External Holding Tanks for Extended Boon Docking

[adamis]

As mentioned in another post, we purchased some land that will be used for the next few years as a parking spot for an as yet to be purchased 5th wheel. There is power and water close by but not on the lot itself and money to bring them in won't be available for a while. There is no septic or sewer system at all.

We may come and visit the property from time to time and use the trailer for about a week at a time before we develop the land. During this time, we are considering on finding a caretaker to keep an eye on things and do some maintenance for us. In exchange for the work, they would be allowed to park and live in their own trailer on the land.

All that to say, I'm contemplating purchasing some large tanks to store both fresh water and black water and then contracting with a pump out service as needed. Thinking of maybe a 500gal or 1000gal tanks that could be placed under the trailer so they are out of the way and protected.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of setup? Are there any suggested tanks that work better than others? Any issues with a pump-out service?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[ticki2]

adamis wrote:


It is a guestimate but my sister went through this in the same area and it was around that. Part of the high cost is we are looking at a 5 bedroom house and a 3 bedroom shop so 8 bedrooms total. It requires over an acre of leach line according to the county. I haven't gotten quotes yet but will probably start looking at it next week. If I have way overblown the guestimate then great, I'll just do the septic and be one with it.

I would suggest building separate systems , one for the house and one for the barn . If there is ever a need for repair or rebuild you would have some backup . For the short term look into a dug privy if allowed . For the small use you are talking about it would last for years . Not all locations allow them but many do .

[Kayteg1]

You will find different pricing in CA, than in other states.
Not only labor and fuel cost is higher, but CA require special soil mixes and special rocks mix for leach field.
I have septic tank in Las Vegas and from what I can observe, they just backfilled leach field with native desert dirt.
But I don't think you need to build leach field for 8 bedrooms at start.
I would get bigger tank and do smaller field, adding to it eventually down the road.
What I also noticed between CA and NV is that CA is mostly having clay dirt, so they protect the tank from ground water entering.
In NV desert sucks whatever you give it and nobody worries about good tank sealing.
Totally different principals

[adamis]

Bedlam wrote:

That sound overly high for septic install. It was under $3k for design and permitting of mine. Then it depends on the type of accepted design for cost:

Gravity $5-10k
Two chamber pump $10-15k
Sand trap or mound $20-25k
Aerated or chemically dosed $20-30k

It is a guestimate but my sister went through this in the same area and it was around that. Part of the high cost is we are looking at a 5 bedroom house and a 3 bedroom shop so 8 bedrooms total. It requires over an acre of leach line according to the county. I haven't gotten quotes yet but will probably start looking at it next week. If I have way overblown the guestimate then great, I'll just do the septic and be one with it.

[Bedlam]

adamis wrote:
Just a bit of additional info... The estimated price of a septic system in this area can run between $30k and $50k when all is said and done. Part of the reason for the high cost is we are looking at building a large primary house and then a shop with a secondary living area so the septic will need to be sized quite large. That type of coin just isn't in the cards currently plus we couldn't even start until we have a full site plan figured out and that is going to take a couple of years.

I'm thinking of something more like this. That would give me enough capacity for a week at a time and it could fit right under the trailer making it easy to use. I will just transfer the waste to this when the trailer tanks get full and then when this is full, have a pump out company come and service it. Grey water I will probably just let water some trees nearby an make sure we use appropriate biodegradable soaps and such.

For fresh water we would get a similar tank approved for fresh water. There is possibly a spring on the property (have to confirm) so we might be able to refill from the spring. If that isn't possible, we will have to look at a water delivery service.

I'm looking at spending maybe $1k to $3k to get going. This setup is intended to be temporary, 3 to 5 years tops with us using the trailer maybe for 1 to 2 weeks each of those years.

That sound overly high for septic install. It was under $3k for design and permitting of mine. Then it depends on the type of accepted design for cost:

Gravity $5-10k
Two chamber pump $10-15k
Sand trap or mound $20-25k
Aerated or chemically dosed $20-30k

[mkirsch]

adamis wrote:
Just a bit of additional info... The estimated price of a septic system in this area can run between $30k and $50k when all is said and done. Part of the reason for the high cost is we are looking at building a large primary house and then a shop with a secondary living area so the septic will need to be sized quite large. That type of coin just isn't in the cards currently plus we couldn't even start until we have a full site plan figured out and that is going to take a couple of years.

I'm thinking of something more like this. That would give me enough capacity for a week at a time and it could fit right under the trailer making it easy to use. I will just transfer the waste to this when the trailer tanks get full and then when this is full, have a pump out company come and service it. Grey water I will probably just let water some trees nearby an make sure we use appropriate biodegradable soaps and such.

For fresh water we would get a similar tank approved for fresh water. There is possibly a spring on the property (have to confirm) so we might be able to refill from the spring. If that isn't possible, we will have to look at a water delivery service.

