9 Best Portable Waste Tanks for RV Camping (October 2026) Top Tested

If you want one answer before you read anything else: the Camco Rhino 36-Gallon RV Tote Tank (39006) is the best portable waste tank for most RVers. It carries an integrated gate valve, no-flat wheels, a removable steel tow adapter and a built-in tank rinser, and it holds enough capacity to empty a typical RV holding tank in one pull.

That matters because the single most hated task in RVing is not emptying tanks. It is tearing down camp, hooking the sewer hose, driving the whole rig to a dump station and setting up again. A portable waste tank – also called an RV tote tank or a portable septic tank – sits under or beside your rig and lets you pull that liquid out on your own schedule.

This 2026 season we compared nine of the tanks that dominate the category, reading spec sheets against owner reports and weighing what actually breaks. The list below covers everything from a 10-gallon grey-water carrier to a 42-gallon four-wheeler that swallows a full RV tank in a single trip. Every one of the nine is genuinely distinct; we left out the endless size and wheel-count variations of the same shells.

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Top 3 Portable Waste Tanks for RV Camping

All 9 Portable Waste Tanks Compared in 2026

The table below is the fastest way to narrow the field. Capacity decides how many trips you make to the dump station, empty weight decides whether you can lift it, and valve type decides how cleanly it drains. Wheel count matters less than most buyers think – it is the inlet height and the outlet position that cause frustration.

1. Camco Rhino 36-Gallon RV Tote Tank – Best Overall

Out of everything we looked at, the Rhino 36 is the one we kept coming back to. Owners on RV owner forums overwhelmingly land on this model, and one long-term owner reports a Camco Rhino 36 that has held up nicely for four years. That kind of durability report matters more than any spec line, because a tote tank lives outside in UV and gets dragged over gravel.

The layout is sensible in a way that most competitors are not. The 3-inch gate valve is molded into the side, so you empty it standing up with a hose under the outlet rather than wrestling a full tank up onto its end. Wheels are solid no-flat types that roll over dirt, grass roots and gravel without the pinch flats that end pneumatic trips early.

One of the reasons it becomes the default recommendation is what arrives in the box. You get two oversized wheels, the large handle, a tank rinser, a ladder hook and the gate valve, plus a removable steel tow adapter that clips to a hitch ball. There is no second shopping trip to assemble a working system, which is the most common reason budget tanks get abandoned.

Measure before you buy. The tank measures 24-1/8 inches long by 14-3/4 inches wide and 44-7/8 inches tall, and at 45 pounds empty it is not something you lift casually. Owners on r/RVLiving report building ramps to push one up into a truck bed, which is the kind of workaround you will be doing too.

What 36 gallons of loaded weight actually means

Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon. A full 36-gallon tote is roughly 300 pounds of liquid plus the 45-pound tank, so call it around 345 pounds. That is the number that changes plans, and it is why owners on Forest River Forums call a 22-gallon tote about as large as they can handle.

Plan your tow vehicle’s payload before you plan your dump schedule. If you cannot comfortably pull roughly 345 pounds over uneven ground, either use a four-wheel model or split the load across two trips with a smaller tank.

Who should look past this tank

Skip the Rhino 36 if your rig is a Class B van or a low-profile travel trailer. The height and footprint will not fit underneath many of them, and owners in RV owner groups report exactly this frustration before they end up solving it with a macerator pump or a truck-bed setup instead.

The 2-wheel version also lacks the steerable front casters found on the deluxe 4-wheel kits, so on rough ground you will be steering it like a two-wheeled hand truck. If your sites are gravel and dirt, budget for that awkwardness or step up to a four-wheeler.

2. Barker 4-Wheeler 42-Gallon Tote Tank – Best for Maximum Capacity

The Barker 42 is the tank you buy when you refuse to make two trips. At 42 gallons it swallows a large RV black or grey tank in a single pull, and owners who have had one describe it as the best-built tote they own. The 4.5 rating across more than 3,000 reviews is a genuinely solid track record for a category this niche.

Construction is where Barker spends the money. It is blow-molded polyethylene joined with zinc-plated steel and aluminum, and the front-mounted double wheel swivel sits on a heavy-duty oversized mounting plate specifically to keep the tank tracking straight when it is heavy. Owners on RV forums describe a 4-wheel 25-gallon version as manageable storage-wise and easy to pull by hand to dump.

The 3-inch conventional waste valve and side discharge are the parts you will thank it for at the dump station. You open the valve, watch it empty through a standard sewer hose, and never lift the tank. Some owners reinforce the wheel axle assemblies themselves as a precaution, which tells you where the weak point is.

