Camping Regulations

csonni

Some things are coming to our attention as we view YouTube vids, etc. Some RV Parks apparently don't allow the use of Portable Pop-Up Shelters for portable toilets, etc. There also seems to be regulations on how and where one can dump grey water. Can anyone comment on some of this?

beaky

T@G not intended for RV parks

GigHarborTom

Call ahead, ask questions and request near bathroom and showers. We have used ours at RV and state parks in Washington and Oregon with the awnings etc. Our favorite park near Wenatchee / Cashmere does not allow the popups etc due to wind issues along the river there.

csonni

Thanks for the input. We're hoping that Teardrop Trailers don't eventually take on a bad rap as skateboarders have over the years in urban areas. We haven't yet travelled in ours so maybe our fears are totally unfounded.

HikinMike

I see State Parks in Texas and Oklahoma saying RVs must be fully self contained. This is usually at Parks with no dumping stations.

DCN082162

We have not run across any issues so far in the state parks in Texas that we have stayed in.

ontheroad

RV parks have been getting stricter over the last few years..a few of my T@gger friends swear by KOA's...personally I enjoy COE campgrounds, State Parks and Provincial Parks...and getting ready to experiment with National Forests and Parks. I'm sure that this past year has also been an interesting year for campgrounds since there were many inexperienced campers out there.

csonni

My wife is saying that all grey water cannot be poured onto the ground. I can understand why dishwater shouldn't go into the ground. What about plain old dirty water from washing up?

Sharon_is_SAM

@csonni - our experience is that every state park system is different. We often find gray water dump stations and you are not permitted to dump any gray water at your campsite, unless you have a full hookup site with a sewer connection.

zgfiredude

Pour it on the campfire at night's end. It mostly evaporates and makes the fire safe for bed time.

csonni

I wonder how you'd catch the water when using something like this. https://www.nemoequipment.com/product/helio-lx/

ontheroad

@csonni ...an inflatable kiddie pool... we've travelled with one to give ourselves a cleanup before crawling into bed..

HikinMike

We don't wash dishes in the sink. We have two collapsible bins. We use 100% environmentally safe soap to wash the dishes and I rinse them in the other bin. Once finished, I strain both bins to catch any food particles. Those particles go in the trash and the water goes into a grey water bucket.

We also have a trash bin, recycle bin and compost bin. Everything we bring into the park we take out. We get a little extreme I guess.

csonni

NuCamp should’ve installed a heater for the water supply.

SueBHunny

@csonni said:
My wife is saying that all grey water cannot be poured onto the ground. I can understand why dishwater shouldn't go into the ground. What about plain old dirty water from washing up?

When I bought my T@G the guy at the dealership who showed me the ropes said never to pour the grey water on the ground. And to be very careful not to trip over the bucket causing it to spill everywhere (wink wink).

I use organic soaps and have always dumped my grey water on the ground...but I don't stay in RV parks...usually State Parks or boondocking. The neighbors tend not to judge that small act when they're in tents.

beaky

dirty water with biodegradeable soap poured on the ground will not harm the environment, geez

beaky

I frankly don't get buying a T@G and then going to a campground and plugging in

csonni

So you solely use solar and generator? Or you object to using campgrounds. Because if I'm at a campground and there's a pedestal there with power, I'm connecting. Not sure why one wouldn't. Unless your reference to "plugging in" means water.

@beaky said:
I frankly don't get buying a T@G and then going to a campground and plugging in

beaky

I bought this thing to get the hell away from campgrounds, I have lots of solar,, would never use a generator. Its a basecamp for climbing and mtn biking

GigHarborTom

Not all of us are in the shape we were physically a very few years ago. I have been active and worked out for most of my life. Running, weights, spinner bike etc. I have outlived most of my friends and relatives. I am eighty plus years old. I still hike a bit. As one old fella once said, " Hay we are upright and taking nourishment". We boondock camp and still like to have extra water, power etc. Pooper and warm clean showers are a luxury we can live with. We do haul water and plenty of propane. I have yet to convince myself that solar is worth the cost. But I would like to have all the goodies, gen ,solar etc. We love the T@G anyway.

csonni

We bought the T@G to transform our cross country road trips in getting from point A to point B. And in the shorter trips and excursions, yes, boon docking with no power and the occasional campsite with shore power.

