Grey water storage (1 Viewer)

[Ridgeway]

OK first post so be kind.......

Being a Caravaner (soon to be ex) I would like to understand how grey water is managed vs the Tin Tent principal with 25ltrs clean in via hauling jerry cans, and then collecting the grey water underneath and disposing of it via dedicated grey water collection wheeled jerry can. OK here's my questions:

1) What is the common method of filling up the huge clean water reservoirs on a MH, the one we're looking at has a 125ltr capacity
2) Is there normally a grey water storage of approx the same capacity
3) Is this normally an integrated reservoir
4) What is the method to empty such a large amount of water

Sorry for such simple questions but I need re-programming from Tin Tent to MH.....

 

[madbluemad]

OK first post so be kind.......

Being a Caravaner (soon to be ex) I would like to understand how grey water is managed vs the Tin Tent principal with 25ltrs clean in via hauling jerry cans, and then collecting the grey water underneath and disposing of it via dedicated grey water collection wheeled jerry can. OK here's my questions:

1) What is the common method of filling up the huge clean water reservoirs on a MH, the one we're looking at has a 125ltr capacity : Hose Pipe.
2) Is there normally a grey water storage of approx the same capacity : Yes
3) Is this normally an integrated reservoir: Yes
4) What is the method to empty such a large amount of water : Motorhome dump point or the tuggers trolley

Sorry for such simple questions but I need re-programming from Tin Tent to MH.....

Jim

 

[beachcaster]

I agrree with the previous answers but 2 items may come in handy.

A big plastic bucket and a watering can.

The bucket has many uses and can be used to carry grey water etc.
The watering can ( used by many) can top up your water if you are settled on a pitch and dont want to move the motorhome.

barry

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[DESCO]

Hi
Welcome to MH Fun

I normally fill water tank either by hose from tap or via water can, some use roly water containers but you need a plug on van to attach submersible pump and hose to.

Most motorhomes have tank for waste water and can take quite a quantity of water, if not use container as caravanning practice.

Most sites have a grey water drain that you can get near enough to empty water via tap on tank base, normally at side of van.

I normally fill up on arrival at site and empty on leaving this seems to work.

Hope this helps, no question is silly if you don't know the answer.

 

[Ridgeway]

Wow, rapid answers !!!!

Looks like I've found the right site here.

Thanks guys really appreciate that, makes sense now you say it. Simple watering can for short top ups and bucket for many things, that'll work for me and cheap that the best bit.

:thumb:

 

[Ridgeway]

Just on the waste water dump points, how does this work ? is it a based based system or pumped ? I'd assume gravity, are the outlets just underneath the MH and you open them remotely to dump to a drain sort of thing ?

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[DESCO]

There are various types do not know that van, but all work by gravity, and are simple to operate, either by tap lever.

 

[Dereckerick]

If I'm going to a site I leave the fresh tank nearly empty to save a bit of weight and fill on site.

If not going to a site, fill at the last services before destination. its a bit of a seals arse (doesnt half drag) because of the low flow, but a fag break is always welcome.

 

[geoff1947]

how do you do it

I have often wondered how Funsters fill the blue water tank when the M/H is static for a few days and don't want to move it etc. Some use watering cans and some have various other methods. I use a angled drain pipe ( piece you have on the guttering at home) which fits into the filler recess and then pour in 10 Litres from a can so 2 or 3 cans usually do the trick.
How do you do it??????????

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[aba]

I have often wondered how Funsters fill the blue water tank when the M/H is static for a few days and don't want to move it etc. Some use watering cans and some have various other methods. I use a angled drain pipe ( piece you have on the guttering at home) which fits into the filler recess and then pour in 10 Litres from a can so 2 or 3 cans usually do the trick.
How do you do it??????????

i have a 16 litre plastic water carrier that use.
fortunately having a double floored motorhome i just lift a hatch inside the van unscrew one of the access lids on the tank and pour in, very handy if its raining as i don't have to stand outside to fill it.

 

[Reallyretired]

I have a 40l aquaroll and a short hose with a submersible pump.

 

[JeanLuc]

Below is a picture of a typical waste valve arrangement. As others have said, the handle can be in various locations - sometimes it is inside. In practice, you pull up next to, or over a waste drain and simply turn the handle - the water leaves by gravitational force. Abroad, both at aires and many campsites, and in some UK campsites, there is a dedicated foul drain specifically for the purpose. CS / CL types of sites in the UK rarely have a proper dump facility and it is unlikely that you will be able to get the van close enough to the toilet waste point. Some owners are happy for you to drop the grey waste in a flower bed or under a hedge, others don't appreciate this. I have just bought a 30 litre 'water taxi' from CAK Tanks to enable me to run waste to CS dumps, but this takes up valuable space in the garage unfortunately. I would never bother taking it abroad since grey dumping is never a problem.

