Connecting Waste On Serviced Pitches

[PandR]

It's infuriating to arrive on a nice serviced pitch and the water or waste pipe doesn't reach. The solution to the water connection is less of a problem as we now carry two lengths (7m and 10m) of the flat blue hose. Folds small and 17m has been more than enough.

 

The waste pipe is more of a problem because although we now carry around 8m of the stuff, it's very bulky, not particularly flexible and 8m often isn't enough.

 

We've now discarded much of the standard 28mm grey ribbed waste and are using some ribbed 20mm tubing which is probably used as trunking within the electrical industry. Its nominally 20mm in diameter but smooth on the inside.

 

Some pictures are in the attached link, the photos being too large to upload here.

 

http://www. caravanramblings. co. uk/?page_id=1885

 

 

 

Image links add by Admin

[PeteG]

I agree with what you say about waste connections. It can often be difficult to connect using 28mm ribbed pipes which, as you say, are not particularly flexible and want to coil themselves up given the chance. Quite a few sites that we have been on have waste points where the water is expected to flow uphill at the end! I've ended up with a few lengths of grey pipe with connectors to allow greater flexibility when connecting. Still not ideal though. I suppose part of the problem is that different makes of caravan have their waste outlets in different positions.

 

Never had problems either with the water feed, which is always easier to manage.

[Cheltenham Caravanner]

I use a length of stiff white pipe and extend with the ribbed grey tube if necessary. It is a pain when the drain is higher than the pitch base. I attempt to construct a continuous downwards slope.

[Townie]

Hi PandR, the set up I use is shown in "Caravan Accessories and Equipment; Caravan Water" it's pinned; "Length of waste pipe needed on serviced pitches" post no 3 by FlyingTog. Excellent write up and I've never been caught out. ........yet!!!

 

Mike.

[SP1]

i carry a length of standard 40mm pipe and a length of standard 32mm pipe. the 32mm fits very snugly into the 40mm and therefore becomes telescopic and will give you 6 metres of waste

[Durbanite]

Even more annoying is a waste connection and the outlet on the pitch is several inches higher than ground level. I have never known water to flow uphill!

[DaveMiller]

Simon Barlow has published an article on this subject on his excellent blog - Caravan Chronicles which may provide additional help.

Edited June 7, 2017 by DaveMiller

[The Coachman]

i carry a length of standard 40mm pipe and a length of standard 32mm pipe. the 32mm fits very snugly into the 40mm and therefore becomes telescopic and will give you 6 metres of waste

 

Plus 1

 

And to store the pipe just screw a couple of spring clips to the underside of the van to secure it.

I've found I can rest one end up over the chassis snugly sitting in a corner with pile secured by the clips and for extra security I twist some copper wire around the clip ends.

 

Even with our potholes it's never come undone.

[PandR]

I needed 12m at the last site so aren't keen on the solid pipe idea although it's neat and slinging it under the van also has its merits.

 

The 20mm has worked well so far but maybe it's going to block over time. .. It rolls and stores v easily.

[Lozzyf]

i carry a length of standard 40mm pipe and a length of standard 32mm pipe. the 32mm fits very snugly into the 40mm and therefore becomes telescopic and will give you 6 metres of waste

 

This is exactly what we are doing after getting covered in waste water from the convoluted pipe that didn't want to go uphill and is, like someone said previously a wiggly worm!! We have a bag full of fittings for various scenarios too

[phutchison]

I have cut down 1 40 mm pipe and 1 32mm pipe into 3 sections each. These then slide into each other. When I first used this set up, I noticed that the joins were not watertight so to make them more so, and to add some rigidity, I bought a few push fit compression connectors that go from 40 to 32mm. I then cut out the “stop” inside the connector which means the 32mm can slide inside the 40mm. Seems to work much better and is more watertight and rigid. Also bought various 40 and 32mm connectors and right angles to cover every scenario (I hope). Advantage for me was that they are smaller sections and go easily in the front locker

 

The bits I used are:

 

[Johnathome]

I have a small 12v marine sump pump with a shoe box size reservoir that collects waste water from the two outlets and, as the float in the sump,rises it turns the pump on and drains the water via a 3/4 hose stopping when the level decreases. Distance, up hill or down hill are no problem and it works perfectly.

[PandR]

I have a small 12v marine sump pump with a shoe box size reservoir that collects waste water from the two outlets and, as the float in the sump,rises it turns the pump on and drains the water via a 3/4 hose stopping when the level decreases. Distance, up hill or down hill are no problem and it works perfectly.

Most ingenious solution to date. ..

[Robbido]

5 x 2m lengths of waste pipe with straight connectors and a Y piece give me enough of a combination for any pitch we've come across, if you store the waste pipe lengths across the front locker, they stay straight.

[Caravanalife]

Here is a link to my website page for waste water covering how I have over come this problem.

http://caravanlife. org. uk/waste-water. html

Andrew

[PandR]

Been thinking further about the marine pump idea.

 

Presumably it would work with the very flat swimming pool back flow hose, taking up even less space in the locker.

