Septic tank for deer camp

OK, since we've decided to go ahead with a mini restoration on the old RV, it will get water to the toilet and bathroom sink, so I now need a mini septic tank at the lease. RV next door used a five gallon bucket for a couple of seasons and it worked well until he moved his RV back, so we're talking splitting a backhoe and burying a couple of plastic 55 gallon drums.

Brain trust, what say you?

I was on a lease that used that same setup with the drums, except we used metal ones and drilled a series of holes around the drums.

I was thinking about how to clean out a plastic drum, steel with a lid sounds easier.

We did the same with 55 g drums. We put about 12" of gravel around the drums in ground lane length way. We ran grey water out on it's own, worked the 5 years I was there. We used no chemicals in the Black tank other than enzyme packs.

How many people are using the potty and how often are you there?

We just dug a hole, would probably hold 10 gallons, and built a simple cap with a hole to put the drain hose through. It was me and at least one kid there on the weekends. The last thing I would do before we left on Sunday is dump the tanks. Worked great the 2+ years we were on that lease.

Bury a Tote w lateral line..

I used one 55 gal drum for 10 years on the toilet in my barn.

It's usually just me, maybe Nick if we're on a work weekend. I have only one tank, but the cap does have a top hole that attaches a water hose so I can drain off the top of the tank. Had it setup that way, cows ate the hose. I hate the idea of a sludge pit, afraid of someone falling in it when the plywood lid rots.

Are you talking about cleaning it as a septic tank? After it's installed?

It's a just in case thing...

Now I'm thinking an open steel drum or plastic if there is such a thing placed upside down in a hole.

post the pics of it again, I remember that, looked like it was done well

Bingo. Another guy on the lease did this. He was afraid the sides of the hole would eventually collapse.

We bury 55 gallon steel drums with holes drilled in the sides, the more people using/the more barrels you will need. For most 1 or 2 barrels are plenty. Yes it's best to put gravel around the barrels for better drainage.

Open top upside down?

Just dig the hole and cover it with a piece of plywood.

Bill somebody with a gun could step on that plywood and be very upset when it collapsed. Probably me.

No we leave the lids on and pipe into the hole on top.

They had that at my last camp house but it was not in a walking area.

A fancy-smancy two tank set up.

This is what we did. $15 plastic barrel with the lid cut off, aerated the sides by giving the kid a .22 and telling him to go to town. Buried it up side down with a 4" PVC fitting coming out of the top. It's been in there for a few years now, no sign of the sides deforming.

TSC has plastic tanks with black screw off lids. Mine is 250 gallons. I used to get it pumped out once a year. Septic guy said it's working fine, doesn't need to be vacuumed. Lateral line goes underground and downhill.

My next question is what type of fitting do I need to hook up the RV dump hose?

One of THESE, then a threaded pvc adapter, and whatever 90s and 45s you need to get you to the tank. We did all pvc piping to keep the critters from chewing up the hose.

Good idea, thanks! PVC is cheaper than sewer hose too.

I have one of those in the toolbox of the pickup

i did a single 55 gallon plastic barrel with holes drilled around the bottom half with a 10ft latteral line up near the top, gravel all around the barrel gravel down the latteral line as well. been working for years toilets the only thing hooked to it shower and sinks go to the yard.

I know of a lot of plastic septic's collapsed. Probably better luck if installed upright. 80 gallon metal drums work pretty good, especially when using 2.

You can dig a fairly sizeable hole and fill it with gravel and cover the gravel with dirt. You can run a perforated PVC from the center of the gravel pit to a 45' bend with cleanout and if you wanted, you run perforated PVC in a couple of different directions away from your RV's from the bottom of the gravel pit to help disperse the liquid. We did this and it worked well, just be sure to treat all of your black water in the RV tank with the proper chemicals to break down the solids and then flush it when full. We ran our grey water directly on the ground, several feet away from the campers, just use environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, soaps, etc.. We dug a pretty darn big pit and ran 3 RV's on it for a couple of years and didn't have any issues.

We run our lines into a hole in the ground about 5' deep (ran into solid rock). Flush dogfood into the hole periodically (dog food includes organisms that eat fecal matter to prevent worms, etc.). Never even a whiff that I could smell just 5' form trailer.

We did an aerobic last year. Probably overboard but two big plastic drums. Hasn't filled up yet but haven't screwed the tops off either to look. We needed a jackhammer since we hit solid rock 2 feet down. Two adults plus kids use what fills it. Even take showers sometimes.

nobody uses outhouses anymore

My advice would be to never mention the word "septic" and your lease in the same sentence, along with your name. The wrong guy, working for the state, will fine the heck out of you. I know the guy. Build it and keep quiet.

This looks like an interesting alternative. Would you care to share details on it? Thanks

Barrels or Totes work like a champ