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happy camper

Recommended Post-Camping Trip Cleaning Rituals

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Recommended Post-Camping Trip Cleaning Rituals

At the end of each camping trip, and especially the longer ones, we come home with a dirty Scamp usually in need of a good cleanout.  We always prioritize bringing the Scamp back up to travel readiness as soon as we come home.  This way we know we will be ready to go on a moment’s notice next time and also don’t have to dread the cleanup days.  Additionally, doing the cleanup on the day of arrival eliminates the need for us to hitch up and pull the Scamp out of our garage for the cleaning.   In order to accomplish this task, we always plan to arrive back home midday so we can have lunch and then start the cleanup process.  We also usually wash our tow vehicle right after the Scamp on the same day.  We find with two people this is entirely doable.

To begin with and to make the entire process easier, make sure that your small travel trailer is waxed with a high quality wax.  If it’s a fiberglass travel trailer, like ours, use a premium marine wax on the fiberglass.  We waxed our Scamp 13’ with Meguiar’s Flagship Premium Wax right after we took delivery of our Scamp and continue to use this brand.  We find it easy to rub on and off and it provides a really nice shine and water resistant layer.  It’s also supposed to protect against UV damage and wear.  We’ve noticed the marine wax gives a nice gloss to our white gel coating.  Most importantly, just like the wax on a car, having a good quality wax coating makes it much easier to wash away the dirt after a camping trip.   Our plan is to put a fresh coat of wax on the Scamp before every summer.  Since our Scamp is stored in our garage and, in turn, not exposed to the elements when not travelling, it has stayed in really good shape.

The first thing we do when we pull up to our house after camping is to position the Scamp right in front of our driveway on the street.  This is the area where we wash the Scamp.  After parking, we disconnect the Scamp from the Tow vehicle so it doesn’t drain the SUV’s battery.  We immediately remove all the food out of the Scamp refrigerator and bring it inside our home so it can be refrigerated.  We also clear out all the clothes and other items we normally don’t store long term in the Scamp.  All dirty clothes go directly into the washing machine and the wash is started.  Then, we normally go inside our house, have lunch and relax for a few minutes.

After lunch, we open the Scamp’s fresh water drain valve (under the passenger side dinette bench) so that all remaining fresh water drains onto the street (to prevent algae and bacteria buildup which may result from water stored for long periods inside the Scamp fresh water tank).  We also open up the hot and cold water faucets for a few seconds to remove pressure in the system (on demand pump off) and then, using a ratcheted socket wrench, remove the anode from the hot water heater, and allow the water to drain out (see article “Drain and Clean Your Tanks Regularly”).  In addition, we use a water heater tank rinser to thoroughly flush out the sediment inside the hot water heater tank.  We set the anode rod aside on our garage work bench (or replace if over 75% consumed) for a day or two and let the hot water tank dry out.

We wash the Scamp with warm soapy water (we use car soap) and sponges.  We first use a strong spray of water to rinse off all loose dirt.  We then soak our sponges into the sudsy warm water and give the Scamp a thorough washing.  We use a small aluminum ladder next to the Scamp to reach the roof (be especially careful when on a ladder to prevent falls).  Areas toward the front of the Scamp generally have the most hard-to-get-off debris (like smashed bugs).  It sometimes takes persistent scrubbing to get off these bits (but having a nice wax coat makes the process much easier).  Our HD antenna also seems to catch the bugs fairly well!  With patience and plenty of warm soapy water, the trailer seems to clean fairly quickly and easily with two people working on it (especially a trailer as small as 13’, which is actually only 10’ when the 3’ hitch isn’t included).

After the outside of the Scamp is washed and dried (we use a couple of Absorbers to dry our cars and Scamp), we back the Scamp into our garage, unhitch, secure with blocks and rear stabilizers, and then turn our attention toward the inside of the Scamp.  First, we use a small broom to sweep out any loose dirt on the floor.  We clean the bathroom (toilet and shower) with natural disinfectant.  We remove the teak shower floor mat and toilet scrubber and wash them down outside and let them dry in the Sun.  We cleanse the surfaces of the kitchen stove top and dinette table.  We also clean the inside of the refrigerator and leave the door open so it can air out for a couple of days.  We pull out the sleeping bag, pillow covers, shower and dish towels, all dishware and utensils used on the trip, and wash in our home.  We clean the main floor area with natural disinfectant spray.  We open the rear window of the Scamp for a few days to allow fresh air in and moisture out of the camper.  We dump both Black and Grey tanks using our sewer cleanouts inside the garage (see article “Save Time & Money with a Home Dump”).  If we have time, we wash our tow vehicle and clean and vacuum the interior.  Lastly, we sanitize the Black and Grey tanks with Happy Camper (one cap flushed with 3 gallons of water in toilet and sink) – we leave in for a few days and then dump.  We charge up the Scamp battery with our garage AC overnight so that the battery is topped off.  Additionally, we recharge all the electric items we used on our trip (e.g. Jackery 500 power supply, cameras, and phones).