Two things to check first. The tank stands 45 inches tall, so if your RV dump port sits high, the inlet lugs may end up above the outlet and gravity stops working. And the tow handle attachment is the single most reported Barker problem – one iRV2 owner had the handle come off the hitch ball mid-pull, so check that the handle is fully seated before you move.

When 42 gallons is the right call

Go big if you boondock for extended stretches, run a fifth wheel with 40-plus gallon holding tanks, or camp in places with no grey water hookup. Fewer dump station trips is the entire point of the category, and this is the tank that minimizes them.

Be honest about the pull. Forty-two gallons of liquid plus a 47-pound tank means well over 400 pounds loaded, and the pneumatic tires do the work. Owners who load the supplied tow strap onto a hitch ball should strap it down, because a bump is exactly when the handle comes loose.

Where the Barker falls short

It is the least storage-friendly tank we tested. Forty-two gallons is a genuinely large object, and the top objection we saw repeatedly across owner forums was bulk – the tank is simply awkward to keep on board when you are not using it.

The included tires are also the weakest part of the package. Multiple reviewers flag cracking and end caps that are difficult to source, and the handle’s captive ball bearing pin reads as flimsy in a tank built this well otherwise. Budget for a replacement or a bungee cord over the handle connection.

3. Barker 10893 10-Gallon Tote Tank – Best Entry-Level Grey Water Hauler

The 10-gallon Barker is the answer to the most common question owners ask on the Jayco Owners Forum and on r/RVLiving: do I need to move my entire RV to dump? For grey water from a small trailer or a Class B van, this does it. The full weight is roughly 93 pounds, which is a two-person lift and nothing more.

What makes it more usable than its simple spec sheet suggests is visibility. Owners point out that you can see the fluid level through the tank, which lets you stop before you overfill. For a first-time tote owner, that single feature removes the biggest learning curve – learning to read how full a closed tank is.

The 3-inch vented cap is the right size, and the large wheels are noticeably bigger than the tank’s footprint demands, so it rolls over uneven campground ground without dragging. The steel hitch handle is heavier-gauge than the plastic parts would suggest, which is a small sign of better assembly.

It is a no-frills design and reviewers treat it that way. The common praise is that it saves hours of tearing down camp every few days, for very little money. The Barker line also covers 15, 22 and 30 gallon shells, so this chassis scales up if you outgrow it.

Best used as a grey water tank, not black water

A 10-gallon tote is realistically a grey water tool. Most RV grey tanks hold more than that, so you will make several transfers per dump. If your black tank is 30 gallons or larger, a 10-gallon tote turns draining into a repetitive chore.

Keeping grey and black separate is worth doing. A tank dedicated to grey water stays in regular rotation for shower and sink water, gets rinsed more often, and keeps the toilet waste tank from sitting full in the bed of your truck.

Know the drawbacks before you buy

The outlet sits above the interior floor, so a small amount of liquid always stays behind at the end. You will end up tilting the tank to slosh the remainder out, which is the single most common owner complaint in this category across brands.

The plastic wheels are the other weak point. Reviewers report bearings that can fail after a handful of uses, and wheel nut locks that are not sturdy enough to survive bumps with a loaded tank. Treat it as a carry-and-roll tool rather than a terrain tool.

4. Thetford SmartTote2 35-Gallon 2-Wheel – Best Self-Contained Kit

The SmartTote2 35-gallon sells on completeness. It arrives with every component needed to empty your RV waste holding tanks, including the heavy-duty sewer hose held in place by a retainer strap, so there is nothing to buy separately before your first dump. For buyers who want a working system on day one, that is worth more than a small spec-sheet advantage.

AutoStop is the feature owners name most. The venting port level gauge shuts the fill off when the tank is full, which stops the overflow-and-splash problem that makes first-time owners nervous. It also speeds up emptying, because a full tank drains faster under a controlled vacuum.

At 21.6 pounds empty, this is by far the lightest large tank we tested, and the two durable rubber wheels plus the built-in handle make it easy to maneuver. Owners using Thetford tanks in regular service point to exactly that: avoiding heavy lifting, quick emptying, and a safer walk to the dump station.

The 4.2 rating is the honest part of this review. It sits at the lower end of the ratings in this roundup, and the distribution shows it – 64 percent five-star with 9 percent one-star. Buyers consistently describe build quality relative to the price as the reason, which is a fair criticism of a polypropylene body competing against blow-molded HDPE.

