RV Honey Wagon Service: A Sweet Solution to Full Tanks

What’s an RV honey wagon service, you ask? That’s a great question, and we’re about to answer it in this post!

Before we do (lest you be disappointed as you read on), we want to let you know right up front that a honey wagon for RV use is not a wagon that delivers honey from rig to rig at campsites and events… quite the opposite, in fact!

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s check out the RV honey wagon and see what all the buzz is about! (See what we did there? ???? ????)

So, What IS an RV Honey Wagon?

A honey wagon for RV use is a portable waste tank, however it’s very different from the type of portable RV dump tanks we covered in a previous post. Those are small tanks that an RVer can carry with them to use as a small extra RV waste tank, often referred to as “blue boys”. Here’s an example of one (though it’s not blue):

While some people will call a “blue boy” a “honey wagon”, typically an RV honey wagon is a truck with a large holding tank (or a truck/tractor towing a trailer with a large holding tank) that drives from location to location throughout campgrounds, RV parks, and event sites. The truck has a long sewer hose and pumping equipment that connects to RV tank valves to empty your black and gray tanks right where your RV sits!

This means that you don’t have to move your RV to a nearby dump station to empty your tanks!

They call these “honey wagons” because the contents of an RV’s black tank and gray water tank tend to produce a honey-colored liquid.

See? ????

Why Do Some RV Parks Use Honey Wagons?

Honey wagons are used by some RV parks because they may not have full hookups available and/or a dedicated dump station, and they want their guests to be able to dump their tanks without having to move their rigs.

This not only provides convenience for the RVer, but it means there’s less RV traffic constantly moving through the park. That’s a win for both the guests and the park!

Where Else Are Honey Wagons Common?

In addition to campgrounds and RV parks, you’ll also commonly see honey wagons at Quartzsite LTVA areas, RV rallies, RV tour groups, marinas, and events.

In fact, when we attended the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta with Fantasy RV Tours, they included one free honey wagon visit for each tour guest. But, if needed, you could pay for additional visits during your stay at the event.

This kind of service is common at big events that are held in places that aren’t already an RV park. Like fairgrounds, stadiums, racetracks, etc. These are all places that may only temporarily be housing a large number of RVs, so there are no sanitary waste facilities available.

Providing honey wagon service at places/events like these ensures that everyone will still have the ability to dump their tanks, eliminating the potential for nasty spills and overflow. ????

How Much Does RV Honey Wagon Service Cost?

Some RV parks offer the service as part of your site fee, especially if they don’t have any sewer hookups or a dedicated dump station on site. Other parks tack an extra fee onto your site fee if you choose to take advantage of their honey wagon service, making it an a la carte option just for those who need to use it.

And finally, some RV parks charge per use of the honey wagon. This per-use fee is generally anywhere from $5 to $20, depending on the park.

Have You Used a Service Like This Before?

If you’ve used a honey wagon service as part of your RVing experience, let us know how it worked out for you, where you used it, and what the cost was!

Meanwhile, check out this video of a Phelps honey wagon at work!

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