Grey waste disposal / carrier?

[Allan & Loren]

we have sold our RV and out on the hunt for a replacement european having never had one before as we went straight from a caravan to the RV. We've seen a few really poor examples so far so not sure what we will get but sat here this morning and I'm wondering about the grey waste and how it's collected? Ive seen many people with the black waste things either dragging them or balanced on scooters to the dump on rallies and campsites but can't remember seeing any grey waste thingies? so I shall open myself up to ridicule and also expect lots of funny comments but seriously what do you all do to collect and dispose of grey waste?

 

[Riverbankannie]

The grey waste is collected in onboard tanks and usually disposed of at suitable disposal points by driving over a drain. Sometimes you need an extension hose to reach the drain if you cannot park over it. We use a collapsible bucket though and use that when we cannot or don't want to move.

 

[Allan & Loren]

The grey waste is collected in onboard tanks and usually disposed of at suitable disposal points by driving over a drain. Sometimes you need an extension hose to reach the drain if you cannot park over it. We use a collapsible bucket though and use that when we cannot or don't want to move.

I've been looking on the web and can see a grey waste pipe sticking out underneath on some moho's with what looks like a tap. I'm guessing that's it?

 

[Riverbankannie]

I've been looking on the web and can see a grey waste pipe sticking out underneath on some moho's with what looks like a tap. I'm guessing that's it?

Yes, there is usually a plastic tap. They always seem to put them adjacent to the clean water dump tap so it's worth marking them !

 

[mike mcglynn]

Hi, to you both we used a waste hog I think it was 45 litres but it was a monster to store so had to go in the shower when on the move and it was heavy when full so Allen will have to eat more spinach if you get one of them,I ended up with a Fiamma one which has wheels like the waste hog but is easier to pull and empty as some disposal points are waist high as we found out in Spain, its about 30 litres or so ,many people just use a large bucket its all down to how much space you have in the storage area and how far you may be from the disposal point.Mike

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[Richard n Ann]

I don't like to get our collapsible bucket dirty do use an old 5L water bottle, only costs €1 and you get free water in it when it gets filthy I buy a new one.
Also carrying it is good exercise when you're slobbong it for a month in Spain, I also get fresh water with a watering can.

 

[Kingham]

Like Riverbankannie, I drive over the site grey waste disposal point and drain down directly, otherwise I carry a relatively small, I think 15 litre capacity, black plastic waste container with a dished area and screw cap in the side.
This slides under my grey waste tap and I can empty the onboard tank without leaving the pitch.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

We have a standard on board 80ltr grey waste tank (plus 100ltr fresh water tank) and use drive over drains to empty it but just in case we need to empty without moving which is very rare we carry a collapsible bucket.

 

[two]

If your waste tank is a decent size, as I think most European ones are, you should not need another container. A bucket is not so practical if the waste tap is not adjacent to the outlet or if there is insufficient clearance under the van.
There are many other things to consider that will irk you more if you get them wrong. Disposal of grey water has never been a concern for me.

 

[Clarky]

Your wast tank will hold a goodly amount of soapy water.
When you leave a site or aire just open the drain valve part way and help the environment by watering the parched verges at the side of the road.
Following motorists will appreciate the soapy water washing their windscreens and motorcyclists will give you many cheery waves as they overtake.

Richard.
PS All advice given may be subject to a health and welfare warning.

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[glastry]

well !- confession first then- we were at Portimao and had just taken our turn to empty the Grey waste, but there was a queue as there often was , and we had got talking - and we drove off without closing the waste!
we were chased across the site by an angry frenchman ,shouting and swearing at us, about the wee bit of water still coming out.
when i eventually worked out what was annoying him ,i told him to
f-- k off, he says to me you F--k off, and then we started laughing!!
i offered a glass of Pastis and he accepted, and so we stayed there for yet another day-
and i cannot say that any lessons were learnt - except that the french are not at all bad! - and that we sometimes still forget to close the grey waste! - that Pastis gives me a hangover and ---
I was going to end there- but i have to add that we normally divert the shower water to a 10 l container ,that we re -use it to wash the cassette and to fill the thetford flush container---
well its a wee bit of recycling!!

 

[Mikeco]

I use the Fiamma waste thingy, not too big but does the job. Pitched up now for 6 months so use it to empty the tank every 3 days or so.

 

[John&Kate]

We carry a "Waste Master" on board if unable to dispose of drive over or if our hose we attach to our grey waste tap cannot reach drainage point.

Bulky, yes but can drain grey tank into this and dispose of where necessary.