Why the included kit actually saves money

A 3-inch gate valve alone is a modest purchase, and a good sewer hose plus a 4-in-1 adapter is another. When you total the parts needed to fill and dump a tank, a self-contained unit like this quietly costs less than a cheaper tank plus fittings. That is where its value really sits.

It is also the easiest to hand to another RV owner. The hose, fittings and tank live in one package, so it works for a friend, a family member or a rental without hunting for adapters in a storage bay.

What you give up for the kit

Polypropylene is lighter and less rigid than blow-molded HDPE, and at 35 gallons you can feel that when the tank is loaded and being steered. Owners comparing across brands consistently rate the HDPE tanks higher for long-term feel.

The hitch attachment is a tow strap you buy separately, not a rigid steel tow adapter like the Camco’s. Straps on a loaded tank over rough ground need attention, and a handle that cannot slip off is worth something even at a lower capacity.

5. Thetford SmartTote2 12-Gallon – Best for Low-Clearance Rigs

If your problem is that nothing fits underneath your rig, this is the tank to look at. The 12-gallon SmartTote2 has the lowest profile in the Thetford tote range, and owners who needed clearance to reach a low dump valve report that it does the job nothing else in the category would.

It is also genuinely portable. At 12 gallons the full weight is around 100 pounds, which owners describe as liftable into a truck bed, and the 18.5 by 10.5 inch footprint stores in a basement bay or under a bed without becoming the storage problem that stops people from buying a tote at all.

Buyers who find the right tank often stay with it for years, reporting zero leaks over long service. It arrives fully assembled with caps for the hose opening and the vent, so it is usable immediately once you add a hose.

That add-on is the catch. This is a tank only – no sewer hose, no adapters, no fittings – so the real cost is the tank plus a hose and a 4-in-1 sewer elbow. Plan the full system, not just the tank.

When 12 gallons is the correct size

Small is right when you are carrying grey water only from a Class B van, a pop-top or a short travel trailer. Those rigs generate grey water in amounts a 12-gallon tank absorbs in one or two transfers, and the small size is the whole benefit – you can actually move it.

It is also the right answer for a once-a-week or once-a-trip rental where the tank lives in a storage unit between uses. Bulk was the most common purchase objection we found in owner forums, and capacity is how you solve it.

What you lose at this size

There is no AutoStop indicator on this model, so unlike the larger SmartTote2 you check the level manually during filling. Combined with a lack of a pop-up vent, that is the most common complaint among buyers, and several move up to the larger SmartTote2 models as a result.

Wheel security is the other reported issue – owners describe wheels popping off in transit on a loaded tank. Check the wheel nuts before you roll it across a campground, and do not treat it as a gravel-and-rutted-drain tool.

6. Thetford 40510 18-Gallon 4-Wheel – Best Four-Wheel Rolling Design

The patented hose handling is what makes this tank different. The sewer hose stores connected at the bottom of the tank, permanently, so there is no coiling, no dragging a wet hose across your campsite, and no adapter to mis-thread at the dump station. Owners who value not touching the hose at all come back to this design repeatedly.

Four wheels solve the second-oldest problem in this category. A full tote on two wheels is a balance act; on four it stays level and tracks straight, which is exactly what owners on r/RVLiving ask for when they say they would buy a 4-wheel tote so they do not need the tow vehicle to move grey water.

AutoStop fill shutoff handles the overfill problem, and the tank is completely self-contained – hose, fittings and all. Buyers describe it as the most convenient and sanitary option in the category, and the 4.4 rating with only 3 percent one-star votes reflects that.

There is an owner caveat worth repeating, and it comes from a long-term user: the tank holds up well, but that owner is not a heavy user, does not drag it over gravel, and finds draining the last of the liquid out difficult. Read that as a design characteristic rather than a defect.

Why four wheels matter more than the numbers suggest

Wheel count is not about speed. It is about control with a loaded tank. On four wheels the load sits between the axles rather than behind them, so a full 18-gallon tank tracks in a straight line on gravel and rutted dirt instead of fishtailing behind you.

It also means no lifting. A two-wheel loaded tote has to be tilted to move at all, and tilting a full tank over a sewer hose is how spills happen. Owners using four-wheel totes report a shorter, safer trip to the dump station.

Where the 18-gallon size works against it

Eighteen gallons is small for most RVers. Against a typical 20 to 40 gallon holding tank, you are looking at two or three transfers per dump, and each one is a hose connection you have to make and break.