I'm looking at spending maybe $1k to $3k to get going. This setup is intended to be temporary, 3 to 5 years tops with us using the trailer maybe for 1 to 2 weeks each of those years.

The people to ask are the ones who you will be paying to pump the tank out. I don't expect that you can just call a random service at random and have them pump out a random tank.

First and foremost you have to find a service that will do such a thing. Most likely, they will want it to be THEIR tank or at least something that conforms to local regulations. They will at the very least be familiar with local regulations.

[mkirsch]

Lwiddis wrote:
No permits needed IMO. Just do it!

Until the pump out company shows up and reports him for an illegal waste tank...

[jimh406]

adamis wrote:
Tried sending a Private Message but for some reason the forum kept taking me to a login page instead of the PM page.

I pretty much always have to login to send a PM or read one, fwiw.

[adamis]

HadEnough wrote:
Looking for a caretaker soon?

We are getting ready to go cross country from Florida to your general area with our truck camper.

We are considering buying land and doing the same as you are, but I’m unfamiliar with real estate used in this manner and would love to learn the ins and outs to see if we want to buy our own property to use the same way.

We are already completely self sufficient, requiring a trip into town every 3 weeks for groceries and water. We can get 2 weeks out of our standard RV head, but prefer composting heads anyway, so we could go indefinitely without needing any investment in septic while watching the property for you.

We’ve been off grid for decades using solar, propane and a generator if air conditioning is required.

Quiet couple with a cat. No parties. Lots of reading, walks, cooking and working remotely while we travel. We come with our own truck camper.

Please contact by private message of interested.

Might just be... If you feel comfortable sharing a couple of references that can vouch for you let's talk.

Tried sending a Private Message but for some reason the forum kept taking me to a login page instead of the PM page. Odd because I didn't have this problem before. Not sure if that is just a temporary glitch or not. In the meantime, if you want to get in touch with me, go to my business website www.vandalstop.com and call or text the phone number on that page and we can talk.

[Avid_Fox]

Perhaps a clear or semi clear tank, so you can tell when it's full? Dumping into a full tank would be gross when you had to disconnect...

adamis wrote:
Just a bit of additional info... The estimated price of a septic system in this area can run between $30k and $50k when all is said and done. Part of the reason for the high cost is we are looking at building a large primary house and then a shop with a secondary living area so the septic will need to be sized quite large. That type of coin just isn't in the cards currently plus we couldn't even start until we have a full site plan figured out and that is going to take a couple of years.

I'm thinking of something more like this. That would give me enough capacity for a week at a time and it could fit right under the trailer making it easy to use. I will just transfer the waste to this when the trailer tanks get full and then when this is full, have a pump out company come and service it. Grey water I will probably just let water some trees nearby an make sure we use appropriate biodegradable soaps and such.

For fresh water we would get a similar tank approved for fresh water. There is possibly a spring on the property (have to confirm) so we might be able to refill from the spring. If that isn't possible, we will have to look at a water delivery service.

I'm looking at spending maybe $1k to $3k to get going. This setup is intended to be temporary, 3 to 5 years tops with us using the trailer maybe for 1 to 2 weeks each of those years.

[HadEnough]

Looking for a caretaker soon?

We are getting ready to go cross country from Florida to your general area with our truck camper.

We are considering buying land and doing the same as you are, but I’m unfamiliar with real estate used in this manner and would love to learn the ins and outs to see if we want to buy our own property to use the same way.

We are already completely self sufficient, requiring a trip into town every 3 weeks for groceries and water. We can get 2 weeks out of our standard RV head, but prefer composting heads anyway, so we could go indefinitely without needing any investment in septic while watching the property for you.

We’ve been off grid for decades using solar, propane and a generator if air conditioning is required.

Quiet couple with a cat. No parties. Lots of reading, walks, cooking and working remotely while we travel. We come with our own truck camper.

Please contact by private message of interested.

[Kayteg1]

When labor prices in CA are not low- plumbers take advantage of such project.
My friend who made similar project bought Kubota tractor w backhoe and DIY
Still importing river rock made nice dent in his budget.

[TxGearhead]

$30,000 to $50,000? Good grief that is incredible.
I question using a frac tank for extended use. Most I have seen are steel and I think they would eventually rust out.
Are septic aerobic systems approved in the area? That would eliminate all the tractor excavation work for the field lines.
Otherwise I would talk to several septic companies about tank rental and pump out.

[3_tons]

Our Congrats!! Since for the interim black water is your only issue, just make a temporary conversion to a composting toilet until the septic arrives...

3 tons

[thomas201]

A second idea. Use the net and call a local honey dipper (septic pump out company). He/she will know the rules, and might rent you a tank cheaper than buying. Also, this will give you the cost for pumping out. Might make septic more reasonable. They also might give you a better idea. Poo is their business.