexico State parks were great, $14-18 with elect/water hookups. AZ was $25-35 depending on hookups. MN & SD are about that also. ND has a lot of day-use state parks with no camping - at least I ran into a lot.
I've found a lot of nice county and municipal campgrounds They've been in the $14 range with elect. I've even found some small town city campgrounds that are free. Two even had free elect. hookups.

vito

I have very little experience, but a full hook up, with sewer, allows you to take leisurely showers, wash dishes without worrying about filling up the holding tank, and not worry that you are using too much water when flushing the toilet. I just ordered a "Y" connector so that when possible I can hook up two ten foot sewer hose sections, one to gray and one to black, and have them both feeding into the sewer connection on the ground. No dumping then required when leaving the campground. 

Nomad

Vito - True but you're really limited on where you can camp. As I've mentioned, I've only run into a sewer hookup one time - in the only commercial campground I've stayed in. They are a rare, rare occurrence other than some commercial sites and a lot of those seem to pack them in really tight.

vito

How do you handle a several day stay at a campground without a sewer hookup? Do you hitch up and drive to a dump site every few days or every other day? Do you find that the holding tanks can handle normal water usage for more than a day or two? This is all new to me and I am trying to learn quickly. This forum has been a great source of information on a multitude of subjects related to using the T@b. 

Mercator

vito said:

How do you handle a several day stay at a campground without a sewer hookup? Do you hitch up and drive to a dump site every few days or every other day? Do you find that the holding tanks can handle normal water usage for more than a day or two? This is all new to me and I am trying to learn quickly. This forum has been a great source of information on a multitude of subjects related to using the T@b. 

Some people hook up and go to the dump station or others use a portable tote.

Nomad

First, you learn to conserve :-)

Most campgrounds have toilets of some kind so you won't be filling your black water tank at all if you use those. Some use the camp toilets during the day and the T@B at night. The average adult puts out .4 gal per day so you can kind of calculate. Commercial campgrounds usually have showers. Some national, state or munis do as well but it really varies. Most just don't take leisurely showers unless there are campground showers available. Some do sponge baths daily and shower less often when camping without shower facitilies. And when your tanks are getting full, yes, you make a trip to the dump station.

When boondocking you have no facilities so you do need to plan and know where there is a dump station.

I rarely stay in one place more than 3-5 days and being a single traveler and using a conservative approach to water usage I've rarely filled my tanks.

Maybe what you should do is camp at a site with sewer hook ups but keep your drain valves closed and see how long it takes you to fill each of the tanks. Open the valves, dump and start again. Then you'll know or you can devise a conservation plan to extend that period.

One big water saving thing for me was switching out all my cooking gear to non-stick including tupperware type items and utensils. They can first be wiped fairly clean (paper towels can go in the fire pit) and then take less water to finish things off. There's a million little things like that that extend your stays.

Sgtjohn

The wife and I have been "prisoners" during a cold spell and spent 3-4 days in the T@B without having to drain the tanks.  Yes conservation will enable you to exist quite a while before absolutely having to drain the tanks.  The main thing is to make sure that water is in the black tank to make sure all solids are drained from he system then drain the grey tank to clean out the sewer line.

Photomom

Related question - how do you tell when the tanks are getting full?

Rad

The nice thing for a first time RVer about going with full hook ups is they get to learn the entire hook up and more importantly the dump process in camp taking their time. That may not be true at a dump station where they may feel rushed by someone in line behind them. 

As as for finding hook ups, here next to the Pacific Ocean it almost can't be done unless you book many months in advance and even then it is very difficult to find one.  They can be found at the big private ones, yuck.  We are going to Morro Bay in November and we booked 5 months in advance for the off season, we still could not get hook ups. 20 years ago with our Class C at the same State Park that was not the case.

Like many here we dry camp then use the app to find a dump station that is on the way to the next destination.

Nomad

Rad - Doesn't Morrow Bat have a certain percentage of "first come, first serve" sites?
When I went through in March I hadn't reserved and they had both dry and hookup sites available.

Rad

PXLated said:

Rad - Doesn't Morrow Bat have a certain percentage of "first come, first serve" sites?
When I went through in March I hadn't reserved and they had both dry and hookup sites available.

They do hold some, but I have never been able to get one with hook ups when we arrive unless I have booked in advance.  We have been there 8 or 9 times.