Finding RV Dump Stations

Part of the "fun" of owning an RV is dumping the black and gray waste holding tanks. Finding places to dump the tanks can be a bit difficult when you are traveling unless you are paying for full RV hookup sites.

Keeping in mind that almost every city and town has an RV dump station somewhere, here are some tips to help you find free and fee locations to empty your waste holding tanks.

State & National Parks - Park campgrounds almost always have a dump station available for anyone paying the park day use fee.

Truck Stops/Gas Stations - Many truck stops such as Flying J, and TA (Travel America) have free RV dump stations. Many gas stations also have RV dump stations.

Community & City Parks - Smaller towns often have a city park where camping is allowed that includes an RV dump station.

City Water Treatment Facilities - Many waste water treatment plants offer sanitary dump facilities. You may have to use the same dump station that large septic pump trucks use.

Many state highway rest areas have RV dump stations available free.

Resources for finding RV dump stations vary. Two nationwide internet web sites offer the best information we've found so far. Sanidumps.com, and RVdumps.com have good lists of RV dump locations in all states and Canada.

Ask the local chamber of commerce.
Private RV parks usually let you dump for a price.
Check the yellow pages...call septic pumping companies for a dump station recommendation.

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Camping Season...Are You Ready?

With the Memorial Day weekend and the "traditional start of summer" nearly upon us, it's a good idea to be thinking about getting the RV ready for camping season. What really brought this to mind was a family member that decided to pull their pop up camper out of storage early just to be sure that they were ready for the season.

First off, there was the flat tire that needed changing before exiting the storage lot. Now many folks are able to store their RV's on their property so they will know about such things, but our family members live in an area where extended parking of an RV is restricted. Be ready to change a tire if you have to.

They next get the camper home and find out that the water pump didn't get all the water out for winter and is now leaking. Again, if they would have "assumed" that everything was OK, they would have hit the road and had had a difficult problem to live with. By checking early, a new water pump was obtained, and now a trouble free camping trip is in their future.

Don't forget about using checklists so you don't forget a thing. Look around and especially under your RV. Things may loose or leaking that you are not aware of creating an unsafe situation. I've heard too many stories, and seen too many accidents over the years involving RVs to not take safety seriously.

So get your RV ready and head for a great camping site.

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The Difference Between Boondocking and Dry Camping

We wish there was universal understanding of the difference between the terms dry camping and boondocking when it comes to RV campsites. RV Camping defines boondocking as remote location camping away from developed camping facilities.

Overnight RV parking locations such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, shopping centers, restaurants, etc. should not be considered boondocking. The same is true for any public developed campground or horse camp. Whenever you are camped on private commercial property, or in public developed campgrounds without RV hookups, you are dry camping.

Boondocking is really advanced RV camping. There is little information about specific boondocking campsites, which means you need a sense of adventure to find great camping locations. Look at any RV magazine, and you will see beautiful pictures of an RV next to a lake or stream with a great view of the mountains beyond. Those pictured boondocking campsites are really out there, you just have to look hard to find them.

Does the difference between dry camping and boondocking really matter? Probably not, but when somebody says they are boondocking at Wal-Mart, I figure they just don't understand that some of us know the difference between dry camping and boondocking.

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RV Camping - Watch Out For The Fine Print!

We try and keep up with the goings on of the USDA Forest Service and other public lands administrators as their decisions can have a huge impact on our camping locations and availability. Today we learned about some "guidance" provided by the USDA Forest Service about game retrieval and dispersed camping.

Here is where the "fine print" comes into play. We learned about this document from a camping forum post. The original forum post pointed out two issues...one had to do with ATV's, the other delt with dispersed camping (boondocking). All respondents to this point agreed that ATV's should be restricted, and that was it. Nothing mentioned at all about how camping 50 feet from a road would be lousy with dust, noise, and potential safety issues for children and pets.

