Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?

[HughMungus]

Now the hard part begins...

Yeah, making it look like this:

No, but, now I have a name for my "boat".

Or should it be "Landmaster II"?

[Das Bus]

Hey Dallas! Congrats on your new "baby"! We recently bought a '69 Explorer for this years' Burn. It's gonna be expensive to drive out there, but I'm tired of tents.

[HughMungus]

Yeah. I've done:

1997: a single tent with no shade

1998: tent + a shade structure over it

2000: drove and brought a tent and ended-up sleeping in the back of my Tahoe (because it was 10x quieter and more comfortable than a tent -- and I found out it sleeps two :D )

2001: rented RV

2004: rented RV

The best part about the RV is being able to be a "base" for other campers (place to cook, clean, get coffee and get out of the sun).

Hey Dallas! Congrats on your new "baby"! We recently bought a '69 Explorer for this years' Burn. It's gonna be expensive to drive out there, but I'm tired of tents.

[Das Bus]

While reading K's thread on how much water to bring, it just occurred to me: What's an efficient way to transport your garbage in an RV? Each year we have towed a trailer, so we could haul out our garbage plus lots more with no problem. But now we'll have limited space. hmmm....

I guess maybe this is the year we stop at the landfill on our way out.

[robotland]

No room on top?

[Das Bus]

I guess on top would work. As long as we cover it with a tarp and secure it REAL well. I'd hate for any of it to fly off while in transit.

[HughMungus]

I've not had that problem in an RV becuase the first time it was just me and the second it was just me and a friend. But this year it might be a concern for us since I'm trying to get at least 3 others to go with us (so thanks for bringing it up; I can add it to my list of things to do).

One way we've always limited the amount of trash we have to deal with is by getting rid of all extraneous packaging on anything (food, materials, etc.) before we depart (or at the store when we buy food/water). Another way is to use collapsable/reuseable water containers to replace bulky plastic water containers.

While reading K's thread on how much water to bring, it just occurred to me: What's an efficient way to transport your garbage in an RV? Each year we have towed a trailer, so we could haul out our garbage plus lots more with no problem. But now we'll have limited space. hmmm....

I guess maybe this is the year we stop at the landfill on our way out.

[unjonharley]

No room on top?

~
Me thinks that's where all the bags of shit come from along about the frist steep grade. Alot of planing go's into going to BM. As much planing should go into getting home. Plan paper can be burned, plastics into a yard bag an wipes and food stuff go into a painter 5 gal bucket with lid. Put your food in plastic ziploc. If you must have plastic container, Use the one that stack inside one another. If you must carry things on the out side of your RV buy a cargo net. My health will not allow me to pick up after you this year. Can't do rough ground.

[Das Bus]

[quote="DallasPlaya"]I've not had that problem in an RV becuase the first time it was just me and the second it was just me and a friend. But this year it might be a concern for us since I'm trying to get at least 3 others to go with us (so thanks for bringing it up; I can add it to my list of things to do).

One way we've always limited the amount of trash we have to deal with is by getting rid of all extraneous packaging on anything (food, materials, etc.) before we depart (or at the store when we buy food/water). Another way is to use collapsable/reuseable water containers to replace bulky plastic water containers.

quote]

Collapsable containers don't work for us since we bring the kids. But now that you mention it, I better start making a list too! : )

[Dr. Pyro]

Lora, Doc here! Are you and Becca, et al, staying in Kidscamp this year? Some of the 3playans were worried about you, including your's truly. Hope all is well. I appologize for the thread drift.

[Bob A]

While reading K's thread on how much water to bring, it just occurred to me: What's an efficient way to transport your garbage in an RV? Each year we have towed a trailer, so we could haul out our garbage plus lots more with no problem. But now we'll have limited space. hmmm....

I guess maybe this is the year we stop at the landfill on our way out.

Use the shower stall. Anything drips no problem close the door etc. You should find a place to dump before to long thou, or keep the A/C really cranked.

Bob A

[HughMungus]

That's the part I forgot to mention -- shower stalls make great trash storage areas because if your trash leaks, no problems.

While reading K's thread on how much water to bring, it just occurred to me: What's an efficient way to transport your garbage in an RV? Each year we have towed a trailer, so we could haul out our garbage plus lots more with no problem. But now we'll have limited space. hmmm....

I guess maybe this is the year we stop at the landfill on our way out.