The next day, we usually refuel our tow vehicle and fill up our propane tank(s) at the local service station.  We secure the propane tanks back onto the Scamp when we get home and also resupply the Scamp with the clean sleeping bag, pillow covers, shower and dish towels, and dishware.  We also refresh the provisions of the disposable products we used on our trip (e.g. paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper, and the rubber gloves we like to use at dump stations).  Additionally, we insert the anode rod back into the empty hot water heater tank and secure it by screwing into place (using plumbers tape wound around the threads in the opposite direction the anode is turned).  Just remember, if you empty your hot water heater and store it empty, you must fill it right before you leave on your next trip to avoid burning out the heating element which may occur if it’s turned on with no hot water in the hot water heater tank!  The easy way to refill your hot water heater tank in your small travel trailer right before your next trip is to attach a hose directly to your City Water hookup port, turn on the hose (which pressurizes your trailer’s water system), and then turn on the hot water faucet at your sink.  When water starts spitting out the hot water faucet, then it is filled.

By maintaining these cleaning rituals after each trip, you will ensure that you will look forward to your next trip without having to think too much about readying your small travel trailer and will be ready to go whenever nature calls!  Cleanliness is next to godliness . . . .

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Save Time & Money with a Home Dump!

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Save Time & Money with a Home Dump!

One of the biggest concerns of small travel trailer campers is the status of their Fresh, Grey, and Black water tank levels and the necessity to Dump the tanks before it’s too late.  A small travel trailer with sink, bathroom and shower generally has four tanks [e.g. Fresh tank to hold fresh water, Hot Water tank (usually fed from the Fresh tank), Grey tank (the water that is drained from the sink and shower), and Black tank (holds what is flushed down toilet)].  Our 13’ Scamp travel trailer with bathroom has a 12 gallon Fresh tank, 6 gallon Hot Water tank, 21 gallon Grey tank, and 9 gallon Black tank.

It’s important to monitor tank levels so you don’t run out of water or, possibly worse, have dirty or hazardous water / waste back up into your trailer!  Most campers get an idea fairly quickly how long they can go without dumping their tanks.  When we purchased our Scamp travel trailer, we had a tank monitor sent directly to the factory and had them integrate it into our Scamp when completing our custom build.  We use the SeeLevel II tank monitoring system (we purchased ours on RVupgrades.com because the price was much lower than on Amazon).   This monitor allows one to see the levels of all the tanks as well as the travel trailer voltage (which you want to make sure doesn’t go much lower than 12 volts – around 50% charge).  We rely on the monitor religiously to make sure we are keeping our tanks and voltage at the correct levels.

We have found that with two people each taking a fast shower every day, regularly using the Scamp bathroom, and using the sink sparingly (using paper plates or washing dishes outside if allowed), we need to Dump on about day 3.  If we are at a campsite with full hookups, then it’s no big deal.  However, if we need to move the trailer to Dump, then we try to be very careful in how we use our water so the need to Dump is less frequent.  The Achilles heel for us is the Grey tank which fills up after a couple of days (primarily due to showers).  The Black (toilet) tank usually doesn’t need to be refilled until day 5.  And the Fresh tank is generally not an issue since there usually is a spigot or water hose wherever we camp (even at areas with no hookups).  So, at campsites without hookups, we either have to use a shared Dump in the campground on day 3 if we are staying more than a couple of days or drive to a Dump.  For the future, we are considering using an outdoor shower to extend our time between Dumps since it’s the Grey tank filled quickly by showers which greatly limits our time between Dumps.

A home Dump is similar to the Dump hookup used to dump the Black and Grey tanks at the campsite.  The home Dump just utilizes the sewer cleanouts (for use by plumbers when they need to clear a clog inside the main sewer pipe going from the home to the City sewer system).  This pipe is the conduit which takes all the material flushed down the toilets in the home to the City sewer system.  The sewer cleanout covers can typically be found somewhere in the front of the home.  Our cleanout covers are located in our garage.  There are two covers which both go into the same sewer pipe, but each hole directs the plumber’s auger in a different direction (the cover closest to the road on ours directs the auger toward the house and the cover closest to the house directs the auger toward the street).  It really doesn’t matter which cleanout you use to Dump because material dumped from your trailer will go down into the sewer line either way.