Since you are just starting your search and have mentioned waste water, it prompts me to raise the 'old chestnut' of winterisation. If you intend to use your motorhome in the winter you might be well advised to consider German, or possibly French, rather than British vans. Generally, British vans are not well winterised, despite what may be said about things like grade of insulation and presence of tank heaters. There is a lot more to it than this. Some people (and I'm sure other Funsters will comment on this) buy a British van and then spend time adapting it to their needs with extra insulation on the water system etc. Others are happy to leave the waste dump valve open and put a bucket under the spout so water doesn't stay in the tank to freeze.
The problem with many British vans is that the pipe runs are not always completely within the body of the motorhome. It only needs a small elbow or bend of pipe protruding beneath the floor to freeze and prevent drainage. There are two general solutions to the problem. One is to build on an ALKO twin floor chassis and put both fresh and waste tanks, and all pipework in the void between the floors, which is heated by the main heating system (hot air usually). The second solution, in a single-floored van, is to put the fresh tank inside and the waste outside, but fully insulated and heated. Twin-floored vans are more common on front-wheel drive chassis (Fiat / Peugeot etc.) single-floored on rear-wheel drive (Iveco / Mercedes) and cheaper FWD versions of the Fiat / Peugeot chassis without the ALKO system.

In the picture you will see that there is a large corrugated pipe leading into the waste tank (at the right of the picture). This carries warm air from the Truma heater and feeds it into the insulated void housing the waste dump valve, and then into the insulated jacket around the whole tank. With this sort of arrangement, a single-floored van can be properly winterised - we have been down to -10ºC with no problems.

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[Ridgeway]

Below is a picture of a typical waste valve arrangement. As others have said, the handle can be in various locations - sometimes it is inside. In practice, you pull up next to, or over a waste drain and simply turn the handle - the water leaves by gravitational force. Abroad, both at aires and many campsites, and in some UK campsites, there is a dedicated foul drain specifically for the purpose. CS / CL types of sites in the UK rarely have a proper dump facility and it is unlikely that you will be able to get the van close enough to the toilet waste point. Some owners are happy for you to drop the grey waste in a flower bed or under a hedge, others don't appreciate this. I have just bought a 30 litre 'water taxi' from CAK Tanks to enable me to run waste to CS dumps, but this takes up valuable space in the garage unfortunately. I would never bother taking it abroad since grey dumping is never a problem.

Since you are just starting your search and have mentioned waste water, it prompts me to raise the 'old chestnut' of winterisation. If you intend to use your motorhome in the winter you might be well advised to consider German, or possibly French, rather than British vans. Generally, British vans are not well winterised, despite what may be said about things like grade of insulation and presence of tank heaters. There is a lot more to it than this. Some people (and I'm sure other Funsters will comment on this) buy a British van and then spend time adapting it to their needs with extra insulation on the water system etc. Others are happy to leave the waste dump valve open and put a bucket under the spout so water doesn't stay in the tank to freeze.
The problem with many British vans is that the pipe runs are not always completely within the body of the motorhome. It only needs a small elbow or bend of pipe protruding beneath the floor to freeze and prevent drainage. There are two general solutions to the problem. One is to build on an ALKO twin floor chassis and put both fresh and waste tanks, and all pipework in the void between the floors, which is heated by the main heating system (hot air usually). The second solution, in a single-floored van, is to put the fresh tank inside and the waste outside, but fully insulated and heated. Twin-floored vans are more common on front-wheel drive chassis (Fiat / Peugeot etc.) single-floored on rear-wheel drive (Iveco / Mercedes) and cheaper FWD versions of the Fiat / Peugeot chassis without the ALKO system.

In the picture you will see that there is a large corrugated pipe leading into the waste tank (at the right of the picture). This carries warm air from the Truma heater and feeds it into the insulated void housing the waste dump valve, and then into the insulated jacket around the whole tank. With this sort of arrangement, a single-floored van can be properly winterised - we have been down to -10ºC with no problems.

Wonderful info and now I get it !!! OK as we'll be using the MH 95% of the time over here then looks like dump to drain will be the way to go. We intend to go for a Carado A366 (Hymer company) so it should be reasonably Winterised although it's not our intention to use it during the Winter, well now at least although that could always change.....

 

[knokinonabit]

I have a 40l aquaroll and a short hose with a submersible pump.

Ditto :thumb:

 

[Ridgeway]

Popped down to the dealers today and had a crawl around underneath and found the waste water exit, its a hard plumbed 40mm exit that has a what looks like a butterfly valve in it connected to a remote turn bar, clock wise closed and anti CL = open. The exit is on the drivers side (LHD) about mid point in the vehicle

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[sedge]

FWIW we use 2 collapsible buckets - one for grey water and the other for fresh, because these take up very lttle space. And are relatively easily lifted ehen full if you aren't as feeble as me LOL We also have a funnel with a fexible hose whish we shove in to fresh water tank filler spout, lift the bucket and pour. I agree a watering can is far superior but where the hell could we store it without leaving something else behind? May be OK on a proper site where fresh water is (nominally!) free, but not on a busy aire if you have to pay for it. On the supposition that you have a jeton (token) by the time you have walked several hundred yards, emptied and returned, several freeloaders will have nicked half the water you paid for ..... and fully expect YOU to wait to refill YOUR container! In which case we offload chairs, put them both up and one of us sits in our space whilst the other one goes and queues for the borne and fills up with the hosepipe.

It doesn't take long to learn that not everyone who owns a motorhome is like you ....... And often the ones with the type of Komping car you jolly well wish you could afford. Well if that's what they have to do in order to go on holiday in it, I'd rather not have one in the first place.