Printable View
A friend sent me an email that he heard that Flying J was going to start charging for dumping. The next day I stopped at the Flying J about a mile from me and sure enough there was a sign with the costs. The charge is $10 but if you have their RV card it is $5.
Yep, we ran into that this last week. We also have to let you know that Loves has started the same policy. When asked about it, they mumble something about the "Hazmat people are charging us more so we have to start charging you." Curious how this all came about just in time for the big summer camping season. Guess someone has to pay for the Gulf of Mexico cleanup.
I don't object to the charge as much as a bogus excuse like Chuck said.
The only way municipalities charge for sewage is based on water consumed. The billing is based on the water meter. A caravan of 200 Prevost coaches all dumping at a Flying J will not add a penny to the Flying J sewage fees unless they also fill the fresh water tanks.
Why are companies so afraid to just tell the truth and say in these economic times we are seeking ways to enhance revenues so we can hold our fuel prices down or (gasp) so we can improve our profits?
But what if you have just filled up at the same place?
I don't think that fueling at Flying J will help get you a dumping discount, they have other issues. Their merger with Pilot is being held up by the US government because the end Pilot/FlyingJ will have a 20% market share of on road diesel, Arrow Trucking stiffed their TAB bank for over $12M, and the interest alone to bring Big West Oil out of bankruptcy is estimated at an interest cost in excess of 13 percent. They need to raise cash any way they can so everything 'free' will soon have some sort of fee associated with it.
Better keep your 'grey water bypass' in good operating condition if you frequently overnight @ Walmart or rest areas.
On our way home yesterday we gassed up at F/J Xt2 Ga Fl line and gas was .05 over everyone else.
I recently made the west coast to east coast trip I-10 and I-20 (Long Beach, CA to Atlanta, GA) and return and used the dumps at roadside rest stops on three occasions. I don't have the information on the stops with me but will post it when I return home in two weeks. Maybe we can share info on these rest stops. Each one I used had the dump and potable water for the tanks.
At one time, the Flying J fuel was as cheap as anyone around. Not any more. And I can't see why anyone would stop at Loves as their fuel is even higher. But I usually stopped at FJ because of the dump station. Guess I can take them off the list. I can buy local diesel for $.10 cheaper and my dad said the same thing was going on in Oklahoma. Get a mile or so off the Interstate and the price drops dramatically.
Doesn't anybody stay in campgrounds anymore? Who needs any dump station if staying in campgrounds? If people are trying to save money by overnighting at Walmart they can afford the dump fee.
The benefit to this is the line up of white camping trailers and plastic RVs will diminish greatly so access to the dump station will be easier.
Actually, there can be significant cost associated with a "commercial" dump station. Most states require a licensed operator (which is BS anyway) and their insurance carrier would probably rather have them discontinue the practice anyway, since there is no control as to what actually gets "dumped".... and guess who will be held responsible???
It's only gonna take one real bad environmental discharge into a public dump station by some hauler that doesn't want tp pay for legal disposal to ruin a good thing for everybody.
A local Station I used to dump at had a form you needed to fill out giving your dr. license, address, phone number amount of gallons dumped, and a testament that none of the waste was hazordous.
Welcome to California. Most rest areas in California are now closed, but even berfore then, they had closed most of the dump sites.
Dump stations sorted by state and route.
http://www.rvdumps.com/dumpstations/
The only time I even considered trying to dump at Flying J, there were about half dozen trailers and motorhomes lined up so I pressed on. Luckily we have a small RV park about 3 miles from my bus barn that charges $10 to dump, wash out, fill up with water whatever. I think that is a pretty good deal.
With the average fuel mileage one of these things gets, $10 will get you about 20 miles, so it doesn't pay to look very far for a cheaper dumping spot .....
I liken it to being charged a ramp fee for a plane. Most places don't charge if you buy fuel which kinda makes sense but I always looked a favorably at Flying J for having the dump regardless of the fuel price. Now their all like the various government entities or airlines that are trying to charge for every little thing.
The Dave Matthews band anticipated this problem and started their own solution to economical tank dumping. They have to refine the process a little more because their first public attempt did not go as well as anticipated.
I am thinking most of the entertainers do something similar, although probably not as obvious. Couple of them were cleaning up and provisioning coaches last time I was at Prevost and I asked them about it. One said he just finds a dark turnoff, the other just smiled and said it isn't a problem. Pretty nasty habit if you axe me.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Wehrenberg
We can joke about tank dumping along side the road or anywhere nobody will see it happening , but I think it happens more frequently than we would care to admit.
I once had a Prevost owner explain to me how the best way and time to dump tanks was in the rain. He opined that when it was raining heavily nobody would be able to detect he was dumping tanks because it would look like the spray kicked up off the tires. My point is for some reason there will always be people who do things that ruin it for others. The Walmarts in the Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge area are now prevented by law from allowing overnight parking because "campers" were dumping their tanks in storm sewers and some got caught.
Apart from the economic pain the Dave Matthews Band suffered as a result of their ill timed and stupid act of dumping their tanks, they raised the public's awareness of the fact we do have the ability to push a button and empty our tanks, and each time one of us does a stunt like that we end up with more laws that restrict us like the laws in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge preventing all overnight parking except in campgrounds. I hope that we all can act responsibly because the alternative will be restrictions on how coaches are built as well as laws mandating double safety devices to prevent "accidental" dumping such as caps which must be in place before a coach is or can be moved.
Received the below email when I voiced my opinions to Flying J.
Dear Ron,
To continue providing waste dump station services at Flying J we have
instituted a $10 fee to customers using this service. This has become
necessary to cover the increasing costs of offering this amenity. These
additional fees include:
Maintenance - escalating expenses associated with normal usage and the
misuse and abuse of waste dump stations
Municipalities - rising costs from local sewer treatment service providers
Regulatory - increasing expenditures linked to stringent corporate
responsibilities
For our best customers, those that are members of Flying J's Frequent
Fueler and RV Real Value clubs, a $5.00 waste dump station coupon will be
added to their card based on fuel purchases. The club member must present
their card to the cashier at the point of purchase to receive the discount.
We appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to offer the
best services and facilities in the industry.
Mark Adamson
Flying J Loyalty
How many of you have large dump ports in the bottom of your tanks like entertainers? The first time I notice this was at a Prevost facility and saw the large grated holes in the parking area. I would really not like to clean the back of my bus after doing a enroute dump, let alone pull a toad.
GregM
On our coach we have the large dump port we use when hooked up in a campground, but we also have a garden hose sized discharge for our macerator pump. I can open the dump port or turn on the macerator pump from the driver's seat. I see a real value in being able to do that because if we are hooked up and realize we need to dump it is easy to just push a button and do it from inside the coach.
But with that convenience comes risk and the risk is I will accidently hit the button and open the valve, which I have done without realizing it. Fortunately I use a cap on both discharges so if I accidently open the valve, nothing escapes until I remove the cap. Fortunately there is a light to indicate the valve is open, so if I am ready to hook up a hose and see the light lit I shut the valve prior to opening the cap. I get my plastic storage tray underneath the port and open the cap getting my arm bathed in poop. It has been a long time since I took a poop bath.
I did not read this whole thread but wHat is happening to the air supply at truck stops ? Just send me to the link to the thread if there is one (please).
Jeff,
What?
Check this out -
http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=prev...jwiysyuhzjebnf