Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **BotDoc** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:14 am

Hello all, I am in the beginning stages of building a teardrop. I have the trailer built but before I go to much farther I want to try and figure out what to do with the waste watter from the sink. What do you all do? Since space is already limited I was thinking of putting a grey water tank mounted to the trailer.

Cheers,

Steve

by **GeoDrop** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 1:02 pm

Steve,

I am planning on just running a hose into a bucket. I built a sink drawer that slides out, so the bucket can just sit right there and when we are ready to leave, we can just take it where it needs to go.

I did seriously consider a grey water tank but didn't have a lot of room and then you'd have to plumb it and figure out how to drain it, etc. I still have a small spot for it if I change my mind.

I think most people do mount them under the trailer. You can buy the black ABS ones. Someone even used a bunch of PVC pipe to create one.

BotDoc wrote:Hello all, I am in the beginning stages of building a teardrop. I have the trailer built but before I go to much farther I want to try and figure out what to do with the waste watter from the sink. What do you all do? Since space is already limited I was thinking of putting a grey water tank mounted to the trailer.

Cheers,

Steve

by **Arne** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 1:15 pm

sink?

I wash in a pot and throw it on the ground... All is biodegradable and small quantities.. less than 2 quarts.

by **Shadow Catcher** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:13 pm

We have a 16 gal gray water tank under the tear.

by **PhotoGuy** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 10:10 pm

BotDoc wrote:Hello all, I am in the beginning stages of building a teardrop. I have the trailer built but before I go to much farther I want to try and figure out what to do with the waste watter from the sink. What do you all do? Since space is already limited I was thinking of putting a grey water tank mounted to the trailer.

Cheers,

Steve

I am planning my first build. And since I will be spending most of my time off road, off the grid I will need to carry fresh water. I am planning to build in a gray water tank in mine. Not a lot of room. But it will work.

by **doug hodder** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 10:56 pm

I'd just catch it and dump it on a needy bush, or if in a developed site, there may or may not be a place to dump it, there are lots of "green" detergents available. Detergents will break down hard soil and allow it to absorb more water. I always wipe out the pans first so that there isn't any food that might attract critters however.

As far as a gray water tank on an off road rig...why bother? What are you going to do with your crap and TP?, unless you are planning on a black water tank as well. Chances are...some gray water is going to be a lot less of an environmental issue than whatever you leave on the ground, buried or not. Doug

by **Ageless** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:10 pm

While I was in the planning stages of my last trip; I came upon some campgrounds that listed very specific rules. Several specified that dumping of ANY water on the ground was prohibited.

I carry (2) 10 quart buckets for washing/rinsing and a 5 gal. waste water bucket. I do have a connection on the trailer for draining the sink to a sewer line.

While dry camping, I will dispose of 'grey water' to a dug hole if needed.

A bit of research into where you plan to camp is essential.

by **Gage** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:34 pm

You can get a Gray Water tank at any RV Store. Picture shows mine under my tear.

by **Wimperdink** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 3:29 pm

Sink? I use a brand new never used for chemicals, chemical sprayer. I walk away from the tear off into nature and do my rinsing away. If in a campground, a bathroom suffices.

I even put a tire valve stem in the bottle so that If i'm lazy, I can pressurize it with an emergancy tire inflater. Of course common sense would say not to let it pressurize above a couple of psi if you use this method.

by **GPW** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:49 am

We've got paper plates and plastic cups ,green soap and Vinegar for cleaning ... paper towels ... shouldn't generate much gray water... Good Bucket for that if needed ... Not very Green , but probably no worse than dumping lots of gray water on the plants , or worse, the exhaust fumes from the Tow vehicle ... :roll:

Seems like any campground specifically forbidding water dumping would provide a place for this ...

by **bobhenry** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:38 am

Nonbreakable plates and cups.

Real soap and real water and an honest to God dishtowel. A bucket to contain the wash water to be dumped in the vault toilet or I have been known to calm down a pesky campfire by pouring it around the outside edge of the fire. Mr. Ranger has never questioned me while trying to control the fire

(Whether it needed it or not)

The food in the waste water is the park staff's concern it can draw unwanted visitors to your campsite. The wood ash in the fire pit seems to render the food particals "Uninteresting" to the critters after it is poured into the pit.

I like real dinnerware and simply detest paper plates. My little Ingrid party ball stores so compact and is so handy and best of all it is colorful.