A home Dump is fantastic if feasible and allowed by local laws.  It’s especially useful when arriving home after staying at a campsite with no Dump, or where the Dump had a long wait or wasn’t easily available, or was a bit too expensive (we’ve paid as low as $7.50 to Dump at a Valero station in Santa Barbara up to $15 to Dump at a private location in Mammoth Lakes).  In our area, the closest Dump is about 30 minutes’ drive away!  The home Dump also makes it possible for us to test our systems (shower, sink, toilet), sanitize and flush these systems with Happy Campers, and sanitize and flush our Fresh and Hot Water tanks.  It would be much less convenient and more expensive to do these tasks away from home.

We were very fortunate in that our sewer cleanout access areas happened to be located right in front of where our Scamp travel trailer sits in our garage!  In order to utilize them, we just had to have our plumber cut a few inches of the pipe down into the hole so an enlarged PVC cleanout adapter (available at Home Depot) could be attached to easily accommodate our 3” RV sewer hose with the cement cover still able to sit on top when not in use.

When searching for your cleanout, keep in mind that there is usually a cover (cement) that says “sewer” on it.  The cleanout is likely to be outside your home between the foundation and the street or could be on the side of your home (closest to the bathroom).  Hopefully, it will be located in an area that is convenient for you to place your travel trailer within 6 feet of the opening. It’s also best if the cleanout is either level or below your travel trailer so gravity allows the material being dumped to easily drain into the cleanout.  The cleanout pipe is usually 4 inches in diameter with a screw cap that has a square knob or indentation on the top.  Please let me know if this works for you!

Cleanliness is next to godliness!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

Drain and Clean Your Tanks Regularly To Avoid Algae, Bacteria and other Bad Guys

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Drain and Clean Your Tanks Regularly To Avoid Algae, Bacteria and other Bad Guys

Algae, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms can grow in your trailer’s Fresh and Grey tanks as well as other parts of the water system such as the pipes, hoses and water heater.  It may be possible to see the algae or it might just be that your water has a funny smell.  If you regularly are using a product to clean the Black and Grey tanks (after each trip) then it’s not likely there will be issues in these tanks.

Algae like to grow in a moist warm environment which is often the situation with the trailer’s tanks, water heater tank, and pipes.  Algae and other microorganisms have the potential for not only making the trailer water smell funny and clogging up water lines, but also could be dangerous to one’s health.  Personally, we only drink water that we bring from home that is produced in our reverse osmosis system and stored in 4 gallon BPA free plastic jugs.  But, even showering and washing dishes and hands with contaminated water could be potentially dangerous (e.g. skin, stomach, and lung issues).

Using a water filter before water enters your trailer is a must.  Additionally, the first thing to do when you get home from a trip is to drain all your tanks to eliminate the potential growing environment for the algae (this should include draining your hot water heater tank if the trailer will be stored more than a couple of weeks).  Draining the Fresh, Grey, Black, and Hot Water Heater tanks is easy and should be something you do after each trip so your trailer is ready to go for your next adventure.  When we get home, we usually park our Scamp in front of our house on the street so we can wash it before putting it back in the garage.  We open up the Fresh tank value located under the passenger side dinette seat so that the remaining Fresh water drains out on the road.  Once fully drained, we close the valve.  We also open the Hot Water Heater tank plug on the outside of the Scamp (open metal service access door on driver’s side) and let the tank drain as well (before opening, water should be cold and pressure released by turning on hot water tap at sink with on demand pump off).  On our Scamp’s Suburban hot water heater, a 1 1/16” socket is needed to unscrew the hexagonal bolt which is not only the plug to the hot water heater but also the Anode Rod (see image).  After washing the trailer and bringing it into the garage, we then drain our Black and Grey tanks using the sewer clean out drain in the garage.

It’s a good idea to sanitize your trailer water system once every six months and change your external water filter at the same time (or at least once per season or earlier if you notice decreased water flow).

