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SANI-STAR
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July 2012
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by Greg Girard
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Category: Featured
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Unfortunately, over the past decade, the number of RV dump stations has steadily declined. Ask an RV campground or travel center manager and they'll say maintaining a dump station is more of a hassle than it's worth. From RVers abusing the honor payment system to users cramming garbage, rocks and other debris into the pipe, clogging the system and necessitating expensive repairs, it just doesn't make sense for many locations to continue providing the service.
Fewer dump stations means RVers are forced to search farther for this essential service, often costing them more gas and altering their travel plans in the process.
In 2009, Vito Bartolotta, founder of Sani-Star, shared the frustration of many other dump station providers. Bartolotta runs a coffee shop and automated car wash in the scenic town of Bend, Ore. As an added service to a steady flow of RVers, he managed a dump station on the property using a tedious key and lock system. RVers would pull up to the station, walk 50 yards to the coffee shop and exchange a nominal fee and their driver's license for a key that unlocked the cap. Then, once they were done emptying their tanks, they would lock the cap (hopefully) and return the key in exchange for their driver's license.
The system was generating some money for the service, basically to cover the cost of maintenance, but it wasn't efficient or convenient. Bartolotta knew there had to be a more convenient way for both offering the service and for using the station. After an extensive search revealed no better solution, the Sani-Star Automated RV Dump Fee Collection System was born.
"Vito invented our patent-pending locking cap," explains Eric Huffman, director of marketing and sales for Sani-Star. "And then he connected a kiosk to the cap, giving the customer the flexibility to pay in multiple ways."
The Sani-Star system, which can run on 110-volt electric or solar power, allows RVers to simply pay the fee at the kiosk, which then unlocks the cap for use and re-locks the cap after dumping. The business owners and campground managers continue to maintain the dump station, but the Sani-Star system allows the station to be available 24/7 without an attendant.
With hundreds of locations in the United States and Canada, Sani-Star is making dump stations once again accessible, easy to use and convenient for the RV owner. "We think it's a win-win for the dump station operators and the RVers alike," says Huffman. "The travel centers and campgrounds can now manage the costs of providing the RV dump service more effectively and the RVers now have dump stations that are readily available and convenient to use."
Locations using Sani-Star agree. "Sani-Star has improved our fee compliance by three to four times, and allowed us to keep our RV dump station open for our RV patrons," says Steve A. Perez, general manager of Rosamond Community Service District in California. "We believe it's due to the equipment's simple and secure operation."
Sani-Star systems can be found in municipalities, national parks, federal and state campgrounds and Canadian provincial parks, as well as travel centers across the country, including all Pilot Flying J dump stations.
"We value our RV customers and are constantly looking for ways to upgrade our services," says Asa Hazelwood, director of facility revenue at Pilot Flying J. "Sani-Star helps us more effectively manage our RV dump stations by allowing us to offer this service across the country, while keeping our costs to a minimum and continuing to offer a high level of service to RVers."
The challenge, says Huffman, is making people aware that the Sani-Star system exists. "We want to get the word out so we can keep RV dumping stations available across North America," says Huffman. Sani-Star is therefore offering a "Where is Sani-Star Needed" Incentive Program for 2012 that awards a $100 Pilot Flying J gift card to anyone who provides the company with a unique lead on a potential Sani-Star location. Simply go to their website, fill out the contact form and provide the potential lead in the comments section. If your suggestion results in a Sani-Star installation, you'll receive the gift card.
"This incentive program is designed to help maintain conveniently located, reliable and accessible RV dump stations," says Huffman, "and reward RV users who help us find new locations."
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