The review base is also among the thinnest here at 195 ratings, so long-term durability is less proven than with the Camco or Barker tanks. Owners have reported needing to replace the front axle annually on an ATV-hauled four-wheel tote, so inspect the wheel hardware periodically.

7. VINGLI 10.6-Gallon Tote – Best for Grey Water and Fresh Water Hauling

This is the tank to buy if you want one container that does double duty. The body is food-grade HDPE – plastic number 2 – rated for fresh or waste water, so the same tank can carry drinking water home from a campground tap or shuttle grey water to a dump station. No other tank in this roundup offers that flexibility.

At 9.3 pounds empty it is the lightest unit here, and two large wheels with integrated handles make it easy to move even when full. The slim 14.76 by 9.06 inch footprint fits in a pickup bed without sliding around while you drive, which owners on camper forums treat as the decisive detail for truck-bed storage.

Owners also like the large diameter outlet for quick filling and draining, and the anti-sticky interior surface that makes rinsing far less of a chore. Storage compartments built into the tank hold the hose and faucet accessories, so the parts stay with the tank instead of migrating in your storage bay.

The 4.3 rating with 63 percent five-star votes reflects a strong budget pick rather than a premium one. Buyers treat it as capable value – it does the grey water job for a fraction of what the larger Thetford and Barker models ask.

A dual-purpose tank is a real use case

Full-time RVers and long-trip families carry two kinds of liquid. This tank handles the small-volume side of both, and a separate tank you never fill with potable water is a good habit regardless. Treat the two uses as separate trips, not one combined load.

For anyone who complained in owner forums about storage, this is the smallest useful footprint we found. It disappears in a truck bed behind the cab, and at roughly 98 pounds full it is a one-person lift with effort.

The fitting gap you need to know about

There is no standard 3/4 inch hose connection, so a transfer adapter has to be fabricated or purchased before this tank is useful for RV waste work. Budget for that step, and for the fact that the cap threads are plastic and will strip if you overtighten them.

Gasket consistency is the other recurring complaint – some caps include a gasket and some do not, and there are occasional reports of leaking at the orange tube. Check for a gasket every time you cap it, and expect a small leak-hunting session the first few times you use it.

8. RecPro 36-Gallon Portable Waste Tank – Best Pre-Assembled 36-Gallon Option

The RecPro competes directly with the Camco Rhino 36, and its pitch is simplicity. It arrives pre-assembled – attach the hose, open the valve and go – with no tools and no setup steps. If you want the same capacity as our top pick without a build process, this is the one to compare it against.

The wheels are the real differentiator. They are non-pneumatic with a diamond-pattern tread that never goes flat, which removes the puncture problem entirely on gravel, desert tracks and rutted campground roads. Owners with a history of flats on pneumatic totes tend to like that immediately.

Large ports for fast, clean emptying is a genuine convenience – filling and draining take less time than on tanks with narrow outlets, and you spend less time with the hose attached. The high-visibility blue is not a gimmick; finding a tank in a crowded campsite or at the back of a truck bed at dusk matters more than it sounds.

The 4.1 rating is the lowest average in this roundup, with 13 percent one-star reviews against 69 percent five-star, and the review base of 116 is thin. That is a wide spread on a small sample, so treat the rating as a caution rather than a verdict.

Is a pre-assembled 36-gallon worth the trade-offs?

If you are buying for a first boondocking season and want zero setup, yes. There is no assembly, no adapter hunting, and the tank is usable the day it arrives. The same 36-gallon capacity as our Editor’s Choice means one transfer per holding tank.

Also weigh the 54.9-pound empty weight. It is the second-heaviest unit in this roundup before a single gallon goes in, so a full tank approaches 355 pounds. Check your tow vehicle payload before committing.

Where owners are split

Polypropylene is the recurring theme. It is heavier and less rigid than the blow-molded HDPE used by the Camco, Barker and Venustank tanks, and buyers weighing the two are genuinely divided on whether the extra capacity and flat-free tires justify the build difference.

On a 116-review base, the one-star complaints are worth reading yourself rather than taking my summary for. The pattern is durability-related rather than a single defect, which is the kind of thing that either never shows up for a given owner or shows up every season.

9. Venustank 30-Gallon 2-Wheel – Best Accessory Kit

The Venustank solves a problem the others create: the fittings. The kit includes a 3-foot sewer hose, a swivel bayonet/lug sewer hose, two 31-inch rinse adapters, clear elbows with a 4-in-1 adapter and storage caps. Clear elbows are the detail owners on camper forums call out by name – you can see when the tank has finished draining and when your sanitizing rinse is complete.

