Finding a place to empty your tanks can be a real challenge. My best RV dump station tips can make it easier, faster, and sometimes, free.
RV Dump Stations are Essential for Many RVers
RV owners don’t always empty holding tanks at full-hookup campsites. Sometimes, they need a public dump station to do the job.
This is often because of dry camping with out hookups. For instance, NASCAR camping on the infield, or winter RVing in Quartzsite, Arizona. Or when RVers drive from place-to-place, Wal-Mart camping overnight or staying at truck stops. If you love camping at national and state parks, you know they don’t always have dump stations.
Thousands of RV dump stations are located around the world. Until recently, they were pretty easy to find.
- RV dump stations were often found at highway rest areas and gas/service stations.
- Many truck stops, public parks and other recreation areas built RV dump stations too.
- And tourist town visitor centers, fairgrounds, and wastewater treatment facilities often had RV dumps.
RV Dump Stations are Closing
Today, RV dump stations are disappearing. Many free public RV dump stations across the country are now closed because of abuse and vandalism. Cities that once offered free places to empty RV holding tanks no longer do it because of budget cuts. And it’s not surprising to see RV parks charge RV dump fees as high as $35.
Sometimes you have no choice, and have to pay the huge fee to dump your tanks. I’ve done it more than once. If you also had to pay up, consider these RV dump station tips for next time.
My Best RV Dump Station Tips
I’ve made many mistakes trying to find RV dump stations. Usually at the end of a long day when all I wanted was to go home with empty holding tanks. I’m not going to tell you about how to use an RV dump station. There are plenty of places to get that information. Today, let’s look at the best way to find RV dump stations in the first place!
Don’t rely on outdated RV dump station websites
Search for “RV dump station locations” and the internet is full of them. Several websites to find RV dump stations try to get your attention, too. But I reviewed these dump station directories and was disappointed. Much of their information is incomplete or outdated.
After searching for the most accurate RV dump station information, I found RVDumps.com It’s the biggest and best RV dump station tips directory. And no, I’m not getting paid to share this information.
The types of RV dump stations you find on Sanidumps includes:
- private RV resorts and public campgrounds
- municipal and state facilities
- truck stops and rest stops
- commercial dump stations, free and paid
RV Dumps updates locations each month. This is all thanks to users that help keep the content accurate and current. Search by the Country, State, or Province and the city or nearest city or town.
Choose a location and you get directions and GPS coordinates. RV size limits are often provided too. And regular updates reflect current hours, amenities, and the RV dump cost (if applicable).
Another Good RV Dump Station Locations Resource
There is another good RV dump station locator website called RVDumpsites.net. They make finding a place to empty your tanks as easy as possible. Features include a map based search engine that let’s you see RV sanitation dump stations surrounding the area of your choice. Feedback from other dump station users in the form of ratings and reviews keeps the information fresh.
Ask the RV LIFE Trip Wizard
If you’re like me, you probably ask Siri a lot of things. But what happens if you ask her to find RV dump stations? Probably nothing more than a search result for an outdated RV dump station directory. Siri is clearly not an RVer. But the people who made RV LIFE Trip Wizard most definitely are.
The RV LIFE Trip Wizard app can help you do a lot of cool things.
- Plan a safe trip according to the size of your RV
- Search over 20,000 RV campgrounds for places to stay
- Look for gas stops and RV dump stations too!
What’s really cool when you join RV LIFE Trip Wizard, is that a one year membership costs less than the typical RV resort camping fee. This makes it so easy to find current information about places from campgrounds to roadside attractions to RV dump station tips.
Keep RV Dump Stations Open
For RVers who only stay at RV parks and campgrounds with full hook ups, closed dump stations are rarely an issue. Other RV travelers who frequently drive the same route often rely on dump stations along the way. Searching for one is not normally an issue—until the dump station closes down.
If you want to make sure RV dump station stay open, always follow good dump station etiquette. Learn about the right way to use RV dump stations.
