campground ethics question

Indy Itasca · 03-17-2007, 03:10 PM

We store our MH about 10 miles from our house. We live in the city and on a very busy street so bringing the MH home to do work etc, is a problem. I want to flush and sanitize the fresh water tank. I thought I might be able to just go to a KOA or some other campground for one night and fill and flush the fresh water there. (75 gal tank). Is the an excessive use of their resources or something okay to do. Should I be upfront with them about my intentions? Pay them something extra? What is the norm for this kind of stuff?

Indy Itasca · 03-17-2007, 03:10 PM

We store our MH about 10 miles from our house. We live in the city and on a very busy street so bringing the MH home to do work etc, is a problem. I want to flush and sanitize the fresh water tank. I thought I might be able to just go to a KOA or some other campground for one night and fill and flush the fresh water there. (75 gal tank). Is the an excessive use of their resources or something okay to do. Should I be upfront with them about my intentions? Pay them something extra? What is the norm for this kind of stuff?

Tuney-GA · 03-17-2007, 03:29 PM

In our experience most campgrounds have rules about doing service on the campsites.

jimandsue60 · 03-17-2007, 03:35 PM

If your plan is to pay for a site, fill, your tanks, drain them and add some sanitizer. I see no problem with that. People do that all the time.

Jim

Tom-NC · 03-17-2007, 03:39 PM

RC is correct as campgrounds don't like that. Can't you fit it in your driveway? Maybe how about a Flying J gas station. Thay have water and a dump station. Actually when I want to de winterize my RV I just hook it up to city water and get the antifreeze out of the lines, then I fill fresh water tank and hot water heater and away we go. No biggy.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Wizard · 03-17-2007, 04:01 PM

I don't see where dumping the fresh water tank would be a problem anywhere, especially at a campground. You will be paying to use their water anyway.

Nonno · 03-17-2007, 04:16 PM

Campgrounds with seasonals do this when they dewinterize, so I don't see a problem if you have paid for your site.

AFChap · 03-17-2007, 04:22 PM

Indy

You pay the nightly fee, go ahead and dump your tanks, sanitize, whatever. Especially at a KOA where you pay premium prices! Seriously, some overnighters will dump, and some will not as they don't need to. It all averages out. But if you don't really want to pay/stay overnight, most campgrounds will allow you to dump your tanks for a $5 or $10 charge.

Trek-Cyclist · 03-17-2007, 05:32 PM

I don't think it would be a problem. The one thing that they might get upset about would be dumping the Fresh water tank on the ground.

When I travel I usually carry 1/3 tank of fresh water. When I get to our destination I dump it. I used to trickle it out on the ground, but now I adapted PVC on the FW tank drain. All I have to do is hook a hose on the end and water the trees if they have any! If not I dump it on the grass or dump it down the sewer. Kind of out of sight out of mind...

kalynzoo · 03-17-2007, 05:58 PM

I personally do not see a problem with tank mantainance at a site I am paying for. However, some locations do not have free access to water, Grand Canyon, Acton California, etc, have to have water trucked in. I am very conservative in these locations.

FrontRangeRVer · 03-17-2007, 06:50 PM

I don't see the big deal about de-winterizing and using the sewer and water at a site where you paid your $35....

Izzyblueye · 03-18-2007, 03:06 AM

I don't see a problem with the campground water, but if you are going to put Chlorine in the system to sanitize it. Then dumping that from the tank will require some caution on your part, as it will kill grass. I also do not see why you would need to fill your tank completely full to sanitize it.

Frankie · 03-18-2007, 03:17 AM

Sort of a ritual for me at Normandy Farms Resort every spring and fall.I could easily do it at home,but so much easier with a 3 way site.I sanitize my FW tank with a couple capfulls of bleach.The antifreeze I use is non toxic.The only thing I have read in rules is they look down on using formaldihyde(sp?), which I dont use. Spring is here baby, time to camp!!!!!!!!

John_Canfield · 03-18-2007, 03:56 AM

Like others have said, I don't see any problem with doing usual and ordinary RV activities. It would be an entirely different matter if you wanted to change your oil or something like that.

At the campground where we wintered in Florida last year, our neighbor did a brake job on his truck at his site about 10 feet away from our coach. I thought this was a little over the top but he was a really good neighbor so I didn't let my knickers get in a twist over one incident.

Route 66 · 03-18-2007, 03:59 AM

Lots of folks up north who have winterized rigs have to wait until they get far enough south to de-winterize and sanitize. Sometimes there is no other choice.

Moder2 · 03-18-2007, 07:48 AM

I Agree with the majority here... Most campgrounds could care less, infact they expect it as long as you don't make a huge mess or flood half the place.

One poster mentioned to do such activities at a Flying J or similar location... If you do, just hope I'm not in line waiting for you, I'd get pretty peeved about someone doing that. It is bad enough that most people leave there vehicle to go into pay or use the restroom while others wait in line to use the pump...

Just my thoughts.

Indy Itasca · 03-18-2007, 08:27 AM

Thanks everybody. I hear you all saying de-winterizing is ok at a campground. Being new to this, we just want to do the right thing. Not having a place to park at home is draw back. Our storage place said some work done there is ok - with in reason. But of course they don't have water or drains. I guess we will just get creative with some of it.

Izzyblueye · 03-18-2007, 09:28 AM

Moder2" Man I couldn't agree with you more. I quit using them for this very reason, along with spilled diesel fuel all over the place.

Tom N · 03-18-2007, 10:41 AM

Lots of snowbirds do this coming and going from FL. On their way north they will stop at a CG and winterize. On their way south they will stop and de-winterize at a CG.

IMHO, this is not doing service in a CG and I would say nothing when checking in.

-Tom

NeilV · 03-18-2007, 11:33 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Moder2:
I Agree with the majority here... Most campgrounds could care less, infact they expect it as long as you don't make a huge mess or flood half the place.

One poster mentioned to do such activities at a Flying J or similar location... If you do, just hope I'm not in line waiting for you, I'd get pretty peeved about someone doing that. It is bad enough that most people leave there vehicle to go into pay or use the restroom while others wait in line to use the pump...

Just my thoughts. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Same thoughts here. I was stuck in the dump station line at the Flying-J in Sefner last week for over an hour as someone was doing extended maintenance on their horse trailer. The person on front of me had been there about a half hour longer waiting for the same guy and he was right behind him. The five of us that got stacked up behind him were done and out in less than 30 minutes after he pulled out.

Many Campgrounds will allow you to do this type of maintenance between 8 and 10 in the mourning. Even washing your coach is allowed at Thousand Trails if you do it during this time frame.