With the extra stuff in the black tank plus the um… bacteria processes digesting the stuff… it’s unlikely that a black tank is going to freeze unless it gets really cold for extra long. I’m most worried about the seals and gaskets though – so a little antifreeze after you first dump the tank is probably not a bad idea if you are camping in an extended freeze (plus how you crazy people do severe winter camping, I don’t know!)

Eliz,

Yes, thank you for the tips! Cold weather RVing, especially when you leaving from such a place as Michigan, presents its own challenges when you are dealing with water in the RV. Not traveling with water in the tanks and more importantly the small pipes throughout the RV is a smart thing to do. I don’t know about you, but no one has time for busted frozen pipes! The jugs of water are a good trade-off so you can still use the toilets in the RV while you are traveling to warmer weather.

Personally, a lot of my travels include extended boondocking – whether at NASCAR or football tailgates or just out in the wild – so I normally travel with a good bit of water in my tanks. But it also helps that I am based in Georgia, so we don’t have to deal with as much cold and freezing weather as you do! I trade off the weight for better boondocking options and flexibility on where I want to go and when. But if I know I am going to a campground with a good water supply, I’ll usually travel with a closer to empty tank (usually about a third or less just for toilet and washing hands, etc no matter what). The good news is that there is no wrong answer with that issue.

Kimberly

John,

Welcome to RV Life! Lots to learn for new RVers, so I hope I can help.

To dump the black and gray tanks at home, you’ll need somewhere to dump. In my front yard, I have a sewer cutout – basically, the main sewer pipe runs down the middle of the street in front of my house. And there is a pipe that goes from my house to that main sewer pipe. In the middle of my yard is a sewer cutout, which looks like many campground sewer connections. It is the same three inch diameter that the sewer hose connects to, so it is real easy to pop the cover off and hook up the RV sewer hose. Dump as you would in a campground.

If you don’t have a sewer (or septic) cutout, then you’ll want to add an RV Macerator Pump to your RV sewer dump. Without being too, um, graphic, it will chop up the waste to where it will fit through a standard garden hose. You could then run this inside your home to the nearest bathroom to where you park. Because it has a pump, it can travel longer distances and slightly uphill. This will be much cheaper than digging up your yard to add a sewer cutout!

Whatever you do, don’t dump into any storm water runoff (a la Cousin Eddie) or a nearby stream. It is illegal and could be dangerous to you, your family, your neighbors, pets, and wildlife.

Let me know if I can answer any more of your questions!

Kimberly

I’m a newbie.. How do you dump at home?

Toni, I really think the bidets are going to really start taking off in RVs this year. Especially higher end RVs.

Kimberly