Gray water... why?

I tried searching for this question, but for lack of either keywords or context I got nowhere.

I found a lot of mentions from folks who save/accumulate their gray water from washing/dishes/etc. for later disposal. This is most common in the bigger RVs where they might accumulate 10 gallons on a weekend. But I've een some YT videos of people saving up a quart until they to a "disposal" place.

For a vanlifer who might accumulate 1-2 gallons a day of face-wash-water, are we not overthinking? I mean, if I washed my hands at a hose bib and left the suds on the ground, nobody would even notice. Same if I washed my car, or a plate.

Now, I'm NOT talking about washing food waste into the gutter, nor about peeing on the roadside, nor anything else that puts permanent or hazardous gunk anywhere. I AM talking about- if I build a "sink" into my setup, how critical is it to capture the miniscule amount of gray water I expect to generate?

Gray water attracts animals and especially insects, it is illegal to dump even small amounts it’s in certain areas but people pour out or spill coffee or drinks occasionally. Vehicle air conditioners drain water on the ground by design. If you build in a drain it makes pretty oblivious where water is coming from and can cause problems if not contained and properly handled. As a full timer you learn to conserve water while cleaning and showering or join a gym and and use laundromats if urban. You need to change your attitude from a sticks and bricks environment to a camping in a steel tent one. You will not have the space or weight capacity to use water as you did in a sticks and bricks. Spray bottles and microfiber towels and wet wipes are your friend! Lol!!!

I saw on a video of a van conversion, where they had a small tank under the van for the sink and shower. The tank had a drain on it. Depending on the location, they would either leave the drain open so it would run onto the ground or they would leave it closed and drain it later, perhaps on the road.

lol!!! Some older motorhomes had a system that injected both black and gray water into the exhaust manifolds instantly burning/evaporating it while driving down the road!

Bluedogz said:

I AM talking about- if I build a "sink" into my setup, how critical is it to capture the miniscule amount of gray water I expect to generate?

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All mine goes on the ground. But then, I camp in the boonies.

The biggest hazard has been attracting killer bees, which has happened a couple times.

rruff said:

All mine goes on the ground. But then, I camp in the boonies.

The biggest hazard has been attracting killer bees, which has happened a couple times.

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I want to tread respectfully there. Myself, if I washed hands and brushed teeth with I guess 8 oz. of water or less, I'd dump that on the ground without a thought. BUT I am the new kid in town when it comes to camping etiquette. And I don't want to turn into THAT GUY.

Bluedogz said:

BUT I am the new kid in town when it comes to camping etiquette. And I don't want to turn into THAT GUY.

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Usually no one is camped within miles of me, and any trace of my being there quickly disappears. Even at big gatherings it seems like a non issue to dump a little water on the ground. Sure, if you are at Walmarts and truck stops, that is something else.

rruff said:

Usually no one is camped within miles of me, and any trace of my being there quickly disappears. Even at big gatherings it seems like a non issue to dump a little water on the ground. Sure, if you are at Walmarts and truck stops, that is something else.

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Dude, have you BEEN to a truck stop? Swear to God, I had drivers in my fleets that would simply go in a 5-gallon bucket until they couldn't stand the smell, and throw out the bucket and get another. 8 ounces of gray water would have been a blessing.

The gist of my question was to see where the general population fell in between "Boy Scout" and "IDGAF." Myself, I try to stick to the "don't be a d**k" rule when traveling, and it's worked for a month of Sundays.

Yep truck stop parking lot procedures ain’t gonna work in many places around large expensive motorhomes, tourism businesses, parks or day use areas. Most places nomads park it is a privilege to do so as we usually bring little to offer to the location. I got into the habit of using a small cheap Harbor Freight tarp a distance away from my camp to evaporate waste water and keep any deposits from getting into the soil even when camping remotely and deciding I want a long soaking hot shower. Most areas are two week limits and I just usually get another one after trashing the previous one. It is getting crowded enough you just never know when someone will pop up and object when you pour out dirty water. Learning not to waste water, using as little as possible is by far best for everyone concerned that way most of the gray water evaporates out of a microfiber towel or sponge. I don’t really “rinse” anything much anymore. It is much easier if you adapt to the lifestyle rather than trying to adapt the lifestyle to you.