HikinMike

I bought my T@G to move away from tent camping. When we do go to a park we usually choose a site on the tent side away from the big rigs. There is only water at those sites so solar would be nice. But we choose the electric sites when the temperature reaches 95-110. AC is a must on those trips.

csonni

We're considering the Honda Generator Inverter. Saw someone on YouTube who ran their 15,000 BTU AC no problem with it.

@HikinMike said:
I bought my T@G to move away from tent camping. When we do go to a park we usually choose a site on the tent side away from the big rigs. There is only water at those sites so solar would be nice. But we choose the electric sites when the temperature reaches 95-110. AC is a must on those trips.

HikinMike

I have considered a generator and that is the one I would choose. Its a noise thing with me. I may change my mind at some point.

zgfiredude

I understand and agree with Mike....it's a noise thing, but. I just got home from picking up our new T@G and have it in my mind that we'll likely get a genny but I think we'll go out and use it first and see first. I believe that we'll have one and take it along when necessary. If we get one, it will be a Honda or a Yamaha as they are just remarkably quiet!

JamesDow

I find that my camping is maybe ¼ with a generator, >½ with solar and <¼ with neither.
I use a Renogy solar suitcase system which weighs around 26 pounds and travels inside my tow vehicle (2012 Toyotal Rav4 4WD).
The generator I use also only weighs 26 pounds (900-Watt Propane Powered Inverter Generator).
The generator uses 1 pound propane canisters, so weight is a bit more total than 26 pounds. The generator also travels inside my tow vehicle.

The noise from the generator is only a minor issue, but placing is around 40 feet away decreases the noise considerable. (using generator is typically where other campers are far away)

I also tent camp and in those cases, my neighbor brings a generator (1000 Watt Yamaha). In those cases, we place it around 100 feet away to decrease the nose level.

As for grey water, I very seldom use the onboard water or sink. Excess water typically gets dumped into the fire pit or near a desert tree or bush. I strive to use environmentally safe soaps.

Planning a cross country trip this summer and will need to decide on solar, generator or both.
The plus for the generator is that it can run the AC, which for my wife could be a priority. For me, AC is not a requirement even in extreme heat. A fan works for me.

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ras

How long will the generator run on a lb of propane?

ras

I use an 1800W Northern Tool Powerhorse inverter-generator that is also very quiet (52db). It's probably twice as loud as a Honda (48db) but still very quiet. I bought it on sale for less than half the price of the Honda.

JamesDow

Propane Generator:
I calculate the amount of propane (refilled) in a 1 lb. canister to cost about $.50 cents.
My testing has shown that I could get about 1 ½ hours of AC usage on a 1 lb. can.
I find the AC occasionally useful for the evening desert camping to cool the trailer down before night.
For those seldom periods when I (my wife) may want to run the generator for an extended period, I purchased an adapter hose (DOZYANT 5 Feet Propane Adapter Hose 1 lb. to 20 lb. Converter Replacement for QCC1/Type1 Tank Connects 1 LB Bulk Portable Appliance to 20 lb. Propane Tank - Safety Certified - $13.99) With the hose, I calculate I could get 50-60 hours of full time AC usage along with the Norcold and other accessories.

zgfiredude

I am a bit surprised that the 900 watt generator will operate the AC!

JamesDow

My measure of the AC peaked at 455 peak watts. The rating is 4.0 amps. Thus

4.0 x 120 = 480 watts, so my measuremens are consistent.

My 900 watt generator runs the AC with no issues.