You have heard of the honey wagon. Those vehicles are septic tank trucks that go around to different RV parks and campgrounds and empty your black tanks for a fee. The drawback to this service is the high fee. The honey pots remove the fee and keep the convenience.
There are honey pots for sale everywhere RV accessories and supplies are on sale. These are handy little items to have on hand as they help you stay for extended periods of time, and let you empty your black tanks without having to move your vehicle.
To learn more about these handy little items, just continue to read our article. It is filled with the information you want to know about so you can pick up your own little honey pot and give yourself more time at any given campsite you enjoy.
If you have heard of the honey wagon, then you will have a good idea of what the honey pots are designed to do. The honey pot is enclosed and the top usually has a sealable opening large enough to attach your black water tank hose.
It is on rugged wheels as it is designed to carry the contents of your black tank to the dump station. They have a long handle for easy pulling and can hold different amounts of waste.
These devices are both portable and lightweight so you will not have to worry about your weight limits that much. When you do buy and use one, you will find that you can save on wear and tear on your RV, fuel, and mileage.
You do not have to start your tow vehicle, or RV or hook up your trailer to empty the black tanks. The only drawback to owning one of these honey pots is where will you store them. The amount of storage space you have available will dictate the size you can buy.
It is hard to know how many companies make these handy devices. The top best lists repeat the same brands leaving little room for lesser-known companies that may make a good product but cheaper. Here is a list of those brands that can be found:
1. Camco Rhino- comes in a variety of sizes and it is made by a company that specializes in RV accessories. It can be transported by hand or you can hook it up to your tow vehicle to get it to the dump station.
2. Barker 4-wheel tote tank- the front wheels are close together and on either side of the long handle. This company makes several different sizes as well and includes a 5-foot sewer hose.
3. Tote-in-Store portable waste transport- the handle may turn you off as it is unique in its design and may not fit all hands. It also comes with rubber wheels and an assortment of accessories.
4. Thetford SmartTote2- as soon as you unpack it, it is ready for use. There is no delay in operation as this honey pot comes ready to serve. One honey pot model can hold 27 gallons which may or may not be large enough for some RVs.
5. Alpha Systems Holding tank- this model is built to meet the standards of the Canadian Standards Association and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). So you know it should be good.
The drawback to this model is that we saw no wheels or handles.
6. VINGLI Portable Tote Tank- a solidly built honey pot with a non-adjustable handle. It has large wheels to make transporting the waste a lot easier. Plus, it can be used to transport waste or freshwater for washing dishes, etc., but use a different honey pot for both duties.
There are different criteria you want to look for to find the best honey pot for your camping time. Here are some of the criteria you should use to guide your search:
1. Price- while it is tempting to go cheap, the cheaper priced models may not be large enough for your black tank contents. That means you have to make more trips. Spend the money to get the size you will really need.
2. Convenience- look for a honey pot with a decent and long handle. While those models with short stationary handles are good, the longer the handle the better for pulling. They should be easier on your back.
3. Size- you will want to find a honey pot that holds about 1 gallon more than your black tank holds. This size enables you to empty the black tank in one shot and leave nothing behind
4. Two types of honey pots- there are tanks that hold both gray and black water but there are also tanks that only hold one or the other. It doesn’t matter if you use a black water tank to empty gray water but it does matter if you use a gray water tank to empty the black water.
Buy one that is designed for black water and empty both tanks.
5. Construction material- you will want the tank that is made from plastic or plastic-like materials. Not only are they lightweight but they are also very durable. Metal honey pots tend to corrode from the inside out making it hard to see when they are damaged.
6. Easy to use- one thing you do not want is a honey pot that is hard to use. Pick one that does not take a lot of time to set up or is complicated to empty.
7. Portable- there are honey pots that come with no wheels and there are some that do. You will want the models that have the most wheels as those are the easiest to pull.
8. Brand name- pick the honey pot that is built by the most reputable company. Those products are usually better made and come at a reasonable price.
This is not going to be a difficult task to do. Like most RV products you have a myriad of national and local outlets that cater to the RV owners. They want your business so they will carry those products RV owners need the most.
If they really want your business, they should be able to order what you need if they do not carry it in stock. You can do different types of searches to find the best outlet selling these honey pots at the best price.
Try the internet as it can do both local and national searches. The results pages you turn up should give you more than enough possible options to checkout.
Or if you are near a good-sized town or city, you can always go to the local stores and see what is available. Then as a last-ditch effort, you can try the classified ads. Sellers may have stopped their RV life and need to get rid of accessories or they upgraded and do not need a second one.
Amazon is a good place to start your search. That marketplace has several brands and size varieties on sale. Usually, Amazon has reasonable prices but the drawback to using this option is that often the products are unavailable.
RV accessories and supplies outlets should have some models on sale. The drawback to this option is that you may not be the first in line and the outlets only have a few odd-sized models left on the shelf.
The positive side of these outlets is that they are numerous and if one store does not have the honey pot chances are another one does. The big box stores are another place to shop for a honey pot.
These large chain stores, from Costco to Lowes, want the RV owner’s business and they may stock some specialty items like this to attract them. Their prices may be the lowest of all. Walmart sells at least one brand online.
Do some comparison shopping to get the right price and find one that is nearest to your location. Prices will vary depending on the size of the honey pot and if you go large do not go too large, you still need to find a place to store the item when not in use.
Most of these honey pots are made from some sort of plastic material. That means they can be tough but lightweight. They will handle the rough terrain in most cases.
The thing to be concerned about is not just the number of gallons they can hold, but the weight limits for each one. Water is said to weigh roughly 8 pounds per gallon, so make sure both the honey pot and you can haul a lot of weight. Pick the one with the best wheels to hold that weight as well.