Broken Link Removed

 

[Musicboy]

Agree with mikeco . The Fiamma is a good bit of kit . Used for years .. 23 litres ... ok to store & like mikeco I stay long term on pitches so its ideal. Saves taking the van over the dump ...
Also prevents build up of grease etc on inside walls of tank as I leave valve open .so tank is never full ... just saying .

 

[MitchandJenny]

That waste hog has a large enough hole to accept the output pipe from the toilet cassette.
OK for an emergency and can extend your stay time to double ! ! !
Mitch.

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[beltsandbraces]

drip drip drip that's one leak you CAN live with!!

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Hmm. No-one thought about filtered grey water to ground?

I'm a relative newcomer to motorhoming. I spent years caravanning, so no onboard grey water collection. Like a good few caravanners, I made my own filter and just let my grey water run to the nearest hedge, or straight onto gravel hardstandings. (site owner's consent never refused). Now, I still have the filter but I have not needed to use it as I have found plenty of emptying facilities. However, If I had a full grey water tank and no-where to empty it, the filter will be used and the tank level dropped over a few hours.

The filter? easy peasy. A 250mm length of 100mm dia plastic soil pipe, 100mm dia rubber end cap (bung) and a plastic soil pipe vent can all be bought a Wikes et al for less than a tenner. Put the vent cap on one end and put some long grass pulled from a hedgerow into the soil pipe to fill it 2/3 full. Put the rubber bung on the other end and put your waste pipe into one of the two "knockout" holes in the bung. Fit the bung and voila your grey water can run through with all the unpleasant stuff trapped in the grass. For best results, include some BBQ charcoal as the filling in a grass "sandwich' in the soil pipe. Disposing of the filter media is easy. Take off the bung and empty the grass etc into a carrier bag, knot the bag and drop it in a bin.

My filter is also a fraction of the size and weight of waste hogs etc.

I worked for years in the UK water industry and can advise that there are plenty of bugs in the soil that can treat the water in such small quantities. You should get no bad smells or risks of contamination. The Forestry commission sites I have stayed on positively encourage this approach. However, letting 70 litres of grey water empty in a few minutes over anything other than a designated drain cannot be defended in my opinion.

 

[Stealaway]

A 250mm length of 100mm dia plastic soil pipe, 100mm dia rubber end cap (bung) and a plastic soil pipe vent can all be bought a Wikes et al for less than a tenner. Put the vent cap on one end and put some long grass pulled from a hedgerow into the soil pipe to fill it 2/3 full. Put the rubber bung on the other end and put your waste pipe into one of the two "knockout" holes in the bung. Fit the bung and voila your grey water can run through with all the unpleasant stuff trapped in the grass.

A photo would be wonderful

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

I’ll try romorrow.

 

[PP Bear]

I use one of these, when needed.

25ltrs and slim enough to fit directly under the grey waste tap.

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[WillH]

We drive over waste points or use a Campabucket to draw waste off.

 

[rangi]

Drip drip drip dribble dribble drip drip

"Oh Bugger! forgot to close me grey water tap!"


C'mon on fellas!, you can't B******t a b********r
I've been on Rallies I 've seen the "grass being watered"

 

[Feltwell]

Always try to empty the tank at drive-over points but very few of those in the UK at the smaller sites we frequent. So I either wait until I get home and it goes down the drain grid outside my house - which I know is linked to a combined sewer, i.e. sewage, waste water and rainwater combined - or if I can't wait until then I have one of these to transport it to a waste point, very similar to the Fiamma one showed earlier, but cheaper.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25L-25-L...437431&hash=item25893bdb45:g:1BUAAOxygPtStu-E

I've actually got an identical one in blue for fresh water, for the rare occasion when the hosepipe won't reach to the tap - I can go & get 25l at a time and then pump it into the van's tank with a little electric submersible pump I've got that. It's still a faff but with 5 of us we do go through a lot of water, using watering cans or bottles to transport it there would mean a awful lot of trips to the tap!

 

[Makingtrax]

Stayed at a Lincoln municipal site, which was brilliant, but the grass pitch was waterlogged and smelly from the last van emptying it's grey waste. Could smell it when we opened the hab door

I always carry a low bucket with a handle and empty the grey waste daily down a toilet or drain, and then fill up the fresh tank with a watering can as part of a 10 minute routine to look after the van.

Good exercise, keeps the van weight down for moving on, saves having to manoeuvre over a service point and it means we're not a nuisance to others. Win win all round

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Photos of grey water filter reference above...

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