Misc Questions From New Owner

[paulmlac]

Our 2013 Sunseeker 3100 is a couple weeks old now. This weekend we are trying to finish cleaning / stocking / setting it up. Next weekend is our next trip. I have a couple misc questions:

- Does it make sense to sanitize the water tank? I know the obvious answer is yes. But if I'm filling up with "strange" water (potable of course) at a state park it's not exactly a known source. Our two old pop ups were always filled at home with "known" water so we always sanitized them. Note that we do not drink the onboard water.

- Will the system work OK without the water filter installed? The dealer forgot to install it. Said we'd do it at the end of the demo but it slipped both our minds. My thinking is the season is nearly over, I heard they are a little difficult to find, & I can just install it at the beginning of next season.

- I read on here that the fresh water tank drain valve does not drain the hot water heater. Are folks sure about that? I drained the fresh water tank on the way home after our last trip. Then, a couple days ago, on the hot water heater panel outside, I pulled that little relief valve & no water came out. So I'm thinking the hot water heater is empty.

- We leave the unit in a storage lot. There are 2 coach batteries. I have the battery disconnect switch in the disconnect position. There isn't a way to hook up a trickle charger given the storage lot. After sitting for a couple weeks, would there be enough juice in the battery to run the fridge on gas overnight to cool it down?

- If I set the time on the clock & set some radio presets (& any other settings), will they stay saved when I am not using the unit with the battery disconnect switch in the disconnect position? It's one of those Magnadyne M4 radios.

- We have two TV's. One in the cab bunk on a swing arm & a second in the bedroom. I've been over the unit with a fine tooth comb & don't see an audio switch box anywhere. Any idea from another newer 3100 owner of where to look?

- How do folks fill up the gas tank when the credit card limit is $75 & then (at least Speedway) blocks the credit card for the day from being swiped again?

I'm sure I'll have some more questions but these are some initial ones I had thought of this week.

Thanks!

[vasnipe]

Congratulations on the new unit and welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by paulmlac

Our 2013 Sunseeker 3100 is a couple weeks old now. This weekend we are trying to finish cleaning / stocking / setting it up. Next weekend is our next trip. I have a couple misc questions:

- Does it make sense to sanitize the water tank? I know the obvious answer is yes. But if I'm filling up with "strange" water (potable of course) at a state park it's not exactly a known source. Our two old pop ups were always filled at home with "known" water so we always sanitized them. Note that we do not drink the onboard water.

Yes, sanitize your freshwater tank and system. There are a number of threads on this but here is a quick and dirty way. Thanks to herk for this by the way. Take your water hose and pour 1/2 cup of bleach in the end then fill your tank. Pump through the system and open each faucet until you smell bleach. Turn off that faucet and go to the next one, hit hot and cold faucets. Once you have hit all of the faucets turn the pump off and let sit a few hours. Overnight works well. Drain the fresh water tank and refill. Turn the pump on and pressurize the system again. Go back and run all of the faucets again until you no longer smell bleach at them.
Since we usually stay at campgrounds with hookups I typically travel with about 1/3 tank of water on board. That way we have hand washing and cup rinsing water during lunch stops. If I were going boondocking that would be different.

- Will the system work OK without the water filter installed? The dealer forgot to install it. Said we'd do it at the end of the demo but it slipped both our minds. My thinking is the season is nearly over, I heard they are a little difficult to find, & I can just install it at the beginning of next season.

System will work OK without a filter, that is just a taste and odor filter anyway. Replacements are available from Home Depot or Lowe's or Walmart. Buy the "whole house" filter cartridge. Pretty inexpensive to replace. Remove it prior to winterizing, you don't want that in your filter.

**Tip for installing or removing the filter, take an empty sherbet container or Cool-Whip container and slip it under the filter housing to catch water that leaks out when you loosen the housing. You may have to finagle the bowl to get it under the housing. Also, put the filter housing wrench up above the tub before you put the tub underneath, kind of hard to fit the wrench if the tub is there... Also a towel to catch what does leak/spill. Mr Murphy just LOVES me.

- I read on here that the fresh water tank drain valve does not drain the hot water heater. Are folks sure about that? I drained the fresh water tank on the way home after our last trip. Then, a couple days ago, on the hot water heater panel outside, I pulled that little relief valve & no water came out. So I'm thinking the hot water heater is empty.

Fresh water drain valve drains just the fresh water tank, not the hot water heater. Pressure had probably bled off of the water system and there was none to push more out of the relief valve. You will have to remove the anode rod from the bottom of the hot water heater in order to drain it between trips or when winterizing. You will need either a pair of "crescent" wrenches or preferably a 1 1/16" socket (Northern Tool had mine) to remove and install the anode rod. Be sure to put teflon tape on the threads when you reinstall so you'll be able to remove it later (keeps the threads from rusting together). I'll attach photos.

- We leave the unit in a storage lot. There are 2 coach batteries. I have the battery disconnect switch in the disconnect position. There isn't a way to hook up a trickle charger given the storage lot. After sitting for a couple weeks, would there be enough juice in the battery to run the fridge on gas overnight to cool it down?

With the disconnect in use the batteries should be OK after that short a time. If you're worried you could use a solar trickle charger to keep them topped up.

- If I set the time on the clock & set some radio presets (& any other settings), will they stay saved when I am not using the unit with the battery disconnect switch in the disconnect position? It's one of those Magnadyne M4 radios.

No idea, someone else able to help out here?

- We have two TV's. One in the cab bunk on a swing arm & a second in the bedroom. I've been over the unit with a fine tooth comb & don't see an audio switch box anywhere. Any idea from another newer 3100 owner of where to look?

Also no idea, someone else able to help out here? My 2006 does not have this fancy shtuff.

- How do folks fill up the gas tank when the credit card limit is $75 & then (at least Speedway) blocks the credit card for the day from being swiped again?

Card limit is set by the credit card company, you might want to look and see which one is higher, Visa or MasterCard. Them locking the card out for 24 hours sounds bogus, I'd buy fuel elsewhere. Every place I've been you hit the limit , you turn off, swipe again, and top up. Two transactions if needed. Flying J and Pilot stations offer a 2 cent discount per gallon on their "discount card", I picked mine up at a Pilot station this last trip. They also offer a higher discount if you get their credit card. Check out the Good Sam web site on them, they have a good write up.

I'm sure I'll have some more questions but these are some initial ones I had thought of this week.

Thanks!

Ask away, we'll try to help out best we can. I've learned a lot on this forum and others.

[vasnipe]

Photo of water heater bypass

[paulmlac]

vasnipe - Thanks very much for the detailed response & pics!

I did track down answers to the radio & audio switch box questions.

[vasnipe]

Glad to help out.
Chris in Virginia

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by vasnipe

Card limit is set by the credit card company

Not to sure on that one. The pumps cut off at $75 at 1 station, but others I filled up at over the last couple of days went into the $80s. I think the cutoff is a station thing.