Re-Filling the water tank at a state park

[mark0224]

I bought one of these to transfer the water.Heavy Duty Drill Powered Pump 650 GPH
or you could do this 12v Marine Utility Water Pump

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Are you saying there's a check valve in the FW tank fill line? That doesn't make much sense to me. I know there's a check valve in the city water line, but not the FW tank fill line.

Yes, there is a check valve on the units that have the garden hose attachment set up. not so good idea imo. One of the first things that I noticed on my new unit, upon filling the Freshwater tank and when full and water flowing out the over flow. When shutting off the in coming water there was no way to burp the system and water because of the suction effect would continue to drain water out of my fresh water tank for a quarter to a half of the tank of water. The dealer tried to redo the breather tube to stop this, but it never worked. Also, traveling down the road, the sway of the unit would start the suction effect again and drain even more out of the tank. The one way check valve allowed and helped the suction effect. I ended up having to put a valve on my Fresh water tank breather tube, which I open when we set up camp. I consider my Fresh Water fill attachment and breather set up by Forest River as very Sub Par for such a company.

[rockfordroo]

Sounds like they just took a city water connector and stuck it on your FW tank fill line. I wonder if you can remove the guts of the check valve from the open end of the connector? (Maybe it would screw out?)

Camping World has 3 city water connectors. Two of them say they have a check valve. This one does not, and one of the reviewers says he's using it to connect a hose in his bathroom, which I would interpret to mean he's running water OUT of the connector instead of INTO it, which also implies no check valve.

Recessed City Water Inlet - Lakeview 3783 - Faucets & Inlets - Camping World

Maybe you can replace your FW tank connector with this one.

Another thought: I would assume you now have THREE of these connectors, one for city water, one for FW tank fill, and one for your anti-freeze. MAYBE they installed one without a check valve, but inadvertently put it on the AF connection.

[Lon]

and answers a huge number of questions I have pondered as a newby over the last 5 months...especially the post by FROG(hope I spelled that right). So the winterizing port utilizes the water pump to suck antifreeze into the water lines. So I don't have to pour antifreeze into the fresh water tank and pump it through the system. One question remains: Why do you bypass the hot water tank when winterizing? Do you not want antifreeze in the hot water tank? What keeps the hot water tank from freezing if it doesn't have antifreeze in it? Sorry guys. I'm a little slow. Please FROG me.

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by Brother Les

Yes, there is a check valve on the units that have the garden hose attachment set up. not so good idea imo. One of the first things that I noticed on my new unit, upon filling the Freshwater tank and when full and water flowing out the over flow. When shutting off the in coming water there was no way to burp the system and water because of the suction effect would continue to drain water out of my fresh water tank for a quarter to a half of the tank of water. The dealer tried to redo the breather tube to stop this, but it never worked. Also, traveling down the road, the sway of the unit would start the suction effect again and drain even more out of the tank. The one way check valve allowed and helped the suction effect. I ended up having to put a valve on my Fresh water tank breather tube, which I open when we set up camp. I consider my Fresh Water fill attachment and breather set up by Forest River as very Sub Par for such a company.

The valve isn't the cause, the vent is plumbed over an inch down from the top of the tank. It's a poor design. I fixed mine, works well and I don't siphon a drop anymore.

[caper]

and answers a huge number of questions I have pondered as a newby over the last 5 months...especially the post by FROG(hope I spelled that right). So the winterizing port utilizes the water pump to suck antifreeze into the water lines. So I don't have to pour antifreeze into the fresh water tank and pump it through the system. One question remains: Why do you bypass the hot water tank when winterizing? Do you not want antifreeze in the hot water tank? What keeps the hot water tank from freezing if it doesn't have antifreeze in it? Sorry guys. I'm a little slow. Please FROG me.

You drain the water from the HW tank. The bypass valves allow you to put the pink stuff in the water lines with out putting it into the HW heater. The small amount of water left in the tank will not hurt because it has room to expand and it freezes.

[donanddona]

Normally (AFTER the water in the water heater has cooled) we remove the anode (drain) plug to inspect and replace if necessary. Their are a couple of ways to flush the WH tank out. 1) use a wand and water jet it clean. 2) after removing the drain plug, turn on the city water or your FW pump and let her flow for 3-4-5 minutes. After flushing just let it drain out dry. It's one of the final steps when winterizing. For snowbird full timers like me, we should do this once a year anyway.

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by Lon

and answers a huge number of questions I have pondered as a newby over the last 5 months...especially the post by FROG(hope I spelled that right). So the winterizing port utilizes the water pump to suck antifreeze into the water lines. So I don't have to pour antifreeze into the fresh water tank and pump it through the system. One question remains: Why do you bypass the hot water tank when winterizing? Do you not want antifreeze in the hot water tank? What keeps the hot water tank from freezing if it doesn't have antifreeze in it? Sorry guys. I'm a little slow. Please FROG me.

You can put anitfreeze in the HW tank, but there is no need to waste 6 Gallons of antifreeze, when you can just open the drain plug and empty most of the water out so freezing will not harm it. Don't forget your outside shower. Out of sight and out of mind, and plastic faucet.

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by SKnight

The valve isn't the cause, the vent is plumbed over an inch down from the top of the tank. It's a poor design. I fixed mine, works well and I don't siphon a drop anymore.

'MY' 'Dealer' redid the breather tube from the rubber to house piping and (said) reran it to where it would not cause the siphoning action..... Did not work/help/ or change a thing. How Exactly did you redo yours? I will not take it back to 'them' and fix it myself if I have a better idea on what to do than what they did.

Thank-you

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by RPAspey

Make yourself one of these and keep using the blue jugs. And you'll have a spare pump. I've used mine to also wash the dogs outside (I don't have an outside sprayer)

Great job on that!!!

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by Brother Les

'MY' 'Dealer' redid the breather tube from the rubber to house piping and (said) reran it to where it would not cause the siphoning action..... Did not work/help/ or change a thing. How Exactly did you redo yours? I will not take it back to 'them' and fix it myself if I have a better idea on what to do than what they did.

Thank-you

Yeah, my dealer showed the same competence.

I took the factory breather, added a tee valve on the end, then attached a hose on the other end of the tee, ran that up and over the LP tank with the top of the loop a couple a foot or so higher than the top of the fresh tank. I then let a couple of feet of hose hang down next to the tank.

With the tee valve closed I fill as normal until water is coming out the vent at the LP tank. At that point I open the tee valve to drain the high end of the hose, then close it. That breaks the actual siphon effect caused by the high loop. The hose will still have water in it, since the vent is below the high water line, after a day or two of use I'll open the tee one last time to let it work normally.

So I get to use much more of my tank and I don't lose any water while traveling.

Back to your normally scheduled thread.

[Too Tall]

I can't believe they removed the external potable water fill tube. I didn't know that. I guess they are only putting them on the small trailers like my 21'.

Regarding the Federal parks, In previous years, I had a 40 gallon tank that came out out another RV. I rigged up a pump so I could fill my tank all in one shot with it and always kept it full when I knew I would need more water. There's nothing like running out of water when you're all soaped up in the shower. (try to avoid the visual on this)