Dump station etiquette

[tfischer]

Doesn't it seem like it should be just common courtesy, when there are people behind you waiting to dump, to do the absolute minimum business at the station, and THEN pull up, stow your hoses, rinse off your gloves, yadda yadda? It sure seems like it to me. But this never happens. Its as if people are like "this is mine, for as long as I want, and imma just gonna take my time. I swear the guy in front of me today took 4 minutes just storing his stinky slinky.

It's bad enough to have to wait for one of these big rigs to dump, when my total time at the station is like 3 minutes.

This has bugged me so much over the years that I tend to dump our small bit of gray water and porta potti in the toilets instead of the dump station. But today I got in line at the dump station, because this particular park has a nice setup which makes it very easy to dump without making a mess.

 

[bondebond]

Oh, it should seem like that should be the case. But I've decided to "pick my battles" and just go with the flow. Yes, I saw what I did there.

Some folks are going to do what they're going to do without feeling any pressure or need for courtesy.

Maybe the flipside of that: we were just at a state park out east a couple of weeks ago and were there long enough to see several site occupants come and go. When a new crew pulled into the sites that sit between us and the very nice bath house, I asked the folks if they minded if we cut along the border of their site and their neighbor's site to use the rest room. They were gracious and even thanked me for thinking to even ask.

All I can do is control me. I have yet to be able to control others. My teenagers are living proof of my failure to do so.

 

[vagov]

I see it all the time. Guys using the tank rinser while trailers are backing up further and further. Wife out there walking the dog, saying there good byes to there freinds all over again.

 

[tfischer]

Yeah this isn't something one can really do anything about (I'm not the type who would actively say something). But it just shocks me how NOBODY ever seems to do this. Not once have I ever seen someone pull forward to finish up, even when the last 2-5+ minutes of their "dump station experience" consists of stowing crap and not actually using the dump station.

ONE time I did have someone see I was in a minivan with no trailer, ask if I had just a small amount to dump, and told me to go before them. That's the exception that proves the rule lol.

 

[jmkay1]

One of the reasons I love the popup. I empty the cassette and gray water at the dumpstation the night before so no waiting in line. Pack up day I don't bother making breakfast that requires dishes.

I agree though I've seen people take forever at the dumpstation like they are trying to make sure every last inch of that tank is clean but I've also seen where people rush to push their way as quickly as possible as they know there is a line. Unfortunately there isn't much anyone can do as there is always going to be that "one". Only gotten worse with the newer campers.

 

[kitphantom]

Sorry, but we’ll continue to stow our hoses etc. as quickly as we can at the dump station. usually, both of us work on dumping. While Courtenay is stowing the hoses in the carrier tube, I’m busy replacing the small totes in the storage area; I have no idea why the builders thought putting a door that is smaller than the already-small space.
We dump as quickly as possible, safely, without risking spills, etc. If there’s a line, we don’t use the rinser.
If I’m dumping solo, pretty, pretty please be patient with me. At 65+, with creaky joints, including small & arthritic hands, i move as quickly as I can. Push it, and I make mistakes. We had to make a gizmo so I can take off and replace the sewer cap. I much prefer having a FHU campsite when we need to dump, but that doesn’t always work put.

 

[Snow]

Oh dump station stories.. I could write a book..

 

[Coreym95]

Not many of the dump stations around me give me the ability to pull forward 30-40 feet (and not be in the way of something or someone else) in order for the person behind me to pull up their trailer next to the dump.

Also just curious, what would everyone consider a reasonable amount of time for someone to fully dump, from the time they pull up to the time they pull away. 10 minutes? More, less?

 

[kcsa75]

It normally takes me about 10 minutes start to finish with our TT.

I got in a facebook argument the other day with some knothead that stated he takes "about 30 minutes" to clean and "sanitize."

My pet peeve are the yahoos that stand around jawing with their buddies instead of taking care of business and moving on.

 

[Sneezer]

Honestly I see all that as part of the dump process. Most parks I have been to don't have room to pull forward and still allow someone to get to the dump behind them. The last thing I want to do is to force someone through before they are done and make a mistake that can be miserable to deal with later. We all have a different system to deal with it, and some folks may have physical limitations. That rig ahead of you may be going back to storage after this trip and they may not have the capability to do a good flush in between trips.

I agree - when you are at the station you should only be doing dump related tasks, not reorganizing your storage trunk and shooting the breeze with your camping buddies after you are done, etc. I have a cassette and a tow behind for the gray water. I am rarely an early leaver, most of the time I miss the rush anyway. If I have to make an early departure I will do the gray the night before and run the cassette to a bathhouse in the morning, or swing by a vacant full hookup site and do it there if I have to.

 

[tfischer]

Sorry, but we’ll continue to stow our hoses etc. as quickly as we can at the dump station. usually, both of us work on dumping. While Courtenay is stowing the hoses in the carrier tube, I’m busy replacing the small totes in the storage area; I have no idea why the builders thought putting a door that is smaller than the already-small space.
We dump as quickly as possible, safely, without risking spills, etc. If there’s a line, we don’t use the rinser.
If I’m dumping solo, pretty, pretty please be patient with me. At 65+, with creaky joints, including small & arthritic hands, i move as quickly as I can. Push it, and I make mistakes. We had to make a gizmo so I can take off and replace the sewer cap. I much prefer having a FHU campsite when we need to dump, but that doesn’t always work put.

