All ready for your motorhome Icelandic trip? Hold on, do you know about the water disposal for motorhomes In Iceland? This is essential and will take many time of your trip if you are not previously informed, so check carefully this article and I will save you loads of time!
It is great to have your own kitchen, fridge, shower, beds and your own toilet too, but it doesn’t empty itself as at home. Let me give you first a quick explanation on what you have in the motorhome and how to empty it. Firstly, you will find the waste tank usually right at the back of the motorhome. Its capacity is less than the fresh water tank. This is because some of the water used is supposed to be consumed or even used for flushing the toilet. Usually, you only need to take off the screw cap and leave gravity make its job. Each model has its own features. Ask your motorhome rental company to explain how to do it before you start your trip. Remember always find a designated area for water disposal for motorhomes in Iceland, as it is illegal to do it somewhere else and you can cause problems and damage wildlife otherwise.
Honestly, the biggest job is not to empty your septic tank but to find a lavatory disposal site on your way. Some campsites do have this type of facilities. To be honest as the tourism growth in the country, more and more campsites are renovating their facilities to be motorhome friendly. There are even some campsites that let you do this job without even staying there, as the Reykjavik campsite.
Gas stations are the other place where you can do this job. Some of the big gas companies have and interactive online map where you can find their stations as for examplevOlís and N1 stations and you can filter by wastewater disposal facilities.
The Environmental Agency of Iceland has elaborated a list for Water Disposal For Motorhome In Iceland. It would be a good idea to save it on your phone or print it out and bring it with you for a quick check during your road trip
Water Disposal For Motorhome In Iceland – Where & How
There is not a fixed rule on how often you need to empty the waste tank and to be honest, I would try to do it as less as possible. So let me give you some tips to minimize your water use on the motorhome, and so the emptying of the tanks:
- Use local water: always try to use showers or toilet at campsites or public pools if visiting them. Laundry cooking and washing up facilities are also possible at campsites. Don’t forget you will have to sleep there overnight so: why not using what you are paying for?
- Don’t let taps run, as you should do everywhere! Also, when warming up water for shower or cleaning, save this water for other activities.
- Recycle shower water. If having a shower at the motorhome, use the water to wash clothes or washing up the dishes.
- If planning to make a water-intensive cooking, prepare it at the campsite, even if it is for the next day! So you save water at the motorhome and also save some time of your day trip.