Gray and Galley filling up too quick

[Roam4st]

Hi All,

New TT owners here. We have a 2016 Forest River Cascade(Cherokee). 64+Gal gray, 46Fresh, 42 Black.

We dont know how the galley and gray water tanks are filling so fast. We are parked at a house and have a hose connected to the City water valve.

The most water we use is from the toilet. We use very little in dishwater and there is only 3-5 very quick showers in total before both the gray and galley tanks are full.

This hardly seems like 64 gallons of water use.

Questions:
1. Is it possible the hose is filling the galley tank even when the water is not being used?
2. How does the galley tank fill separate from the gray water? (I've read that this depends on trailer model but this is a Forest River site so hopefully you guys know exactly.)

3. Is anyone else frustrated on the accuracy of the meter readings. They tanks can read 3/4 full 2 days after emptying and we play the guessing game on how much is really in there after.

Thanks if you have read this far. I would appreciate any information or insights.

[BandJCarm]

Why do you think they are full? From the sensor readings on the panel, only? IF so, those things are rarely right. Or from some other conclusion?

[heavynlori]

Galley should only be kitchen and not connected to gray for bath/shower

3-5 quick showers could mean approx 10 gals per shower = 30-50 gallons in the gray not counting whatever is run in the bathroom sink also

A quick shower can be different to each person - if you dont shut off water at all during the shower it could be 2-3 gallons per minute

[Roam4st]

The Gray tank was totally full and the Galley emptied out at about the same pace and time as the Gray.

[Bikersarge]

Those tanks fill fast, as the good examples above in the past state...that's why we try our best to get full hook-ups.

[larryo]

If I don't have full hoohups I leave the hookup cap on and open both drain valves. That allows both tanks to fill evenly. They fill quicker than you think.

[httntheroad]

Put this on water supply then you can see.

[timfromma]

When I'm boondocking, I run out of waste water storage long before I run out of fresh water. It's just the way it is.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by larryo

If I don't have full hoohups I leave the hookup cap on and open both drain valves. That allows both tanks to fill evenly. They fill quicker than you think.

The pipes outside the tanks will still be full of water from the two tanks even after you close both valves..

How do you then keep water from gushing out of the pipe when you remove the cap and go to hookup your drain hose?

[rjshiflet]

Originally Posted by heavynlori

Galley should only be kitchen and not connected to gray for bath/shower

Not sure about his model, but on our Cardinal (unfortunately) the shower and galley are connected to one gray tank and the bathroom sink (rarely used except brushing teeth and washing hands) are Washing Machine (which we don't have) go into the other gray.

That's a horrible design since most water usage is in the kitchen sink and shower and both drain into a single 40-gallon gray tank. Do the engineers/designers EVER go camping?

Thank goodness for full hook ups.

[lugoismad]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

The pipes outside the tanks will still be full of water from the two tanks even after you close both valves..

How do you then keep water from gushing out of the pipe when you remove the cap and go to hookup your drain hose?

You don't. It's just gray water, it's not going to kill you.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by lugoismad

You don't. It's just gray water, it's not going to kill you.

Im aware of that but try telling that to the guy in line behind you when you are at the dump station flooding the place with water where he will be walking next.

If I were him I would not be amused!

[510Rick]

My holding tanks fill up way before the fresh water runs out as well . I think its a matter of learning to conserve when boondocking . My family of four just spent 11 nights boondocking and the tanks were close to full after about 8 days but we managed to keep from over filling them by some simple conservation . The one thing that saves my arse is that I have a 30 gallon plastic water drum that I use with a light weight sink I built to wash dishes out doors . This way all my trailer water isnt used up right away and the tanks dont fill so fast from dish water .

[TandSH]

Originally Posted by rjshiflet

Not sure about his model, but on our Cardinal (unfortunately) the shower and galley are connected to one gray tank and the bathroom sink (rarely used except brushing teeth and washing hands) are Washing Machine (which we don't have) go into the other gray.

That's a horrible design since most water usage is in the kitchen sink and shower and both drain into a single 40-gallon gray tank. Do the engineers/designers EVER go camping?

Thank goodness for full hook ups.

Same for our Cedar Creek 34RL2. 40 gal gray for galley and shower and 40 gal for brushing teeth (we also don't have washing machine, just prep plumbing). Grrr!!!

I installed a knife valve on the dump connection so I could open and theoretically join both gray tanks but I don't think it's working like I want to equalize their contents. An email to Cedar Creek about this has not been answered.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

The pipes outside the tanks will still be full of water from the two tanks even after you close both valves..

How do you then keep water from gushing out of the pipe when you remove the cap and go to hookup your drain hose?

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Plumbing...hoCJ6kQAvD_BwE

[CHICKDOE]

a couple of comments. valterra sells a twist on valve that you can put on your discharge pipe. close the twist on valve and open the gray and galley valves to equalize the levels. when dumping close the gray and galley valves, then open the twist on valve to drain water in the pipes. then dump in the normal sequence (black then grays).


our cardinal also has two gray tanks, but in our floor plan one if them is solely dedicated to the washer prep, which we don't have. so all gray (kitchen, shower, bathroom sink) goes to a single 40 gallon tank. we use the valterra twist on valve to gain access to the unused gray tank (the washer tank).

[ManlyMan]

Originally Posted by rjshiflet

Not sure about his model, but on our Cardinal (unfortunately) the shower and galley are connected to one gray tank and the bathroom sink (rarely used except brushing teeth and washing hands) are Washing Machine (which we don't have) go into the other gray.

That's a horrible design since most water usage is in the kitchen sink and shower and both drain into a single 40-gallon gray tank. Do the engineers/designers EVER go camping?

Thank goodness for full hook ups.

Bad design for you but a great design for those with a washer in their unit. You can't please everyone.

[CedarCreekWoody]

My Wildwood has two grey tanks. The valves are such that I could open the valve for the galley tank and let it equalize with the shower tank, therefore functioning as a single tank. There is a second grey valve between the tanks and the dump, keeping the dump dry even though the two tanks are joined. But I know there are many many models and valve arrangements and they don't all offer this option.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

a couple of comments. valterra sells a twist on valve that you can put on your discharge pipe. close the twist on valve and open the gray and galley valves to equalize the levels. when dumping close the gray and galley valves, then open the twist on valve to drain water in the pipes. then dump in the normal sequence (black then grays).


our cardinal also has two gray tanks, but in our floor plan one if them is solely dedicated to the washer prep, which we don't have. so all gray (kitchen, shower, bathroom sink) goes to a single 40 gallon tank. we use the valterra twist on valve to gain access to the unused gray tank (the washer tank).

On some rigs, the grey and galley are not piped together. One has a separate drain connection and the other is piped with the black tank. So the Valterra valve option doesn't work.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by CHICKDOE

a couple of comments. valterra sells a twist on valve that you can put on your discharge pipe. close the twist on valve and open the gray and galley valves to equalize the levels. when dumping close the gray and galley valves, then open the twist on valve to drain water in the pipes. then dump in the normal sequence (black then grays).


our cardinal also has two gray tanks, but in our floor plan one if them is solely dedicated to the washer prep, which we don't have. so all gray (kitchen, shower, bathroom sink) goes to a single 40 gallon tank. we use the valterra twist on valve to gain access to the unused gray tank (the washer tank).

We too have a galley and grey tank. The grey is shower and Lav, galley is just that, the kitchen sink. We also only have one dump valve for all three tanks. This solution would work perfectly! and no water being splashed all around at the dump station. I LOVE IT!