 

http://www. ukpoolstore. co. uk/acatalog/Swimming_Pool_Lay_Flat_Backwash_Hose-1. html

 

How have you connected the pump to the 12v caravan system?

[Johnathome]

I installed a 12v connection in the wet locker and had a cable that ran diagonally under the van to the waste outlet point. The pump is low current, only a 3a fuse so the cable is quite light weight. My new van (when I get it) has an external 12v socket so it will be even easier. My sump pump is an Attwood Marine 500 gph and it can be bought from various outlets. To complete the installation you need:

2 short lengths of pipe from the waste outlet to the sump (the sump inlets can cope with various diameters).

3 jubilee clips for the two inlets and the outlet.

Length of 3/4 hose (I might try the flat one) of whatever length you think is required. I use the clear plastic type which is very pliable and coils neatly.

Length of twin cable and whatever connection method you decide on. This could be straight to your battery I guess via crocodile clips.

The cable supplied with the pump is quite short so a joint (preferably waterproof) is required. I also installed an inline fuse of 3a from Halfords.

The sump needs an occasional clean now and then by removing the lid and cleaning the mesh filter or a good slug of drain unblocker does it.

[TinShack]

Something like this is what I've seen being used, probably like the Attwood mentioned above. Handy where you have the uphill waste scenario. It lay under the caravan.

[Lozzyf]

Something like this is what I've seen being used, probably like the Attwood mentioned above. Handy where you have the uphill waste scenario. It lay under the caravan.

That's a great bit of kit but you've got to ask yourself WHY site owners put drainage ( laughable) higher than the ground ??!!!! And I've experienced it, spoke to the staff who shrug their shoulders. . . . .

[Durbanite]

That's a great bit of kit but you've got to ask yourself WHY site owners put drainage ( laughable) higher than the ground ??!!!! And I've experienced it, spoke to the staff who shrug their shoulders. . . . .

Good question unless they are too dumb to realise that water does not flow uphill.

[TinShack]

That's a great bit of kit but you've got to ask yourself WHY site owners put drainage ( laughable) higher than the ground ??!!!! And I've experienced it, spoke to the staff who shrug their shoulders. . . . .

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

I've been to one site where the pitch had a pronounced fore/aft slope so the back of the van was on the ground, the drainage point was 3 metres behind the van and you had a cliff edge step up nearly half a meter onto the surrounding ground to get to it. The drain was probably above the toilet seat, and not much if any below the kitchen sink because of the slope. We'd paid for a serviced pitch but had to use the wastemaster anyway and that was a struggle to drag up the cliff edge when full. That was where I saw someone using the shower sump & pump I mentioned above and thought it would have solved our problem. Also it's considerably smaller than a wastemaster so I suppose if you knew you were staying on a fully serviced pitch it doesn't take much room in the van.

 

Thankfully we haven't come across anything that bad before or since.

[TinShack]

Forgot to say that if anyone tries this there are cheaper versions available on a certain auction site. No idea if they're any good.

 

Also not sure if it would work with lay flat hose. The pumps are fairly weedy and can often only manage to raise the water 2m - 2. 5m. I sometimes use a 1kW pump with 2" lay flat hose at home and if the hose has been coiled or kinked it won't properly inflate the hose. That pump will raise water to a very considerable height, certainly more than these sump pumps.

Edited June 8, 2017 by TinShack

[CommanderDave]

Something like this is what I've seen being used, probably like the Attwood mentioned above. Handy where you have the uphill waste scenario. It lay under the caravan.

 

The advantage I can see is also any solid washing up food particles settle in the sump which can be just washed out when packing up and any that pass through are forced through under pressure reducing the hygiene problems .

 

I have used float activated pumps in shower sumps myself when building boats but using the same idea for waste water is good idea .

 

 

A cheap option would be a square plastic bowl and a 12 V float activated bilge pump .

 

Dave

Edited June 8, 2017 by CommanderDave

[Fenester]

Alternatively one could just forget the serviced pitches and take the waste master to the drain once a day and occasionally filling an aquaroll saving these "unnecessary" problems and higher fees.

 

Not sure I get the serviced pitch concept at all; at a recent visit to a CMC site these pitches were all empty whilst the site elswhere was full.

 

I' m not sure the "carpark syndrome" is the best way forward for caravaning. It seems to be resulting in increasingly higher fees all round year on year and - apologies in advance- gentrification of the hobby.

[Durbanite]

Alternatively one could just forget the serviced pitches and take the waste master to the drain once a day and occasionally filling an aquaroll saving these "unnecessary" problems and higher fees.

 

Not sure I get the serviced pitch concept at all; at a recent visit to a CMC site these pitches were all empty whilst the site elswhere was full.

 

I' m not sure the "carpark syndrome" is the best way forward for caravaning. It seems to be resulting in increasingly higher fees all round year on year and - apologies in advance- gentrification of the hobby.

A fully serviced pitch allows those with physically limitations to still get out and enjoy caravanning and we would like to see more of these fully serviced pitches introduced across all sites, club or commercial.