Vanlife- 5 straightforward methods to cope with waste & water on the highway

One of many hardest issues about wild parking or staying off-grid with a motorhome or campervan is realizing the way to discover contemporary, secure consuming water and acceptable gray and black waste disposal factors while you’re on the highway, particularly within the UK which is lots tougher than motorhoming in Europe.

Nonetheless, don’t let the confusion put you off. There are many choices for motorhomes and campervans to soundly get rid of waste and get water- which we’re going to share with you right here.

Don’t overlook to seize your free motorhome wild tenting guidelines right here that can assist you arrange your van to remain in a single day with out electrical energy or services.

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Motorhome waste and discovering water – what’s the massive deal?

In the event you do all of your motorhoming on campsites, this would possibly look like a silly query. In any case- it’s straightforward… you simply join your hose to the faucet on the campsite, and empty your gray tank and bathroom cassette into the suitable areas.

And also you’re not improper. However…

My guess is most individuals involved about discovering water and waste disposal while in a motorhome or campervan aren’t planning on staying on campsites- or at the very least not ones with services. Actually, there’s a great likelihood that you just’re planning on staying off-grid together with your van, having fun with a spot of motorhome wild tenting and usually wish to be as distant from campsites as attainable.

With that in thoughts, let’s get began.

Motorhome Waste Disposal

Earlier than we get began, let’s discuss concerning the several types of waste. Gray waste is bathe and sink soiled water and black waste is rest room waste.

In most locations, you possibly can’t get rid of them in the identical place. Gray water goes down a drain and black waste goes right into a chemical rest room disposal level. It’s necessary to know that distinction earlier than we go on to the several types of waste disposal factors.

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The place to search out Motorhome waste disposal factors

Let’s begin with the plain one- when you want contemporary consuming water and a secure place to get rid of gray and black waste, the perfect place to go is a correct motorhome campsite.

I do know, I do know- we’ve already talked about that you just’re attempting to keep away from these- however they are surely the perfect place to go to for motorhome services.

Often, I begin my motorhoming holidays with an empty van, because the van is saved in storage and I’m unable to refill with contemporary water there. For that motive, I attempt to e-book the primary night time of any journey right into a campsite. I additionally do the identical on the final night- so I can empty the gray and black waste correctly and drain any remaining contemporary water which could nonetheless be within the tanks.

After all, in the summertime you principally possible must e-book up upfront to be able to get an area, but when you recognize when your journey will begin, it’s simpler to know the place you possibly can keep.

And, when you’re planning to remain on campsites with waste disposal services and water in your whole journey, then it’s easy- you simply use these.

However what if you wish to keep away from campsites?

How do you discover water and waste disposal for the remainder of your time on the highway when you don’t wish to keep in a single day on a campsite?? Properly, there are a number of choices. You’re both:

• Go to a campsite and pay to make use of their providers
• Local people factors – like neighborhood facilities and automobile parks (some are beginning to present motorhome service factors for a small price)
• In Europe, use a motorhome aire or service level
• Use public services (not really useful however helpful in a pinch)

Paying for campsite services

Within the UK, the place there isn’t a big community of aires and motorhomers aren’t as properly catered for, I nonetheless suggest utilizing campsite services as usually as attainable.

Many campsites will can help you pay a small price (someplace between £5-£10) to be able to refill your contemporary water tank, empty gray waste and your rest room cassette.

I’ve discovered higher success with this by both utilizing campsites which overtly say they permit this (look on their web sites) or utilizing smaller, unbiased campsites. Anybody operating a web site from a farm or discipline as an unbiased enterprise are more likely to permit a ‘pit cease’.

You’ll be able to telephone upfront (really useful when you’re a bigger automobile or tow a trailer together with your motorhome like we do) however I’ve had higher success by simply turning up and asking politely to pay for utilizing their providers.

TOP TIP: Do NOT flip up at a motorhome membership campsite (like a CMC or CCC web site) on a Friday or Sunday throughout summer time or college holidays. They are going to be WAY too busy to cope with you and are more likely to say no.

Europe aires & service factors

In case you are motorhoming in Europe, life is lots simpler! In addition to aires (study the way to discover aires and in a single day parking in Europe), there are additionally a system of motorhome service factors, usually at service areas on motorways.

To make use of these, you simply want to drag up, pay the price (normally 1 or 2€) and empty waste/ get contemporary water. Straightforward peezy.

So, when all of the above fails, let’s focus on public providers.

Gray Waste Water Disposal within the UK

For gray wastewater, there are methods to get rid of it correctly with no campsite. The UK, like most of Europe, has separate methods in place for rain water and gray water. Subsequently, most roadside drains are for rainwater solely.