Porta potti in my van and win full Google “dump station near me”.

Gray water/Showers - post # 77 is me
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/showering-at-campgrounds.45100/page-4#post-615827

Gray water/Showers: post #37 is me
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/how-much-water-do-you-use-for-showers-survey.48809/page-2

jonny kleen

bullfrog ! said:

lol!!! Some older motorhomes had a system that injected both black and gray water into the exhaust manifolds instantly burning/evaporating it while driving down the road!

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Black water too? That could make for some crappy exhaust. Would hate to be stuck on a 2 lane no pass behind that. Yikes.

Seek out the YouTube video where Bob Wells shows how to wash dishes without using a kitchen sink full of water. In fact all your questions about boondocking living are very likely covered in that YouTube Cheap RV Living Channel. Your needs for the basic camp life education is why Bob Wells took the time to create all those how to manage all those everyday chores while boondocking videos. He used to own this forum but sold it a few years ago.

maki2 said:

Seek out the YouTube video where Bob Wells shows how to wash dishes without using a kitchen sink full of water. In fact all your questions about boondocking living are very likely covered in that YouTube Cheap RV Living Channel. Your needs for the basic camp life education is why Bob Wells took the time to create all those how to manage all those everyday chores while boondocking videos. He used to own this forum but sold it a few years ago.

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I do miss the old crvl forum.

I travel so I don't stay anywhere longer than an overnight. As part of my packing up for the road is to dump my gray water, which is usally less than a gallon. I also dump my urine bottle if there is no bathroom near by. I don't dump solid waste or food scraps.

If you've been peeing outdoors without bothering anyone, it's probably OK to dump a similar amount of dish water.

bullfrog ! said:

lol!!! Some older motorhomes had a system that injected both black and gray water into the exhaust manifolds instantly burning/evaporating it while driving down the road!

Click to expand...

I work on a boat and we have evaporators that turn our waste to steam. Steam still smells like waste and sometimes the flies are attracted. I have to laugh about being green with no overboard discharges as that steam will condense and fall back into the river. Steam may kill the pathogens but it is still waste.

The stars must be aligned...
This subject is a current Big! Issue! Discussion! on the 'IRV2' forums.
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All the straights are firmly in the 'against' camp.
"Can't do that sort of behavior in any RV resort!"
Then, an engineer chimed-in with probably the only voice of reason.
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The poster 'OCDENGINEER' pointed-out one simple fact:
* inevitably, all water ends-up on and in the ground.
Every septic system has a leach field.
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I added an explanation of the difference:
Us -- One is wide and microns deep, exposed to sunlight and ozone; decomposition occurs immediately.
Them -- The other is hidden and measured in hundreds of gallons/liters(litres), and usually needs pumping a few times a decade.
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The pumping company has enormous pits with impervious lining.
After fluids evaporate to atmo, decomposing solids move to an unlined pit to further decompose.
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At any point in the process, any gentle breeze spreads that inert dust.
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2003, we built our ExpeditionVehicle with zero plumbing.
We shower on our permanent porch, the deck is expanded metal, similar to stout window-screen.
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Boondocking or at the farm, we shower daily... about four gallons / 16liters(litres) each.
After accounting for vaporous in-transit evaporation, 'yes', part of that shower water could potentially reach the ground.
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Over two decades full-time live-aboard.
Zero interest from Officials-n-Authorities.
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Non-issue.

One would be misbehaving in an upscale RV resort dumping bodily fluids and dirty water wherever.

Different strokes in a area where free range animals eat and crap. Watch your step!

You do want to be cautious about dumping liquids next to your vehicle. That will attract rodents, snakes as well as insects. Most especially in areas that have not had recent rainfall.

This morning after a rain last night I had birds up on my trailer roof drinking out of the puddles left in the low spots. That was the first rain in about 10 days.

wayne49 said:

Different strokes in a area where free range animals eat and crap. Watch your step!

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Where I live I have elk, deer, wild horses, and dogs crapping in my yard. I pay quite a lot of $$$ so that my effluence is processed to drinking water quality...