Use the shower stall. Anything drips no problem close the door etc. You should find a place to dump before to long thou, or keep the A/C really cranked.

Bob A

[Captain Goddammit]

Tow a trailer behind the RV... You can bring lots of extra water and actually use the shower every day (and haul it back out as grey water in the same cans), gas, bikes, shade structures, and various BM stuff in it. I like to put as much shit in my trailer as possible and keep the RV interior clear so I can use it on the drive from Seattle, and so I'm all set to go when I roll onto the playa - usually very late at night when I don't want to deal with setting up/unpacking. You can put your garbage in it, too.

[Das Bus]

The shower stall is a good idea, but maybe we'll just end up towing the trailer. With the exception of our first year, we have always arrived at night. So being able to pull up on the playa and not worrying about setting up til after some zzzz's sounds like a good idea. : )

[vic]

We use the shower stall for storage of water containers when coming to the playa and storage of garbage bags when leaving. We set up an outside shower during the week, and use the shower grey water tank for shower grey water at the end of the week.

[unjonharley]

How many of you guys are aware of the two waste tank on most RVs?

[Das Bus]

Grey water & black water? Do I get a prize? : )

[HughMungus]

Everybody. I think the point of the evap ponds is to keep from filling your gray and black water tanks.

How many of you guys are aware of the two waste tank on most RVs?

[safetythird]

For waste storage/transport I used a rubbermaid trash can bungeed to a hitch haul on the back of the rv. Stacked a bunch of Reno 2.5g bottles in it on the way up, trash on the way down. Never even had to unstrap it until I got home. Flattened 2.5g bottles strung together and bungeed to the ladder.

A word about hitch hauls on RVs, they drag. Every gas station I pulled into was left with a little less asphalt. I'm going to see if a local welder can raise the platform for this year.

Always keep at least a gallon or so in your black water tank and use the chems to grow good bacteria. Even empty tanks can stink in the heat. If you're good about not using the toilet early in the week you are rewarded with plenty of extra space for grey water.

I'd hate to be your neighbor if you're dumping the black water tank into an evap pond.

[unjonharley]

When dumping my RV tanks. There is a garden hose conection on the side. I always turn the water on before I open the gate. I was thinking of you that take RVs to BM. I leave my RV home fromBM. I shower standing in a large round pan. Afte an hour or so there is a 1/4 inch of playa in the bottom. This is the stuff BLM don't want dumped on the ground. Last year I used towels to wick the water into the air and carried the playa dust, soap and body crud to dump off playa. I was also woundering how you got the water from the evap. pond to the RV tanks? And how you handle the mud in the bottom of the pond. Or are you all trying to blow smoke up my ass? Like these guys that claim there evap pond work 100%.

[EvilDustBooger]

We dont use our evap pond on the last day before we leave - to let it evaporate as much as possible, then whatever is left(usually not much because we don`t use tons of water) , we sponge up with towels, wring it out into a container(using a funnel) , then we roll up our black plastic like a burrito with the Playa residue inside....then we tossed it in the first rest-area dumpster we came to on the way home....I wonder if people thought we were disposing a body!!!!!

[vic]

We have had good experiences with evaporation ponds in the past three years. They do pick up some playa dust, but not enough to be a big problem. I dump the plastic in the land fill on the way home. If we get rain this year, maybe I will look at it differently, but so far so good. But, figure 8x8 feet for every five people or plan on packing out the left over grey water. If you have an RV, scoop out the water into some container and let the dust settle, then pour off the water into one of your grey water tanks. I would recommend keeping the mud out of your tanks.

[Captain Goddammit]

Here's my drill...
I carry extra freshwater to the playa in plastic garbage cans (always new ones!) and as the cans get empty I dump the RV greywater into a bucket and pour it back into the same cans. Then just dump the grey water on the road a little at a time on the drive home. (Haha, just kidding, simply dump it at any RV dump station, same as your waste tank.)
I set the garbage cans up for "freshwater tank" duty by cutting a hole as close to the bottom as possible and screwing on a bulkhead fitting with a threaded connector, and a plastic gate valve... all Home Depot stuff.
Originally I drained water from the cans into buckets and poured it in the RV fresh-fill, lately I hooked up an electric pump and hose to do it.
Zero mess on the playa, no screwing around with ponds, and if you put the cans in a trailer, and bring some bleach to add in, and/or RV tank chemicals, no stinky...