Question about heated tanks

[smilin joe]

We have a Rockwood 5th wheel with heated tanks. I've not been able to find an answer to my question by searching so here goes....

If I am using the galley, grey, and black holding tanks and use the heaters, will I also need to keep water in the fresh water tank to avoid damage to it? I wasn't planning to use the freshwater tank, just the city water hookup at the campground.

This will be our first winter trip and I don't want to do any major damage if possible.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Joe

[3 Happy Campers]

Your tank heaters are only on the gray & black water tanks.
I’ve never seen or heard of a heater directly on the fresh water tank.

Normally the fresh water tank is located in a place where it will not freeze if you have the camper heater running.

But you are right in keeping a couple gallons in each of the waste tanks while using the heaters.

[smilin joe]

Thanks for the reply,

This is our second camper, but the first with heated tanks. Since we bought it used and don't have a lot of information about it we're learning as we go.

Happy Holidays!

Joe

[3 Happy Campers]

Well keep the questions coming.
There’s a wealth of info in the membership here.

What documentation you have may be all there is.
FR is not known for over documentation.

[Char_n_Kath]

Joe, the only way to ensure what tanks are heated is to look at them. If you can't see your tanks to visually check if there is a pad and wires running to each, I'd operate on the assumption that all three tanks are heated. My unit has heated tanks - and all three have a heating pad attached. It would not make sense, in my opinion, to have heating protection on only two of three tanks.

Charlie

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by 3 Happy Campers

Well keep the questions coming.
There’s a wealth of info in the membership here.

What documentation you have may be all there is.
FR is not known for over documentation.

Ain't THAT the truth!!!!

May be the biggest UNDER statement on the Forum.

[yvesm]

Originally Posted by smilin joe

We have a Rockwood 5th wheel with heated tanks. I've not been able to find an answer to my question by searching so here goes....

If I am using the galley, grey, and black holding tanks and use the heaters, will I also need to keep water in the fresh water tank to avoid damage to it? I wasn't planning to use the freshwater tank, just the city water hookup at the campground.

This will be our first winter trip and I don't want to do any major damage if possible.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Joe

Our unit has heaters on all the tanks, including the fresh water tank

[3 Happy Campers]

Originally Posted by yvesm

Our unit has heaters on all the tanks, including the fresh water tank

Now I’m not a doctor & I didn’t play one on TV, but having a heater on the fresh water tank seems like it opens up a whole lot of health issues.
By slightly heating the water (but not to a boil) you are promoting bacteria growth.
Any micro biologists out there with some hard data?

Updated
I know the hot water heater does not boil the water either but the heat tape used on the tanks does not come anywhere close to the temp in the HW heater.

[LadyWindrider]

Now let me see, if my tank heater on the fresh water tank brings my fresh water up to say, 80 degrees, and that is bad, wouldn't it be just as bad to camp in 80 degree weather with water in the tank at 80 degrees? These tank heaters are made to keep everything just above freezing, so I wouldn't worry too much about bacteria. If it concerns you that much, better get out of the woods. Oh, and as for the heater and it's temp, I don't drink from the hot water side, only the cold side. Enuf said.

[pdogg]

Old thread, but I just bought a used 2005 SandPiper and in the pile of manuals I got I saw a heated tanks (Ultra Heat or something)... question is, where would I find the switch for turning on the tank heaters? It's not obvious, and maybe I just haven't found it yet?

[TURBS]

it should be by your other switches for hw heater and pump
most likely labeled tank heat

[pdogg]

I'm thinking I don't actually have this option, and the manual got included by mistake... can't see any switches labelled "arctic" or "tank". Just HW and Pump.

Thanks, if I find a switch some place that I don't know what it's for, then I'll have an idea what it might do..

[Herk7769]

It would be a lighted switch or a switch with a warning light next to it.
The tank heaters are battery powered and would kill your battery if left on without external power.

[F and E Damp]

In my GT 325, the switch, labelled "Artic Pack" is on the front panel of the kitchen cabinet by the sink. I have the manufacturer's user guide for the system.

The heating elements are attached to the underside of the black and grey waste tanks. They have built-in thermostats (non-adjustable) that switch the elements ON at 40F and OFF at 65F when the system is energised. They are 12vDC elements and each draw about 7 amps.

I can't see the need to heat up my sewage to 65F, nor can I see any need to send 14 amps to a couple of small patches on the bottom of a plastic tank. Based on my recollections of high school science that discussed the effect of contaminents on freezing point, I can't see either the black or grey tanks freezing up at anything less than a prolonged 28F or lower. I also don't like the idea of those two small patches melting though the plastic tank, if it happened to be empty!

BTW, to a Brit, like me, an "Artic" is an 18-wheeler truck/trailer rig (an abbreviation of "articulated lorry"). The label installed by Georgetown should really say "Arctic".

I think, if you're a regular camper in cold climates who uses on-board potable water, maybe an element similar to frost tape, with a matching thermostat couls be attached to the freshwater tank.

My rig was optioned with this system by the original owner. I don't plan to ever switch it on.

[TURBS]

a lot of times the "manual" is very generic and covers all options for a wide range of campers so your "may" or may not have all listed items .
best thing to do would be to call a dealer and see if it was factory installed .
if the switch is obviously with the other you most likely don't have it .

[Herk7769]

As an aside, if you have heated waste tanks you should also have a heated fresh water tank. Here are some photos of the pads.

[pdogg]

Thanks for the wealth of information folks.. I may be taking the belly pan off soon to install my Blank Tank Rinsing system, so I can for sure see what I have and don't have.. I'm going with "not have" for now..

And I do have an actual product packet in my stack of papers, not just info from the FR generic manual. I have the UltraHeat brochure and warranty card. Very strange...

[Herk7769]

If you are pulling down the belly covering anyway; I would put in the Horst probes at the same time. Will add only an hour to the job and you will be happy you did.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ion-16089.html

[F and E Damp]

Ron:

The brochure I have is from the outfit that makes the tank heaters, not from FR. The number of options is pretty small, so I'm failrly sure of the data that I used to decide not to ever turn them on!