Alright, let’s talk about a real workhorse of a dump station. You’re leaving the Twin Cities, fighting your way through the traffic on I-35W, and you’re pointed north towards Duluth, the North Shore, and the beautiful piney woods of Minnesota. You realize you need to empty the tanks one last time before you get into more remote territory. This is where the Wash-N-Fill on Central Avenue in Blaine comes into play. It’s not pretty, it’s not a destination, but it serves a critically important purpose as one of the last, easy-access suburban pit-stops before you’re truly up north.
Now, the very first thing you need to know about this place, and I can’t stress this enough, is that you must call ahead. This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a requirement. Its operational status can be a bit flaky. Some RVer forums report it’s open and working great, others say it was closed for maintenance. A quick phone call to the attendant inside the car wash will save you the headache of pulling off the interstate for nothing.
The location itself is a perfect example of a "gateway" stop. Blaine might be known to golf fanatics as the home of the PGA's TPC Twin Cities course, but for us travelers, it’s a handy staging ground. You can use it as a base to make a day trip into Minneapolis to see Minnehaha Falls or brave the Mall of America, and then retreat back to the relative calm of the suburbs. The area has some great local parks, like Lakeside Commons, which is perfect for a picnic, or if you’re traveling in the fall, the corn mazes at Anoka County Farms are a blast. It’s a practical location that lets you bridge the gap between urban adventures and your escape to lake country.
The on-the-ground experience here is as no-frills as it gets. The dump station is literally a concrete pad with a sewer cap, tucked away behind the main car wash tunnel. It feels like an afterthought, but a useful one. The process is simple: you park, go inside the convenience store, pay the fee, and they’ll give you a key to unlock the cap. Here’s a crucial RVer tip for this specific spot: bring your leveling blocks. I’ve found that the concrete pad doesn’t have the best pitch, and if you don’t raise the driver’s side of your rig a little, you might not get a complete drain from your tanks. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference. After you’re done, you can pull forward and use one of the high-pressure wash wands to rinse off your tires or any road grime, but that’s about the extent of the "wash" part of the name for an RV. Also, if you’re arriving after dark, bring a headlamp. The lighting in that back corner is minimal at best.
Let’s be very clear about the amenities, or rather, the lack thereof. The single most important thing to know is that there is no rinse water at the dump station itself. No spigot, no hose, nothing. You cannot flush your black tank or rinse your sewer hose. This is a dump-and-go spot in the truest sense. You need to come prepared with your own water jugs for rinsing or just be okay with stashing your hose until you get to your next full-hookup campground. Secondly, there are no trash bins available for RVers. You must pack out everything you bring in. The name "Wash-N-Fill" is a bit of a misnomer for our purposes; it’s a car wash first, and there’s no propane or vehicle fuel available.
The cost is one of its saving graces. While no price was officially posted, travelers in the recent past have reported paying between $10 and $15, cash only. For a major metropolitan area like Minneapolis-St. Paul, that’s a pretty good deal compared to the drive-up fees at many private campgrounds. However, you have to weigh that cheap price against the inconvenience of not having water. If a clean hose and a flushed tank are priorities for you, the savings might not be worth it. Make sure you have exact cash, as I’ve heard the card machine can be unreliable.
A few final tips for a smooth visit. The entrance curb off the street is a bit tight, especially if you’re pulling a long trailer, so take your turn wide. If you need to stock up on supplies, there’s a Cub Foods grocery store just a couple of blocks south with a big parking lot. And if you or the kids need to burn off some energy, the Rice Creek Regional Trail has a paved bike path nearby.
The bottom line on Wash-N-Fill? It is strictly function over flair. It fills a critical need for RVers heading north out of the Twin Cities. If you are self-sufficient, have your own rinse water, a plan for your trash, and don’t mind a bit of a gritty, industrial feel, it’s a quick, budget-friendly way to get the job done. Just call first, and for goodness sake, don’t forget your leveling blocks.
12880 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55434
(763) 757-9655
Cost: Price not available
Category: Convenience store
No Water