In the event you’re fortunate sufficient to discover a gray water drain, you possibly can simply pull your motorhome up excessive and open the waste (gray, NOT BLACK.) Most aires and accepted motorhome parking locations have gray water drains (though they don’t at all times say.)

Alternatively, when you’re parked up someplace, you should utilize a plastic container just like the under ones, which may then be carried to the suitable disposal level or drain. 

The place to search out gray waste and bathroom disposal factors within the UK

Right here’s a implausible map from Campra (Marketing campaign for Actual Aires within the UK) which exhibits aires and disposal factors across the UK.

There are a number of locations within the Lake District which have been arrange for waste disposal- right here’s the place to search out them (thanks Paul for the hyperlink)

Gray water and bathroom waste disposal factors in Scotland

Right here’s a terrific map from CAMPA (NOT the identical as Campra above) exhibiting waste disposal factors and campsites in Scotland which let you use their providers for a price.

Can you place gray waste down a ‘regular’ highway drain?

This can be a tough one. My politically right reply is not any, as a result of then it doesn’t return into the fitting system for remedy. Having stated that, it’s not unlawful to scrub your automobile within the street- and that’s cleaning soap and grime too.

My sincere reply is, in a pinch, it’s higher to empty right into a drain than everywhere in the highway. Clearly, utilizing correct campsite services is the best choice. Attempt to use washing up liquid which is sort to the setting (like those under) when you suppose you would possibly do that sooner or later.

Additionally, attempt to wipe down plates/ cooking pans to take away fats and meals earlier than you wash up (that is good follow anyway so your tank doesn’t odor/ pipes don’t get clogged.) And PLEASE don’t simply open the outlet as you’re driving alongside, even when it’s raining.

Additionally, some smaller campsites ask motorhomers to make use of their gray water on the hedgerows, particularly in summer time. Solely do that if requested/ clear indicators.

Black waste/ rest room cassette disposal for vanlife

Public toilets- don’t use busy ones just like the M6 providers or beachfront ones. Discover a quiet village or distant bathroom. There’s an internet site and app known as Rest room Map which may help you discover locations.

Additionally, don’t tip all of it out at once- you’ll block the bathroom. Little then flush. Clear up

VERY IMPORTANT: Ensure that the bathroom you might be emptying into isn’t on a septic tank/ fosse. Whether it is, and you utilize ‘regular’ rest room fluids, you’ll kill all of the micro organism.

Once more, if that is possible (when you’re motorhoming in France for instance), use fosse-friendly fluid in your rest room cassette. I take advantage of a product known as Solbio natural rest room fluid, which is pure and doesn’t comprise dangerous chemical substances. It’s additionally secure to be disposed of in septic tanks or fosse, which means we now have extra choices to get rid of our rest room responsibly.

The right way to make your motorhome rest room last more between emptying

To make the bathroom go for longer between discharges, some folks use a pee bottle, however you want just a little liquid in there in any other case it’ll all stick as a giant lump.

What I choose to do as a substitute is to not put rest room paper into the bathroom. As an alternative, I take advantage of a plastic bag, like a nappy bag for all used paper, which may then be disposed of safely in a bin. 

Some folks discover this bizarre, however I needed to do it for years on the boat so it’s fairly widespread and does cease the bathroom getting so full, so quick.

Additionally, you do NOT must pay for costly motorhome rest room paper. Critically, simply get a budget stuff from any grocery store so it dissolves simply. However when you’re going to place it right into a bag, you should buy no matter model you want! However when you’re wanting an ecofriendly possibility, I’ve really useful some under.

An alternative choice for ‘sticky’ rest room paper is to not use loads of water to flush the paper down- that simply fills up the cassette. As an alternative, you should utilize a twig bottle (or previous Domestos bottle with the jet spout) for focused stress to flush it down and clear marks on the bowl with little or no water use. (Thanks Bob for the tip.)

While we’re on the topic, please, fairly please, don’t empty the cassette along with the highway, or right into a hedge, or the forest. It’s inflicting chaos in in style areas and locations like Portugal have been destroyed by this, so please do assist defend our nation by disposing of waste hygenically. 

Discovering contemporary consuming water whereas travelling

As for getting water, you used to have the ability to get water from garages and repair stations, however lots of these have gone now. Some folks counsel utilizing graveyards however personally that doesn’t sit properly.

In the event you’re a canal boat proprietor, you might need a key which provides you entry to services- some locations have these close to sufficient to a carpark for hoses to achieve. Once more, I take advantage of campsites and solely drink water from the lifesaver jerrycan I carry onboard (HIGHLY suggest this when you journey lots.)

I hope that helped reply your questions. I’d love to listen to what you do- be at liberty to share your solutions. And if you recognize of any campsites which can allow you to use their services for a price, please do drop the small print under so others can profit.

Final replace on 2025-05-20 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API

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