Every once in a while someone will come up with something that is so game-changing, I think it should be in every RV. That’s not something I write lightly, but the Dump Buddy is simply one of those items that you. Must. Have.
I get a lot of gadgets in the mail from a lot of companies who want me to share them with you. There are some that are so ridiculous that I just don’t write the story. I do tell people, if you’re going to send me something, expect me to be honest.
And, quite honestly, you need a Dump Buddy®. Period.
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The Dump Buddy
Essentially what this thing is is a plastic collar that goes around a sewer pipe and then another one that goes around your sewer hose. You simply use the knob to tighten the collar around the sewer pipe and then flip up the second collar and tighten that around the sewer hose.
There is a rubbery material that helps everything stay in place. The Dump Buddy’s locking knobs complete the process.
The idea of this gadget is to very securely hold your sewer hose in place when you’re getting rid of all those political promises you’ve created during your camping trip. That’s it.
Why not a rock/foot/lid/anvil?
What I like about the actual Dump Buddy device itself is that it’s really light. It’s basically all plastic, although it’s durable enough that it should last a good while if you take care of it.
Instead of using something weighty to accomplish this task, this seems much more secure. Further, the likelihood that you’re going to have that rock slip off right when the black tank is at full force evacuation is a factor of how many people are behind you at the dump station and how long they have to wait while you clean up that mess.
Eww.
I recently had my travel trailer weighed and I was way, way over weight. So the weight of anything that now gets added to my collection of gadgets in the trailer is important. This thing is light and it will go easily in the plastic tote with all the other dump supplies, including the 90° clear dump fitting, the gloves and all of that stuff.
The Dump Buddy comes with a mesh bag and then a pretty fancy zippered case. Frankly, it’s never going to see the inside of that case ever again. Once my Dump Buddy encountered its first sewer pipe, it gave up any hope of seeing that nice case, but the mesh bag will stay.
The Dump Buddy will accommodate sewer pipes from 3.9” to 5.75” in outside diameter.
Eliminate the anxiety of dumping
Honestly, there has always been a bit of anxiety when dumping because you’re over at the valves and the other end of the hose has every intention of replicating Old Facefull if there is the most remote chance that anybody’s watching. The longer the hose you’re using (I’ve used all three of my Rhino hoses together in some situations), the more likely there will be a reenactment of Mount Vesuvius with nearly equally dire consequences.
This little plastic collar gadget honestly has completely eliminated that anxiety. I absolutely think it’s a brilliant solution to a problem every RVer has.
As for the gross factor, this is all plastic so you can spritz it with a cleaner after using it if you choose to, or just rinse it off.
Whatever the case, I can’t imagine not having this now that I have it. I would absolutely add this to the “must have” RV gadget list. [Editor: And it’s available on Amazon.]
##GRVA11
Ummm ok. If you have some money to waste this is the product for you. 9 out of 10 sites it won’t work for and the few that it does just put a stick on it
Nice little gadget but both times we had a “yuck” moment, the problem was with the hose breaking, not the rock rolling off!
Yeah, this would at the most be a want, not a need. Our experience with sewers has been that they are flush with the ground, very few have a pipe sticking out.
At most of the sites we have camped, the sewer is flush with the ground and this would not work. my $1.50 patio block works fine and at 8 pounds its not a critical element.
Like other gadgets and procedures that provide for added ‘protection,’ I think this is aimed at people who never changed a diaper.
I never could get this to work. It was flimsy and could not get it tight around the pipe. Case is nice though.