At 30 gallons with blow-molded HDPE construction, it sits in the practical middle of the category. Large solid-rubber rear wheels plus a 22-inch tow bar mean you can roll it along or tow it behind a truck or golf cart, and the ladder hook clamps onto an RV or camper ladder for storage, which answers the bulk objection directly.

It ties for the top average rating in this roundup at 4.7, with 82 percent five-star and no 2- or 3-star ratings. That is genuinely impressive – and it is also 57 reviews. We are not going to dress up a small sample as a track record, but if the scoring matters to you, this is the tank leading on it.

Some assembly is required before first use, and the tank measures 43.5 by 25.5 by 17 inches at 57.5 pounds empty. A full tank runs past 300 pounds, so it is a two-person job or a tow-bar job, not a lift.

When the accessory kit decides the purchase

Buy this if you have already been through the fittings dance with another tank. Having the 3-foot hose, the bayonet swivel, the rinse adapters and the clear elbows in one box removes roughly a dozen decisions and a second shipment, and the 4-in-1 adapter alone is the fitting most people buy first and lose.

It is also the cleanest storage story in the roundup. The ladder hook and the 22-inch tow bar mean the tank lives on the RV ladder and rolls out when you need it, rather than occupying precious space in a basement bay.

What the small review base means for you

Fifty-seven ratings is the thinnest sample here, and long-term durability is the one thing a short history cannot tell you. Owners who clear the plastic corners of a 30-gallon tote know exactly which seams and fittings crack first, and this brand has not been in the forums long enough to have that pattern documented.

The 57.5-pound empty weight is also the heaviest in the roundup. If you cannot get it onto a hitch ball or lift it with a second person, the 22-inch tow bar is the only realistic way to move it, and that means planning a tow vehicle into your dump runs.

How to Choose a Portable Waste Tank for Your RV

Capacity is the first filter, and the second is whether you can physically move what you pick. Those two questions eliminate most wrong purchases faster than brand loyalty does.

Match capacity to your holding tank, and watch the loaded weight

Aim for a tote that holds at least your RV’s largest single holding tank, or accept multiple transfers. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon, so here is what you are actually lifting: 10 gallons is roughly 83 pounds, 18 gallons roughly 150, 30 gallons roughly 250, 35 gallons roughly 292, 36 gallons roughly 300, and 42 gallons roughly 350 of liquid – plus the empty weight of the tank on top.

That is why a 22-gallon tote is described by one owner as about as large as they can handle, and why a full 36-gallon tote comes in around 345 pounds loaded. If your tow vehicle’s payload cannot cover that, choose a smaller tank or a four-wheel model rather than a heavy two-wheeler you will avoid using.

Two wheels, four wheels, or steerable front casters

Two wheels with a fixed rear axle are the standard configuration and the cheapest to build. They are fine on paved or firm sites and easy to store. The trade-off is that a loaded tank steers like a hand truck and must be tilted to move, which is how you get an awkward pull over uneven ground.

Four wheels keep the load centered and the tank level, which makes a loaded tank far easier to control on gravel and rutted dirt. Steerable front casters – the Barker’s double wheel swivel, or the casters on the Camco deluxe 4-wheel kits – add self-aligning behavior so it tracks straight without you fighting the handle. If you camp off pavement, that is the single upgrade worth paying for.

Both of our top picks are no-flat or non-pneumatic designs. Pneumatic tires roll more smoothly but can pinch flat, and a flat tire on a loaded tote in a campground is a genuinely bad afternoon. Solid no-flat or diamond-tread wheels trade a little smoothness for never needing a repair.

Gate valve, low drain hole, and where the outlet sits

A 3-inch side gate valve lets you empty the tank standing upright with a sewer hose under the outlet, which is what the Barker 42, the Camco Rhino and the Venustank all do. It is the cleanest method and the one most owners prefer.

A low drain hole requires you to tip or tilt the tank to get the last of the liquid out, and it is the source of the most common complaint in the category – owners describe repeatedly lifting and tilting to slosh out the final amount. The outlet height also sets a minimum: if the outlet sits above your RV’s dump port, gravity flow stops.

Check your RV’s dump valve height before buying a tall tank. The Barker 42 stands 45 inches tall, which is fine for most Class A and C rigs and can sit too high for a low dump port. Owners on r/RVLiving use the 4-in-1 sewer elbow to solve exactly this height mismatch.