I'm not asking you to rush faster than you physically can. I'm asking why you can't pull up 20 feet, then stow the hose, so the next guy can start dumping during that time? Some people literally take 5 minutes just stowing stuff after they're done dumping/rinsing... and that can happen 20' up, right?

 

[tfischer]

Honestly I see all that as part of the dump process. Most parks I have been to don't have room to pull forward and still allow someone to get to the dump behind them.

This must be site dependent. I'd say most we've gone to *do* have such ability. The one in question yesterday certainly did.

If they can't pull forward, obviously I wouldn't have any space to complain.

 

[tfischer]

The other thing is... when there's a line... for dogs sake, just be efficient. Yesterday, after all the time the guy spent spraying every last drop out of his hose by rinsing it with fresh water for 3-4 minutes, and then 3-4 minutes coaxing his hose into the bumper storage... he THEN had to walk up to the cab of his truck to get the cap for the bumper storage. This, after spending all that time waiting for the poop to dump out. Why couldn't he have had the cap sitting there all that time?

 

[tfischer]

One of the reasons I love the popup. I empty the cassette and gray water at the dumpstation the night before so no waiting in line. Pack up day I don't bother making breakfast that requires dishes.

If we really need to get out on an early schedule we will do something like that. But it's nice to have a hot breakfast on that last morning if we don't need to get out until noon. Plus it's nice to have the ability to pee in the middle of the night, or at least upon getting up in the morning, without running across the campground lol.

My usual solution is to just dump into a toilet, since it's typically really hard to dump into that tiny hole anyway (this campground has a much larger "target" to dump into than normal)

 

[NLB]

Sure glad I installed a clean out at home for cassette dumping. Happy Trails.

 

[Coreym95]

I'm not asking you to rush faster than you physically can. I'm asking why you can't pull up 20 feet, then stow the hose, so the next guy can start dumping during that time? Some people literally take 5 minutes just stowing stuff after they're done dumping/rinsing... and that can happen 20' up, right?

The people who take 5+ minutes to put a hose away aren't the same people who will pull forward. Just something we need to accept.
If I'm at a place that has potable water and I'm filling up my tank, I don't pull forward when I'm done just to roll my hose back up to maybe save the person behind me a couple minutes at most.

What I will do, is take everything I need out while I'm waiting in line for the next station, since I'm just sitting in my truck doing nothing otherwise.

As long as the person/people in front of me are using their time wisely (ie. Not just standing around chit chatting, talking on the phone when their tank is emptied, etc) I'm cool with it. I expect people to take 15 minutes when they are dumping. If they take less, awesome! More, I may get a little annoyed.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

At home - yes - all your sewers should have a "clean out" at the surface (for sewer maintenance) - it mayonly take a littel work to make it into your own private dump station.

On the road - thankfully, our Porta Pottie empties into toilets (most of the time).

 

[kitphantom]

I'm not asking you to rush faster than you physically can. I'm asking why you can't pull up 20 feet, then stow the hose, so the next guy can start dumping during that time? Some people literally take 5 minutes just stowing stuff after they're done dumping/rinsing... and that can happen 20' up, right?

In many of the places we dump, !) there really isn't a handy space to pull ahead and 2) you'd be waiting for me to walk my totes there instead of for me to stow them. Same difference. We take as little time as possible, and as much as it takes to do the job cleanly and safely. I'll wait for you to do the same. It's not a race.
Note: we've managed not to have to dump where there is much of along line. If we can scope it out and see it's going to be long, we either wait in the campsite, or skip it and dump elsewhere. The chaos I saw as various gas stations at the end of Labor Day '20 was scary, as people bobbed and wove between dumps and pumps.

@ Anthony Hitchings - I'd love it if we could use our cleann out at home. Not going to happen without a major something or other, since it's 50+ feet from the trailer, and a bit uphill. I'd also love a purpose built parking are for the trailer, and a driveway that's easier to deal with, not going to happen either.

 

[BikeNFish]

Sorry! Anyone behind me is going to have to wait until the black tank is dumped and flushed properly. After that the Grey water is dumped and the stinky slinky is rinsed and stowed properly. I don't do things half-assed. I especially won't drag the dripping stinky slinky and draining hoses across the lot to save someone two minutes waiting in line. Waiting in line to dump comes with the territory of owning a camper. If I don't want to wait, I don't get in line.

I do not dawdle, but I will not race like a NASCAR pit crew member either. That is a good way to make a mistake and you do not want to make a mistake at the dump stations.

The dump station I use does not have anywhere to pull up. I also learned quickly that if I do not use the black tank flush, the amount of left over "gunk" piles up in my black tank if I don't flush it every time. I also learned that unless I use the black tank flush, the sensors are easily clogged giving me false sensor readings.

I just dumped on Monday and the whole process took less than 10 minutes. There was no one in line behind me, but I had two campers pull in as I was leaving.

 

[GalsofEscape]

I'm not asking you to rush faster than you physically can. I'm asking why you can't pull up 20 feet, then stow the hose, so the next guy can start dumping during that time? Some people literally take 5 minutes just stowing stuff after they're done dumping/rinsing... and that can happen 20' up, right?

20 feet??? ha, that won't be enough room for me to pull up and start to dump. my tow vehicle is 15 feet (and it is a midSUV, so trucks are longer) - and then my camper is 25 feet with the tank outlets at the back... so i need 40 feet. a truck pulling my camper would need more space and those bigger campers would need even more.