So please, read the "fine print" too when you read about public lands doctrine. There is often more than meets the eye that may effect your future camping plans, and if you don't agree with what is happening, let somebody know. Write the forest service, your congressman, or your other elected representatives. They are our public servants, they should be working for us.

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RV Alternative Fuels - How Dangerous?

70 years ago today, a vehicle using an alternative fuel crashed taking the lives of 36 people. At the time, it's cutting edge technology included metal framing and fabric cover. It covered thousands of miles safely before it exploded into flames and crashed at Lakehurst, NJ.

The airship Hindenburg crash should remind us about the dangers of making changes, and the need for careful forward thinking. While Hydrogen in the Hindenburg was used as a lifting source rather than a fuel source, the results are obvious. A few years ago, MTBE was a required fuel additive to help reduce engine emissions, then it was found to be a very dangerous chemical additive easily invading ground water, and outlawed nationwide.

The Hindenburg crashed in part because the US had an embargo against less explosive Helium, so the highly explosive Hydrogen was used instead. The problem is that even though the use of Hydrogen as an alternative fuel source sounds great, there are potential problems to overcome. The same is true for Ethanol that is being touted as a great fuel source, but we just read the other day that extremely hazardous chemicals are byproducts that may cause serious environmental issues.

The US seems to take a "knee jerk" approach to energy and political issues trying for the quick fix. Unfortunately, without careful forward thinking, we end up with MTBE type problems or worse. With the cost of fuels skyrocketing, it's easy to view any reduction in our dependence on foreign fuels as positive.

RV alternative fuels are just around the corner. We hope the decision makers keep past disastrous lessons in mind as they make energy policy decisions that may effect our RV camping experiences in a negative way.

RV Camping - Central City Colorado

On May 6, 1859, a fellow named John Gregory discovered gold in what soon would be called the "Richest Square Mile on Earth". This find occurred near the site of current day Central City and Blackhawk Colorado which are located west of Denver about 40 miles.

This area is rich in mining history, with mine shafts, mills, and assorted mining equipment scattered around the mountains surrounding town. Central City was considered for Colorado's capitol, and the town has endured a boom and bust economic history from mining, to current day gambling.

There is free camping available in the area, but the Columbine Campground (with location maps) is a popular public forest service facility with vault toilets, picnic tables, water, and trash. This campground has a host, reservations are accepted, and most campsites have large Pine trees for shade throughout the day. Our 36' motor home with toad fits into most of the back-in spaces. There are no pull through sites. $12 per night. Maximum length 55'.

Located at around 9200 feet, this campground offers cool summer camping close to some of Colorado's extensive mining history. The towns of Central City and Blackhawk offer casino gambling, and streams and trails are abundant. Mountain biking, and 4x4 exploring via 1800's mining roads are popular activities.

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Free RV Camping - North Dakota

Let us introduce you to North Dakota's boating access sites on the Missouri River System. Almost all sites have a boat ramp, courtesy dock, and restrooms. Low water may make boat access unavailable.

Game and Fish Department's web site lists 57 access areas, many allow primitive camping. These developed areas are funded in part by sportsman license purchase, but you can enjoy many of them for free unless you want to engage in activities that require a license.

Here are just the first two listings...

1. Sundheim Park - 2 miles west of Cartwright on ND Highway 200, west side of Yellowstone River and on he south side of ND Highway 200. (No courtesy docks, paved access road, primitive camping, security lights, picnic shelter - McKenzie County Park Board).
2. Confluence Area - 1 1/2 miles souh of Buford on ND Highway 1804. (Paved access road, primitive camping, security lights, picnic shelter, trash receptacles - Williams County WRD)

Not everyone will enjoy these boat launch areas as an RV camping location, but travelers may think these are perfect overnight locations off the beaten path. There are more free camping ideas available at North Dakota Camping Resources. Links to Wildlife Management Areas, federal and state parks, grasslands and more.

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