Black water, grey water, and what each tank handles

Black water is toilet waste and needs a sealed, opaque tank with a secure valve. Grey water is shower, sink and kitchen water, is lighter, and can go in a lighter-duty tank or a tank with a more open design. Most owners keep a dedicated grey water tote and move it daily, which keeps the black water tank from sitting full.

The 10-gallon and 12-gallon tanks in this roundup are realistically grey water tools. The 30-gallon and up models handle black water hauling, and the VINGLI HDPE tank is rated for either. None of the manufacturers we checked publish a black water rating, so treat the seal quality of the gate valve and the opacity of the body as the practical indicators.

Storage, bulk, and the low-profile trailer problem

Bulk to store is the objection owners raise before they buy, more than any other. A 42-gallon tote is a genuinely large object, and a 36-gallon one is not much smaller. Plan where it lives before you commit: a truck bed, a basement bay, a bumper rack, or an RV ladder with a ladder hook.

Some rigs simply have no room. Owners of low-profile travel trailers and Class B vans report that no portable waste tank will fit underneath, and they solve it with a macerator pump or a separate tote carried in the truck bed. If that is your situation, the 12-gallon and 10-gallon tanks are the realistic options, or a macerator pump is the correct tool rather than a compromise. Planning a power setup for extended off-grid trips is a good companion read, and our portable power station guide covers that side.

Tote tank or macerator pump?

A tote tank wins when your dump station is reachable by rolling or towing, and when you want to stay in one campsite. A macerator pump wins when the dump connection is too far, too steep or blocked, because it pushes waste through a hose without moving anything.

They are not really competitors. Plenty of owners run both – a tank for campground dump stations, a pump for the awkward remote site. If you also want a compact kitchen setup for the same boondocking trips, our portable induction cooktop guide covers the other half of the problem.

How to Fill, Tow, Dump and Rinse a Portable Waste Tank

Every tank in this roundup works the same way, and the sequence matters more than the equipment. Before you move a loaded tank, run through this list.

1. Position the tote below the RV waste valve so gravity does the work. If the outlet is higher than the RV dump port, add a 4-in-1 sewer elbow or a riser.
2. Connect your sewer hose to the RV waste valve and to the tote inlet. The Barker uses bayonet inlet lugs; the Thetford and Camco kits use a standard 3-inch bayonet or lug fit.
3. Open the RV waste valve slowly. Let air out of the tote first through the vent cap or AutoStop port, because a sealed tank will not fill.
4. Watch the level. With a transparent tank you can see the fluid rise; with a closed one, rely on the AutoStop gauge or check the inlet with the hose end.
5. Close the RV valve first, then disconnect the hose at the RV end before the tote end, so you do not siphon onto the ground.
6. Cap the tote inlet, secure the hose with the retainer strap if your tank has one, and confirm the gate valve is fully closed.
7. Check the tow adapter or handle is fully seated on the hitch ball, and strap it if it can slip. A loose handle is the most reported failure in this category.
8. Roll or tow to the dump station, set the tote on the ground beside the disposal, open the 3-inch gate valve and let it empty into the inlet.
9. Watch the clear elbow if your tank has one to confirm the flow has stopped, or tilt the tank to catch the last of the liquid if the outlet sits above the interior floor.
10. Rinse with the integrated tank rinser, a garden hose or a campervan-style rinse adapter, then close and store the tank empty.

Rinsing is not optional. Waste left in a tote creates an odor that permeates the storage area and the RV, and odour control after rinsing is one of the things owners say they notice most in the first season. Flush, close the vent, and store it open if you can.

For the rest of your camp setup, our portable fire pit guide and portable dishwasher guide for RV living cover the other gear that makes a long boondocking stay workable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

After working through all nine, the Camco Rhino 36-Gallon remains the best portable waste tank for RV camping for the simple reason that it does everything correctly and includes everything you need. Gate valve, no-flat wheels, tow adapter, rinser and a 2-year warranty, backed by the deepest review history in the category.

Go bigger with the Barker 4-Wheeler 42 if you want one trip per dump and can handle a 45-inch tank. Go smaller with the Thetford SmartTote2 12-Gallon or the VINGLI tote if your rig is small or nothing fits underneath. Either way, check your loaded weight before you buy, and check the tow connection every time before you move.

Use the price buttons on each review to compare current listings for the best portable waste tanks for RV camping, and pick the capacity your tow vehicle and your storage bay can actually handle.