Lessons Learned: The Picker Uppers and The Poopers

Ever wonder what the worst part of RVing could possibly be? Planning, packing, or driving, maybe? Nope. Okay, I know. The title gave it away. It's poop. 

Yep, poop. No one likes to think about it, but there are usually bathrooms in those big little houses on wheels that have to be dealt with.

And if there isn't one, well then that is a whole 'nother issue. This little recap of my learning experiences is for all those peeps thinking about hauling their potty around with them.
And if that isn't enough to think about, even if you don't have pets with you, you still get to deal with pet poop too.

Lesson Numero Uno.

Poop. After fresh water, it is the biggest concern while you are hauling your home behind your truck and camping in America’s back yards.

Unlike water, you can't just pick up a couple gallons at the truck stop the next time you fill up or on your grocery run. You have to figure out what to do with it, every time you park your rig and camp.

First things first. Be sure you learn which pull is the gray water and which is the sewage. You do not want to be around if someone forgot to close the tank and pulls off the cap or when the wrong one is pulled. Ewww.

While having the convenience of a black water repository is nice, it also starts taking over large parts of your planning conversations. “Are their full hookups,” becomes the predominant measure of an RV park’s worth. And having a dump station means the difference of whether or how long we can stay at any particular campground.

Sometimes it makes me long for those days of tent camping and my little cassette potty that could be dumped in any toilet.

Number Deuce.

The second thing you learn is, people will often (and most disgustingly and unashamedly) leave behind their nastiness instead of disposing of it correctly, particularly if they think no one saw them.
Sometimes this means they spill at the dump station and don’t wash it off the ground into the drain. Gross.

Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash

A lot of times it is their pet waste that is left. They just can’t be bothered to pick up.

We have come upon some campgrounds that are just littered with little doggie poops all over the sites and roads. It is smells disgusting, attracts pests, and makes the place unsafe for other dogs or for kids to play. Old pet poops are the worst!

And yeah, I said it – small dog owners are the biggest culprits. We have big dogs, and very often are the only one with dogs that size. There is no denying who their big dog pile belongs too, so picking up has to happen.

Photo by Robert Eklund on Unsplash

But little doggie poopsies, while maybe not so visible, attract just as many flies. And are just as unsanitary when you step in it.

And then there is the person that bags the pet poo and tosses it off the trail (or hangs it from a tree branch, which we came across once in NC – so weird) for someone else to pick up. Thanks for that.

It also bears mentioning that now there is the danger that some other critter will come by it and ingest the plastic it was wrapped in. Doggie Doo bags (even biodegradable bags) do not digest in an animal’s digestive tract. So not only are these people litterers, they are potentially wildlife killers as well.

Numeral Tres’

Don’t let it be a party pooper.

While all of these things can be quite disgusting and slightly burdensome to plan for… they can be planned for.

As much as I hate disposable wipes, I carry tons of wet wipes. I mean, I have packs in the truck, in my purse, in my hiking gear, in the kid’s backpacks, lunchboxes. If it has a pocket, it has a pack of wipes stuffed in it. When someone has to do the doo, or pick it up, or dispose of it, we always have a way to clean up ourselves too.

And my husband grabs a handful of doggy bags every time he passes a pet station, just out of habit (it’s funny when he does it and we don’t even have the dogs with us). This is another item we keep spares tucked in everywhere. Not every gas station or park has a pet stand with free bags for picking up.

Photo by Keanu K on Unsplash

 

We also have apps and websites we use for planning the next few legs of our trip that can filter for whichever water and waste scenario we need. If we are only going to be in an area for a couple days, we can get by with having a dump station near by. If we are going to spend a lot of time somewhere, being able to take showers and wash dishes becomes a big issue and we prefer a full hook up.

Having to drive any distance with 2 full grays and 2 full blacks can be stressful since the weight and movement of that much liquid makes the rig behave differently.

We are also very specific with the kids about what the water and waste tank situation is and what behaviors we expect for what time period. Learning to control their usage has actually turned them into little conservationists. My son is the king of the speed-flush and darn proud of it.

In Summary

While I wish every campsite had all the conveniences and that everyone would just do right so that we can all enjoy these beautiful spaces that are only ours for a few moments, I have come to expect that is not going to be the case half of the time.

I put a lot of effort into not letting it ruin my time at a spot, to enjoy the things that are great about the space.

And when it does get to me or I do step in it, luckily I am blessed with a wonderful husband, with a pair of rubber gloves and boots, that will handle any stinky situations no matter how pooped he is. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)