Supplies:

RV Fresh Water System Sanitizing Instructions (Frequency = every 6 months)

  1. Make sure water heater is off and the circuit breaker to it is off.  Also, make sure the hot water heater switches are all off (electric and gas) and the gas LP valves are also off.
  2. Fill your Scamp Fresh tank so it is ½ full.
  3. Wearing gloves / protective eyewear and using a funnel  and plastic hose tube, pour ¼ cup of household bleach (e.g. Clorox) into your ½ full Fresh tank (or whatever ratio is recommended by your trailer manufacturer) (never pour full strength bleach into an empty tank).
  4. Add fresh water to your Fresh tank until it is full.
  5. Turn on 12V On Demand Water Pump.
  6. Run each tap one by one (sink hot water, sink cold water, shower hot/cold) until you smell the bleach and then let the tap run a few more seconds and then turn off.
  7. Fill Fresh water tank again to 100%.
  8. Turn off 12V On Demand Water Pump.
  9. Let sit overnight.
  10. Drain the Fresh and Hot Water Heater tanks.
    1. On the Scamp 13’, remove the passenger side dinette seat cushion and access the panel underneath. Open the drain valve 180 degrees and the Fresh water will drain on the ground below.
    2. Release water pressure in system by opening kitchen sink hot and cold faucets with demand pump off until water trickles.
    3. On our Scamp 13’, the hot water heater service access panel is at the driver’s side rear of trailer. The plug/anode is at the bottom of the heater.  Use socket wrench (our Suburban hot water heater plug needs a 1- 1/16” or 27mm socket) to unscrew plug (which also has a long metal anode rod).  You may have to pull the plug bolt head with some pressure if the rod gives resistance.  Water will drain out once the plug/rod is removed (so move trailer onto the street or location where water draining isn’t an issue).  This is the time to inspect the Anode rod.  If it looks very eaten up or is 75% consumed replace it when this process is complete.*  See instructions at bottom.
    4. If you have a Hot Water Heater tank rinser, now’s a good time to pressure wash the inside of the Hot Water Heater tank to remove any leftover sediment. We use this one.
    5. Tighten the Dummy Plug (old Anode rod with wire clipped off so just plug remains), Existing Plug, or New Plug onto the Hot Water Tank so it is sealed.
  11. Fill Fresh tank and open hot water tap until water flows (so hot water tank is full).
  12. Run each tap (sink hot, sink cold, shower hot/cold) until there is no bleach / chlorine smell.
  13. If bleach smell persists, drain Fresh tank and water heater again using their drain valves and refill with Fresh water.
  14. Once smell is gone, drain the Fresh tank and Hot Water Tank again and let sit dry until next trip.
  15. Now firmly secure the Anode rod in with Teflon tape and socket wrench.
  16. Turn off 12V On Demand Pump.
  17. Replace external water filter with new one.

*Replacing the Anode rod (Frequency = every 12 months under hard water usage or when 75% consumed):  Take a wire brush to the clean drain port threads to remove sediment and any leftover Teflon tape on the threads.  Next, apply mineral oil on a cloth to the clean threads to prevent corrosion and assist in installing the new Anode rod.  Wrap Teflon seal tape on threads of new Anode rod, leaving the first few threads exposed so you can screw in plug by hand.  Screw in new Anode rod clockwise by hand to make sure it’s threaded correctly and then use socket wrench until it is firmly tight (do not over tighten to avoid stripping the threads).  Note:  the anode rod does not and will not need to go all the way in.  The anode just needs to be tightened enough to be water tight.  Tighten snug and do not crank down beyond this or damage to the threads or tank could occur.  If it leaks, tighten a little bit more if possible.

We order this 3 pack of Anode rods for our Suburban hot water heater, and it comes with Teflon seal tape:

(3 Pack) Suburban RV Anode Rod Replacement Part 232767

Why is the Anode rod so important?  The Anode rod is able to help keep the Hot Water Tank from rusting by promoting a chemical reaction called electrolysis.  The process makes the Anode rod corrode in place of the exposed steel in your water heater which can lead to leaks.

RV Grey & Black Water System Sanitizing Instructions (Frequency =  every or every other trip)

We use Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment for the Grey and Black Water (toilet) tanks.

First, we dump our tanks.  Then, we fill jug with 1 scoop of Happy Camper with 1 gallon of water and mix and pour into the toilet and then flush the toilet immediately (Black tank).  Then, we pour two more gallons of fresh water into the toilet and flush.  We do the same for the sink (Grey tank).  We let the tanks sit for a week, allowing Happy Campers to sanitize the tanks, and then dump the tanks.  Works great!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.